Rating System for Sustainable Landscapes

Received from the Northwest Ecobuilding Guild…

Initiative Releases Rating System for Sustainable Landscapes

The Sustainable Sites Initiative recently released the nation’s first rating system for the design, construction and maintenance of sustainable landscapes, with or without buildings. The Initiative’s rating system represents four years of work from dozens of the country’s leading sustainability experts, scientists and design professionals, as well as public input from hundreds of individuals and dozens of organizations to create this essential missing link in green design. The announcement took place at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington D.C. The rating system works on a 250-point scale, with levels of achievement for obtaining 40, 50, 60 or 80 percent of available points, recognized with one through four stars, respectively. If prerequisites are met, points are awarded through the 51 credits covering areas such as site selection; soil and vegetation restoration; use of materials; and sustainable construction and maintenance practices. These credits can apply to projects ranging from corporate campuses, transportation corridors, public parks and single-family residences.

Two new reports are available:

Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks 2009 - includes the rating system described above
The Case for Sustainable Landscapes – Companion document to the above

Pilot Projects

In conjunction with the release of the Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks 2009, the Sustainable Sites Initiative invites projects to apply as a pilot project to test this rating system. Any type of designed landscape is eligible, as long as the project size is at least 2,000 square feet. The call for pilot projects will remain open until February 15, 2010 and the Initiative anticipates working with 75 to 150 projects during the two-year process. For more information on the pilot projects, visit www.sustainablesites.org/pilot or email pilot@sustainablesites.org.