Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 16, 2019
Contact: Mike Hunninghake, Program Manager, Sustainable Maryland, 301-405-7956, [email protected]
City of Salisbury Receives Prestigious Sustainable Maryland Certified Award from UMD at Maryland Municipal League Conference
College Park, MD (October 16, 2019) – The Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland announced that the City of Salisbury was one of 17 Maryland municipalities honored at the Sustainable Maryland Awards Ceremony at the Maryland Municipal League’s annual Fall Conference on Tuesday in Cambridge, Maryland.
“Becoming a Sustainable Maryland Certified community has meant that Salisbury now has a Green Team, our first full time Sustainability Coordinator, our own sustainable business certification program, and a robust stormwater management utility – all of which we might otherwise not have,” said Mayor Jacob Day. “Critically, it means that we have an objective ruler by which to measure the impact of our efforts to improve the river we swim in, the air our children breathe, the soil we grow our food in and the buildings our citizens study, shop, live and work in. Salisbury is prouder than ever to be a Sustainable Maryland Certified community.”
Some highlights of Salisbury’s accomplishments include:
- The City partnered with Maryland Environmental Trust and Lower Shore Land Trust in 2018 to permanently preserve over eighty acres of forested land in the City under a conservation easement. The area, called the Naylor Mill Park, is directly above the source of Salisbury’s drinking water. The park is open to the public for passive recreation such as hiking and biking, and is permanently protected from development.
- A new Solar Coop, Nexamp, provides Salisbury residents the option to subscribe to a community solar farm and lower their Delmarva Power electricity costs. Nexamp’s community solar farm is located on Kent Island and will add 2MW of clean energy to the Delmarva Power grid. By enrolling, residents earn credits on their Delmarva Power bills for the energy produced by their solar farm share.
According to Mike Hunninghake, Program Manager for Sustainable Maryland, “This year’s seventeen Sustainable Maryland Certified communities, a record number since the program’s inception in 2011, represent a broad and deep commitment to addressing the environmental challenges of our time. We are pleased to recognize the Green Teams, elected officials, and municipal staff that are working hard every day ensure a sustainable future for their communities, our state, and our planet.”
The attached photo shows (from left) Deputy City Administrator Andy Kitzrow; Council President Jack Heath; and Council Vice President Muir Boda with the Sustainable Maryland Certified award at the Maryland Municipal League conference.
Also attached is Salisbury’s Sustainable Maryland Certified logo.
For detailed information about Salisbury’s sustainability initiatives, please contact Alyssa Massey, Sustainability Coordinator, (410) 548-3170, [email protected]
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Sustainable Maryland Certification: To achieve certification, municipalities are required to form a Green Team comprised of local residents, community leaders, municipal staff and officials; complete a variety sustainability-related Actions worth a total of at least 150 points (including two mandatory actions and two of six priority actions), and submit the appropriate documentation as evidence that the Sustainable Maryland Certified requirements have been satisfied. The Sustainable Maryland Action Menu can be seen here: http://sustainablemaryland.com/actions-certification/actions/
The complete list of 2019 newly certified (denoted by *) and re-certified communities includes:
City of Annapolis (Anne Arundel County – certified in 2013 and 2016)
Town of Bladensburg (Prince George’s County – first certified in 2013 and re-certified in 2016)
City of Bowie (Prince George’s County – certified in 2013 and re-certified in 2016)
Town of Brentwood *
Town of Capitol Heights *
City of College Park (Prince George’s County – first certified in 2013 and re-certified in 2016)
Town of Colmar Manor (Prince George’s County – first certified in 2016)
Town of Edmonston (Prince George’s County – first certified in 2013 and re-certified in 2016)
City of Frederick (Frederick County – first certified in 2013 and re-certified in 2016)
City of Gaithersburg (Montgomery County – first certified in 2013 and re-certified in 2016)
City of Havre de Grace (Harford County – first certified in 2016)
City of Hyattsville (Prince George’s County – first certified in 2013 and re-certified in 2016)
Town of Middletown (Frederick County – first certified in 2016)
City of New Carrollton *
Town of Ocean City (Worcester County – first certified in 2016)
City of Salisbury (Wicomico County – first certified in 2013 and re-certified in 2016)
Town of Thurmont (Frederick County – first certified in 2016)
Our 2019 Sustainability Champion: This year’s Sustainability Champion is the City of Hyattsville which amassed an impressive 535 points on their application, more than any other community in 2019.
Sustainable Maryland Certified Municipalities as of 2019 (8th full year of the program):
- Total Municipalities Sustainable Maryland Certified: 38 (24% of Maryland’s municipalities)
- Total Municipalities Sustainable Maryland Registered: 76 (48% of Maryland’s municipalities)
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About Sustainable Maryland: Sustainable Maryland is an initiative of the Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland that is designed to support Maryland’s 157 municipalities as they look for cost-effective and strategic ways to protect their natural assets and revitalize their communities. Using best practices in resource areas like water, energy, planning, health, food, and economy, a municipality can earn points toward sustainability certification. Sustainable Maryland offers a customizable menu of concrete actions, allowing communities to select initiatives that best fit their specific needs. This free and voluntary program, with the support of the Maryland Municipal League and the US Environmental Protection Agency helps communities choose a direction for their greening efforts; complete their chosen actions with help from program tools, trainings, expert guidance, and other resources; and be recognized statewide for their accomplishments. For more information about Sustainable Maryland: www.sustainablemaryland.com
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