Chesapeake Bay Trust Invests Over $1 Million in Green Infrastructure

As part of the Chesapeake Bay Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns Grant Program, the Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT) and its partners are awarding $1,058,720 to 13 projects across Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The awards were made possible through a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. Recipient projects will use awarded funds to:

  • develop and implement plans that reduce stormwater runoff;
  • increase the number of green spaces in urban areas;
  • improve the health of local rivers, streams, the Chesapeake Bay, and local communities;
  • create “green jobs;”
  • reduce energy use; and
  • enhance livability in cities and communities.

CBT’s President, Dr. Jana Davis, discussed the benefits of the green infrastructure program in a press release:

‘Green infrastructure projects are one of those rare win-win-win scenarios:  They improve communities in various ways, they improve human health, and they also benefit our waterways,’ said President Davis. ‘This program lets us take advantage of projects that communities want to do for themselves that just also happen to benefit the larger natural system way downstream.’

Maryland’s Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns Grant Program awardees include the following:

City Neighbors Foundation, Baltimore, Maryland – $148,883
A complete green renovation of the City Neighbors Charter parking lot, located in NE Baltimore City.  Installations include 1270 sq. ft. of micro-bioretention, 1679 sq. ft. of pervious paving, and a 105 sq. ft. rain garden, all of which will be open for exploration by students, their families, and the general public.

Druid Heights Community Development Corporation, Baltimore, Maryland – $29,998
An engineering design to reduce the amount of stormwater runoff going into the Jones Falls watershed and the Chesapeake Bay. The design will create a community-envisioned greening plan that will incorporate trees, bioswales, and other stormwater management facilities. The design will be created with the residents as part of their overall vision for the West Baltimore neighborhood.

Joe’s Movement Emporium/World Arts Focus, Mount Rainier, Maryland – $150,000
The implementation of stormwater management practices at Joe’s arts center, as part of “Story of Water and Art.” Stormwater management features – green roof, vertical rain gardens, and green roof demonstration unit – will resolve flooding issues around the urban property, and be integrated with native plants, educational signage, a mural, and outdoor program space.

ShoreRivers, Preston, Maryland – $24,122
A design of conservation improvements to the James T. Wright Memorial Park, adding bioswales to alleviate overly-saturated conditions, tree canopy to beautify and cool community gathering areas, and conservation meadows to enhance the beauty of the park and increase pollinator habitat.

The Community Ecology Institute, Columbia, Maryland – $108,650
The implementation of the engineered plans associated with Atholton high school, which will provide highly visible demonstrations of best management practices, achieve health benefits for the Middle Patuxent Watershed, address chronic neighborhood stormwater flooding, and provide an outdoor education space for the school community.

Town of Emmitsburg, Maryland – $121,400
The installation of a forebay and micropool with pilot channels and wetland area within the existing dry extended detention pond footprint to provide water quality controls for the 7.96-acres of impervious area while also providing water quantity controls for the 22.22-acre drainage area without increasing discharge flow rates.

Town of Galena, Maryland – $30,000
An engineered design plan that identifies potential solutions to address stormwater runoff that causes localized flooding in the area of Division Street and a parking area behind a local grocery store and delicatessen. Along with using green infrastructure practices such as bioretention, green infrastructure will be utilized to help improve the flow of traffic in and through the area as well to screen adjoining properties.

Town of Glen Echo, Maryland – $28,271
The design of two stormwater remediation projects, a rain garden at Town Hall and a swale in the right of way, that will address town flooding issues.

Town of Millington, Maryland – $9,995
A concept plan to treat stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces, environmental restoration, and pervious parking enhancements, while improving public access and opportunities via a kayak launch and shoreline improvements to the properties owned by the Town along the Chester River.

Read the full Chesapeake Bay Trust press release.