Boonsboro is Sustainable Maryland Certified!!
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 12, 2020
Contact: Mike Hunninghake, Program Manager, Sustainable Maryland, 301-405-7956, mikeh75@umd.edu
Town of Boonsboro Receives Prestigious Sustainable Maryland Certified Award at Maryland Municipal League Conference
College Park, MD (October 12, 2020) – The Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland announced that the Town of Boonsborowas one of eleven Maryland municipalities honored at the Sustainable Maryland Awards Ceremony at the Maryland Municipal League’s virtual annual Fall Conference last Friday.
A detailed summary of Boonsboro’s sustainability Actions can be found in their Certification Report, attached as a PDF.
Highlights of Boonsboro’s recent accomplishments include:
- Hosted more than 200 vendors at its 10th annual Boonsboro Green Fest in 2019.
- Adopted a Backyard Chicken Ordinance, encouraging local food production amongst residents.
- Installed the Born Learning Trail at Shafer Park, with activities that families can do together, from fitness to musical challenges.
- Adopted the national Wildlife Federation’s Mayor’s Monarch Butterfly Pledge and installed a Monarch Waystation at Shafer Park.
"The Town of Boonsboro is very honored and proud to be recertified as a Sustainable Maryland Certified Community for the third time!” said Boonsboro Mayor Howard Long. “It has taken a lot of effort on behalf of many people working for the town, both volunteers and paid employees. We hope to work even harder these next three years and attain Silver status!"
According to Mike Hunninghake, Program Manager for Sustainable Maryland, “This year’s eleven Sustainable Maryland Certified communities represent a broad cross-section of the state, from small towns to large cities, from rural agricultural areas to densely populated urban communities. Each one has demonstrated a firm and on-going commitment to meeting the urgent sustainability challenges we face here in Maryland, and as part of a planetary community in crisis.”
Also attached is Boonsboro’s Sustainable Maryland Certified logo.
Video of the Sustainable Maryland Awards Ceremony on Oct. 9 is here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgG96iwVAdX7Y-RNL2u8pow?reload=9
For detailed information about Boonsboro’s sustainability initiatives, please contact the Town Manager,townmanager@townofboonsboro.com, 301-432-5141
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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 2020 newly certified (denoted by *) and re-certified communities includes:
Bel Air (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017)
Berwyn Heights (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017)
Boonsboro (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017)
Chesapeake Beach (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017)
Frostburg(first certified in 2017)
Greenbelt (2020 Sustainability Champion for highest point total - first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017)
Landover Hills (NEW!)
Mount Airy(first certified in 2017)
North Beach(first certified in 2017)
Riverdale Park (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017)
Takoma Park (first certified 2014, re-certified in 2017)
University Park (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017)
Our 2020 Sustainability Champion: This year’s Sustainability Champion is the City of Greenbelt which amassed an impressive 795 points on their application, more than any other community in 2020.
A full report on each certified community’s Actions can be viewed here: http://sustainablemaryland.com/actions-certification/participating-communities/
Sustainable Maryland Certified Municipalities as of 2020 (9th full year of the program):
- Total Municipalities Sustainable Maryland Certified: 39 (25% of Maryland’s municipalities)
- Total Municipalities Sustainable Maryland Registered: 79 (50% 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