White House Council on Environmental Quality Announces GreenGov Presidential Awards
For Immediate Release
October 26, 2010
Media Contact:
Sue Bennett
847-353-0928
sbennett@thecareoftrees.com
The Care of Trees' Past Tree Preservation Work at Fort Belvior Praised
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) today announced eight Federal winners of the 2010 GreenGov Presidential Awards for exceptional efforts to promote sustainable operations at their agencies. The winners are Federal agency teams or employees from across the country.
“President Obama asked the Federal Government to lead by example when it comes to building a sustainable future focused on clean and renewable energy,” said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “These winning entries, representing seven Federal agencies, are clearly leading by example in their innovative use of environmentally responsible products and technologies.”
The GreenGov Presidential Awards celebrate extraordinary achievement in the pursuit of President Obama’s Executive Order on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance (Executive Order 13514). They honor Federal civilian and military personnel, agency teams, agency projects and facilities, and agency programs that exemplify President Obama’s charge to lead by example towards a clean energy economy.
CEQ solicited award nominations and, along with a panel of judges, reviewed the nominations and recommended the 2010 award recipients to the President. The eight winners were selected from more than 300 nominations and will be recognized at a White House reception tonight. The winners and their outstanding achievement among the following categories are described below:
Building the Future Award: Fort Belvoir Residential Communities Team, Department of Defense
Fort Belvoir, VA
Under the Army’s Residential Communities Initiative, the Army and Fort Belvoir Residential Communities LLC formed a 50-year public-private partnership to develop, rehabilitate and construct 2,106 homes on 576 acres at Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County, Virginia. The project includes a mixed-use Town Center that features solar panels, a salvaged playground, and a stormwater management system that captures and treats 90% of annual runoff from rainfall. The Town Center has become a model for how other military installations can incorporate residential and retail space in an integrated building, reducing the development footprint and encouraging walking as an alternative to driving.
Current Garrison Commander, COL. John J. Strycula had this to say to organizations like The Care of Trees, which were involved with the project: “What a great honor and recognition of the fantastic RCI project that we have here on FT Belvoir. It is a true testament to the hard work and dedication of the many leaders that have planned and continued to improve the housing for our soldiers and their families throughout the years. Congratulations to everyone involved in helping make FT Belvoir Housing the great product that it is. A true partnership and everyone should be proud.”
For more information on The Care of Trees’ work at Fort Belvior, read The Care of Trees’ case study on Fort Belvior.