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Backyard Habitat Certification Criteria

CERTIFICATION LEVELS

Silver:
  • Remove 100% of tier one aggressive weeds from property
  • Naturescape at least 5% of available property with native plants
  • Include at least 3 out of 6 canopy levels
  • Pick at least one item from each of Stormwater and Wildlife Stewardship menus
  • Develop plan to reach Gold Certification (recommended)
Gold:
  • Meet all requirements of Silver level
  • Remove 100% of tier two aggressive weeds from property
  • Naturescape at least 15% of available property with native plants
  • Include at least 4 of the 6 canopy levels
  • Pick two items from each of Stormwater and Wildlife Stewardship menus
  • Develop plan to reach Platinum Certification (recommended)
Platinum:
  • Meet all requirements of Silver and Gold levels
  • Remove 100% of tier three aggressive weeds from property
  • Naturescape at least 50% of property with native plants
  • Include at least 5 out of 6 canopy levels
  • Pick 3 items from each of Stormwater and Wildlife Stewardship menus
  • Pick one item from Education and Volunteerism menu

MENU ITEMS

Wildlife Stewardship
  • Install a wildlife water feature
  • Install avian nest boxes for native species
  • Install bat houses
  • Install Mason bee houses
  • Convert outdoor cats to living indoors
  • Participate in backyard Citizen Science
  • Plant 3 native plants that provide food for wildlife
Stormwater Management**
  • Create a stormwater planter
  • Plant or have a large canopy tree over impervious surface for stormwater absorption
  • Plant or have a large canopy tree in other part of garden
  • Install rain garden
  • Disconnect downspouts (where appropriate)   
  • Have grass or impervious pavement on less than 5% of property (minus house)
  • Install an ecoroof
  • Use integrated pest management.
**Stormwater options are different for each property. It is important to research the most appropriate items for your site before implementation.
Education and Volunteerism
  • Recruit 2 neighbors
  • Allow site/yard to be showcased in garden tours or Metro tour
  • Volunteer for Certification Program and/or mentor other Backyard Habitat homeowners
  • Attend continuing education classes
  • Participate in OSU Extension Master Gardener Programs

 

Aggressive Weeds

Tier One

  • False Brome, Pokeweed, Garlic Mustard, Butterfly Bush, Yellow Flag Iris, Purple Loosestrife, Knotweed, Traveler’s Joy, Scot’s Broom, English Ivy, Giant Hogweed, Himalayan and Evergreen Blackberry

Tier Two

  • Spotted and Diffuse Knapweed, Shining and Robert Geranium, Field Bindweed, Lesser Celandine, Spurge Laurel, Norway Maple*, Tree-of-heaven*, English Holly* (*Large trees exempt for gold but not for Platinum level)

Tier Three

  • Policeman’s Helmet, Spatulaleaf Loosestrife, Large and Small-leaf Periwinkle, Fennel, Reed Canarygrass.

 

Download a printable .pdf version of the BHCP Criteria HERE

 

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