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EVENTS &TRAININGS
FAMILY ENVIRONMENTAL MOVIE NIGHT
"Mission Blue"
Saturday, April 4th
Hood College
Whitaker Commons
7:00 p.m.
NEIGHBORHOOD GREEN WALKING TOUR
APRIL 11, 2015
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Villages of Urbana
Natelli Community Center
RSVP by April 5th to
301-600-7414
COMMON MARKET
EARTH DAY YOUTH
ART SHOW
Saturday, April 11th
12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Info: 301-663-3416
BELL & HISTORY DAY
BIKE RIDE
Saturday, April 11th
Frederick Visitors Center
Info: 301-600-2843
Winchester Hall
3rd Floor Hearing Room
Wednesday, April 15
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
COMMON MARKET
WATERSHED TRASH
PICK UP
Saturday, April 18th
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
To Sign-Up Call:
301-663-3416
FREDERICK NEIGHBORHOOD CREEK CLEANUP
AT ROCK CREEK
Saturday, April 18th
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Contact Jenny Willoughby
WATER WATCHERS
TRASH CLEAN UP DAY
10:00 a.m. - 12 noon and
12 Noon - 2:00 p.m.
FriendsofFrederickCounty.org
CATOCTIN CREEK PARK
TREE PLANTING
April 18th and 25th
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Contact Daniel Saltzberg
301-600-2325
CATOCTIN CREEK PARK NATURE FEST
Saturday, April 25th
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
at House in the Woods Organic Farm
To Sign-Up Call:
NOTABLE TREES
OF FREDERICK
WALKING TOUR
10:00 a.m.
Meet at Brewers Alley
For Info Contact
FREDERICK COUNTY SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING
Winchester Hall
3rd Floor Hearing Room
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RESOURCES for
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
IMPROVEMENTS
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Looking for a Green Builder, Contractor or
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provides a searchable database of a wide variety of contractors and professionals in fields such as solar energy, landscaping, architecture, home performance and more.
Leafkey.com also verifies credentials! |
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BUSINESS RESOURCES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS & RENEWABLE ENERGY
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OSER STAFF
Manager
Project Manager IV
Green Homes Program Coordinator
Community Restoration Coordinator
Project Manager III
Sustainability Program Coordinator
Chesapeake Conservation Corps Volunteer
Matthew Witmer
Intern |
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Photo Credit: Alexa Franklin |
Like many of you, I have a personal commitment to helping the community embrace a more sustainable future. I often ask myself how I can be more effective. I was really happy to chat with Ned Tillman the other day about his new book, Saving the Places We Love: Paths to Environmental Stewardship. In the book, he makes a case for connecting with nature and engaging in practices that reduce our impact on the land. His message is that we must work together to solve the problems of today and prevent tomorrow's atrocities. He is also the author of The Chesapeake Watershed: A Sense of Place and a Call to Action. He presented on the new book at the Rotary Clubs of Frederick and Carroll Creek on March 25th. The book can be found at Amazon.com.
Ned Tillman is chair of the Howard County Sustainability Board; members of the Sustainability Commission for Frederick County met with him and several other folks from Howard last year to learn more about how their Board operates with their County Executive. Ned is someone with a vision that is worth paying attention to.
Shannon Moore |
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Take a moment to check out the new articles posted on the
The Monocacy and Catoctin Watershed Alliance is coordinated by the Frederick County Office of Sustainability and Environmental Resources.
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WATERSHED MANAGEMENT UPDATE:
Upper and Lower Monocacy Watershed Assessments |
In addition to complying with Frederick County's NPDES MS4 permit, watershed planning is one element of OSER's strategy to help protect local water resources. At the watershed scale, OSER can identify specific pollutants and their sources, and create solutions. A well thought out and documented watershed plan not only provides a management plan to achieve water resources goals but allows for a greater number of resources to implement projects such as funding and staff time. For example, Section 319 funds through the Clean Water Act provides funding to states and local governments to mitigate nonpoint source pollution.
