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FREE TRAINING!
International Green Construction Code Fundamentals
Monday, June 20
8a.m. - Noon
Public Training Facility | |
Local government employees, elected and appointed public officials, and members of the development community are encouraged to join instructor John Gibson of the International Code Council to learn about this new voluntary compliance alternative. Free copies of the IGCC 2.0 provided to the first 25 registrants!
Click here for details, location and directions. | |
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Free App Makes Changing Light Bulbs a Breeze! |  |
LIGHT BULB FINDERis a free mobile phone application that makes it easy to switch from conventional light bulbs to energy-saving equivalents with the right fit, style and light quality. Carry your phone from room to room to inventory your light bulb needs. View bulb images, cost, savings, and environmental impact. Create shopping lists, and buy bulbs directly through the app or at local stores. Check it out! Watch this video to see how it works!
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RESOURCES for
ENERGY FFICIENCY
IMPROVEMENTS at HOME | |
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State Farm associates and Frederick County residents pledge to be Power Savers at a Green Homes Challenge Powerware Party. Read about our exciting new grant that supports and expands the Green Homes Challenge!
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Greetings!
We have more news and changes at OSER! Hilari Varnadore, who led the Sustainability Office since its inception in 2008, has accepted a position with ICLEI to coordinate a national sustainability initiative for communities known as the STAR Community Index. Her contributions to the development of the Office of Sustainability were invaluable and she will be deeply missed; however, we wish her all the best with this new national opportunity! I have taken the helm as Acting Manager and am busy working with staff and partners to develop some great upcoming programs.
Monday, June 20 from 8-noon, we are sponsoring a free training on International Green Construction Code (IGCC) Fundamentals with Instructor John Gibson of the International Code Council. In May 2011, Maryland adopted the IGCC as an optional building code for new construction. The IGCC applies to commercial buildings as well as residential properties more than three stories high. There's a 40 person limit to the class and the first 25 to register will receive a complimentary hard copy of the IGCC 2.0. To register for the class, contact Kelli Goetz by email at [email protected] or phone 301.600.6863.
Don't miss us at the Go Green Energy Conference on Monday, June 13th! This free event sponsored by Congressman Roscoe Bartlett is designed for homeowners, farmers and small business owners to discover practical ways to save money, use less energy and go green on any size budget. The event runs from 11am to 5pm at the Frederick Fairgrounds. Parking is free!
I could not be more excited to coordinate this Office and am looking forward to the summer initiatives and programs we have planned. We hope to see you at one of our upcoming events!
Regards,
Shannon Moore |
 GREEN HOMES CHALLENGE: $500,000 EPA Grant Awarded! | |
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) selected Frederick County's Green Homes Challenge for the second funding cycle the Climate Showcase Communities program. One of only 22 programs selected from an applicant pool of nearly 300, Frederick County received the maximum grant award, $500,000 over three years.
The overall goal of the Climate Showcase Communities program is to create replicable models of cost-effective and persistent greenhouse gas reductions that will catalyze broader local and tribal government actions to stabilize the climate and improve environmental, economic, health, and social conditions. In addition to funding, EPA offers peer exchange, training, and technical support to grant recipients.
The grant will support continued implementation of the Power Saver Challenge, and development and implementation of the subsequent Green Leader and Renewable Star Challenges. The grant extends funding for the Challenge through February 2014 and increases the capacity and impact of the Challenges in several ways. A new full-time Green Homes Coordinator, Sabrina Harder, will join the OSER staff in July 2011.. The Renewable Star Challenge will include a cooperative purchasing component for solar PV as well as grants to assist residents with the installation of solar thermal and solar PV systems. Mini-grants of up to $500 will also be available to Green Ambassadors to implement special initiatives in their communities.
With this additional support and capacity, the Green Homes Challenge aims to engage 2,000 households in activities that will reduce annual green house gas emissions by 2,268 metric tons of CO2 equivalents.
 
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| Monocacy and Catoctin Watershed Alliance | |
 Did you know? The Office of Sustainability and Environmental Resources coordinates the Monocacy and Catoctin Watershed Alliance, a non-advocacy group dedicated to protection and restoration of water quality and habitat in Frederick County.
The Alliance helps to encourage and facilitate projects where several partners contribute expertise and resources; these projects result in community restoration, demonstration projects, and education and outreach events. Alliance efforts also help the County to comply with regulatory requirements of the Clean Water Act. Partners bring about $1.2 million dollars of new money into Frederick County every year through the coordinated efforts!
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Catoctin Nature Center green roof. Photo courtesy of Carole Larsen. |
At our last meeting, we toured the green roof at the Catoctin Nature Center. Our next meeting will be June 7 from 1-2:30 at the C. Burr Artz Library in the Community Room. Jessica Hunicke from our office will be talking about two wetland projects that are funded by the Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information about the Alliance and its many cool projects, visit www.watershed-alliance.com. Heather Montgomery coordinates the Alliance; for more information about how to get involved, or to receive the MCWA quarterly newsletter, contact her at 301.600.1741 or [email protected].
