All Exceptions require additional documentation. See I-02 Documentation Summary Table.
PL-006 Priority Natural Lands
Portions of land within a project site that are set aside as a nature preserve or that meet the definition of Priority Natural Lands may be excluded from the Project Area for purposes of calculating the required urban agriculture area. Priority Natural Land areas should not be converted to agricultural areas or land for domestic animals. This exception does not permit a change in the defined Project Area, but simply a subtraction from the basis of calculating the required area of Urban Agriculture. Project teams must provide a brief narrative and technical documents to demonstrate that the excluded area is Priority Natural Land.
PL-007 Non-Edible Plants
Non-edible plants can be counted in the required urban agriculture area if the project team can document the intended function of each plant in supporting the edible plants (i.e., to enrich the soil, to keep pests away, to attract pollinators, etc.; or as forage for livestock or honeybees) and that the area dedicated to non-edible plants is reasonable in relation to the edible products they are supporting.
Project teams must provide a list of all non-edible plants with explanations of their functions and the rationale for the allotted areas of each.
PL-008 Community Organizations with a Local Agriculture-Based Mission
Nonprofit organizations or community cooperative markets whose primary mission includes the protection and/or expansion of local and sustainable agriculture and the fostering of access to its products may comply by any of the following paths:
- Demonstration that within the two years prior to initiation of the LBC certification audit, the organization’s efforts resulted in the protection in perpetuity by conservation easement for purposes of agricultural production, an area of local land at least twice the size of the area of urban agriculture required for the project.
- Demonstration that within the five years prior to initiation of the LBC certification audit, the organization’s efforts resulted in the protection in perpetuity by conservation easement for purposes of agricultural production, an area of local land at least three times the size of the area of urban agriculture required for the project.
- Demonstration of sales of locally sourced food products at a quantity at least equal to the quantity of food that would be expected to be produced on an area of land three times the size of the area of the area of urban agriculture required for the project.
To meet the requirements of the first two compliance options listed, conservation easements must be held by an organization that meets the requirements for approved land trusts or Exception PL-011, Accreditation Equivalency under Imperative 03, Habitat Exchange. To meet the requirements of each compliance path, agricultural production must not employ the use of petrochemical inputs.
For purposes of this Exception, “local” means within 500km of the project site, as measured in a straight line. The nature of the nonprofit or community cooperative market’s contribution may include funding or other direct involvement without which the land conservation or sales would not have occurred.
In all cases, the benefits of these efforts must be communicated to the building occupants.
The following documentation is required to show compliance with this Exception:
All Projects
- Narrative with explanation of how building occupants have been made aware of the conservation or local sourcing of agriculture.
- Technical documents demonstrating the organization’s status as a nonprofit or community cooperative market and confirming that its primary mission encompasses the protection and expansion of local and sustainable agriculture and the fostering of access to its products.
- Documents demonstrating that the related agricultural production did not employ the use of petrochemical inputs.
If using an Agricultural Conservation Easement path, also include:
An official letter or document from the land trust holding the agricultural conservation easement:
- Stating the terms, size, and date of the agricultural conservation easement(s), and that the land will be held in perpetuity.
- Documenting that the organization holding the easement meets the land trust requirements.
- Explaining the essential involvement of the nonprofit or community cooperative market in the protection of the land.
- A map showing the location of the project site and the conservation easement and the distance in a straight line from one to the other.
If using the Locally Sourced Sales path, also include:
- Calculation, based on industry accepted methods, of the yield per square foot of relevant products that would be expected in an average year from production on local agricultural land; and
- Receipts or accounting documentation of sales of locally produced products equal to the required amount.
