FORT PIERCE, Fla. – The Florida Green Building Coalition
(FGBC), the leading certifier of green projects in the state, recently honored St.
Lucie County for achieving a Silver Level of “Florida Green” certification in a
recent ceremony in Fort Pierce.
FGBC
Executive Director C.J. Davila presented the award to the county. FGBC’s Green
Local Government Certification program is the only one of its type in the state
endorsed by the Florida Legislature, the Florida League of Cities and the
Florida League of Mayors.
“St. Lucie
County has a long history in doing what we can to protect our natural resources
whether it’s water-quality issues such as our oyster and artificial reef
programs or building environmentally-sound facilities such as our Emergency
Operations Center,” said St. Lucie County Commission Chairman Chris Dzadovsky.
“We do these things because it is the right thing to do for the planet, as well
as our future generations. But it is rewarding when an outside, independent
organization recognizes the efforts that are being made.”
FGBC uses a
standard of criteria to evaluate performance in implementing policies and
programs in the areas of energy, water, air, land, waste and
education/awareness. St. Lucie County achieved silver level certification for
its exceptional stewardship and sustainability initiatives.
Many of the
policies and programs that led to St. Lucie County's recertification included
the environmentally significant lands program, innovative land planning codes
and policies, the Solar and Energy Loan fund, and numerous educational and
community outreach programs.
Additional
credits were earned from the county's implementation of green cleaning and
landscaping policies, artificial reef and oyster programs, stormwater
improvement efforts, single-stream recycling and more.
“St. Lucie
County can be proud of being one of the “Florida Green” governments. They have
been proactive since day one, with a mission statement to include environmental
commitment and incorporating the mission statement into the local government's
comprehensive plan, added FGBC President Jeremy Nelson.
Becoming
“Florida Green” is an opportunity for local governments to establish
sustainable practices that can be carried out on a systematic basis, and sets
in motion a process that will extend beyond election terms and protect the
community for years to come.
St. Lucie
County was first designated “Florida Green” in 2010, at a time when only five
other Florida counties had received this prestigious recognition.
"To be
one of the first counties in the state to receive this designation back in 2010
was a tremendous success, but for St. Lucie County to prove to an independent
review group that we have continued to make enormous efforts to help improve
our local environment means even more," noted Dzadovsky. "I'm
especially proud of all the county employees who remain dedicated to not just
serving our residents, but finding ways to protect our community so that we can
serve future generations, while operating more efficiently and saving taxpayer
dollars."
Since the
local program was launched, 68 Florida municipalities have achieved
certification, with 20 others registered and in the process of certification.
The program is performance based, not prescriptive, and certified governments
have found that many of their existing programs and policies contributed to the
point total needed for certification.
For more
information on contact the Florida Green Building Coalition at (407) 777-4920,
e-mail C.J. Davila at cdavila@floridagreenbuilding.org or visit www.floridagreenbuilding.org.