At Lillaskog, we are committed to taking steps to reduce our carbon footprint and promote a sustainable way of being. In a rural area, we have some unique challenges to practicing sustainability. We ask that our guests keep this in mind and help us with our mission whenever possible.

Steps we have taken to promote sustainability:

• A good portion of the interior of the house was built using reclaimed wood from this very land. A forest fire in the 1990s damaged many trees. However, the wood within the burnt trees remained gorgeous. The owner, Bill Charlson, bought a little sawmill and milled the trees himself. 
• Replanting over 1,700 trees after the RIM fire of 2013 and 20,000 trees after the Pilot Ridge fire of 1999. See About Us for more information about being a steward of the forest.
• Maintaining defensible space, which is critical to wildfire prevention and survival. “Wildfires in 2020 emitted 111.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, according to preliminary figures provided by the California Air Resources Board, compared with 169.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent for transportation in 2018…” (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Provide much of our own electricity through solar panels. 
• Replaced our dryer sheets with wool balls.
• Cows graze the land to keep the brush down and reduce fire risk. They also eliminate the need for spraying herbicides which can be damaging to wildlife, and the watershed.
• Fans are provided in all sleeping rooms and the main living area. Did you know that fans use on average approximately 70 kilowatts per hour, while window air conditioning units use a whopping 500 to 1440 kilowatts? While there is one existing swamp cooler for use on extremely hot days, we aim to limit overall AC usage and rely on fans and other cooling techniques, such as blackout shades.
• All rooms use only LED lighting.
• We use on-demand water heaters rather than heating water constantly in traditional tanks.
• Bedding and towels are changed and laundered after your stay to minimize water consumption; bed spreads are provided in closets for guests when needed as opposed to regularly providing excessive bedding when not needed.
• Participate in the “Adopt-a-highway” program, removing litter along Highway 120.
• Provide bird feeders with supplemental nutrients that encourage a variety of birdlife in the area.
• Hire Local staff, promote local vendors and buy local as much as possible.

Our future sustainability goals include:

• Becoming totally self-sustained by our own solar power.
• Improve our waste systems to include recycling and green waste.
• Improve efficiency of our heating and cooling systems.
• Using organic and environmentally friendly products as much as possible.
• Listening to your suggestions – please let us know if you see an area in which we can improve.

What you can do to help during your visit:

• • Reduce your water use. Our water comes from our own well – it is a limited source. With the persistent drought conditions in California, we all need to save as much water as possible.
    • Limit showers to 5 minutes
    • Don’t leave the water running while washing dishes
    • Turn off the water while brushing your teeth
  • Turn off the lights when you leave a room
  • Think twice before turning on the AC. We know sometimes it can be unbearably hot. We ask that you just consider using the fan if it will suffice. 
  • Don’t use a hairdryer – you’re in the forest after all and the bears don’t care! A hairdryer uses 1500 watts in 10 minutes!