WASHINGTON—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has opened the first 30-day public comment period for proposed revisions in how its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System awards points for the use of certified wood.

Comments are being sought on the proposed revisions in the USGBC Forest Certification System Benchmark.

USGBC will respond to all comments and post the comments and responses—without commenter names or organizations—to its Web site, usgbc.org. If changes are made as a result of comments, a 15-day second public comment period will be conducted on those changes. USGBC membership primary contacts will vote on the final draft.

A USGBC spokesperson said currently only wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council are eligible for LEED points. “The focus of the proposed revisions is on transparency, setting forth a clear set of metrics that any forest certification system must meet to be recognized within LEED.”

For more information and to participate, contact USGBC at 800.795.1747 or visit the Certified Wood and Rating Systems Drafts pages on its Web site.