Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 54.46
Liaison Audrey McSain
Submission Date March 30, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Lehigh University
OP-9: Landscape Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.61 / 2.00 Gary Falasca
Director
Facilities Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total campus area (i.e. the total amount of land within the institutional boundary):
1,600 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 200 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) 126 Acres
Total area of managed grounds 326 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):

There are 800 acres of woodlands, as well as 165 building footprints, 43 acres of paved surface parking, three parking decks, approximately 100 acres of leased farm land and at least 9 miles of asphalt roadways.


Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an IPM program:
61.35

A copy of the IPM plan or program:
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A brief description of the IPM program:

Lehigh requires BrightView, our landscape service provider, to maintain Lehigh's grounds in accordance with a BrightView IPM plan. IPM is the selection, integration, and implementation of pest control based on predicted economic, ecological, and sociological consequences. IPM is a pest population management system that utilizes all techniques and information to reduce pest populations at a tolerable level while protecting against hazards to humans, animals, and the environment.

BrightView follows the philosophy that if a pest is present, they determine where the pest is located and on how many plants. They determine when the most susceptible life stage of the pest is and choose most effective, least toxic control products. BrightView uses five levels or tiers.

Fundamental 1: Maintain pest population at low levels.
Fundamental 2: Entire landscape is the management unit and is working as an ecosystem.
Fundamental 3: Use of natural control agent is maximized including only treating plants with problems and selecting pesticides that cause least disruption to beneficials.
Fundamental 4: Any management procedure may produce unexpected and undesirable effects.
Fundamental 5: Management approach should be interdisciplinary.


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:

Native and ecologically appropriate plants are used in all the new plantings. Only when necessary, are pesticides used for spot treatments.


A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:

n/a


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

Lehigh has a waste collection site for landscape materials throughout the year. Mulch, which is the finished product, is applied throughout the year.


A brief description of the institution's approach to energy-efficient landscape design:

Main campus is maintained as an arboretum, with shade trees diminishing the need for air conditioning in summer months.


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):

Installation of permeable surfaces that reduce the amount of runoff on campus has become standard practice in all renovations of campus grounds. Smart irrigation has been added to all renovation of grounds.


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.