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NSF/UM Partnership for Facilities Upgrade
YERC's long term plan for the Field Station includes constructing a "green" building on the site, with design goals potentially including
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high energy efficiency
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the use of locally sourced, sustainable, low toxicity building materials
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high speed Internet connection
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conference facilities
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expanded kitchen and sleeping quarters
In 2006, we were pleased to learn of NSF support for planning an improved, green field station facility. As part of the NSF grant, we brought together YERC's Scientific Advisory Council (SAC) in June 2006 to begin scoping what might be possible.
Since 2007 we have continued to work on the planning for this new structure. This has included senior and graduate level architecture students from Montana State University (MSU) as well as MSU's Center For Community Design (CCD). Over the course of a semester YERC and CCD students held numerous meetings to fine tune the needs and want of the new station and the proposed designs. At the close of the year, CCD students presented final design plans to YERC and potential contractors. In the spring of 2008, CCD students began the process of moving these plans to reality by finalizing construction designs and techniques. These site models and plans were then presented to the YERC staff at the end of the 2009 spring semester. These plans led to a partnership with the University of Montana (UM) in Missoula that fall. UM has commited to raising the remaining funding for the new feild station and we are slated to break ground during the summer or 2012.
Visit our Field Station Plans page for more info
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