CS-v5 LTc1: Sensitive Land Protection 1 point
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Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To cultivate community resilience by avoiding the development of environmentally sensitive lands that provide critical ecosystem services and reduce the environmental impact from the location of a building on a site.
Requirements
Option 1. Previously Developed Sites (1 point)
Locate the development footprint on land that has been previously developed.
OR
Option 2: Previously Undeveloped Sites (1 point)
Locate the development footprint on land that does not meet the following criteria for sensitive land:
- Prime farmland: Prime farmland, unique farmland, or farmland of statewide or local importance as defined by the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 7, Volume 6, Parts 400 to 699, Section 657.5 (or local equivalent for projects outside the U.S.) and identified in a state Natural Resources Conservation Service soil survey (or local equivalent for projects outside the U.S.).
- Floodplains: A flood hazard area shown on a legally adopted flood hazard map or otherwise legally designated by the local jurisdiction or the state. For projects in places without legally adopted flood hazard maps or legal designations, locate on a site that is entirely outside any floodplain subject to a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year (100-year floodplain).
- Notable habitat: Land identified as habitat for one or more of the following:
- Species listed as threatened or endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act or the state’s endangered species act.
- Species or ecological communities classified by NatureServe as GH (possibly extinct), G1 (critically imperiled), or G2 (imperiled).
- Species listed as threatened or endangered species under local equivalent standards (for projects outside the U.S.) that are not covered by NatureServe data.
- Water bodies: Areas on or within 100 feet (30 meters) of a water body, except for minor improvements.
- Wetlands: Areas on or within 50 feet (15 meters) of a wetland, except for minor improvements.
- Steep slopes: Protect 40% of the steep slope area on the site (if such areas exist) from all development and construction activity.
- For unstable, undeveloped slopes between 15% and 25%, protect 40% from all development.
- For unstable, undeveloped slopes steeper than 25%, protect from all development and construction activity 60% of the steep slope area on the site.
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Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To cultivate community resilience by avoiding the development of environmentally sensitive lands that provide critical ecosystem services and reduce the environmental impact from the location of a building on a site.
Requirements
Option 1. Previously Developed Sites (1 point)
Locate the development footprint on land that has been previously developed.
OR
Option 2: Previously Undeveloped Sites (1 point)
Locate the development footprint on land that does not meet the following criteria for sensitive land:
- Prime farmland: Prime farmland, unique farmland, or farmland of statewide or local importance as defined by the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 7, Volume 6, Parts 400 to 699, Section 657.5 (or local equivalent for projects outside the U.S.) and identified in a state Natural Resources Conservation Service soil survey (or local equivalent for projects outside the U.S.).
- Floodplains: A flood hazard area shown on a legally adopted flood hazard map or otherwise legally designated by the local jurisdiction or the state. For projects in places without legally adopted flood hazard maps or legal designations, locate on a site that is entirely outside any floodplain subject to a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year (100-year floodplain).
- Notable habitat: Land identified as habitat for one or more of the following:
- Species listed as threatened or endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act or the state’s endangered species act.
- Species or ecological communities classified by NatureServe as GH (possibly extinct), G1 (critically imperiled), or G2 (imperiled).
- Species listed as threatened or endangered species under local equivalent standards (for projects outside the U.S.) that are not covered by NatureServe data.
- Water bodies: Areas on or within 100 feet (30 meters) of a water body, except for minor improvements.
- Wetlands: Areas on or within 50 feet (15 meters) of a wetland, except for minor improvements.
- Steep slopes: Protect 40% of the steep slope area on the site (if such areas exist) from all development and construction activity.
- For unstable, undeveloped slopes between 15% and 25%, protect 40% from all development.
- For unstable, undeveloped slopes steeper than 25%, protect from all development and construction activity 60% of the steep slope area on the site.