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
Region 3 WaterTA Program
The Region 3 WaterTA program offers direct support to municipalities, tribes, and water utilities in US EPA Region 3 to help them access federal and state funding to address water infrastructure needs.
Maryland Local Government Climate Action Support Program
EFC is coordinating with the Maryland Department of Environment to help build the local capacity of Maryland communities to plan, fund, and implement climate projects and community-based climate-related outreach campaigns.
Mid-Atlantic Sustainable Breweries
The 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.
Rainwater Harvesting for Urban Farms
EFC is coordinating with UMD's School of Public Health, Extension, and USDA Agricultural Research Services to help urban farmers harvest and filter rainwater to nourish their crops and create more sustainable farms and resilient communities.
EFC Projects and Publications
See EFC’s work in action by browsing our current and archived (completed) projects below.
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2022Economic Benefits of Parks and Open Space in New York City
Valuation of an area’s natural resources helps build knowledge and awareness of the importance of the services and benefits nature provides to humans. Parks and green space in urban areas, in particular, provide aesthetic, recreation, and health benefits which are vital to residents’ well-being. Despite these well-known advantages, cities still experience challenges with funding public parks. Benefit valuation is one way to communicate to decision-makers the importance of continued public funding in natural infrastructure.View Project Details for Economic Benefits of Parks and Open Space in New York City -
2022Residential Action Framework & Stormwater Outreach Campaign, Prince George's County, MD
With a grant from the Prince George’s County Stormwater Stewardship Grant Program, 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 personalized Sustainability Action Plans.View Project Details for Residential Action Framework & Stormwater Outreach Campaign, Prince George's County, MD -
2022Standardizing 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 -
2022Characterizing the Economic Impact Associated with Dairy Farm Best Management Practices
Since 2018, the Turkey Hill Clean Water Partnership has made waves in the agricultural industry; incentivizing farmers to get involved in conservation and elevating Turkey Hill’s supply chain. This groundbreaking partnership has a monumental impact on the Lancaster community, the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and beyond.View Project Details for Characterizing the Economic Impact Associated with Dairy Farm Best Management Practices -
2022Economic Impact: Turkey Hill Clean Water Partnership
Since 2018, the Turkey Hill Clean Water Partnership has made waves in the agricultural industry; incentivizing farmers to get involved in conservation and elevating Turkey Hill’s supply chain. This groundbreaking partnership has a monumental impact on the Lancaster community, the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and beyond.View Project Details for Economic Impact: Turkey Hill Clean Water Partnership -
2021 - 2024Staying Afloat: Assessing the long-term financial impacts of sea level rise adaptation solutions in a historic coastal community
In partnership with The Nature Conservancy and George Mason University, EFC worked to provide rural communities with the tools and data necessary to make financially and socially responsible decisions for adapting to climate-induced flooding from sea level rise, storms, and precipitation. View Project Details for Staying Afloat: Assessing the long-term financial impacts of sea level rise adaptation solutions in a historic coastal community