Submitted by Mason County PUD
Sustainable design, care for the environment, and intergovernmental teamwork has resulted in Mason County PUD 3 being named the 2012 conservation steward of the year by the Mason Conservation District.
John Bolender, conservation district manager, made the announcement at the June 11 PUD 3 commission meeting.
The district worked closely with the PUD design team to introduce native plants into the area around the Johns Prairie operations center, and adopt ways to manage stormwater runoff in a manner that reduced environmental impacts.
Bolender said that the partnership between the conservation district and the PUD demonstrated how local government cooperation can achieve substantial public benefits through sharing of resources and the wise use of public finances.
He cited the PUD’s “visionary leadership in conservation with the development of the operations center.” He noted that the PUD used extensive sustainable design elements to reduce energy consumption, the use of water, and lessen the impact on the landscape. He said that this not only conserved future natural resources, but introduced Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) development in Mason County.
PUD 3 is in the final stages of its application to the U-S Green Building Council for LEED certification for the Johns Prairie operations center. Such certification provides verification that a building was built to promote energy savings, water efficiency, carbon dioxide emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. The operations center was designed to the LEED gold standard, which is the second highest designation achievable under the rating system.