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WATERSHED MANAGEMENT: Bringing Back the Brookie | |
OSER is working with its partners to protect and restore brook trout habitat in Frederick County! People who love brook trout often call them brookies. Brookies are the only native trout in our region. They are treasured by fly fishermen and other conservationists, and they serve as a real indicator of the health of our waterways. Brookies have been on the decline for over a hundred years and they are in real danger of becoming locally extinct within the next several decades. A new initiative is giving local folks resources to protect and restore brookie populations and habitat in our area. This effort is called the Catoctin, Antietam, and Monocacy Brookie Initiative (CAMBI). CAMBI efforts are part of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) and the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture. Our partners are working hard to protect this special resource:
- Paul Kazyak from DNR looked at all of the road crossings that intersect with brook trout streams in Frederick County, and identified where there are fish passage barriers that can be corrected. Partners have begun work to remove these barriers. Frederick County's OSER and Highway Operations are partnering with the Potomac Conservancy (PC) to remove two barriers on Mt. Ephraim Road on Bennett Creek. One project replaced a damaged culvert that was perched above the stream and stabilized the road around it. Another project will replace a ford with a spanning arch culvert. Funding for this project is from the Chesapeake Bay Trust.
- OSER, Trout Unlimited, PC and Stream-Link are partnering on Little Tuscarora Creek to strengthen the population. Partners will be reaching out with house calls to landowners to enroll them in voluntary conservation programs. Partners will help Cloverhill Homeowners Association to remove a fish passage barrier and protect the stream from thermal impacts by restoring forest buffers. Funding is coming from CBT, TU, and other sources.
- PC, The US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the City of Frederick are partnering with OSER to remove an old dam structure on Clifford Branch of Tuscarora Creek that has filled up with sediment and is fragmenting brookie populations. USFWS will be working with the City to preserve its ability to use the area for water supply in the future. The project is funded by CBT and Fish America Foundation.
If you live on a stream that has brook trout and would like to learn more about how to strengthen this resource, please give Shannon Moore a call at 301.600.1413!
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THE CARBON CORNER:
Frederick County Updates Green House Gas Emissions Inventory |
 The Office of Sustainability & Environmental Resources has recently updated the County's baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory after receiving new energy consumption data for 2007 that replaces proxy data. The update more accurately reports the emissions associated with energy consumption during the baseline by the various sectors within the County. In August of 2010, the Office of Sustainability & Environmental Resources released the County's first greenhouse gas emissions inventory. The baseline inventory was an accounting of emissions from activities that occurred during calendar year 2007. To the extent possible, emissions were calculated using actual 2007 data, with one major exception: electricity consumption. In the absence of 2007 data, proxy data from the year 2005 was substituted in emissions calculations. Because of significant changes in the make-up of the non-residential sectors in Frederick County from 2005 to 2007, emissions calculations would have been more than likely overstated, and it was so noted in the report. Early this year, our office received electricity consumption data for the year 2007 via a region-wide energy data request by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) to all Maryland utilities. The data request established a framework for annual reporting by utilities in the region. This annual reporting process established by MWCOG will streamline the data collection component of subsequent greenhouse gas emission inventories for Frederick County. The May 2011 Amendment to the Frederick County Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory for Baseline year 2007, as well as additional information on emissions can be found on our website. Back to Top |
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MYTHBUSTERS:
MYTH - LED light bulbs don't attract as many bugs as other light bulbs |  Light emitting diode, or LED, light bulbs are the little known, little used, other alternative to incandescent light bulbs. LEDs are often thought of around Christmas time as safe, low energy using, long lasting alternatives to conventional Christmas lights. But LEDs have another quality that makes them an excellent choice for outdoor lighting during the summer barbeque season. Why? Because people claim that LED lights do not attract insects to them like conventional light bulbs do. This myth is confirmed! The reason for this is twofold. First, the lack of insect activity around LED lights is due to a lack of heat. Many bug species are attracted to heat, especially on cool summer nights. Insects are attracted to incandescent bulbs because they waste a great deal of energy through heat production. LED lights use no filament and therefore produce little to no heat even when in use for long periods of time. The other reason is the light itself. Some insect species are attracted to UV (ultraviolet) light. LEDs produce very little light in this range of the spectrum meaning that many bugs simply can't see the light being produced. So while you may see a few insects around even after the change to LEDs the amount should be considerably less than using an incandescent bulb or even a CFL. LED lights may be more costly than other options so consider using them for your outdoor lights or hard to reach fixtures to take advantage of them as a long lasting light source. For more information check out: http://www.energycircle.com/blog/2009/06/16/newsflash-leds-dont-attract-bugs http://www.ledlights.org/FAQ/Do-LED-Lights-Attract-Bugs.html http://eco-led.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=40&Itemid=34
Have you heard a myth or urban legend related to sustainability and the environment that you would like resolved? Send it to [email protected] and we'll get to the bottom of it!
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| TOP PICKS: Online Tips & Resources for Sustainability | |
 For Homeowners:
Save 50% on Energy Efficiency Improvements
For a limited time, save up to 50% on home energy efficiency improvements! The MEA Home Performance Rebate program offers homeowners bigger rebates than ever for home energy efficiency improvements. By combining a 35% rebate (up to $3,100 total) from the Maryland Energy Administration with a 15% rebate from your utility, you can save a total of 50% on home energy improvements. Apply now. 
The Bay Game is the MD Dept. of Natural Resources activity book created especially for Maryland kids. The games, puzzles, coloring pages and activities inside are for playing and learning anytime, on the road, outside, or at home! The Bay Game inspires you to be an artist or an explorer, learn fun facts and get outside and play. Download the Bay Game activity book or use Bay Game online.
For Green Businesses and Job Seekers:
SustainableBusiness.com provides global news, resources, and business connection and promotional services to help green business grow. Job seekers interested in sustainability can search the Green Dream Job listings.
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The Frederick County Sustainability and Environmental Resources Office advances practical solutions for protecting the environment, conserving energy, and living sustainably in Frederick County.
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