GY Framework Implementation Timeline

The GY-Framework Design Phase was launched in August 2006 when volunteers recruited earlier that summer met at the Jackson Campus of the Teton Science School to receive orientation and team assignments. Jennifer Henry, former manager of the USGBC LEED-ND program, provided invaluable guidance to the volunteers and facilitators as they fashioned their respective approaches. The six teams organized around these themes:

•   Biodiversity and Rural Land Use
•   Cultural and Historical Values
•   Urban Land Use and Revitalization
•   Infrastructure/Transportation Systems
•   Recreation Resources
•   Built Environment

Teams planned monthly conference calls, independent/paired research strategies, and a minimum of two in-person meetings. Credits were drafted based on research and discussions, and group consensus was required on the “intent” of each credit. The draft credits were submitted at the end of February 2007 for integration into a single document that would later be posted for public comment.
In March 2007, the design teams met at Chico Hot Springs in Pray, MT, where prerequisites were reviewed and a consensus reached. Every credit was reviewed by the group for relevance, consistency, and technical accuracy. The decision to reorganize the credits led to the addition of another category, Regional Innovation.

Extensive discussions on certification, including the opportunities for multiple types of applicants and projects, resulted in the teams’ support for going beyond certifying single buildings. For example, teams set a goal to recognize and support the leadership of counties and municipalities for policies, programs, and incentives, in addition to green building projects.

Throughout April and May of 2007, the GY-Framework was further refined by design team members. Credits were re-organized; some were moved to more appropriate categories. Intent statements were clarified and requirements were made more specific.
The GY-Framework was introduced to the YBP membership and the general public at the YBP annual conference, at Jackson Lake Lodge, in May 2007. Recruitment of pilot projects began during the summer in tandem with the public comment period. Sponsors of the registered pilot projects have committed to the three-year pilot program, paid their fees, and attended a one-day GY-Framework training.

GY-FRAMEWORK: PILOT PHASE

During the pilot demonstration phase, YBP intends to raise regional awareness of LEED and sustainable development concepts while encouraging feedback on the GY-Framework and this Technical Reference Guide. There are 11 registered pilot projects that have committed to test the GY-Framework over the next three years and who will meet semi-annually to report their progress and provide feedback.

•    Beartooth Nature Center (Red Lodge, Montana)
•    Dornix Park (Big Timber, Montana)
•    Grand Targhee Resort (Alta, Wyoming)
•    Harriman State Park (Island Park, Idaho)
•    Livingston High School (Livingston, Montana)
•    Mountain Legends Ranch (Driggs, Idaho)
•    Mountainside Village (Victor, Idaho)
•    Pine Glades Homes (Jackson, Wyoming)
•    Red Lodge High School (Red Lodge, Montana)
•    Story Mill Neighborhood (Bozeman, Montana)
•    Teton Meadows Ranch (Jackson Hole, Wyoming)

A Certification Task Force has been formed to support the registered pilot projects and to improve and help interpret the new rating system. A third-party certification process is being designed that will ensure certifier anonymity and independence while minimizing cost for the initial pilot sponsors. Meanwhile, the Incentives Task Force will identify and advance a suite of benefits and marketing approaches to support the pilot projects. Over the three-year pilot period, a training course for professional accreditation will be designed, and a second tier of pilot projects for local governments is anticipated.

The GY-Framework is designed to reward leadership and innovation across the Greater Yellowstone region, both in its pilot phase and once fully implemented, but it does not replace the need for land use ordinances and updated building codes. Land conservation efforts need to continue throughout the region, and private-public partnerships in park and resource protection must remain priorities. It is the hope of the Yellowstone Business Partnership that the Greater Yellowstone Framework for Sustainable Development will be one more tool that responsible developers can use to help protect the quality of life in this magnificent region we all call home.

PROCESS OF CERTIFICATION

Like LEED, the GY-Framework is a self-assessing system, backed up by documentation and third-party verification. The project team evaluates the strategies and technologies chosen for the project against the GY-Framework criteria. Prerequisites are required for certification and all prerequisites in all categories must be met by all projects.

To aid in interpretation of the credit, that is, to help the teams decide if they can qualify for the prerequisite or point, the credit intent must be met. If a strategy or technology supports the project in meeting the credit intent, then the point can be awarded.
Every prerequisite and credit contains the following:

•    Credit intent
•    Requirements
•    Documentation/submittal requirements
•    Potential technologies and strategies

Click here to view a pdf of an Implementation timeline overview.