Keedysville Receives Prestigious Sustainable Maryland Certified Award
College Park, MD (October 18, 2023) – The Environmental Finance Center at the University of
Maryland announced that the Town of Keedysville was one of 16 Maryland municipalities honored at
the Sustainable Maryland Awards Ceremony at the Maryland Municipal League’s annual Fall
Conference this week. This is the Town’s first certification in the program. The Town was certified
at the Bronze level.
Highlights of Keedysville’s accomplishments include:
—Keedysville was awarded a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust in 2023 to subsidize the cost
of rain barrels for the town. In July they were able to distribute 47 of the 50 barrels and provide
residents with educational materials on stormwater and local composting initiatives.
—The town has preserved the Pry Quilt which was made in 1872 and holds significance both for
the town’s history and civil war history. They received funding from a few sources to have the
quilt properly restored and displayed in town.
“Keedysville is honored to receive the Sustainable Maryland certification and join other
municipalities across the state that are being recognized for their sustainability efforts for the
first time,” said Mayor Ken Lord. “We are only the second municipality in Washington County to
receive this certification, so we look forward to spreading the word about the benefits of this program to others in our county.”
According to Mike Hunninghake, Director of the Sustainable Maryland program, “This year’s
class of Sustainable Maryland Certified awardees represents a broad cross-section of the state,
from rural to urban, small towns to large cities, from western Maryland to the Eastern Shore.
These municipalities are united in their mutual commitment to put sustainability at the forefront
of their municipal agendas. We’re pleased to highlight their achievements and look forward to
supporting their future efforts.
Russell, Green Team Chair; and Lisa Riner, Town Administrator with the Sustainable
Maryland Certified award at the Maryland Municipal League conference.
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 for Bronze level certification, or 400 points for Silver level certification, 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 2023 newly certified (denoted by *) and re-certified communities includes:
Bel Air (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017, 2020, and 2023)
Berwyn Heights (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017, 2020, and 2023)
Boonsboro (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017, 2020, and 2023)
*Charlestown (NEW)
Chesapeake Beach (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017, 2020, and 2023)
Chestertown (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017, 2020, and 2023)
Frostburg (first certified in 2017, re-certified in 2020, and 2023)
Greenbelt (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017, 2020, and 2023)
*Keedysville (NEW)
*Kensington (NEW)
Landover Hills (first certified in 2020, re-certified in 2023)
Mount Airy (first certified in 2017, re-certified in 2020 and 2023)
Riverdale Park (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017, 2020, and 2023)
*Sykesville (NEW)
University Park (first certified in 2014, re-certified in 2017, 2020, and 2023)
*Washington Grove (NEW)
Our 2023 Sustainability Champion: This year’s Sustainability Champion is the City of Greenbelt
which amassed an impressive 905 points on their application, more than any other community in 2023.
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 2023 (12th year of the program):
Total Municipalities Sustainable Maryland Certified: 46 (29% of Maryland’s municipalities)
Total Municipalities Sustainable Maryland Registered: 89 (57% of Maryland’s municipalities)
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