Past Grants

South River Federation, Inc.

For continued support of the South Riverkeeper initiative. The Riverkeeper program, in its efforts to protect the South River, will undertake specific legal actions and related advocacy efforts to promote better enforcement of sediment control in critical areas and other laws governing the use of land and resources in the South River watershed. While investigating dozens of complaints, the Riverkeeper will continue to expand and use its neighborhood-based volunteers to watch over the creeks and provide the eyes and ears to spot critical area violations and problems with sediment and erosion control.

West/Rhode Riverkeeper, Inc.

For continued support of outreach activities in efforts to protect, preserve, and restore the West River, the Rhode River, surrounding tributaries, and watershed. The group plans to enhance preservation and restoration efforts by operating a waste-water pump-out boat on the rivers, and expanding water quality monitoring and bacteria testing efforts to 12 sites. It will continue to advocate for greater enforcement of the Critical Area Act.

1000 Friends of Maryland

Challenge grant for continued support of staffing and expenses related to the Partners for Open Space campaign, to ensure full funding for Program Open Space. The campaign will also ensure that Program Open Space funds are spent strategically through the development of targeted and ranked priorities: 1) discussion of the transfer tax revenues for new programs, such as operating needs of state parks and forests; and 2) the need to engage in a public debate about the important role of open space and ongoing protection of the state’s natural resources.

American Farmland Trust

For staffing costs and related expenses to facilitate the implementation of recommendations set out in Maryland’s Statewide Plan for Agricultural Policy and Resource Management, and to build support for proposed reforms of the 2007 Farm Bill. The Trust will continue to provide community outreach and bridge farming communities with the environmental community, promote a more viable and sustaining agriculture economy in Maryland, help open greater access to fresh and locally grown food to local markets, and work toward tripling the protected acreage of productive farmland by 2022.

Audubon Maryland-DC

For continued support of educational services at the Audubon Center in Patterson Park. Joint programming with the Friends of Patterson Park is helping to change the perception of safety issues in the park and continuing to increase the overall visitation and use of the park. Working closely with neighboring schools, Audubon offers in-classroom curricula and integrates into the program Maryland Content Standards, field trips, and end-of-year service projects for elementary, middle, and high school students. After-school programming offers a 15-week series for third-grade through fifth-grade students to learn about bird biology.