** High Priority ** This is a project of which we are extremely proud to be a part. We are in a comment period right now and would like to have additional architects, builders, engineers, ecologists, horticulturist, landscape maintenance contractors, soil scientist, architect, green building consultant and planners to give us feed back. Please take the time to look at the email and go to our website to view the draft report.
ALSO PASS ON TO ANYONE YOU KNOW THAT MIGHT HAVE INSIGHT OR COMMENTS. thank you, Ray ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The USBG has been involved in this partnership and is very excited about Sustainable Sites. The Sustainable Sites Initiative is developing national, voluntary standards and guidelines for sustainable land development and management practices as well as metrics to assess site performance and a rating system to recognize achievement. It is a partnership of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the United States Botanic Garden and a diverse group of national stakeholder organizations. The U.S. Green Building Council, a major stakeholder in the initiative, has committed to incorporating these guidelines and standards into the future evolution of the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System. These will also be available at no cost for those that will not go for certification. The initiative is in the process of developing the Standards and Guidelines for Sustainable Sites - a compilation of current research, technology, and practices to provide technical guidance and performance benchmarks. The Preliminary Report on the Standards and Guidelines ( www.sustainablesites.org/report.html) is now available for comment. The purpose of this report is to provide a snapshot of the first findings of the initiative with the intention of collecting feedback from professionals and stakeholders. It is critical to receive knowledge and input from other professionals and stakeholders to ensure that the products of the Sustainable Sites Initiative are relevant to those who influence land practices. Please share this document with other colleagues. An on-line feedback form ( www.sustainablesites.org/questionnaire.html) is available to submit comments on the preliminary report. The public comment period will be open until January 11, 2008. Many local and regional efforts now provide guidelines for improved land development and management practices. Sustainable Sites recognizes the importance and relevance of these programs and is interested in information sharing and partnering. Please share this freely with all that you think would be interested. If you have any questions, a system has been set up to field them at [EMAIL PROTECTED] I hope you will find this effort as exciting as we do. all the best, Ray Ray Mims Conservation Horticulture United States Botanic Garden 4700 Shepherd Parkway, SW Washington, DC 20032 202.409.1659 cell