OSER recently commenced two Watershed Assessments for the Upper and Lower Monocacy watersheds. Upper and Lower Monocacy watersheds encompass approximately 60% of the almost 600,000 acres in Frederick County. These comprehensive watershed assessments will assess the general health of the watershed using quantitative data and visual inspections. Where the assessments indicate areas with potential water quality problems, further investigation will take place so that appropriate restoration techniques are proposed to improve water quality, wildlife habitat, natural resources, and flood control.
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Image: Coastal-Watershed.org |
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GREEN HOMES CHALLENGE UPDATE:
2015 Green Homes Challenge Recognition Event |
Congratulations Certified Households!
Frederick County officials and OSER staff recognized Certified Households at the 4th annual Green Homes Challenge Recognition event on Wednesday, February 25, 2015 at the Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center. 400 Frederick County households have certified in the Power Saver, Green Leader and/or Renewable Star Challenges! Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner, County Council Members Jessica Fitzwater, Tony Chmelik and Jerry Donald and Myersville Mayor Wayne S. Creadick were in attendance and spoke in support of the Challenge. Melissa Joseph, representing Congressman Chris Van Hollen's office was also in attendance.
Music for the evening was provided by "An Old-Time String Band" and 23 prizes from event sponsors were awarded to Challenge participants. Some of the prizes included an Aeroseal Duct Sealing valued at $1,950 from Atlas Energy Solutions, a $2,500 Home Improvement Project Certificate from Glory Energy, $500 and $1,000 discounts on grid-tie with battery back-up solar electric systems donated by Mountain View Solar, as well as gift cards from local businesses like Common Market, Stadler Nurseries and more! Thank you to all of our sponsors!
Updates on OSER initiatives were also highlighted including the Refrigerator Exchange Program, the Power Saver Retrofit grant and the Neighborhood Green program.
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NEIGHBORHOOD GREEN UPDATE:
Potomac Direct Watershed Expansion |
The Expanded Neighborhood Green program pays for personalized site audits and project plans for homeowners in the Peter Pan Run Watershed (Villages of Urbana) and the Brook Trout Watersheds of northwestern Frederick County who are interested in controlling stormwater runoff on their properties.
We are happy to announce that OSER recently received a grant to expand the program to homeowners in the Potomac Direct Watershed (Point of Rocks) area. The grants for all of the target areas also pay a cost share on the installation of landscape practices identified in the plan to control stormwater such as rain gardens, rain barrels, conservation landscaping, and native species of seedlings and larger trees.
All Frederick County landowners (even those residing outside of the priority project areas) who are interested in these types of projects are encouraged to submit an Interest Form via the Neighborhood Green webpage.
Why Participate? Polluted stormwater affects the water that we use for drinking, swimming and fishing, and contributes to stream erosion. Implementing these actions may attract birds and pollinators while beautifying your property and they will have a beneficial and lasting impact on our stream and watershed health.
UPCOMING NEIGHBORHOOD GREEN EVENTS:
OSER will be hosting a Neighborhood Green Walking Tour for homeowners in the Villages of Urbana on Saturday, April 11, 2015 from 1:00 - 3:00 at the Villages of Urbana Natelli Community Center. The tour will showcase some of the projects that have been completed to date.
To find out more information on the Neighborhood Green Program, contact Suzanne Cliber at 301-600-7414 or Jeff Feaga at 301-600-1350.
The Expanded Neighborhood Green Program is made possible by grants from The Environmental Protection Agency and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
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OSER UPDATES: Staff Updates and OSER at the Frederick County Home Show |
OSER bids a fond farewell to intern Jonathan Kachursky, who was instrumental in our refrigerator exchange program and Green Homes Challenge. He is working towards finishing his degree at Hood College and we wish him the very best. We welcome intern Matthew Witmer, a Hood junior, who is studying environmental biology. Matthew is helping us to catalogue restoration projects and will be helping with the next round of PowerSaver Retrofits.
OSER was at this year's Home Show at the fairgrounds! Thanks to the Frederick County Building Industry Association for sponsoring our Green Homes Challenge booth. We spoke to hundreds of citizens interested in sustainability in their homes. More than 160 exhibitors shared their products and services with the public this year, and it was exciting to see so many of the vendors focus on sustainability. The picture you see is taken at the Glory Energy booth with a thermal infrared camera that is used to pinpoint heat exchanges in the home when doing an energy audit. It shows where your air leaks and heat transfers are so that you can fix them. The elderly lady in this picture got a kick out of seeing herself this way. The gauge on the right shows that the white areas are the hottest and blue are the coldest. Her green shades are pretty cool.
