| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.89 |
| Liaison | Julie Newman |
| Submission Date | Oct. 23, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
OP-10: Biodiversity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
MIT
Office of Sustainability Director Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/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:
The main campus is adjacent to (but does not intersect) the Charles River. The River has been designated a "Core Habitat and Critical Natural Landscape" by the Massachusetts National Heritage & Endangered Species Program and the Nature Conservancy's Massachusetts Program (NHESP/TNC BioMap 2, 2010).
Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on institution-owned or –managed land?:
Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify environmentally sensitive areas on institution-owned or –managed land?:
The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or environmentally sensitive areas (including most recent year assessed) and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:
Using publicly available spatial data from MassGIS, the boundaries of MIT's campus were compared with the boundaries of the following designated conservation areas: - Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) designated by the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs (April 2009)
- Core Habitat and Critical Natural Landscape designated by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program and the Nature Conservancy’s Massachusetts Program (BioMap2) (February 2011)
- Estimated Habitats of Rare Wildlife (October 2008), Priority Habitats of Rare Species (October 2008), Certified Vernal Pools (January 2013), Potential Vernal Pools (December 2000), and Natural Communities (November 2011) documented in the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) database
- Protected open space identified by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (June 2014)
A brief description of identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:
None of the designated conservation or habitat areas listed above intersected with the main MIT campus. Therefore, there are no environmentally sensitive areas, and it is highly unlikely that any endangered or vulnerable species would be found on campus.
A brief description of plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:
Because there are no environmentally sensitive areas, and it is highly unlikely that any endangered or vulnerable species would be found on campus, no plans or programs are necessary.
The website URL where information about the programs or 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.