For more than three decades, the Environmental Finance Center has helped hundreds of local, state, and federal partners throughout the Mid-Atlantic region advance policies, programs, and financing strategies that achieve outcomes for people, places, and the environment. See EFC’s featured work below.
EFC's Featured Work
2024 Annual Report
The Environmental Finance Center worked with communities big and small, rural and urban, red and blue throughout the Mid-Atlantic to advance locally identified environmental priorities.
Mid-Atlantic Sustainable Breweries
UMD EFC’s Mid-Atlantic Sustainable Breweries Program offers free sustainability consultations to help craft brewers assess operations and implement practices related to energy, water, wastewater, air emissions, and cleaning and sanitizing – all while saving costs and improving brand recognition.
Designing a Resilience Action Plan for Maryland’s Coastal Communities
As Maryland’s coastal communities face increasing climate threats, including rising sea levels and severe storms, this initiative aims to strengthen the resilience of eight vulnerable coastal jurisdictions.
Building Climate Resilience in Prince George's County, MD
The Climate Wise Academy aims to strengthen climate resilience in Prince George’s County, Maryland. This program supports local climate preparedness through training and capacity building for Green Teams and community members. The project will enhance local climate resilience by developing a comprehensive climate-specific training curriculum and toolkit.
EFC Projects and Publications
See EFC’s work in action by browsing our current and archived (completed) projects below.
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Montgomery County Stormwater Outreach
With support from the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the Montgomery County Water Quality Protection Fund, the EFC is providing stormwater education and outreach to residents in Montgomery county, Maryland.View Project Details for Montgomery County Stormwater Outreach -
Reaching Latinos in the Greater Riverdale Area
The EFC supported the Central Kenilworth Avenue Revitalization Community Development Corporation (CKAR) in conducting targeted outreach to the Latino community in the Greater Riverdale Area. The goal of the project was to assess community needs and then develop tailored outreach focused on family and community health and wellbeing. As a project partner, EFC provided CKAR with technical expertise in strategy development, focus group and interview design, data analysis and synthesis, and development of messaging and communications delivery mechanisms. View Project Details for Reaching Latinos in the Greater Riverdale Area -
Residential Action Framework & Stormwater Outreach Campaign, Prince George's County, MD
With a grant from the Prince George’s County Stormwater Stewardship Grant Program, the University of Maryland (UMD) Environmental Finance Center (EFC) worked with four homeowner associations (Brinkley Station HOA, Vista Estates West HOA, Wyndham Woods HOA, & Residences at Victory Promenade HOA) and two civic associations (Oxon Hill CA and University Hills CA) to develop personView Project Details for Residential Action Framework & Stormwater Outreach Campaign, Prince George's County, MD -
Standardizing the Return on Investment in Urban and Community Forestry Resources
Photo Credit: Eric Reed A universally accepted accounting framework to holistically measure the benefits and costs of urban and community forest resources does not exist. EFC partnered with organizations versed in carbon trading, financing mechanisms, research, and urban forest management to develop a standardized, replicable, and transparent accounting system that can assess return on urban tree canopy investments for private, nonprofit, and public investors. View Project Details for Standardizing the Return on Investment in Urban and Community Forestry Resources -
State Financing Strategies for Chesapeake Bay Restoration
States in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are implementing strategies to restore the health of the Bay and the region’s creeks, streams, and rivers. These activities are being implemented in accordance with the US EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load, which identifies necessary pollution reductions from major sources of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment to meet water quality standards in the bay. Through the “Financing Strategies” project, EFC seeks to support bay states in their pollutionView Project Details for State Financing Strategies for Chesapeake Bay Restoration -
Town of Emmitsburg Stormwater Utility Feasibility Study
The Town of Emmitsburg is currently mid-way through its first MS4 Permit cycle (10/31/18 - 10/30/23). To date, most of the Town’s effort has been focused on meeting the MCM requirements, leaving the more costly impervious restoration requirements for the later portion of the permit cycle. Additionally, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has informed the Town that there are certain activities that will need to be increased (such as the frequency of street sweeping) for the next permit cycle.View Project Details for Town of Emmitsburg Stormwater Utility Feasibility Study