Jackson, WY – Two building projects in Jackson are testing a new green rating system developed by the Yellowstone Business Partnership. Teton Meadows Ranch and Pine Glades Homes are now registered pilot projects in YBP’s pilot program called the Greater Yellowstone Framework for Sustainable Development, a system created to set an ecosystem-based standard for certifying developments regionwide.
The YBP system builds on the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program, which certifies buildings around the world for environmental responsibility in construction and operation. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, rates buildings for factors such as reduced energy consumption and the use of renewable energy resources, green building materials, water-efficient landscaping, and natural interior lighting. YBP’s Framework goes beyond LEED criteria to measure a project’s short- and long-term sensitivity to regional and local landscapes and values.
“This is a new way of thinking,” says YBP director Janice Brown. “We’re looking beyond physical buildings to examine how a project affects the natural and cultural values of the surrounding community and region. We’re asking, “Will this project help sustain the way of life we value?”
Eleven pilot projects from across the Greater Yellowstone region were accepted into the pilot program phase. Developers will work with YBP volunteers and staff over the next 3 years to seek certification. Independent certifiers with no financial ties to the projects will review projects for compliance with criteria in the categories of land use and conservation, biodiversity, cultural and historic values, the built environment, public service and infrastructure, transportation and connectivity, community vitality, recreational resources, and regional innovation and investment.
Credits will be awarded to projects not only for what they do but also for what they don’t do. Credits might be earned, for example, for not disturbing or destroying resources such as rime farmland, Native American gravesites, key wildlife habitats and corridors, or wetlands; for providing affordable housing and public access to rivers and streams; for encouraging walking rather than driving; and for creating public amenities or reclaiming previously damaged resources.
The U.S. Green Building Council is evaluating how the Framework might be adapted for other regions and ecosystems. USGBC use of the program for national and international certifications would raise the visibility of the Yellowstone Business Partnership and demonstrate how the private sector can transform attitudes and practices in real estate.
Designed as a rewards program to recognize leadership and innovation in sustainable development, the Framework is not intended to replace the need for land use ordinances and updated building codes. “The Framework is one more tool we can use to protect our region’s quality of life,” says Brown.
Owners of the pilot projects will meet in Bozeman on April 1-2, 2008 for training on the certification process and criteria. The training and other pilot activities are supported by grants from the Murdock Charitable Trust and the Bullitt Foundation.

The Yellowstone Business Partnership (YBP) is a nonprofit business organization with more than 250 members in the 25 Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming counties surrounding Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. For more information about the Partnership and the Framework for Sustainable Development, visit www.yellowstonebusiness.org.