| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 54.32 |
| Liaison | Emma Parsley |
| Submission Date | Dec. 12, 2022 |
Texas State University, San Marcos
OP-9: Landscape Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 2.00 |
James
Vollrath Director Office of Sustainability |
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 | 0 Acres |
| Area managed in accordance with an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program that uses selected chemicals only when needed | 457 Acres |
| Area managed using conventional, chemical-based landscape management practices | 0 Acres |
| Total area of managed grounds | 457 Acres |
A brief description of any land excluded from the area of managed grounds:
Much of Texas State University's landscape is considered wild-land urban interface and is not maintained. Because of the topography and continued growth, much of the overall acreage is either buildings or impervious surface. Approximately 48 acres are considered environmentally sensitive and maintained under guidelines set by the Habitat Conservation Plan. Further, many of the beds are maintained as wild space and receive minimal mechanical maintenance.
Percentage of grounds managed organically:
A brief description of the organic landscape management program:
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:
The university's grounds program only utilizes inorganic pesticides during spot and basal treatments and only used when thresholds are met. No pre-emergents are used. When fertilizer is used, it is limited to beds as an amendment to new plantings and is always organic. The university composts all organics, returning them to the campus landscape. Applications of herbicides are only made by licensed applicators. Insecticides are only used to control fire ants colonies and wasps nests - the thresholds to deploy insecticides are set high. All bee hives are removed by professionals.
A brief description of the institution's approach to plant stewardship:
A tree inventory was created many years ago and has been perpetuated by Nathan Lawrence who is a member of the Tree Campus organization. A native plant list was created by Grounds and Waste Management Operations over 20 years ago and supplanted by the Master Plan approved plant list.
A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:
MS4 program implemented on campus. Rainwater collection installed on some new buildings. The university amends existing landscape with both compost and mulch as regular practice. The university utilizes a state-of-the-art irrigation system and has staff that continually monitors and performs audits. Reduction of water is a goal of the university, and the grounds department strives to optimize distribution efficiency.
A brief description of the institution's approach to landscape materials management and waste minimization:
All landscaping debris generated from maintenance is composted. This includes all invasive species removed from Spring Lake on campus. The composting operation (Bobcat Blend) also diverts a percentage of food waste generated at cafeterias. The university returns this waste back to the landscape in the form of compost, mulch, and compost tea.
A brief description of the institution's approach to energy-efficient landscape design:
The campus is considered to be a very large campus tree canopy. The campus' plant palette is comprised of native and drought tolerant plants. The university minimizes the use of annuals in beds by planting perennials. Finally, the university optimizes the natural wild land interface.
A brief description of other sustainable landscape management practices employed by the institution:
Our mission is to preserve the aesthetics of the university landscape while promoting a safe and sustainable environment for students, faculty, and staff through tree maintenance, water efficiency, composting, recycling, and promoting drought resistant plants.
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:
Total institutional boundary: 4,278 acres
Total institutional land maintained by Grounds: 457 acres
The remaining acreage is the Freeman Ranch property where the Freeman Center is located. This property is a natural growing environment and purposely not landscaped to reflect the natural ecosystem of the Texas hill country in order to preserve natural green spaces, endangered habitats, and flood water mitigation.
Total institutional boundary: 4,278 acres
Total institutional land maintained by Grounds: 457 acres
The remaining acreage is the Freeman Ranch property where the Freeman Center is located. This property is a natural growing environment and purposely not landscaped to reflect the natural ecosystem of the Texas hill country in order to preserve natural green spaces, endangered habitats, and flood water mitigation.
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.