Town of Glen Echo, Maryland

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 14, 2021

Contact: Mike Hunninghake, Program Manager, Sustainable Maryland, 301-405-7956, mikeh75@umd.edu

Town of Glen Echo Receives Prestigious Sustainable Maryland Certified Award at Maryland Municipal League Conference

College Park, MD (October 14, 2021) – The Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland announced that the Town of Glen Echo was one of twelve Maryland municipalities honored at the Sustainable Maryland Awards Ceremony at the Maryland Municipal League’s annual Fall Conference on October 12. This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the Sustainable Maryland program.

A detailed summary of Glen Echo’s sustainability Actions can be found in their Certification Report, attached as a PDF.

Highlights of Glen Echo’s accomplishments include:

The Town created a 60 foot by 6 foot Bird and Butterfly Garden on Town property. Each spring the Green Team weeds, waters, and installs pollinator-attracting annuals in the garden. The garden became a Certified Wildlife Habitat with the National Wildlife Federation.
Implemented a dual-stream recycling program which allows for the recycling of glass, as well as paper, metal, and plastic.
Transitioned the Glen Echo Town Hall building’s energy source to entirely solar power.
Adopted a pesticide policy in favor of a non toxic weed killer rather than a chemical herbicide.

“The Town of Glen Echo is extremely happy to become a Certified Sustainable Town in Maryland,” said Mayor Dia Costello. “Being located along the C & O Canal and the Potomac River, we feel an urgent need to continually implement sustainable and regenerative practices throughout our Town and to educate and inspire our residents about healthy choices for people and the environment.”

According to Mike Hunninghake, Program Manager for Sustainable Maryland, “During the first 10 years of the Sustainable Maryland program, if we have learned anything, it’s that reducing our footprint on where we live, be it a town, a county, a state or the planet, is vital to our continuation as a species. The work being done at the local level forms a foundation, by example and by action, for upward pressure on governments at all levels to take action to make our communities greener, cleaner and more resilient.”

The photo shows (from left) Town Manager Elizabeth Boa, Green Team Chair Holly Shimizu, and Mayor Dia Costello with the Sustainable Maryland Certified award at the Maryland Municipal League conference.

Also attached is Glen Echo’s Sustainable Maryland Certified logo.

For detailed information about Glen Echo’s sustainability initiatives, please contact Elizabeth Boa, Town Manager, townhall@glenecho.org, 301-320-4041

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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: https://sustainablemaryland.com/certification/actions

The complete list of 2021 newly certified (denoted by *) and re-certified communities includes:

Berlin (first certified in 2012, re-certified in 2015 and 2018)

Brunswick (first certified in 2015)

Cheverly (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017)

Cottage City (first certified in 2018)

Emmitsburg (first certified in 2015; re-certified 2018)

*Glen Echo (NEW)

*La Plata (NEW)

Laurel (first certified 2015; re-certified 2018)

Mount Rainier (first certified in 2012, re-certified in 2015 and 2018)

North Beach (first certified in 2017)

Poolesville (first certified in 2015, re-certified in 2018)

Rockville (2020 Sustainability Champion – highest point total; first certified 2012, re-certified in 2015 and 2018)

Our 2021 Sustainability Champion: This year’s Sustainability Champion is the City of Rockville which amassed an impressive 600 points on their application, more than any other community in 2021.

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 2021 (10th year of the program):

Total Municipalities Sustainable Maryland Certified: 40 (26% of Maryland’s municipalities)
Total Municipalities Sustainable Maryland Registered: 85 (54% 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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