January 20, 2022
Re: MD SB0014 / HB0100 Sustainable Maryland Program Fund - Establishment
Take Notice:
Prince George’s County Audubon Society, Incorporated (PGAS), joins other community organizations united in support of the MD SB0014 / HB 0100 and urges a "YES" vote on the bill to establish the Sustainable Maryland Program Fund. This bill to expand and enhance Sustainable Maryland (SM) is a critical step in the State's effort to empower local action and realize statewide environmental, economic, and social sustainability.
Over the past ten years, SM has helped communities build a strong network of active citizens committed to building the capacity of local governments and improving local-level sustainability throughout the state. This bill to establish an SM Program Fund will help codify this statewide effort and ensure local governments have the education, technical assistance, and financial resources necessary to improve quality of life.
The SM program has become a primary driver for building community capacity to engage in sustainability projects. While other programs may offer specific environmental services, the SM program framework helps community groups like ours to develop our own capacity to manage local sustainability issues and take advantage of resources already available. As a non-profit committed to supporting local action, it is this aspect of SM’s work that Prince George’s Audubon Society has experienced firsthand. Over the course of the last two years, PGAS has launched the Audubon Wildlife Habitat Program, which provides no-cost on-site visits to Prince George’s County residents in order to support them in transforming their outdoor spaces into habitats friendly to wildlife. Our big-picture goal is to create a Homegrown National Park, yard by yard, to mitigate habitat loss in our county. From the start, Sustainable Maryland has supported our efforts, plugging us into their network to provide us with a connection to like-minded citizens at Friday get-togethers, giving us credibility by offering to count our visits as points towards city sustainability certification, publicizing our fledging program in their newsletter, and including us in plans for a Route One Pollinator Corridor. Many of the contacts we have made over the last two years have been thanks to this SM network. The Audubon Wildlife Habitat Program has been very successful. Twenty-five trained volunteers conducted 125 consultations in Mount Rainier, Brentwood, Riverdale Park, College Park, University Park, Hyattsville, Cheverly, Greenbelt, Beltsville, and Bowie since last March. PG Audubon looks forward to continued support from SM.
The SM Program Fund will ensure that Sustainable Maryland can continue the framework that brings together disparate groups pursuing new and innovative community-based projects like ours, helping us work together rather than at cross purposes. The State should take this opportunity to expand and support this high-performing program in order to increase technical assistance, coordinate local efforts, and encourage more communities to take action.
Very Truly Yours,
Kenneth A. Cohen
President, Prince George’s Audubon Society, Incorporated
P.O. Box 1311, Bowie, MD 20718