Green Shores | Programs
Green Shores for Homes
Green Shores for Homes (GSH) is a voluntary, incentive-based rating program focused on positive steps to reduce the impact of residential development on shoreline ecosystems. GSH helps waterfront homeowners restore natural shorelines and enjoy the many recreational, scenic, environmental, and shoreline protection benefits they bring.
An Introduction to Green Shores for Homes
The Green Shores for Homes Program is based on the four guiding principles:
- Preserve or restore physical processes—the natural actions of water and sediment movement that maintain healthy shorelines.
- Maintain or enhance habitat function and diversity along the shoreline.
- Prevent or reduce pollutants entering the aquatic environment.
- Avoid or reduce cumulative impacts—small individual effects that add up to large impacts on shoreline environments.
The Green Shores for Homes Program addresses both marine and lake environments. It is led by the Stewardship Centre for British Columbia in BC and Washington Sea Grant in Washington.
Projects Addressed by Green Shores for Homes
The Green Shores for Homes (GSH) Credits and Rating Guide is a tool for waterfront homeowners and their contractors to develop their properties in a shore-friendly way that meets the Green Shores principles. It applies to all types of shorelines in marine and lake environments—from rocky to sand and gravel shores, estuaries to mudflats, rock cliffs to coastal bluffs.
A shoreline project is assessed against a series of credits for which a homeowner or builder can achieve points. All of the credits and the maximum points are summarized in the GSH Credits and Ratings Guide.
Using the Green Shores for Homes Credits and Ratings Guide
All shoreline project proponents can use GSH as a guide for shoreline best practices to complete their project in a shore-friendly way, including:
- Property owners, developers, and real estate industry – Organizations with a vested financial interest in shore property, associated buildings and their operation.
- Professionals and professional associations – Professionals and firms offering services such as building and landscape architecture, coastal, shoreline, water resources and geotechnical engineering, surveying, and biological assessment.
- Construction contractors – Firms and industry associations involved in constructing shore structures such as docks and piers, shore protection, and dredging.
- Non-profit organizations – Organizations with a special interest in shoreline environments and management issues.
- Planners, regulators, and elected officials – Federal, provincial, and local governments involved in planning, policy, and managing marine coastal and lakeshore areas.
Project proponents can enroll their project in the Green Shores program with the Stewardship Centre and use the provided guide and associated resources to achieve a Green Shores rating. Completing the rating process will clearly demonstrate achievement of environmental goals and leadership in shoreline stewardship. Steps in the process are outlined below.
The applicants can enroll online or contact SCBC via email.
To maximize the benefits of the Credit and Ratings Guide, it is recommended that you enroll early in the project design and development process.
Enrollment in a project will provide you with access to essential information and tools, such as the GSH template, which outlines the requirements for the final project submittals.
Once the project is enrolled in the GSH program, the project team typically proceeds with its design and construction.
Early on, the team should be familiar with the requirements of each prerequisite and credit.
Ensure that all the documentation required for submittal (as directed by the GSH template) is collected so you receive the ratings you deserve in a timely manner.
When the project is completed, and all the necessary documentation has been compiled, the project can be submitted for review to the SCBC.
The SCBC will assign a GSH verifier team to assess the project by reviewing the documentation and visiting the site.
Upon completion of the review, qualifying projects will receive a Green Shores Rating and Award.
GSH Credit Rating Levels
A Green Shores for Homes rating is achieved by meeting all application requirements and an additional number of credit points. A shoreline project may achieve one of two rating levels: Green Shores for Homes Chinook or Orca.
| GSH 1 “SILVER” The project results in recognizable improvement and/or conservation of the natural features and processes of the shoreline. |
20-39 points, which include a minimum of 10 points (collectively) earned through Shoreline Processes and Shoreline Habitats credit categories. |
| GSH 2 “GOLD” The project exhibits exceptional design regarding improvement/ conservation of the natural features and processes of the shoreline. |
40+ points, which include a minimum of 20 points (collectively) earned through Shoreline Process and Shoreline Habitat credit categories. |
GSH Certified Sites
A profile of all project sites certified with Green Shores for Homes is shown in light green on the map below. To learn more about completed GSH projects, visit our Green Shores Case Studies page.
Contact us for more information about Green Shores for Homes rating process.