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Builders Reduce Environmental Regulatory Burdens
Under a new initiative in Wisconsin designed to promote superior environmental performance in housing and other industries, the Wisconsin Builders Association (WBA) is working with the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on a charter that will substantially reduce regulatory burdens on builders who are pursuing innovative techniques to protect natural resources and improve air and water quality.
The state’s Green Tier program, which was signed into law by Governor Jim Doyle in 2004, will provide builders and developers with the flexibility to pursue new environmentally friendly techniques that push beyond many of the old, prescriptive ideas incorporated into the DNR’s existing regulations.
In exchange for following practices that yield higher results than those achieved under the department’s environmental requirements, participants in the Green Tier program will be able to drastically reduce their permitting time, cut other compliance costs and move forward with assurance in their development plans for a particular piece of land.
“We saw that innovative solutions proposed by some developers improved the environment much more than our prescriptive regulations, but we were unable to implement those ideas because they were outside our scope,” said Mark McDermid, director of the DNR's Bureau of Cooperative Environmental Assistance.
“Until the Green Tier law passed, our hands were often tied, preventing us from achieving sustainable environmental performance and making it harder for developers to provide needed housing in a timely fashion,” said McDermid.
“Working in collaboration with the DNR means we can protect and improve the environment while continuing to provide market-reasonable housing for residents throughout Wisconsin,” said Leon Church, a developer from Appleton, Wis. and chairman of the WBA’s Development Council, which has been working on the association’s Green Tier Charter.
The Wisconsin builders have established a number of goals for their charter with the DNR:
- Reducing the amount of soil erosion that occurs at sites regulated through a storm water management plan
- Increasing the amount of construction site recycling
- Emphasizing conservation in new development, including reusing native plants and maintaining water flow and hydrology
- Promoting green building and the use of energy-efficient materials
- Providing education for developers, consulting engineers, subcontractors, builders, suppliers and home owners
To ensure compliance with the WBA charter, participants will voluntarily audit their own practices in a number of defined areas and track, document and correct any “violations” without the involvement of the DNR, including fines and enforcement actions.
“This new cooperative approach and our initial charter set the stage for environmental and economic successes for years to come,” said Church.
For more information on the Green Tier program or WBA’s Green Tier Charter, e-mail John Kisiel at the WBA Development Council, or call 608-242-5155 x22.
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