Washington DC - For promoting the use of green roofs, the District of Columbia has received the "Civic Award of Excellence" from Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. The District placed seventh among major cities in North America, with more than 55,000 square feet of new green roofs installed in 2007. The District Department of Environment (DDOE) accepted the award at the sixth annual "Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities" conference in Baltimore.

DDOE has recently taken a leadership role in promoting and advancing green roofs in the District. DDOE collaborated with the DC Office of Property Management in building green roofs on two District government facilities; the Reeves Center and One Judiciary Square. Each roof is covered with more than 4,000 square feet of native plants that to redirect storm water and absorb sunlight, reducing the cost of cooling the building.

"This award is a great recognition of the work we've done so far," said George Hawkins, DDOE Director. "But we're just getting started. District residents can expect to see many more green roofs on both public and private buildings in the next year."

George Hawkins, Director of DDOE said, "We are happy to receive the award of excellence. Our work with green roofs as well as other conservation storm water management initiatives is ongoing."

DDOE is working with the DC Council to develop new storm water management legislation to help reduce pollution in the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. The proposed legislation will institutionalize green practices, such as green roofs, throughout both the public and private sectors in the District of Columbia.