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A thermal infared picture taken at the Glory Energy booth. |
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NEW INITIATIVES: Power Saver Retrofits Returns in 2015! | |
Due to the success of OSER's 2014 Power Saver Retrofit (PSR) program, OSER successfully applied for Maryland Energy Administration EmPower Maryland grant funding to repeat this program in 2015 with a significant grant of more than $727,000. If you have been putting off making home energy improvements due to cost, it will soon be time to get those projects done and start saving on your energy bills! The PSR program will be implemented over the summer of 2015 and will serve 100 or more moderate- or low-income households. The grant funds that support this program come from Maryland's Strategic Energy Investment Fund which is funded by Regional Greenhouse Gas Auctions (RGGI). No tax dollars are used for this program.
Eligible owner-occupied households will receive a Home Performance with Energy Star audit and will be able to implement up to $8,000 worth of energy efficiency improvements including heating and cooling system (HVAC) tune-ups or replacements, appliance and hot water heater upgrades, attic and basement air sealing and insulation, duct testing and sealing, window and door caulking and weatherstripping, light bulb upgrades, and more! And the best news? There is no homeowner cost-share!
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Matt McDaniel, of Alban Inspections, poses with PSR participant Linda Duckett, after installing a new heat-pump water heater. |
To participate, households must have a total household income that is less than 85% of the median income for Frederick County. For example, $63,650 is the upper limit for a household of one; $72,750 for a household of two; $90,950 for a household of four, and $105,550 for a household of six. Households cannot have been recipients of other state or utility low-income weatherization services within the last year, and households that have participated in both of the previous PSR programs will not be eligible for the 2015 PSR program.
Stay tuned for updates about the program launch. If you are interested in being informed about the program launch and the availability of applications, please email your name, address, email address, and phone number to Lisa Orr.
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MUNICIPAL SPOTLIGHT: Emmitsburg and the City of Frederick |
Town of Emmitsburg
When it comes to municipalities going green, the Town of Emmitsburg has set the pace and raised the bar! Thanks to the leadership of Mayor Don Briggs and the hard work of staff members like Town Planner Sue Cipperly and Zoning Tech Jerry Muir, Emmitsburg has surfed to the leading edge of the sustainable communities wave. Here are some of the ways that Emmitsburg is making a name for itself:
- Solar Energy: Over 90% of the Town of Emmitsburg's municpal electrical use comes from its Phase I solar array which went on line in April 2014 and produces. 1.1 megawatts of electricity per year. The Array serves nineteen of the Town's largest accounts as well as the Vigilant Hose Company. A Phase II 1.0 megawatt array is scheduled to begin construction this spring; it is designed solely to provide power to the Town's new, state of the art Waste Water Treatment Plant. Both the Plant and Array are scheduled to be complete and functioning by July of this year.
- LED Lighting: In 2014, Emmitsburg installed LED street light bulbs on all the public poles. Over a one-year monitoring period of one year, these bulbs used 60% fewer kilowatt hours than the replaced bulbs and cut the Town's overall electrical use by roughly 9%. Funding was provided through a Smart Energy Communities Grant from the Maryland Energy Administration.
- Connectivity and Walkability: Emmitsburg is working with Frederick County and Mount Saint Mary's University to study the potential for creating a sidewalk/bike trail connection between the campus and Emmitsburg to provide a safe route and increase recreational opportunities in the area. The Town has also been working on improving multiple side walk connections and improvements; once complete, these projects will provide full pedestrian connectivity throughout the Town and all its subdivisions. Read more...
City of Frederick
Jenny Willoughby, Sustainability Manager for the City of Frederick, presented the City's draft Sustainability Master Plan to the Frederick County Sustainability Commission on March 18th. The purpose of the plan is to serve as a blueprint for the City and the community to maximize social, economic and environmental benefits in the context of 8 key sustainability sectors. These sectors include Transportation Options, Energy Solutions, Waste & Recycling, Impervious Surfaces & Built Environment, Urban Canopy & Green Spaces, Food & Nutrition, Water Quality & Water Supply, and Air Quality.
