BALTIMORE — Fifteen organizations will receive $727,500 in grants as part of the Green Streets, Green Towns, Green Jobs Grant Initiative (G3), according to a press release. The projects are located in Baltimore, Pennsylvania, Virginia and other cities in Maryland.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Chesapeake Bay Trust announced the funds in partnership with Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR), noted the release. Created in 2011, the program encourages local municipalities to use “green” techniques during “gray” infrastructure projects.
G3 projects protect watersheds and improve economies “through the development of stormwater management techniques, green jobs creation, beautification of neighborhoods and community enhancement,” stated the release.
“These funds contribute to a sustainable green economy by supporting a continuous cycle of pollution prevention, water retention and job creation — leading to a better quality of life for the people who call these communities home,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin in the release. “By keeping rainwater from coming into contact with pollution in the first place, green infrastructure improves the health of our waters while effectively reducing flooding and helping our communities adapt to the very real challenges of climate change.”
The G3 program supports the President Obama’s executive order to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay, reported the release.
“DNR is proud to support this collaborative program,” shared DNR Secretary Mark Belton in the release. “These projects will reduce stormwater runoff not only here in Maryland, but also in other bay states like Pennsylvania and Virginia. This expanded reach beyond just Maryland is the true strength of the partnership. Through G3, we can work together — at the federal, state and local levels — to better the greater Bay watershed.”
You can find the entire release, including the complete list of awardees, here.
