Bringing Home the Gold!
Release Date: Nov 2, 2009
Contact(s): Karen McKenzie, (770) 297-3061
Rabun County, Georgia—If there was an Olympic competition for having an environmentally friendly office, the employees of the Chattooga River Ranger District would have brought home a gold medal. This new U.S. Forest Service office building, located in Rabun County along Highway 441, was recently awarded the Gold LEED Certification by the Green Building Council for incorporating dozens of energy saving features into its design and for using waste reduction construction techniques.
“We felt like this was an important thing to do,” said George Bain, Forest Supervisor for the Chattahoochee and Oconee National Forests in Georgia. “When you look at the impacts that buildings have on our environment it is significant,” Bain said. A quick glance at the Green Building Council website reveals some startling facts such as: 72% of all electricity consumption in the United States comes from buildings, 40% of raw materials used are for buildings, and 30% of all waste output (about 136 million tons each year) result from buildings.
Chattooga River District Ranger Dave Jensen said, “During the design phase for this building, we made a conscious choice to incorporate the latest and best energy-saving and water conservation techniques into this building. We knew that it would take some additional effort, however, we believed that the long-term benefits absolutely outweighed any short term impacts.”
During the construction phase for the new office building, efforts were made to divert 75% of the construction waste away from the Rabun County landfill by recycling scrap metal and wood. Purchases of building material were made from local or regional suppliers thus saving hauling costs while helping to support the local economy. The landscaping around the building was designed to require little water (also known as xeric landscaping), and the construction of several retention ponds for rain water allow the water to percolate slowly into the ground instead of running off over pavement.
“We built a number of features into the office itself to reduce our energy consumption,” Jensen said. Features include a geo-thermal system for heating and cooling, an energy efficient water heater, low-water volume toilets, HVAC systems equipped with energy recovery units, and light sensors that brighten or dim the interior lights based on supplemental daylight coming in the windows.
The Chattooga River Ranger District office is the first Forest Service office in the nation to receive the Gold LEED rating. “We are excited about the Gold LEED certification,” says Jensen, “but we are also excited about the prospect of helping reduce our environmental impact in the County.”
“I hope this is just the beginning for us,” said Forest Supervisor Bain. “This was a real educational experience, and my plan is to take the lessons learned and improve upon them for the next Forest Service construction project here in Georgia,” he said.
For additional information on the Gold LEED Certification for the Chattooga River Ranger District, please read this article.
Alerts & Warnings
- #BurnAlerts for Prescribed Fires
- Seasonal Road Closures in Effect
- FS Road 22 Tumbling Creek road hazard - major slump
- Before riding your UTV, Educate Yourself!
- Track Rock Petroglyphs
- Flatlands Road (FSR 256 and FSR 637) Closed
- Road Closures on the Chattooga River Ranger District
- Coleman River Rd (FSR #54) Closure
- CAUTION Waterfall Dangers
- CALL BEFORE YOU HAUL - ATV and OHV
- Panther Creek Trail Temporary Hiker Restrictions
- Don't Move Firewood!