| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 75.88 |
| Liaison | Deborah Steinberg |
| Submission Date | Dec. 17, 2024 |
Carnegie Mellon University
OP-10: Biodiversity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Deborah
Steinberg Green Practices and Sustainability Manager FMCS |
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?:
A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:
CMU is directly adjacent to the Panther Hollow Watershed, which is nested within the Four Mile Run Watershed and part of Schenley Park. Created in 1889 with land donated by heiress Mary Schenley, the park now contains 456 acres of trails, woods, and attractions. Schenley Park is a daily destination for university students and outdoor enthusiasts. The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority released City-Wide Green First Plan, a framework to address stormwater issues by using green infrastructure in areas such as Four Mile Run Watershed.
Endangered and vulnerable species
A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:
The inventory of campus vegetation was compared to a list of endangered and vulnerable species and none were present.
Areas of biodiversity importance
A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:
Carnegie Mellon University retains landscape architects and other consultants to complete in-depth ecological analysis and study of biodiversity and land health for all major construction projects. The findings and analysis are incorporated with the landscape plans for the site protection and development. The campus does not include any areas of biodiversity importance on land managed by the institution.
Methodologies
If yes to either of the above, provide the following:
The inventory of campus vegetation was compared to a list of endangered and vulnerable species.
A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):
The survey assessed the entire main Pittsburgh campus, reviewing more than 3,000 trees.
A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:
The expansion of the campus tree canopy is a long-term mission of Carnegie Mellon University and is a goal of the 2022 Institutional Master Plan. To support that mission, the university has developed the Tree Replacement Plan to guide the maintenance, replacement and new planting of trees on campus. Components of the plan include dense planting of hillsides, introduction of under-growth areas, infill planting to reinforce shade areas and strategic elimination of invasive species. As many of the campus edges are steep hillsides, establishing dense upper- and lowergrowth systems will create both stable hillsides as well as natural buffers to adjoining residential neighborhoods.
Optional Fields
Website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.