State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

In 2016 ESF, completed an update to the College's existing Vision 2020 strategic plan to create a bridging document to advance ESF over the next five years, including a reaffirmation commitment to sustainability in teaching, research and practice. The current plan includes the following statement: Sustainability is central to ESF’s mission. This, as well as an evolving understanding of its many dimensions, causes the College to continuously undertake a full-scale evaluation of its sustainability commitment. In 2011, ESF framed its re-accreditation assessment around sustainability. The College proclaimed that: “Sustainability begins with an obligation to meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs through: • the understanding of basic functions of natural and social systems; • acknowledging and quantifying the limitations of nature’s capacity; and • developing solutions through the integration of social, economic, technological, and environmental systems.” This refers to the long-term viability of a system with regard to economic, social and environmental goals and constraints. One of ESF’s important efforts remains quantifying its commitments and actions over time, and benchmarking against other colleges and universities to stay informed and to lead with best practices. ESF commits to an annual cycle of assessment, planning, and implementation, guided by the industry standard for measuring campus sustainability: STARS—Sustainability Tracking and Rating System. By 2020, ESF will move from its present Gold STARS rating to Platinum status – the highest level – and, as a component of this, achieve carbon neutrality. ESF also recognizes that sustainability uniquely involves linking academic and physical operations of the institution for the purpose of mutually beneficial interactions. The campus as a “living laboratory” is an example of this; as such, the College will improve teaching and research by opening up operations and processes. Ultimately, this will result in the intellectual might of the College community continuously improving the physical and social operations of the College, including reducing costs.

Early in the last century, the College began to assemble a system of properties that would broadly represent New York’s rich ecological diversity for scientific study and instruction. Today, approximately 25,000 acres of regional campus lands and facilities offer unparalleled learning and research opportunities. Students participate in hands-on field and lab activities in locations where state-of-the-art technology is as much at home as it is on the main campus. The Natural Resources Management Plan for the largest of the these properties, the Huntington Wildlife Forest, is available at: http://www.esf.edu/aec/documents/HWF-NaturalResourcesPlan.pdf This document articulates the goals and objectives for management of natural resources on the Huntington Wildlife Forest (HWF). These goals and objectives are intended to provide direction to the manipulation of all natural resources, including timber, wildlife, water and space. The overarching intent is to ensure the sustainability of ongoing research and future research opportunities. Further, the plan will sustain education and outreach to the greatest extent possible through their integration with research programs.

Although described goals in http://www.esf.edu/middlestates/documents/selfstudy.pdf 1. Develop courses and curricula that focus on sustainability. a. Incorporate sustainability concepts in existing courses and programs where appropriate. b. Incorporate campus sustainability goals and initiatives into first year student orientation and courses (132 seminars). c. Create ways to effectively communicate which courses include sustainability components (sustainability-focused or related, as per AASHE). 2. Engage student groups in activities that promote sustainability in students’ lives on campus and in the community. a. Incorporate sustainability in the new Residence Hall experience. b. Promote outreach to the community through service learning and student organization activities. 3. Develop additional cost-effective study abroad opportunities and help students to prepare experiences related to sustainability. a. Develop international experiences integrated into appropriate curricula. b. Develop international experiences that apply broadly to ESF students as well as students outside of ESF.

ESF has had a long standing commitment to a Carbon neutral campus by the end of 2015, defined as 50% reductions from a 2007 baseline, with a remaining approximately 50% coming from forest carbon sequestration. This goal was not met by 2015, and a Climate Action Update will be completed by 2017 and submitted to Second Nature.

Achieve LEED certification for all new buildings.

Reduce purchased electricity by 70% and reduce purchased fossil fuels by 65% (from 2009 ESF Climate Action Plan).

Increase percentage of local food purchases.

- decrease percentage area of mowed grass - increase area of no-mow zones

From New York State's Executive Order # 4 (EO4): "State Green Procurement and Agency Sustainability Program" - all copy paper, janitorial paper and other paper supplies purchased by each State agency or authority shall be composed of 100% post-consumer recycled content to the maximum extent practicable, and all copy and janitorial paper shall be process chlorine-free to the extent practicable, unless such products do not meet required form, function or utility, or the cost of the product is not competitive. - work to achieve a 10 percent reduction in annual paper use as measured against the base year. From ESF's Sustainable Materials and Supplies Purchasing Policy http://www.esf.edu/au/documents/SustMatsSuppls.pdf All purchased office paper, office equipment, furniture, furnishings, and building materials shall meet one of the following: -Contain at least 70% salvaged material from off-site -Contain at least 70% salvaged material from on-site (based on estimated market value). -Contain at least 10% post-consumer or 20% post-industrial material. -Contain at least 50% rapidly renewable materials. -Constructed of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood for LEED certified facilities. -Constructed of FSC or Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) or American Tree Farm System (ATFS) certified wood for non LEED certified facilities. -Contain at least 50% materials which are harvested and processed or extracted and processed within 500 miles of the building for which the materials are purchased.

- Increase percentage of non-motorized commutes by students - Increase percentage of non-motorized commutes by staff and faculty

From New York State's Executive Order # 4 (EO4): "State Green Procurement and Agency Sustainability Program" - work to achieve a 10 percent reduction in waste generated per year

- New York State Executive Order #18: eliminate the purchase of bottled water - Decrease use of potable water

Under development. See SUNY-wide Diversity and Inclusion Policy, mandated by Governor Cuomo. Goals include: - appoint a chief diversity officer for ESF - adopt an ESF campus diversity and inclusion plan http://www.esf.edu/students/di/ - http://www.esf.edu/financialaid/

In December 2015, the ESF College Foundation, Inc., in partnership with ESF and the ESF Board of Trustees, announced its intention to fully divest from fossil fuels within the next 5 years. http://www.esf.edu/communications/view.asp?newsID=3985

ESF has a quality of work life committee that organizes numerous College functions throughout the year. The Executive Director of Sustainability has joined the committee and is working to make events zero waste and incorporate other sustainability aspects.

From the ESF's Strategic Plan: ESF VISION A better world through environmental discovery. Our vision is a world filled with natural and designed environments that are diverse, resilient and responsive in the challenging context of environmental change. ESF will create new opportunities for sustaining both human prosperity and the enduring integrity of the natural world as we work to achieve this vision. ESF MISSION To advance knowledge and skills and to promote the leadership necessary for the stewardship of both the natural and designed environments ESF’s mission includes outstanding teaching, research, scholarship and outreach programs focused on building sustainable communities and environments. ESF develops creative and effective solutions to environmental challenges and natural resource utilization through discovery, design, management, practice and the integration of social, economic, technological and environmental systems. We educate and inspire environmental leaders and provide a model for a new environmentalism that is science based, values informed and inclusive.

In 2011, ESF framed its re-accreditation assessment around sustainability. The College proclaimed that “Sustainability begins with an obligation to meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs through: • the understanding of basic functions of natural and social systems; • acknowledging and quantifying the limitations of nature’s capacity; and • developing solutions through the integration of social, economic, technological, and environmental systems.” This refers to the long-term viability of a system with regard to economic, social and environmental goals and constraints.