Bozeman, MT – Eleven projects in the Greater Yellowstone Region are testing a new green rating system developed by the Yellowstone Business Partnership. Called the Greater Yellowstone Framework for Sustainable Development, the system may one day set a new national standard for certifying green developments using an ecosystem approach.
The YBP system is modeled after the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program, which certifies buildings around the nation 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.
The new regional rating system includes and goes beyond the application of LEED green building standards to address the nationally significant natural and cultural values of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. This certification system – once proven in concept through various pilot demonstrations – will reward leadership and innovation in how to develop our regional landscapes with greater sensitivity and with a long-term view.
“This is an ecosystem approach to using rating systems,” says YBP executive 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?’”
The developers of these pilot projects will work with YBP volunteers and staff over the next three years to seek third-party certification:

• Beartooth Nature Center (Red Lodge, Montana)
• Dornix Park (Big Timber, Montana)
• Grand Targhee Resort (Alta, Wyoming)
• Harriman State Park (Island Park, Idaho)
• Livingston High School (Livingston, Montana)
• Mountain Legends Ranch (Driggs, Idaho)
• Mountainside Village (Victor, Idaho)
• Pine Glades Homes (Jackson, Wyoming)
• Red Lodge High School (Red Lodge, Montana)
• Story Mill Neighborhood (Bozeman, Montana)
• Teton Meadows Ranch (Jackson Hole, Wyoming)

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.
Following the pilot phase, the U.S. Green Building Council will evaluate how the Framework might be adapted for other regions and ecosystems. USGBC’s potential use of the Framework as a LEED application would encourage others seeking an ecosystem approach to encourage sustainable development. It also 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.
Representatives of the pilot projects will meet in Bozeman on April 1-2, 2008 for training on the certification process and credit 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 YBP and the Greater Yellowstone Framework for Sustainable Development, visit www.yellowstonebusiness.org.