WASHINGTON, DC, Dec. 8, 2008 -- The Sustainable Sites Initiative is an interdisciplinary partnership led by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the United States Botanic Garden and a diverse group of stakeholder organizations, including the US EPA, working together to foster a transformation in land development and management practices. Through the creation and implementation of clear and rigorous design, construction, operations, and maintenance criteria, the Initiative aims to supplement existing green building and landscape guidelines as well as to become a stand-alone tool for site sustainability.
On November 10th, the Sustainable Sites Initiative released the Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks Draft 2008 for public comment. This important milestone builds on the initial Standards and Guidelines: Preliminary Report released in November of last year. The new draft contains over 50 proposed prerequisites and credits ranging from site selection to sustainable maintenance practices. The metrics' format will be similar to existing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) tools in structure and will include the following components:
• Credit intent
• Ecosystem services addressed
• Social and economic benefits
• Requirements
• Submittal documentation
• Technologies and strategies
• Resources
The Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks Draft 2008 are available for download and public comment.
>> Click here to access the guidelines
>> Click here to participate in the review process
The public comment period closes on January 20, 2009.
###
