2010 - 2011

Marylanders drive 151 million miles a day and account for 30 percent of the emissions that contribute to the poor air quality in this region. Drivers can help reduce these harmful emissions by keeping their cars properly maintained. Even small measures, such as proper tire inflation and replacing air filters, can have a significant impact.

2021

EFC, in partnership with the towns of Chesapeake Beach and North Beach, facilitated a multi-phase project that enabled each town to develop and implement comprehensive flood and sea level rise action plans. The two towns are neighboring communities in Calvert County, situated directly on the Chesapeake Bay.

2023

Biochar is a carbon-rich (charcoal-like) material formed by “cooking” (thermochemical conversion) waste organic matter, (harvested/waste wood, green waste, manures, etc.) in an oxygen-free environment. It is an ancient technology termed Terra Preta (“Dark Earth”) in ancient Amazon Basin cultures and was principally used to enrich farmlands prior to the advent of modern fertilizers. In the last several decades, biochar has seen a resurgence worldwide due to its ability to address a multitude of environmental objectives.

2022

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.

2020 (July)

Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay ProgramThe Nanticoke Watershed Alliance received funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to complete a second phase of work in Cambridge, Maryland. The first project, funded by NFWF in 2016, determined the willingness of residential property owners to learn about and install stormwater best management practices (BMPs) on their properties. Phase I was a success with ten residential BMP installations now in place as a result of the effort.

2013 (July)

The final report summarizes a technical support project implemented by the Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland (EFC), in partnership with Main Street Economics, on behalf of the Calvert County, Maryland government. Through the support of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the EFC developed a strategy to improve the capacity of Calvert County to implement water quality restoration and protection projects and practices through the use of more flexible and sustainable financing processes.Attachments

2023 - 2025

EFC designed and delivered broad-reaching education and training opportunities to increase awareness and implementation of the Climate Solutions Now Act (CSNA) via deployment of federal funds to leverage clean energy projects and investments. The initiative included webinars, leadership trainings, and technical assistance focused on key climate topics such as building electrification, renewable energy, and electric vehicle transition.

2016 (February)

EFC worked with a team led by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and American Rivers to accelerate the implementation of green infrastructure in Pennsylvania’s Juniata watershed.  As a part of this effort, the EFC worked with more than a dozen MS4 communities in Blair County to develop a stormwater financing strategy that looks to improve efficiencies and reduce costs through a regional approach.PartnersAlliance for the Chesapeake Bay, American Rivers, Blair County Conservation District, and Blair County MS4 WorkgroupSponsors

2023 (April)

The purpose of this project was to develop a preliminary revenueshed analysis to frame potential avenues to fund or finance projects that address excess phosphorus in Broadford Lake, located in Garrett County, Maryland. Revenuesheds, conceptualized by the University of North Carolina Environmental Finance Center (UNC EFC), seek to identify the full range of stakeholders that benefit from a healthy watershed. This approach expands the potential opportunities to implement projects that improve water quality.

2015 (July)

The EFC worked collaboratively with Berkeley County, West Virginia, to conduct a stormwater financing feasibility study. Berkeley County lies in the Potomac River watershed and, at the time of this study, was the only county in West Virginia to hold a stormwater MS4 permit. Under the County’s MS4 permit, the Berkeley County Public Service Sewer District (PSSD) is required to develop a stormwater management program to reduce stormwater from discharging in receiving waters.