Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.52
Liaison Andrew D'Amico
Submission Date Feb. 28, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Princeton University
OP-10: Biodiversity

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Daniel Casey
Coordinating Architect
Office of the University Architect
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Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance?:
Yes

A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:

Princeton University does not own or manage any legally protected areas, Internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, or regions of conservation importance. However, the land bordering the Lawrence Apartments, the Institute for Advanced Study, and the D&R canal is a preserved wetlands and bird sanctuary.


Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on institution-owned or –managed land?:
Yes

Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify environmentally sensitive areas on institution-owned or –managed land?:
Yes

The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or environmentally sensitive areas (including most recent year assessed) and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:

A natural resources inventory and an evaluation criteria for assessing forested areas were completed as part of a biohabitat survey for the 2026 Campus Plan. The evaluation criteria consists of an ecological integrity index that will be used by the University to inform land-use decisions. The index is structurally similar to the Index for Biotic Integrity (IBI) concept used in wetland evaluation, and is based on the evaluation of 18 metrics that can be scored for each natural area or greenspace on campus to allow land-use managers to make informed choices about proposed changes to campus.


A brief description of identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:

14 different sites were evaluated and approximate classifications were used to identify endangered and vulnerable species.


A brief description of plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:

As described in the new Campus Plan, the University will set priorities for protecting, restoring, and enhancing the wetlands, streams, and habitats of the campus, particularly around Lake Carnegie. The planning framework provides guidance on development around these areas. Proposed strategies include protecting the University’s highest quality habitat areas, enhancing their connectivity to adjacent habitats along Lake Carnegie and stream corridors, and restoring the health of habitat areas where exotic and invasive species are predominant without compromising future development needs.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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