Sustainable Practices on DCNR Lands

• Buildings
• Vehicle fleet
• Purchases
• Land management
• Business operations

DCNR High-Performing Facilities

DCNR manages more than 4,700 buildings within its complex and geographically diverse state park and forest systems, creating many opportunities to deploy energy efficient systems and materials.

One way to ensure best practices is to strive for high-performance buildings standards, such as LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) -- a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices.

To receive LEED certification, building projects satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification.

LEED-Certified Buildings

Currently, DCNR has 15 LEED-certified buildings:

• Sproul State Forest Resource Management Center -- DCNR’s first LEED-rated facility
• Clear Creek State Forest Resource Management Center -- LEED certified
• Tom Ridge Environmental Center at Presque Isle State Park -- LEED Silver certified
• Rothrock State Forest Resource Management Center -- LEED certified
• Tiadaghton State Forest Resource Management Center -- LEED Gold certified
• Loyalsock State Forest Resource Management Center -- LEED Silver certified
• The Nature Inn at Bald Eagle State Park -- LEED Gold certified
• Elk Country Visitor Center -- LEED Gold certified
• The Wildlife Center at Sinnemahoning State Park -- LEED Silver certified
• Penn Nursery Office at Mira Lloyd Dock Resource Conservation Center -- LEED Silver certified
• Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center -- LEED Silver certified
• Weiser State Forest Resource Management Center -- LEED Gold certified
• Ohiopyle State Park Office -- Laurel Highlands Falls Area Visitor Center -- LEED Gold certified
• Kinzua Bridge State Park Visitor Center and Park Office -- LEED Silver certified
• Frances Slocum State Park Patrick J. Solano Environmental Education Center -- LEED Silver certified

Pursuing Leed Certification

The following DCNR facilities are currently going through the certification process, and a few are in the planning stage:

• Buchanan State Forest Resource Management Center -- Pursuing LEED certification
• Gallitzin State Forest Resource Management Center -- Pursuing LEED certification
• Delaware State Forest Resource Management Center -- In the planning stages -- will pursue LEED certification
• Delaware Canal State Park Visitor Center -- In the planning stage -- will pursue LEED certification
• Hickory Run State Park Visitor Center -- In the design stages, with LEED certification intended

Solar Energy

• Save more than $30,000/year on electric
• Reduce CO₂ emissions by 160 tons/year (average car emits 6 tons per year)
• Reduce energy consumption by 220,000 kWh/year (average American home uses 10,812 kWh per year)

Planned solar arrays include:

• Presque Isle State Park -- 10 kW Ground mounted array for the Tom Ridge Environmental Center was completed September 2016, which will result in a savings of $1,200/year and a reduction of 8 tons of CO₂/year
• Fort Washington State Park -- 25 kW ground-mounted array hopes to reduce 20 tons of CO₂/year and allow the park to operate at net zero energy consumption (Anticipated completion December 2017)
• Moraine State Park. 103 kW ground-mounted array will supply 50% of treatment plant’s energy reducing 64 tons of CO₂/year (Anticipated completion February 2018)
• Scenic View at Laurel Hill State Park -- 90 kW ground mounted aims to reduce 68 tons of CO₂/year (Anticipated completion February 2018)
• Caledonia State Park -- 1.74 kW roof-mounted array with battery storage will power three hand dryers and five LED lights in the bathroom to take it off the grid (Anticipated completion September 2017)