Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 13, 2022
Contact: Mike Hunninghake, Program Manager, Sustainable Maryland, 301-405-7956, mikeh75@umd.edu
Seven Prince George’s County Municipalities Receive Prestigious Sustainable Maryland Certified Award at Maryland Municipal League Conference
College Park, MD (October 13, 2022) – The Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland announced that Bowie, Brentwood, College Park, Colmar Manor, Edmonston, Hyattsville and New Carrollton were amongst the 18 Maryland municipalities honored at the Sustainable Maryland Awards Ceremony at the Maryland Municipal League’s annual Fall Conference on Tuesday.
According to Mike Hunninghake, Director of the Sustainable Maryland program, “We are pleased to be awarding a record number of certifications this year, to eighteen towns across the state. These certifications show a commitment to sustainability by Maryland’s municipalities that is truly impressive in both depth and breadth. The commitments and associated actions are a critical investment for a future where local governments will increasingly be at the forefront in the fight against climate change. Sustainable Maryland stands ready to support and celebrate these communities, elected officials, and Green Teams.”
The photos show the elected officials receiving their awards.
The list below indicates the certification levels achieved by each municipality.
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 for Bronze level certification, or 400 points for Silver level certification, 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: https://sustainablemaryland.com/certification/actions
The complete list of 2022 newly certified (denoted by *) and re-certified communities includes:
*Aberdeen (Bronze) (NEW!)
Annapolis (Silver) (first certified in 2013, re-certified in 2016 and 2019)
Bowie (Silver) (first certified in 2013, re-certified in 2016 and 2019)
Brentwood (Bronze) (first certified in 2019)
College Park (Silver) (first certified in 2013, re-certified in 2016 and 2019)
Colmar Manor (Bronze) (first certified in 2016; re-certified 2019)
Edmonston (Bronze) (first certified in 2013, re-certified in 2016 and 2019)
Frederick (Silver) (first certified in 2013, re-certified in 2016 and 2019)
Gaithersburg (Silver) (first certified in 2013, re-certified in 2016 and 2019)
*Galena (Bronze) (NEW!)
Havre de Grace (Silver) (first certified in 2016; re-certified 2019)
Hyattsville (Silver) (first certified in 2013, re-certified in 2016 and 2019)
Middletown (Silver) (first certified in 2016; re-certified 2019)
New Carrollton (Bronze) (first certified in 2016; re-certified 2019)
*New Market (Bronze) (NEW!))
Ocean City (Silver) (first certified in 2016; re-certified 2019)
Salisbury (Silver) (first certified in 2016; re-certified 2019)
Thurmont (Bronze) (first certified in 2016; re-certified 2019)
Our 2022 Sustainability Champion: This year’s Sustainability Champion is the City of Frederick which amassed an impressive 645 points on their application, more than any other community in 2022.
A full report on each certified community’s Actions can be viewed here: https://sustainablemaryland.com/certification/participating-communities
Sustainable Maryland Certified Municipalities as of 2022 (11th year of the program):
- Total Municipalities Sustainable Maryland Certified: 41 (26% of Maryland’s municipalities)
- Total Municipalities Sustainable Maryland Registered: 89 (57% of Maryland’s municipalities)
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