[RP TownTalk] $2.05 Million in Grants Awarded for Stormwater Management and Citizen Engagement Projects

[Jessica Barnes]

For Immediate Release:
March 6, 2017

For more information, contact:
Jennifer Kley
Chesapeake Bay Trust
(410) 974-2941 ext. 113<tel:(410)%20974-2941;113>
jkley at cbtrust.org<mailto:jkley at cbtrust.org>
Lauren A. Kinard
Department of the Environment
(301) 883-5957<tel:(301)%20883-5957>
lakinard at co.pg.md.us<mailto:lakinard at co.pg.md.us>

$2.05 Million in Grants Awarded for Stormwater Management and Citizen Engagement Projects
Largo, Maryland - The Prince George's County Department of the Environment and the Chesapeake Bay Trust announce the recipients of 23 grants for environment-friendly stormwater management and citizen engagement projects. Prince George's County neighborhood groups, faith-based organizations, non-profit organizations, and schools received support for projects that ranged from $11,791 to $500,000.
"The Trust is proud to be a partner with Prince George's County to distribute resources that engage residents and make a difference for our communities and the environment," said Dr. Jana Davis, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Trust. "We know that greener neighborhoods, cleaner streams, and better natural resources all around are good for us, our businesses, our kids, and our health. These grants offer everyone in Prince George's the chance to take action and do something to improve their own communities."
"The Department of the Environment congratulates the recipients of these stormwater management and citizen engagement grants. We're proud of the environmental stewardship displayed by these organizations, communities and educational institutions in Prince George's County, and their commitment to responsible programs that reinforce best environmental practices, educate and engage residents, and reduce pollution and litter.
Grants totaling $2.05 million were awarded, supporting on-the ground restoration projects that treat and control stormwater, support municipalities in the County to meet pollution and education goals for cleaner water, support and use County-based businesses, and provide citizen awareness and engagement to protect the County's natural resources. These projects include diverse communities and residents and strongly support County goals for environmental education. Established in 2014, the Prince George's County Stormwater Stewardship Grant Program focuses on water quality programs that achieve nutrient and/or sediment reduction from stormwater, citizen engagement projects that aim to involve residents and businesses in efforts to improve local watersheds, removing trash from streams, reducing pet waste, planting trees, engaging youth, and supporting faith-based organizations throughout the County.
Honorees of the Stormwater Stewardship Grant Program include:
Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake; $51,010: To develop and implement faith-based "train the trainer" sessions for ten congregations and provide technical assistance for twenty congregations to implement the Alternative Compliance Program options two and three.
Neighborhood Design Center; $27,363: Provide technical assistance services for future applicants in year four (FY18) of the Prince George's Stormwater Stewardship grant program.
Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin; $60,189: To implement the Score Four Students, Schools, Streams and the Bay program that will engage 209 Northwestern High School (Hyattsville) students and 540 Accokeek Academy (Accokeek) students in watershed investigations and action projects.
Greenbelt Homes, Inc.; $101,935: To implement stormwater management practices in the neighborhood and engage the City of Greenbelt residents in watershed restoration.
Anacostia Riverkeeper; $200,000: To implement the first "trash trap" in Prince George's County. This device will collect and remove trash from the stream, educate the community about the trash trap and its installation in the Arundel Canal, and provide one year of maintenance.
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Inc.; $33,322: To lay the groundwork for a future Prince George's County RiverWise program.
REAL School Gardens; $ 100,000: To train and support students and teachers at three elementary schools in Prince George's County to use outdoor classrooms, engage students, and provide meaningful watershed educational experiences (MWEEs).
Town of Cheverly; $121,833: To design, engineer, and construct four micro-bioretention practices and plant trees at Boyd Park in the Town of Cheverly, Maryland.
End Time Harvest Ministries; $16,415: Provide citizen engagement using a rain garden planting event for the Wellness Ambassadors, students, and citizens that will learn how local actions can improve the community health and clean local streams.
Maryland League of Conservation Voters Education Fund; $11,791: To provide citizen engagement, outreach to the Latino community, and to implement the Latino River Festival.
Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission; $250,000: To implement stormwater management practices, plant trees, remove invasive species, and engage citizens at up to seven parks and community centers in the Anacostia watershed.
Clean Water Fund; $42,402: To provide a social marketing campaign for homeowner stormwater management and Rain Check Rebate outreach in the Town of Capitol Heights, Maryland.
People for Change Coalition; $44,151: To provide outreach that will increase the homeowner association engagement in the Rain Check Rebate program.
The Low Impact Development Center, Inc.; $60,000: To develop a master plan in the Port Towns area that outlines the stormwater solutions in a concept plan that will be used to implement the projects.
DuVal High School; $26,207: To implement a high visibility rain garden at DuVal High School in Lanham, Maryland.
University of Maryland College Park; $135,000: To develop a Prince George's County Pet Waste Education Campaign that will provide outreach, citizen engagement, pet waste station installations, and develop an assessment management tool.
People for Change Coalition; $68,432: To implement a pet waste campaign that includes education and outreach for the citizens, pet waste station installations, and maintenance and monitoring.
Anacostia Watershed Society; $500,000: To launch the Prince George's County Conservation Green Earth program-an innovative pilot program, which combines stormwater management projects with meaningful watershed educational experiences (MWEEs), teacher professional development, integration of environmental material into curriculum, provides training for teachers and maintenance staff, and implements small practices on school grounds.
Maryland League of Conservation Voters Education Fund; $29,497: To provide citizen engagement for the Latino community and Latino-serving organizations in the Anacostia watershed through workshops, demonstration projects, and an outdoor activity.
CENTRO DE APOYO FAMILIAR; $30,333: To provide citizen engagement to the Latino community and faith-based community organizations through workshops and training seminars. This project will support the Alternative Compliance Program options two and three.
People for Change Coalition; $41,130: Provide technical assistance for four faith-based organizations. This project will support the Alternative Compliance Program options two and three.
Central Kenilworth Avenue Revitalization Community Development Corporation, Inc.; $50,000: To develop a pilot tree planting program for residential properties and neighborhoods.
Prince George's Green; $50,000: To increase tree canopy in the County through partnerships with municipalities, citizens, and businesses, and test innovative outreach efforts to enhance tree plantings on private residential properties.


Jessica
Jessica E. Barnes
Town Clerk
Riverdale Park
5008 Queensbury Road
Riverdale Park, MD 20737
www.riverdaleparkmd.info<http://www.riverdaleparkmd.info/>
301-927-6381

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