Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 62.57
Liaison Kylee Singh
Submission Date Feb. 16, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

California Polytechnic State University
OP-9: Landscape Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.00 / 2.00 Kylee Singh
Sustainability Coordinator
Energy Utilities and Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total campus area (i.e. the total amount of land within the institutional boundary):
1,321 Acres

Figures required to calculate the total area of managed grounds:
Area (double-counting is not allowed)
Area managed in accordance with an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program that uses a four-tiered approach 0 Acres
Area managed in accordance with an organic land care standard or sustainable landscape management program that has eliminated the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides in favor of ecologically preferable materials 0 Acres
Area managed using conventional landscape management practices (which may include some IPM principles or techniques) 240 Acres
Total area of managed grounds 240 Acres

A brief description of any land excluded from the area of managed grounds (e.g. the footprint of buildings and impervious surfaces, experimental agricultural land, areas that are not regularly managed or maintained):

Cal Poly Landscape Management staff only maintains 240 acres of campus land, excluded from this acreage is parking lots, roads, open spaces, and agricultural land.


Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an IPM program:
0

A copy of the IPM plan or program:
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A brief description of the IPM program:
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Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an organic program:
0

A brief description of the organic land standard or landscape management program that has eliminated the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides in favor of ecologically preferable materials:
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A brief description of the institution's approach to plant stewardship:

The use of climate appropriate plants are the preferred and sought after choice for all new landscapes. Landscape Management standards identify invasive species and forbid them from being used in plantings. There is a tree and plant protection plan for every new landscape area and staff work to save and replant native plant species when appropriate


A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:
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A brief description of the institution's approach to materials management and waste minimization (e.g. composting and/or mulching on-site waste):

Landscape management staff complete the cycle of plant nutrition by sharing green waste with the Cal Poly compost facility. Once composted, landscape staff reapply the material to new plantings and use mulch for mature beds. In areas void of actively growing plants landscape management staff recycle wood waste from tree trimmings and apply a thick layer of mulch to reduce weed pressure, reduce the use of herbicides, and conserve soil moisture.


A brief description of the institution's approach to energy-efficient landscape design:
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A brief description of other sustainable landscape management practices employed by the institution (e.g. use of environmentally preferable landscaping materials, initiatives to reduce the impacts of ice and snow removal, wildfire prevention):

The landscape management staff works closely with the sheep and goat unit of the Cal Poly agriculture department to allow for grazing on un-managed open spaces. This grazing provides fodder for agriculture animals and provides a mechanism for wildfire prevention by keeping dry weeds at bay near university housing structures.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.