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An Order Regarding the Use of Green Building Standards in State Buildings
December 8, 2011
27 FY 11/12
December 7, 2011
AN ORDER REGARDING THE USE OF GREEN BUILDING STANDARDS IN STATE BUILDINGS
WHEREAS, the State of Maine is dedicated to the goals of energy efficiency, environmental protection, and economic growth;
WHEREAS, the State should undertake initiatives that foster cost efficient and ecologically responsible buildings;
WHEREAS, reducing long-term operations and maintenance costs is essential to the economic health of our State;
WHEREAS, so-called “Green Building” standards have the potential to reduce waste in building;
WHEREAS, said standards have certain requirements on the harvest of natural construction materials, some of which recognize equally several forest certifications systems currently utilized in Maine and North America;
WHEREAS, Maine is a national leader in the processing and availability of construction materials that are certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Forest Stewardship Council, American Tree Farm System, and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification systems; and
WHEREAS, recognizing all of these certifications equally will help promote sustainable forestry in the State of Maine and help protect and develop thousands of good jobs while maintaining our strong outdoor heritage;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Paul R. LePage, Governor of the State of Maine, hereby order as follows:
The design, construction, operation and maintenance of any new or expanded state building shall incorporate “Green Building” standards that give certification credits equally to forest products grown, manufactured, and certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Forest Stewardship Council, American Tree Farm System and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification systems.
The design, construction, operation and maintenance of any existing state building to be renovated shall incorporate “green building” standards that achieve significant energy efficiency and environmental sustainability relevant to the scope of the renovation, provided this can be accomplished on a cost-effective basis, considering construction and operating costs over the life cycle of the improvement.
The Department of Administrative and Financial Services, through the Bureau of General Services, is authorized to call upon any department, office, board, commission or agency of state government to provide such information, resources or other assistance deemed necessary to discharge its responsibilities under this Order. Each department, office, board, commission, and agency of this state is required to cooperate with the Bureau of General Services and to furnish it with assistance necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Order. Such assistance may include sharing of information, the assignment of staff, and the provision of support services.
Each department, office, board, commission or agency of state government is directed to identify any policies not in conformance with this Executive Order, bring them into conformance and submit them to the Governor’s Office by March 1, 2012.
For the purposes of this order, a “state building” includes any building owned, constructed, or acquired by the State of Maine or any department, office, board, commission, or agency thereof, including state-supported institutions of higher learning. School administrative districts and municipalities are not subject to the requirements of this Order.
The effective date of this Executive Order is December 7, 2011. This Executive Order supersedes Executive Order 08 FY 04/05.
Paul R. LePage, Governor
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An Order Regarding the Use of Green Building Standards in State Buildings
