Oregon home to 3 pilot sites for Sustainable Sites Initiative

As the owner of a 4-acre industrial park, Terrill Collier had an interest in a green rating system that looks at the entire site instead of focusing primarily on buildings. As a certified master arborist, he felt he had something to contribute.

Collier plans to have 40 species of trees on his property.

Collier wants to incorporate his own expertise as an arborist and former chairman of the national Tree Care Industry Association into the design and building industries. “I would like to see some of these … standards, like how to protect trees during construction,” he said. “Often, contractors view trees as two-by-fours sticking out of the ground.”

Eventually, Collier hopes to get LEED certification for his industrial park. His sustainable touches are mostly outdoors, and include features such as bio-swales, native plantings and organic pest control and plant care.

Read more about the project here.