Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 17, 2019
Contact: Mike Hunninghake, Program Manager, Sustainable Maryland, 301-405-7956, mikeh75@umd.edu
Town of Capitol Heights Receives Prestigious Sustainable Maryland Certified Award from UMD at Maryland Municipal League Conference
College Park, MD (October 17, 2019) – The Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland announced that the Town of Capitol Heights was one of 17 Maryland municipalities honored at the Sustainable Maryland Awards Ceremony at the Maryland Municipal League’s annual Fall Conference on Tuesday in Cambridge, Maryland. This is the Town first certification in the Sustainable Maryland program.
"Sustainable Maryland is a voluntary certification program that demonstrates a Town’s commitment to going green, being a good steward of tax payers’ dollars, and improving residents' quality of life,” said Mayor Shawn Maldon. “It was a no-brainer for us, as elected officials, to get behind this effort—and we are sincerely proud of the work that each member of our Capitol Heights Green Team put in to achieve this remarkable designation. I am particularly proud of the hard work that our Neighborhood Services Department contributed."
Some highlights of Capitol Heights’ accomplishments include:
- The Town has a Community Garden located in the Metro station area. The Town has partnered with Feed 5000 to maintain and manage the garden. Residents are able to obtain a plot and grow crops organically. Instructions, guidance, and advise are provided by Feed 5000 for those who are not experienced with growing in a garden. The garden currently hosts 18 plots.
- The Town partnered with Boy Scouts, local green schools, Salah Al Din temple, and the Masonic Lodge on community cleanups and Adopt a Stream initiatives.
- Solar panels have been installed at Town Hall and the Police Department buildings.
According to Mike Hunninghake, Program Manager for Sustainable Maryland, “This year’s seventeen Sustainable Maryland Certified communities, a record number since the program’s inception in 2011, represent a broad and deep commitment to addressing the environmental challenges of our time. We are pleased to recognize the Green Teams, elected officials, and municipal staff that are working hard every day ensure a sustainable future for their communities, our state, and our planet.”
The attached photo shows (from left) Council Member Elaine Williams; Venus Drummond, Neighborhood Services Department Director; and Lea Johnson, Administrative Assistant-Neighborhood Services Department with the Sustainable Maryland Certified award at the Maryland Municipal League conference.
Also attached is Capitol Heights’ Sustainable Maryland Certified logo.
For detailed information about Capitol Heights’ sustainability initiatives, please contact Venus Drummond, Neighborhood Services Department Director, 301-336-0626, vdrummond@capitolheightsmd.com
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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 2019 newly certified (denoted by *) and re-certified communities includes:
City of Annapolis (Anne Arundel County - certified in 2013 and 2016)
Town of Bladensburg (Prince George's County – first certified in 2013 and re-certified in 2016)
City of Bowie (Prince George's County - certified in 2013 and re-certified in 2016)
Town of Brentwood *
Town of Capitol Heights *
City of College Park (Prince George's County – first certified in 2013 and re-certified in 2016)
Town of Colmar Manor (Prince George's County - first certified in 2016)
Town of Edmonston (Prince George's County - first certified in 2013 and re-certified in 2016)
City of Frederick (Frederick County - first certified in 2013 and re-certified in 2016)
City of Gaithersburg (Montgomery County - first certified in 2013 and re-certified in 2016)
City of Havre de Grace (Harford County - first certified in 2016)
City of Hyattsville (Prince George's County - first certified in 2013 and re-certified in 2016)
Town of Middletown (Frederick County - first certified in 2016)
City of New Carrollton *
Town of Ocean City (Worcester County – first certified in 2016)
City of Salisbury (Wicomico County - first certified in 2013 and re-certified in 2016)
Town of Thurmont (Frederick County – first certified in 2016)
Our 2019 Sustainability Champion: This year’s Sustainability Champion is the City of Hyattsville which amassed an impressive 535 points on their application, more than any other community in 2019.
Sustainable Maryland Certified Municipalities as of 2019 (8th full year of the program):
- Total Municipalities Sustainable Maryland Certified: 38 (24% of Maryland’s municipalities)
- Total Municipalities Sustainable Maryland Registered: 76 (48% 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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