| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 73.88 |
| Liaison | Audrey McSain |
| Submission Date | March 20, 2023 |
Lehigh University
OP-9: Landscape Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.80 / 2.00 |
Dan
O'Brien Associate Director Facilities |
Total campus area:
Figures required to calculate the total area of managed grounds:
| Area (double-counting is not allowed) | |
| Area managed organically, without the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides | 800 Acres |
| Area managed in accordance with an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program that uses selected chemicals only when needed | 200 Acres |
| Area managed using conventional, chemical-based landscape management practices | 0 Acres |
| Total area of managed grounds | 1,000 Acres |
A brief description of any land excluded from the area of managed grounds:
There are 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 organically:
A brief description of the organic landscape management program:
The 800 acres of woodlands on campus are naturally maintained. No inorganic fertilizers, chemicals, fungicides, or herbicides are used.
Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an IPM program:
A copy of the IPM plan or program:
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.
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:
At Goodman Campus, most athletic fields are watered with untreated ground water rather than with potable water. Most areas on the main campus never receive any irrigation at all; the only exception is one main lawn area with an irrigation system currently served by only a potable water source.
A brief description of the institution's approach to landscape materials management and waste minimization:
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:
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.
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable landscape management program 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.