Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 31.76
Liaison Jonathan Ehrlich
Submission Date Dec. 17, 2019

STARS v2.2

United World College-USA
OP-9: Landscape Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.83 / 2.00 Todd Austin
Special Assistant for Strategic Initiatives
President's Office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total campus area:
223 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 54 Acres
Area managed in accordance with an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program that uses selected chemicals only when needed 0 Acres
Area managed using conventional, chemical-based landscape management practices 5 Acres
Total area of managed grounds 59 Acres

A brief description of any land excluded from the area of managed grounds:

The most intensively managed portions of the UWC campus is a 38 acre area around the campus buildings and the 21 acre Agroecological Research Center. Although portions of the remaining 164 acres are also actively being organically managed through thinning operations, they have not been included in the analysis.


Percentage of grounds managed organically:
91.53

A brief description of the organic landscape management program:

All areas of the UWC-USA campus are managed organically, without the use of inorganic fertilizers, chemical pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides, except for the 5-acre sports field, where ironite fertilizer is applied once a year in the Spring when needed.


Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an IPM program:
0

A copy of the IPM plan or program:
---

A brief description of the IPM program:
---

A brief description of the institution's approach to plant stewardship:

Approximately 164 acres of the campus is maintained under natural Rocky Mountain Lower Montane Forest and Rocky Mountain Piñon-Juniper Forest vegetation. A forest management plan was developed by New Mexico Highlands University students in 2018 to address 41 acres of land on the UWC campus. Those areas are being managed to reduce fire risk and increase biodiversity.


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

Grounds staff have built a number of small dams with wood and other debris to decrease the speed of water drainage in the seasonally dry creek beds, thus decreasing erosion and increasing infiltration. Some riparian restoration has also been undertaken at the Agroecological Research Center.

Campus waste water and 3 acre feet of water from the Rio Gallinas was historically used for irrigating the 5-acre sports field. Due to costly repairs to the Campus' waste water treatment plan, the College connected to the Las Vegas sewer line. The usage of the 3 acre feet of water or irrigation continues.


A brief description of the institution's approach to landscape materials management and waste minimization:

Wood from the thinning operation in the Pinon and Ponderosa Pine Forest portions of the campus is either used by on-campus faculty for heatig or is sold to to staff at a disounted price. Smaller branches are used for the Campus' composting operations. Grass and leaves are used as mulch on the Agroecological Research Center's agricultural fields.


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

A brief description of other sustainable landscape management practices employed by the institution:
---

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.