WCI Communities, Inc. and Audubon International Form Partnership for Sustainable Developments

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For Immediate Release

WCI Communities, Inc. and Audubon International Form Partnership for Sustainable Developments

FLORIDA, BONITA SPRINGS, Jul. 2 -/E-Wire/-- WCI Communities, Inc., Florida's leading builder of highly amenitized lifestyle communities and Audubon International, a not-for-profit environmental organization based in the Albany, New York area, have created what may be a first-of-its-kind agreement that will lead to the development of a new breed of environmentally sustainable residential communities.

Under the agreement, Audubon International will work with WCI to apply Audubon's Principles for Resource Management in the design, planning and construction of 10 future communities the company is planning throughout Florida. The agreement will guide planning and development decisions relating to natural resource conservation and protection, water quality and water conservation, habitat protection and energy conservation. In addition, the agreement calls for the training of WCI employees, the creation of community education programs, and compliance monitoring at all certified WCI communities.

"Audubon International believes that focusing on sustainable development at the regional ecology level is the only way to provide for economic growth and environmental protection,' said Audubon International President and CEO Ronald G. Dodson. "We are extremely pleased to find a company such as WCI that shares this perspective and we hope this agreement serves as a catalyst for other companies to join the effort.'

As a part of the agreement, the 10 WCI communities that will be enrolled in the program will be designated Audubon International Ecologically Designed Communities. Once the environmental master plan for a community is complete and it passes an environmental audit, the community will be certified as an Audubon International Sustainable Development and receive its Gold Seal of Sustainability.

The 10 communities WCI has proposed to enroll in the program are located in Collier, Lee, Martin, Palm Beach and Sarasota counties and encompass approximately 6,000 acres. All of the communities are in the early stages of planning that will allow for the integration of Audubon International's Resource Management Principles.

WCI President Jerry Starkey termed the agreement a "milestone event' in the future of community planning and development. "The future of the building and development industry rests on our ability to treat the environment with respect and create communities that exist in harmony with their natural setting. At WCI, we see this innovative relationship as an important step forward in the stewardship of our natural resources,' Starkey said.

Starkey added that the Audubon International agreement is part of a much larger stewardship initiative at WCI. Just last month the company provided a capstone grant of $350,000 to help create Florida Gulf Coast University's Green Building Learning and Demonstration Center. A part of the Center's mission will be to develop and test green building materials and practices for application in the consumer marketplace. "The partnership with Audubon International and the Green Building program is our response to our customers' and the greater community's call for higher levels of environmental stewardship from our industry,' Starkey said. "We are excited and eager to integrate these practices into our day-to-day business operations and lead our industry to a higher standard,' he added.

One of the first WCI communities to adopt the Audubon International program is its new Sun City Center Fort Myers that broke ground on June 8. Audubon has already assigned one of its staff members to work full-time with WCI planners on the development of the environmental master plan for that community and others that are in the planning process.

This new agreement is not WCI's first involvement with Audubon International. Previous to this agreement the company committed to certify all of the golf courses it manages as Certified Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary Golf Courses. For those golf courses still under construction or in the design phase, WCI is committed to certification as an Audubon International Gold Signature Golf Course -- the highest level of certification in the Audubon International golf course program. The criteria include the improvement of wildlife habitat, water quality protection and a reduction in chemical use and application.

For more than 50 years, WCI Communities, Inc. has been creating amenity-rich, leisure-oriented master-planned communities throughout Florida. The company currently has operations in 16 Florida cities.

Based in Bonita Springs on Florida's southwest coast, WCI is a privately held company with more than 30 communities located in Florida's most desirable coastal markets. Its award-winning communities currently feature 468 holes of golf, more than 1,000 boat slips at five deep-water marinas, and various country club, tennis and recreational facilities. The company's land holdings include approximately 17,000 acres planned for as many as 29,000 residences.

Its homebuilding operations serve primarily move-up, empty nester and retirement homebuyers. WCI has also distinguished itself from traditional homebuilders by developing an expertise creating luxury residential towers with prices ranging from approximately $400,000 to nearly $10 million. The company also derives income from amenity operations such as golf, restaurants and marinas as well as from ancillary businesses including Prudential Florida WCI Realty, mortgage, title and property management services.

For its year ended December 31, 2000, the company reported revenue of $882.2 million and net income of $82.0 million. Its homebuilding and high-rise operations recorded 2,062 net new orders during calendar year 2000. The company employs approximately 2,600 people and an additional 1,000 real estate brokers and associates through its Prudential Florida/WCI Realty subsidiary.

Audubon International spearheads education and conservation assistance programs that promote environmental stewardship and sustainability. Its programs encourage proactive, cooperative partnerships between Audubon International and landowners or managers and local community organizations. With offices in New York, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida, Audubon International is presently working in all 50 states, Canadian Provinces and 15 countries around the world.

(a) Editor's Note: For a complete listing of applicable WCI communities and/or Audubon International's Principles for Resource Management, please contact Jama Dock at 941/498-8347 or [REDACTED-EMAIL].

WCI Communities, Inc.

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