Overall Rating	Gold
Overall Score	65.20
Liaison	Denice Koljonen
Submission Date	Feb. 17, 2022

STARS v2.2

Boston College
OP-10: Biodiversity

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	1.00 / 2.00 This credit is weighted more heavily for institutions that own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to any of the following: Legally protected areas (e.g., IUCN Category I-VI) Internationally recognized areas (e.g., World Heritage, Ramsar, Natura 2000) Priority sites for biodiversity (e.g., Key Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites) Regions of conservation importance (e.g., Endemic Bird Areas, Biodiversity Hotspots, High Biodiversity Wilderness Areas) 2 points are available for this credit if the institution owns or manages land that includes or is adjacent to any of the above. 1 point is available for this credit for all other institutions. Close	Gina Bellavia Director Landscape Planning Facilities Services

"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, or regions of conservation importance?:

Yes

A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:

In 2016, Boston College purchased a 22-acre property at 300 Hammond Pond Parkway that includes several acres of wetland and vernal pools. This portion of campus borders protected land owned by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and the largest wooded conservation area in the City of Newton. This adjacent land exhibits wetlands, ponds, fields, and woodlands.

Endangered and vulnerable species

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution?:

A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:

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Areas of biodiversity importance

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution?:

Yes

A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:

The environmentally sensitive areas at Boston College consist of wetlands, vernal pools, and woodland areas. The vernal pools are known to support two amphibians of interest, the Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica), and the Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma macultum).

Methodologies

If yes to either of the above, provide the following:

The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or areas of biodiversity importance and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:

The property was professionally surveyed and includes the extent of the vernal pools and 100' buffer zones. All wetland areas and buffer zones are protected by the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and the Newton Conservation Commission.

A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):

Survey was conducted by Feldman Land Surveyors in February, 2018.

A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:

The college abides by all regulations regarding wetlands protection and preservation to ensure these areas are protected. The Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act prohibits altering land within 100 feet of wetlands and the City of Newton Conservation Commission governs protected areas locally.

https://www.mass.gov/guides/protecting-wetlands-in-massachusetts https://www.newtonma.gov/government/planning/boards-commissions

Optional Fields

Estimated percentage of areas of biodiversity importance that are also protected areas :

100

Website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity initiatives is available:

https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/offices/sustainability/pdf/11-25%20-15%20sust%20ops%20guidelines.pdf

Additional documentation to support the submission:

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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Includes 25 acres @ 300 HPP per the 20-21 Fact Book

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.