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What makes the Center a green building?

The National Conservation Legacy and Education Center will pursue certification under two green building systems -- LEED and Green Globes. 

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized green building certification system that reduces negative environmental impacts and increases cost savings through efficient energy and water use. The Center is anticipated to attain LEED Gold Certification.

Green Globes measures overall environmental performance and sustainability of commercial buildings, emphasizing seven design factors from energy use to materials. The Center is anticipated to meet the Three Globes level of certification. The Center will be the first Green Globes certified building in Montana and the first Green Globes certified museum in the nation.

Why Model Two Systems?
Both systems employ widely accepted standards for green design, but vary in their treatment of wood products. The LEED system only recognizes timber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Green Globes recognizes timber certified through FSC as well as the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).

In North America, more than 75% of certified forests are in compliance with standards other than FSC. Because the Center's timberframe construction will rely on domestic sources of certified wood, we will honor the broad array of sustainable forestry systems.

Dual green building certification will also further the education goals of the NMFSH by demonstrating how these systems work, illustrating how forest products are incorporated into green design and educating the public and decision-makers on the process, costs and results. The building's design will also showcase the efficiency of engineered materials created by the Forest Service's Forest Products Laboratory.

Green Elements in the Center's Design

• Habitat protected and restored on the site
• Open space maximized on the site
• Water efficient landscaping
• Water use reduced in the building
• Recycled content of building materials
• Use of regionally extracted, processed and manufactured materials
• Use of low-emitting adhesives, paints, carpet systems, composite wood and agrifiber products
• Controllable lighting and thermal systems, use of natural light where possible
• Energy performance optimized
• Construction waste diverted from disposal
• Ground source heat pumps to provide heating and cooling
• HVAC system that recovers heat from exhaust system
• Roofing materials that reflect summer heat for efficient cooling