Jonathan Rose Companies, LLC, has announced the formation of the Rose Smart Growth Investment Fund I, LP, the first national real estate investment fund that acquires buildings exclusively in Smart Growth locations and improves them to enhance the quality of life for tenants and the livability of the communities. The company announced its first acquisition, the historic Joseph Vance and Sterling buildings in downtown Seattle, in April 2006. “We aim to create one of the greenest and healthiest buildings in the Seattle marketplace, says Jonathan Rose, president of Jonathan Rose Companies. “This effort will not only improve the quality of life for our tenants; we hope it will also continue to advance understanding of how to meld older sites with the necessities of this century—reduced energy use and the appreciation for environmental protection. Jonathan Rose Companies is online at www.rosecompanies.com.

Thanks to a $380,000 grant from the Home Depot Foundation, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) plans to develop a Controlled Wood Global Risk Registry. This program addresses one of the more challenging aspects of FSC’s recently revised chain-of-custody labeling rules—a requirement that any noncertified wood in a labeled product be “controlled” to ensure that it meets certain standards (see

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Vol. 14, No. 2). A joint project of FSC-U.S. and FSC International Center, the Registry will screen all sources of wood entering the certification supply stream to ensure that it did not originate from: forests where traditional or civil rights are violated, forests where high conservation values are threatened, genetically modified trees, illegal sources, or natural forests that have been harvested for the purpose of converting the land to plantations or other non-forest use. “This effort will help all manufacturers, retailers, and consumers of wood products positively verify that their dollars are not aiding the illegal or harmful actions of others,” says Roger Dower, president of FSC-U.S. More information is online at www.fscus.org.

“By 2050 new buildings will consume zero net energy from external power supplies and produce zero net carbon dioxide emissions while being economically viable to construct and operate.” That is the goal of an effort led by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), United Technologies Corporation, and Lafarge Group. The project, announced in March 2006, includes three phases: documenting existing green building successes and setbacks, identifying present and future opportunities, and presenting a unified industry strategy for realizing those opportunities. Each phase will take one year to complete, according to WBCSD. More information is online at www.wbcsd.org.

The City of Toronto, Ontario, has committed to installing green roofs on new and existing buildings owned by the City “whenever practical to do so.” The City recommends considering green roofs for existing buildings when roofs are due to be replaced. For new construction, the City has set a target of covering 50% to 75% of each building’s footprint. Called “Making Green Roofs Happen,” the policy also includes incentives for the private sector to install green roofs. “Torontonians have told us that they want the City to do more to promote green roofs,” says Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone, who chairs the City’s Roundtable on the Environment. “In response, City Council has approved a comprehensive approach—from establishing standards and building our capacity to support green roofs at the City level to offering education, funding, expert advice, and promotion.” Details are at www.toronto.ca/greenroofs/roundtable.htm.

The area of green roofs in the U.S. grew by 80%—from 27 acres (11 ha) to 49 acres (20 ha)—from 2004 to 2005, according to the nonprofit Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC). The area of green roofs in all of North America grew 72%—from 30 acres (12 ha) to 57 acres (23 ha). Chicago is leading the pack with a total of 183,000 ft² (17,000 m²) of green roofs, more than 63,000 ft² (5,800 m²)

more than runner-up Ottawa. The figures are based on a survey of GRHC corporate members, who were recently asked to report on their activities in both years. Because not all members returned surveys and because GRHC members do not represent the entire green roof industry, the figures are lower than the real area. (Chicago’s Department of Environment Commissioner Sadhu Johnston told

EBN that over 200 green roofs totaling 2.5 million ft² [230,000 m²] are under construction in the city.) The full results are online at www.greenroofs.org.

The Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA) and the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) have announced a partnership designed to promote green affordable housing. The partnership will jointly advocate use of the FGBC Green Home Designation Standard and Green Development Designation Standard, advocate incentives for builders and developers whose projects are certified under these standards, and develop resources to educate and encourage the public to consider green building. FHBA is online at www.fhba.com, and FGBC is at www.floridagreenbuilding.org. For more information about green affordable housing, see

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Vol. 14, No. 3.

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed an executive order in April 2006 supporting green building. The order calls for new State facilities to be 30% more efficient than required by commercial code, and it calls for a 10% reduction of energy usage in all State buildings by fiscal year 2008 and a 20% reduction by fiscal year 2010. The order also calls on the Department of Administration to establish standards based on the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED^® Rating System. The text of the order is online at www.wisgov.state.wi.us (search for “145”).

The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) has announced plans to install a 5 MW solar photovoltaic system (the largest system in North America). NJMC plans to harness space atop roofs, parking lots, and remediated landfills to accommodate the system, which will require 1.3 million ft², or approximately 30 acres (121,000 m²; 12 ha) of space. NJMC also plans to develop a strategy for creating 20 MW of renewable energy in the Meadowlands District by 2020. “We’re serious about becoming a global leader in renewable energy,” says NJMC’s executive director, Robert Ceberio. “The time to pursue these resources is now.” NJMC is online at www.njmeadowlands.gov.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered James Pflueger to pay $7.5 million for construction activities on 380 acres (150 ha) of coastal property on Kaua’i, Hawaii. Pflueger’s transgressions include cutting away a hillside to create a vertical road cut, grading a coastal plateau, creating new access roads to the coast, and disposing of dirt and rock fill in perennial streams, according to EPA. The largest settlement ever for Clean Water Act violations at a single site, the agreement requires Pflueger to pay $2 million in penalties to the state of Hawaii and the U.S.; $5.3 million to prevent erosion and restore streams at areas damaged by his construction activities; and $200,000 to replace cesspools with improved wastewater systems at homes in a nearby coastal community. Details are online at www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/cwa/pflueger.html.

Gale Norton, outgoing secretary of the interior, announced in March 2006 an increase in the nation’s area of wetlands. Although more than 500,000 acres (202,000 ha) of swamps and tidal marshes were lost between 1998 and 2004, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found a 200,000-acre (81,000 ha)

net increase in wetlands, due to the fact that it counted golf course water hazards, ornamental ponds, stormwater systems, and mine reclamation ponds. “Open water systems do not have the same biological diversity or functions and values as wetlands,” says Julie Sibbing, National Wildlife Federation wetlands specialist. Calling Norton’s report “pure spin,” Sibbing notes that “the majority opinion is that the nation is still hemorrhaging wetlands.”