March 20th, 2022 by WCBC Radio

Grants Supports Communities, Projects, and Schools

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forever Maryland is proud to announce that 85 grants totaling $320,000 have been awarded toward environmental education, community cleanup and beautification projects through the Keep Maryland Beautiful program.

These annual grants are funded by the Maryland Environmental Trust, Forever Maryland, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT).

“Keep Maryland Beautiful grants help improve, sustain, and enhance communities all across our state,” Maryland Natural Resources Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio said. “These local initiatives also help Maryland meet our goals of cleaner water and access to green space for all our citizens.”

“DHCD is pleased to provide $250,000 to nonprofits, local governments and community groups,” said DHCD Secretary Kenneth C. Holt. “These grants provide support for local projects and activities that directly impact litter removal, greening and beautification, and improving citizen stewardship in communities statewide.”

“It’s important to MDOT’s mission that we contribute to environmental stewardship across Maryland,” said MDOT Secretary James F. Ports Jr. “This year’s package of 16 MDOT grants – which include funds for purchasing native shrubs, getting rid of invasive species, educating students and maintaining a pollinator garden – build on the department’s commitment to preserve our ecosystem. I look forward to seeing these projects bloom.”

Keep Maryland Beautiful recipients included schools, nonprofit groups, municipalities and land trusts in 20 counties and Baltimore City. Many of these grants focus on developing and supporting communities, families, youth and students who take personal responsibility for the health of their communities, protecting nature in their backyards and seeking ways to help reduce or resolve environmental challenges. 

“We’re thrilled with the success we’ve seen from the grant program,” said Forever Maryland Chair Nick Dilks. “This program will continue to make a significant environmental, economic, health, and recreational impact across Maryland through these new grant projects.“

Awards given this year were:

• One Aileen Hughes award totaling $5,000, awarded to an individual representing a Maryland land trust for outstanding leadership, partnership and innovation in a conservation project. The grant is awarded to the Maryland land trust in recognition of the individual’s efforts and good work. The grant is given annually to honor the late Aileen Hughes, a true leader in the conservation movement.
• 12 Citizen Stewardship awards totaling $17,500, given in honor of Bill James, who drafted the legislation that founded Maryland Environmental Trust, and Margaret Rosch Jones, former executive director of the Keep Maryland Beautiful program. These grants are awarded to schools, nonprofits and other community organizations whose missions are centered upon directly engaging community members in environmental education and stewardship. These grants also support organizations that demonstrate active engagement as defenders of the environment by developing innovative solutions to local environmental problems. 
• 61 Clean Up & Green Up Maryland awards totaling $250,000. This grant was established in 2017 to help community groups and nonprofit organizations statewide with neighborhood beautification activities that include litter removal, greening activities, community education, and citizen stewardship statewide.
• 11 Janice Hollmann Grant awards totaling $47,500, given to Maryland land trusts to increase capacity, support community programing and innovation and foster stronger, better connected land trusts. All grants require a 100 percent match from the land trust of in-kind services and privately raised funds. The grant is given in memory of Janice Hollmann, who exemplified citizen leadership of local land trusts in Maryland.

2022 recipients of Keep Maryland Beautiful Grants include:

Allegany County

Board of County Commissioners of Allegany County

Historic Frostburg, a Maryland Main Street Community, Inc.