During the 2015 Clinton Global Initiative conference in Denver, Seattle-based Vulcan Inc., announced its commitment to Salmon-Safe’s developer accreditation initiative. It’s the nation’s first such program, and Vulcan plans to be the first Salmon-Safe-accredited real estate developer.
The commitment aligns with Vulcan co-founders Paul Allen and Jody Allen’s push to protect the environment. The "Salmon-Safe" designation was created in Oregon in 1997 and brought to Washington in 2004 as a way to certify a farm or landowner was meeting standards of water quality, erosion and chemical control.
In a press release, Vulcan Real Estate Vice President Ada M. Healey said that Vulcan feels "very strongly" that Salmon-Safe practices will not only be good for her company’s Seattle properties and Puget Sound, "but also fulfill the broader goal of helping move the entire development industry toward these environmentally innovative practices.”
The Salmon-Safe accreditation action plan that Healey outlined has three main components: certifying the company’s entire development portfolio; establishing and implementing best practices for operating properties and managing land; and a public awareness campaign.
Vulcan’s timeline for property certifications will be ongoing and starts this month. The Salmon-Safe developer accreditation evaluation will be completed next quarter with annual compliance verification.
Salmon-Safe Executive Director Dan Kent said that Vulcan already is committed to protecting the environment, and that signing on as the first Salmon-Safe developer is "a powerful next step."