Jenny talked about a few of the projects that the City and its partners are undertaking in support of Sustainability, including constructing shared use paths for commuters and recreators; implementing electric vehicle charging stations; bringing a mobile farmers market to the City to underserved populations; conducting a watershed plan for Rock, Carroll and Tuscarora Creeks; implementing a solar photovoltaic power purchase agreement (PPA); piloting commercial composting with a digester at the city's wastewater treatment plant, and upgrading City lighting. The image is of a plan that University of Maryland Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS) students presented of a shared use path near Nicodemus Farm along Carroll Creek. It would connect to a proposed Monocacy Boulevard path.
The Sustainability Master Plan was heard in a Mayor and Board of Aldermen workshop on April 1. The University of Maryland PALS program will be working with the city to analyze metrics and propose goals related to the Plan. Jenny said that the main comment she has heard to date is that people want greater recycling frequency. She said that that is difficult to justify right now because a large percentage of citizens are not putting their recycling out on a regular basis. Citizens have also told her that they want more bus stops and better walkability and improved crosswalks in town.
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GREEN BUSINESSES:
Environmentally Friendly Lawn Care Providers |
 Lawn care... a few more warm days and our grass will be growing and demanding our attention. In the Chesapeake Bay watershed, turf grass now covers more than 3.8 million acres, or 9.5% of the watershed's total land area.
Is there a problem with that? Yes! Nitrogen fertilization, pesticide application, water use, runoff from compacted soils, fuel use, equipment emissions, biomass production (grass clippings), maintenance costs and labor - phew! - they're all factors that affect not only our local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay, but also our national energy supply, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and our households' safety, budget and free time.
One way to have a "greener" lawn that helps protect water quality and is safer for children and pets (and frees up your weekend time) is to use a professional lawn care service that specializes in environmentally friendly processes and products. Here's some information from the websites of a few such lawn care providers that serve Frederick County*. Learn more about their services and their different approaches by giving these companies a call or visiting their websites.
EcoLawn Systems (EcoLawnSystem.com; 301.631.5296) is committed to an environmentally-friendly approach to lawn care. After years of experience and research, EcoLawn has come to the conclusion that there are no 100% organic solutions that will provide adequate results. They use a "Hybrid" approach - a mix of organic and slow release professional grade traditional fertilizers that help bring soil back to its natural state, balancing the pH and nutrients, while promoting a stronger root system and a denser, healthier top growth. A healthier lawn prevents weeds from emerging and makes it more drought resistant.
NaturaLawn of America (NaturaLawn.com/frederick-md; 301.473.4000) takes pride in its customized services for each individual lawn and its exclusive, natural and organic-based fertilizers. NaturaLawn developed an Integrated Pest Management system which they claim reduces weed and insect control usage on lawns by over 85% by preserving the natural enemies of turf pests, introducing newly developed turf varieties with natural pest resistance, and providing consumer education on proper practices for mowing and watering. NauraLawn's web site also includes tips on many lawn care topics. For example, wouldn't you like to know "How to Naturally Repel Mosquitoes," "The Top 10 Edible Weeds," or "What is Snow Mold?"
NexGreen (NexGreen.com; 301.712.9999) combines minerals and organic nutritional products to promote strong plant health by naturally increasing resistance to disease and insect damage through significant root and cell development. No phosphates, and fewer nitrates and other chemicals, are released into the environment. They also offer targeted weed control, aeration, and pest control.
Royal Greens (RoyalGreens.com; 240.575.1444 ) focuses on using natural products to provide personalized lawn care that benefits the environment as well. They utilize organic fertilizers and bio-stimulants to feed both grass and soil and they use specific control products only when absolutely necessary. Royal Greens claims that a healthy, properly fertilize and maintained lawn will trap and filter over 125 times the allergens and pollutants, helping to keep waterways, air, and soil clean and save.
*Information on lawn care companies has been gathered from company websites and marketing materials and does not represent endorsement by Frederick County Government.
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The Frederick County Office of Sustainability and Environmental Resources advances practical solutions for protecting the environment, conserving energy, and living sustainably in Frederick County.
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