| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.66 |
| Liaison | Eric Boles |
| Submission Date | March 5, 2021 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Arkansas
OP-9: Landscape Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.41 / 2.00 |
Robert
Caudle Foreman Grounds Maintenance |
Total campus area (i.e. the total amount of land within the institutional boundary):
Figures required to calculate the total area of managed grounds:
| Area (double-counting is not allowed) | |
| Area managed in accordance with an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program that uses a four-tiered approach | 110 Acres |
| Area managed in accordance with an organic land care standard or sustainable landscape management program that has eliminated the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides in favor of ecologically preferable materials | 77 Acres |
| Area managed using conventional landscape management practices (which may include some IPM principles or techniques) | 0 Acres |
| Total area of managed grounds | 187 Acres |
A brief description of any land excluded from the area of managed grounds (e.g. the footprint of buildings and impervious surfaces, experimental agricultural land, areas that are not regularly managed or maintained):
University of Arkansas buildings, parking lots, agricultural experiment stations, and overgrown/wild areas are excluded from the area of managed grounds.
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 development of the Strategic Plan for Integrated Pest Management for the University of Arkansas was funded by The Office of Sustainability. This was a collective effort between several UofA campus departments and others including University Housing, Facilities Management, University Grounds, Orkin Pest Control, and the Entomology Department.
Percentage of grounds managed in accordance with an organic program:
A brief description of the organic land standard or landscape management program that has eliminated the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides in favor of ecologically preferable materials:
The UA campus has embraced a series of soft-surface trails on campus properties that are being managed without fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. We're removing invasive species by hand, using goats to graze, and bringing back native plants with prescribed burns.
One exception is that when invasive bush honeysuckle is removed from areas where erosion is a concern, glyphosate is painted directly on the stump after cutting it down to avoid pulling the root ball. Removing these large roots along stream banks or in restoration areas can cause erosion and damage to the relic seed bank.
A brief description of the institution's approach to plant stewardship:
The University of Arkansas campus is landscaped with mostly native trees (oak, hickory, and maple.) Invasive species are avoided and sometimes proactively removed. Preferred species are all listed in the UofA Campus Landscape Design Manual planting lists.
A brief description of the institution's approach to hydrology and water use:
The campus uses best practices to conserve and maintain a clean watershed. We have erosion (e.g., erosion-control plantings on slopes, erosion control rolls placed at the bottom of hillsides, erosion control matts used to reduce erosion following soil manipulations for plantings, etc.) and waste management protocol to mitigate or eliminate the contamination of the storm water system within standards set by the city of Fayetteville. Clean-ups of our natural campus water bodies are routine and extensive, attempting to remove all foreign matter every other year. Please refer to the following resources:
A brief description of the institution's approach to materials management and waste minimization (e.g. composting and/or mulching on-site waste):
Tree maintenance for the University of Arkansas includes mulching downed trees for use elsewhere on campus, often used for mulching around the base of replacement trees. Our cafeteria service (Chartwells) maintains a composting operation to recycle organic materials, which is then used for fertilization of a freight farm owned and operated by Chartwells.
A brief description of the institution's approach to energy-efficient landscape design:
Efforts are made to maintain significant numbers of shade trees, using tree plantings to provide shade to buildings to limit the need for cooling buildings during hot spring, summer, and fall months. These trees are always deciduous. Following leaf fall, the sun can provide a natural heat source for the buildings during colder winter months.
A brief description of other sustainable landscape management practices employed by the institution (e.g. use of environmentally preferable landscaping materials, initiatives to reduce the impacts of ice and snow removal, wildfire prevention):
FMD stocks for sale in its warehouse effective, environmentally safe, and economical deicing chemicals, or can provide a pre-approved list of acceptable materials. Damage to concrete or other surfaces caused by the use of deicers will be the responsibility of the applying department, including cost of repair or replacement. The University of Arkansas strives to find the most efficient deicing chemicals, while protecting the environment as well. Deicers continually change as the University monitors new and improved products and developments that are made.
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.