Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 65.17
Liaison Lisa Mitten
Submission Date March 2, 2023

STARS v2.2

State University of New York at New Paltz
OP-9: Landscape Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.83 / 2.00 Gary Buckman
Director
Facilities Operations
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total campus area:
209.70 Acres

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 162.25 Acres
Area managed in accordance with an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program that uses selected chemicals only when needed 4.25 Acres
Area managed using conventional, chemical-based landscape management practices 13.50 Acres
Total area of managed grounds 180 Acres

If the total area of managed grounds is less than the total campus area, provide:

A brief description of any land excluded from the area of managed grounds:
The footprint of buildings has been excluded. We have four no-mow areas.

Organic program

Percentage of grounds managed organically:
90.14

If reporting an organic program, provide:

A brief description of the organic landscape management program:
The use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides is prohibited on all areas of campus, with the exception of athletic fields.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program 

Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an IPM program:
2.36

If reporting an IPM program, provide:

A copy of the IPM plan or program:
A brief description of the IPM program:
The Office of Environmental Health and Safety follows IPM practices for the ponds at SUNY New Paltz.

Optional Fields 

A brief description of the institution's approach to plant stewardship:
To support plant health, the ground department adds their own compost and mulch to new and existing beds. They water new plantings every day during the summer. They make their own compost from landscaping materials.

A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:
The grounds department mulches beds to hold in moisture and uses gater bags for newly planted trees.

The Office of Environmental Health and Safety follows IPM practices for the ponds at SUNY New Paltz.

A brief description of the institution's approach to landscape materials management and waste minimization:
The grounds department composts yard waste on-site.

A brief description of the institution's approach to energy-efficient landscape design:
The grounds department mulches to reduce weeding.

A brief description of other sustainable landscape management practices employed by the institution:
The grounds department has invested in electric pole saws, hedgers, mowers and weed wackers. This equipment is quieter and has no fumes compared to the gas-powered equipment they replaced. We also have four no-mow areas.

Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable landscape management program 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.