Civic Award of Excellence: Government

Award Winner: Government of the District of Columbia

“I want to thank Green Roofs for Healthy Cities for this honor, which several agencies share as a group.”

“Our staff are big fans of green roofs, and I think we’ve cleared the way for more extensive use across the district.”
- Mayor Adrian M. Fenty

Reeves Center Green Roof: Winter 2007 - installed by the Office of Property Management

Highlights of this leadership include:

The DDOE Natural Resource Administration’s (NRA) Watershed Protection Division is currently administering a grant program in conjunction with DC Greenworks, which is making $200,000 in funding available to applicants to support the construction and installation of green roofs throughout the city.

The NRA's Stormwater Management Division has recently negotiated an enhancement to its EPA MS4 Stormwater Permit. This enhancement includes up to an additional $1,000,000 in funding for new and retrofit construction of green roofs on federal, residential, commercial, and District-controlled properties. This funding will help to support green roof construction in pursuit of Mayor Adrien Fenty's goal of achieving 20% green roof coverage on District buildings by 2020. The NRA is also working with the DC Council and other agencies such as the District’s Office of Property Management (OPM) to develop and advance policies to green the District's infrastructure.

In addition, the Stormwater Management Division, at the direction of the DC Council, has engaged a stakeholder Task Force to explore improvements to stormwater management in the District of Columbia. This Task Force is assisting in the development of new District stormwater legislation. A major component of this legislation will be policies and procedures to institutionalize green practices, such as green roofs, throughout both the public and private sectors in the District of Columbia.

Several District agencies cooperate and meet regularly to coordinate stormwater management activities related to the District’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit. One of the most encouraging recent steps has been the inclusion of the OPM in these discussions. By including OPM in stormwater management decisions among the “core” city services of water and sewer, transportation, and public works, the District is expanding and reinventing the role that public infrastructure can play in stormwater management. OPM’s efforts have already led to the completion of two green roofs on District government buildings in 2007, the Franklin D. Reeves Center and One Judiciary Square. The Reeves Center green roof covers 4,000 square feet, while the Judiciary square green roof is 8,000 square feet in size. This spirit of collaboration will undoubtedly lead to more successful projects in the future.

The NRA is undertaking these efforts in cooperation with its partners in DDOE's Office of Policy & Sustainability, the District Department of Transportation, the District Department of Public Works, the DC Water and Sewer Authority, and the OPM.

Overhauling a city's approach to development is no small job, but the dedicated professionals in the District Government have made great headway in a relatively short time. By pursuing these policies and others, the District is working towards a greener, cleaner, and healthier city. A city where green roofs are the norm, and no longer rare exceptions.