The milestone project is the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, which learned a gold rating under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

The U.S. Green Building Council has certified 12,000 commercial projects under its LEED rating program, the council announced Tuesday.

The milestone project is the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, which learned a gold rating under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. Federally funded, the refuge was rebuilt after the original was destroyed by Hurricane Ike in 2008. It will house wildlife exhibits, an education center and be staffed by National Park Service employees.

"Twelve years after the first 12 projects earned LEED certification, the green building community has reached a significant milestone," said USGBC Presdent and CEO Rick Fedrizzi, who also founded the group. "The momentum for green buildings is rippling around the globe, enhancing the built environment for generations to come."  

Combining all of the program’s categories, there are more than 137,000 LEED-registered and -certified projects worldwide, officials said.

"This milestone is made even more relevant as it is happening as the final comments are being collected on LEED 2012, the next iteration of continuous improvement of the LEED program," Fedrizzi added. "With these next changes, LEED will continue in its role as a catalyst for transformation of the built environment to ever higher standards of sustainable practice. Even in these challenging times, it's clear that green building is a movement whose time is now."