ASLA CEO talks about green initiatives

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The Center for Environmental Innovation and Leadership recently released a podcast interview with the American Society of Landscape Architects’ CEO, Nancy Somerville. In the podcast, Somerville discusses ASLA’s green initiatives, including its Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES).

“Stewardship of the land has always been ASLA’s mission,” said Somerville. “We focus on issues that allow our members to offer their expertise, particularly in sustainable and livable healthy communities.”

In 2006, ASLA introduced its first green roof at their Washington, DC headquarters. The roof acts as a demonstration for public tours and has helped decrease the building’s heating and cooling costs.

“The most promising aspect of green roofs is what they can do for environmental issues, particularly in the DC area,” said Somerville.

In addition to ASLA, many federal agencies have installed green roofs in downtown DC, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. National Park Service and U.S. Department of Transportation.

ASLA is a founding partner of SITES along with the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin and the U.S. Botanic Gardens.

“In the past, we didn’t have guidelines defining the requirements of sustainable landscaping,” said Somerville. “Under SITES, we have created the benchmarks and standard operating procedures to create sustainable designs.”

Currently in the pilot phase, SITES offers every type of landscape design the opportunity to become certified. The rating system measures landscape sustainability and awards points that can contribute to the LEED system.

“The USGBC leadership considers SITES to be complimentary to LEED,” said Somerville. “We are covering the natural resources that LEED doesn’t.”

A number of federal agencies have helped develop the SITES rating system and sit on their coordinating committee, including U.S. General Services Administration, EPA, U.S. Air Force, and the White House Office of the Federal Environmental Executive, Council on Environmental Quality.

“There is a substantial involvement from federal agencies,” said Somerville. “The knowledge that they bring to SITES makes them a role model for sustainable projects.”

To hear the interview go to www.ceileadership.org/index.php/podcasts