Rating System

LEED BD+C: Core and Shell

Rating System Version

v2 - LEED 2.0

Inquiry

The project is located on a site of approximately 6.5 million square feet that includes 63 acres of wetlands. The wetlands are presently dispersed in small segments of wetland pockets across the large site. Consolidating the small isolated wetlands into one large wetland would prove beneficial to the wetlands and the surrounding ecology as well as providing better adapted habitat for the flora and fauna. As such authorisation has been obtained from the provincial environment ministry to relocate the small wetlands into one large wetland area on site. The largest pocket of existing wetlands will remain where it is presently located and the smaller wetlands will be relocated adjacent to the larger existing pocket and expanded upon in order to create one large wetland that is more efficient and larger than what existed previously. It is noteworthy that the size of the site is a LEED ND scale of project rather than LEED NC and that LEED ND credit SSL4 reads as follows: wetlands can be relocated on or off site as long as the total surface area is maintained or increased. The question is as follows: Is the consolidation and expansion of an existing wetland that will prove beneficial to the environment be acceptable to meet the intent of credit SS1 Site Selection?