[PCA] WEB: Sustainable Sites Initiative

Olivia Kwong plant at plantconservation.org
Fri Nov 16 10:51:44 CST 2007


http://www.sustainablesites.org/report.html

----- Forwarded Message -----

Dear Olivia Kwong:

As you know, the growing green building movement sets standards for 
sustainable buildings and their mechanical systems. Just as important, but 
getting less attention, are the critical contributions to biodiversity, 
water quality and conservation, air quality, and climate made by 
sustainable landscapes. To fill that gap, the American Society of 
Landscape Architects (ASLA), the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and 
the United States Botanic Garden (USBG), in conjunction with a diverse 
group of stakeholder organizations (below), have joined together in the 
Sustainable Sites Initiative.

The Sustainable Sites Initiative will provide standards and guidelines for 
measuring the sustainability of designed landscapes, including commercial 
and public sites, residential landscapes, parks and recreation centers, 
campuses, roadsides, and utility corridors. Products will include resource 
publications and the components of a rating system that may stand alone or 
become part of long-established systems that recognize sustainable site 
design. The U.S. Green Building Council is participating in the project 
and anticipates incorporating the final Sustainable Sites standards and 
guidelines into the next iteration of LEED. Sustainable Sites has the 
potential to transform all industries involved with land design, 
construction, and maintenance, and we hope that you will contribute to 
this effort.

The first report from the Sustainable Sites technical subcommittees on 
hydrology, soils, vegetation, and materials will be released in early 
November. At that time, we will invite you and your members to return 
feedback to inform subsequent revisions. Your participation will be 
critical to the successful development of best practices, regional 
performance standards, and methods for verifying landscape sustainability.

For more information, please contact info at sustainablesites.org.

We look forward to working with you on the Sustainable Sites Initiative.

Sincerely,


Nancy Somerville
Executive Vice President and CEO
American Society of Landscape Architects

Susan Rieff
Executive Director
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Holly Shimizu
Executive Director
U.S. Botanic Garden

Participating Stakeholder Organizations
American Society of Landscape Architects
Lady Bird Johnson Wild Flower Center
United States Botanic Garden
American Society of Civil Engineers - Environment and Water Resources 
Institute
Center for Sustainable Development, University of Texas at Austin
United States Green Building Council
National Association of County and CIty Health Officials
Environmental Protection Agency - GreenScapes Program
National Recreation and Parks Association
The Nature Conservancy - Global Invasive Species
Funding Sources
American Society of Landscape Architects
Lady Bird Johnson Wild Flower Center
United States Botanic Garden
United States Forest Service
Environmental Protection Agency
The Meadows Foundation





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