University at Buffalo
OP-10: Landscape Management

While not a formal document, University Facilities uses the concepts of integrated pest management throughout UB's grounds. Our policy is to use no pesticides for the majority of campus grounds unless a specific pest threat exists that would be detrimental to the health and/or safety of the campus community. The exception to this is the athletic fields, where premium turf conditions are required for Division 1 athletic contests. Even there, IPM concepts are implemented utilizing best practice maintenance techniques including aeration, rolling, etc. to minimize the use of pesticides. When they are necessary, a pesticide specific to the need is used. There is also a very small area that is maintained the same way for aesthetic reasons. The area is referred to as "Buffalo Island" and is an area immediately outside the commencement venue, as well as the Center for the Arts, a building used for a variety of public access events. The area is used frequently for photographic opportunities for graduating seniors and others.

In our certified areas basic maintenance is undertaken to preserve the habitat including clearing fallen trees from paths, cutting grass walkways and mechanically removing weeds in stone walkways.

UB encourages the use of native plant species for all new landscaping projects or upgrades where feasible and practical. There is a master landscape plan that lists a variety of plant and tree species native to the area and that list is supplied to all landscape designers when designing new projects. Due to the nature of the original landscape of the campus and the harsh soil conditions resulting from the original design and construction of the campus, native species are not always the best choice as they do not thrive in the current soil conditions.

UB either composts or mulches all of the waste from grounds keeping. All mowers are equipped with mulching mower decks. Grass clippings are mulched as the grass is cut and clippings are left on the lawn to decompose and fertilize the lawn. The mowers alo mulch the majority of leaves in the fall. The small amount of collected leaves are composted and used as mulch on campus. Tree and shrub trimmings are chipped and used for much around tree bases and in planting beds.

In certified areas no soil amendments of any kid are used.

In certified areas no materials of any kind are added to the landscapes that are not naturally occurring.

In Letchworth Woods the natural hydrology of the site has been left in tact. At the Solar Strand a pond basin was designed to handle natural runoff on the central portion of the southern half of the installation. The natural hydrology of the lower topography at the extreme southern end of the site remains in tact.

The University at Buffalo engages in a number of practices to limit the impact of snow and ice removal: - Proper storage of sand to reduce runoff and leaching. -minimizing the use of sand. -hand shoveling, -traditional plowing -calibration of salt spreading machinery - Yearly safety, equipment, and logistics training - Storing snow in specific areas to minimize runoff. - Use of Landscapers Choice as an alternative to salt use.

Letchworth Woods and the Solar Strand grounds are certified wildlife habitats under the National Wildlife Federation program.