Town Receives Prestigious Sustainable Maryland Certified Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 12, 2020
Contact: Mike Hunninghake, Program Manager, Sustainable Maryland, 301-405-7956, mikeh75@umd.edu
Town of Chesapeake Beach Receives Prestigious Sustainable Maryland Certified Award at Maryland Municipal League Conference
College Park, MD (October 12, 2020) – The Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland announced that the Town of Chesapeake Beach was one of eleven Maryland municipalities honored at the Sustainable Maryland Awards Ceremony at the Maryland Municipal League’s virtual annual Fall Conference last Friday.
Highlights of Chesapeake Beach’s accomplishments include:
- Hosted a Community Mural event, where local students could paint what they wanted to preserve in the Chesapeake Bay.
- Created a “Grow Free” shelf that is prominently displayed in the lobby of the Northeast Community Center and is the first location in the United States. Any community members can come in and drop off items to be used for gardening or that promote healthy eating.
- The town-supported Chesapeake Beach Oyster Cultivation Society grew 110,000 oysters, at a 68% survivability rate, in 2019, and hosted over 1,400 5th grade students, using Chesapeake Beach as their learning platform.
- Launched the “Plan Chesapeake Beach” initiative in 2019, engaging the public to envision and help guide what the town will be in 2040.
“Sustainability is woven into the fabric of the Town of Chesapeake Beach,” said Mayor Patrick “Irish” J. Mahoney. “The Town’s proximity to the Bay serves as a daily reminder of the importance of sustainable initiatives, outreach, and education to expand our efforts as one community. With every oyster grown, buffer garden planned, mosquito repellant garden planted and Calvert County Public School educational field trip in the books, we are making a difference for generations to come.”
According to Mike Hunninghake, Program Manager for Sustainable Maryland, “This year’s eleven Sustainable Maryland Certified communities represent a broad cross-section of the state, from small towns to large cities, from rural agricultural areas to densely populated urban communities. Each one has demonstrated a firm and on-going commitment to meeting the urgent sustainability challenges we face here in Maryland, and as part of a planetary community in crisis.”
Video of the Sustainable Maryland Awards Ceremony on Oct. 9 is here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgG96iwVAdX7Y-RNL2u8pow?reload=9
For detailed information about Chesapeake Beach’s sustainability initiatives, please contact Holly Wahl, Town Administrator, hwahl@chesapeakebeachmd.gov, 443-975-6048
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Sustainable Maryland Certification: To achieve certification, municipalities are required to form a Green Team comprised of local residents, community leaders, municipal staff and officials; complete a variety sustainability-related Actions worth a total of at least 150 points (including two mandatory actions and two of six priority actions), and submit the appropriate documentation as evidence that the Sustainable Maryland Certified requirements have been satisfied. The Sustainable Maryland Action Menu can be seen here: http://sustainablemaryland.com/actions-certification/actions/
The complete list of 2020 newly certified (denoted by *) and re-certified communities includes:
Bel Air (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017)
Berwyn Heights (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017)
Boonsboro (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017)
Chesapeake Beach (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017)
Frostburg (first certified in 2017)
Greenbelt (2020 Sustainability Champion - highest point total; first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017)
Landover Hills (NEW!)
Mount Airy (first certified in 2017)
North Beach (first certified in 2017)
Riverdale Park (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017)
Takoma Park (first certified 2014, re-certified in 2017)
University Park (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017)
Our 2020 Sustainability Champion: This year’s Sustainability Champion is the City of Greenbelt, which amassed an impressive 795 points on their application, more than any other community in 2020.
A full report on each certified community’s Actions can be viewed here: http://sustainablemaryland.com/actions-certification/participating-communities/
Sustainable Maryland Certified Municipalities as of 2020 (9th full year of the program):
- Total Municipalities Sustainable Maryland Certified: 39 (25% of Maryland’s municipalities)
- Total Municipalities Sustainable Maryland Registered: 79 (50% of Maryland’s municipalities)
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About Sustainable Maryland: Sustainable Maryland is an initiative of the Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland that is designed to support Maryland's 157 municipalities as they look for cost-effective and strategic ways to protect their natural assets and revitalize their communities. Using best practices in resource areas like water, energy, planning, health, food, and economy, a municipality can earn points toward sustainability certification. Sustainable Maryland offers a customizable menu of concrete actions, allowing communities to select initiatives that best fit their specific needs. This free and voluntary program, with the support of the Maryland Municipal League and the US Environmental Protection Agency helps communities choose a direction for their greening efforts; complete their chosen actions with help from program tools, trainings, expert guidance, and other resources; and be recognized statewide for their accomplishments. For more information about Sustainable Maryland: www.sustainablemaryland.com
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