If you pursue option 2, does the project that the land trust uses the funds for have to be located within a set distance away from the project area (i.e. the new construction or existing building)? If so, what is that distance?
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Bipin Karki
Project Manager - Sustainability Division84 thumbs up
June 21, 2019 - 7:14 am
Hello Chan,
For Option 2: Financial support must be provided to a nationally or locally recognized land trust or conservation organization within the same EPA Level III ecoregion or the project’s state (or within 100 miles of the project [160 kilometers] for projects outside the U.S.). For U.S. projects, the land trust must be accredited by the Land Trust Alliance.
The Step-wise guidance for LEED BD+C v4 Option 2. Financial Support Step 2. Identify Qualifying Partner Organization states partnering organization must provide financial support to a project that meets the proximity criteria indicated in the credit requirement. You can use the classification system of the EPA to identify their Level III ecoregion. Refer here: http://epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions/level_iii_iv.htm.
Hope it helps!
Lisa Hancock
November 4, 2021 - 3:32 pm
Natural Lands is an LTA-accredited land trust based in Greater Philadelphia. Our headquarter is in Ecoregion 64. In addition to our headquarters based in Media, PA, we have a network of 42 preserves and a public garden. Preserved properties extend through the east side of Pennsylvania and down to Southern New Jersey.
Questions: Does anyone know if the distance to qualify for Option 2 of site developemnt--donation to a land trust SSc5.1 requires that the building site is located in the same Level III ecoregion as the land trust's headquarters. Or can it be in the same ecoregion/100 mile distance as one of the many our preserves we own and mainain. For example, we have staffed preserves extending down to Southern NJ--Level 3 ecoregion 84.
Trista Brown
Project DirectorWSP USA
449 thumbs up
November 11, 2021 - 8:23 pm
Hi Lisa - I might be misinterpreting your question, but the 100 mile distance is only applicable to projects outside the US. The two items that apply are the ecoregion or the state. If your organization crosses ecoregions and states, you might want to reach out to GBCI to confirm the specifics. But my understanding has been that if the project that gets funded by the land trust (regardless of the land trust's HQ location) meets either of those two items, it would meet the credit requirements.