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Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Requirements
Limit development effects on wetlands, water bodies, and surrounding buffer land according to the requirements below.
Option 1. Sites with no wetlands, water bodies, land within 50 feet (15 meters) of wetlands, or land within 100 feet (30 meters) of water bodies
Locate the project on a site that includes no wetlands, no water bodies, no land within 50 feet (15 meters) of wetlands, and no land within 100 feet (30 meters) of water bodies.OR
Option 2. Sites with wetlands, water bodies, land within 50 feet (15 meters) of wetlands, or land within 100 feet (30 meters) of water bodies
- Locate the project such that preproject wetlands, water bodies, land within 50 feet (15 meters) of wetlands, and land within 100 feet (30 meters) of water bodies is not affected by new development, unless the development is minor improvements or is on previously developed land.
- Earn at least 1 point under GIB Credit 8, Stormwater Management, and limit any impacts beyond minor improvements to less than the percentage of buffer land listed in Table 1.
OR
Residential density (DU/acre)* |
Residential density |
Percentage of buffer land** |
|
---|---|---|---|
> 25 |
> 62 |
> 1.75 |
≤ 20% |
> 18 and ≤ 25 |
> 45 and ≤ 62 |
> 1.25 to ≤ 1.75 |
≤ 15% |
> 10 and ≤ 18 |
> 25 and ≤ 45 |
> .75 to ≤ 1.25 |
≤ 10% |
≤ 10 |
> 25 |
≤ .75 |
≤ 5% |
DU = dwelling unit; FAR = floor-area ratio. |
|||
* For this option, a mixed-use project may use either its residential or its nonresidential density to determine the percentage of allowable impacts, regardless of which is higher. |
|||
** For this option, buffer width may vary as long as the total buffer area is equal to the area within 50 feet (15 meters) of wetlands and/or within 100 feet (30 meters) of water bodies, minus excluded features (see below). The minimum buffer width, however, is 25 feet (8 meters) for wetlands and 50 feet (15 meters) for water bodies, measured from the edge. In the minimum buffer, only minor improvements and/or improvements that result in no ecological impairment of the wetland or water body, as determined by a qualified biologist, are allowed. |
What does it cost?
Cost estimates for this credit
On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.
Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.
This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.
Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »Frequently asked questions
See all forum discussions about this credit »Addenda
Add a second column, "Residential density (DU/hectare)," with the following values:
> 62
> 45 and ≤ 62
> 25 and ≤ 45
> 25
Documentation toolkit
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© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Requirements
Limit development effects on wetlands, water bodies, and surrounding buffer land according to the requirements below.
Option 1. Sites with no wetlands, water bodies, land within 50 feet (15 meters) of wetlands, or land within 100 feet (30 meters) of water bodies
Locate the project on a site that includes no wetlands, no water bodies, no land within 50 feet (15 meters) of wetlands, and no land within 100 feet (30 meters) of water bodies.OR
Option 2. Sites with wetlands, water bodies, land within 50 feet (15 meters) of wetlands, or land within 100 feet (30 meters) of water bodies
- Locate the project such that preproject wetlands, water bodies, land within 50 feet (15 meters) of wetlands, and land within 100 feet (30 meters) of water bodies is not affected by new development, unless the development is minor improvements or is on previously developed land.
- Earn at least 1 point under GIB Credit 8, Stormwater Management, and limit any impacts beyond minor improvements to less than the percentage of buffer land listed in Table 1.
OR
Residential density (DU/acre)* |
Residential density |
Percentage of buffer land** |
|
---|---|---|---|
> 25 |
> 62 |
> 1.75 |
≤ 20% |
> 18 and ≤ 25 |
> 45 and ≤ 62 |
> 1.25 to ≤ 1.75 |
≤ 15% |
> 10 and ≤ 18 |
> 25 and ≤ 45 |
> .75 to ≤ 1.25 |
≤ 10% |
≤ 10 |
> 25 |
≤ .75 |
≤ 5% |
DU = dwelling unit; FAR = floor-area ratio. |
|||
* For this option, a mixed-use project may use either its residential or its nonresidential density to determine the percentage of allowable impacts, regardless of which is higher. |
|||
** For this option, buffer width may vary as long as the total buffer area is equal to the area within 50 feet (15 meters) of wetlands and/or within 100 feet (30 meters) of water bodies, minus excluded features (see below). The minimum buffer width, however, is 25 feet (8 meters) for wetlands and 50 feet (15 meters) for water bodies, measured from the edge. In the minimum buffer, only minor improvements and/or improvements that result in no ecological impairment of the wetland or water body, as determined by a qualified biologist, are allowed. |