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The Abell Foundation supports organizations
that are working to protect and preserve Maryland's natural resources.
Partnering with the public and private sectors, the Foundation places
special emphasis on those initiatives supporting ecosystem-wide
conservation programs, including forests, wetlands, agricultural
lands, watersheds and air and water quality.
The Foundation also focuses attention on local projects reinforcing
Maryland's Smart Growth, Rural Legacy and Green Print initiatives.
Areas of interest include:
- watershed, natural resource, and habitat
protection
- environmental education
- advocacy for clean air and clean water
- land acquisition
- technical assistance for planning sustainable
communities
Learn more about the conservation and environment
initiatives funded by The Abell Foundation by visiting Publications/Research.
More information is also available in our Highlights below.
Conservation & Environment Highlights
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1000
Friends of Maryland
Formed as a statewide coalition of environmental groups, businesses,
developers, agricultural and historic preservation organizations,
1000 Friends work to preserve natural resources while encouraging
sensible growth. 1000 Friends has become an effective voice against
haphazard development and a strong advocate for reinvestment in
older communities while preserving open spaces. Its recent publication
"Guide
to Stopping Bad Development" provides detailed steps to
be taken to gain a fundamental understanding of legal issues that
arise with land use changes. As the result of a major redirection
of Maryland's Program Open Space funding to the state's General
Fund, 1000 Friends spearheaded a coalition of environmental organizations
to strategize ways to restore funding for the intended purpose,
the acquisition of undeveloped land for permanent protection. Over
a two-year period, Partners for Open Space with participation of
132 environmental groups, successfully engaged in rallying public
support to urge the restoration of full funding for Program Open
Space.
As Program Open Space funds continue to be in jeopardy as the result
of pending budget cuts and slowing down of the economy, the now
155-member coalition, Partners for Open Space, is launching The
Campaign to Maintain Land Conservation Funding and Restore Land
Acquisition Priorities. To achieve increased capacity of the coalition,
their efforts will focus on engaging the public through an updated
website, sending email alerts and E-newsletters, developing pertinent
campaign educational materials, stepping up media briefings, and
speaking at public forums.
The coalition will also seek to restore confidence with the State
Board of Public Works, the press and the citizens of Maryland that
Program Open Space funds will be strategically spent on priority
properties that have high environmental, resource and recreational
value. The Partners for Program Open Space are currently participating
in a work group with the Department of Natural Resources to develop
long term solutions for maintaining and operating state forests
and parks.
American
Farmland Trust
Dedicated to conserving farmland and promoting economic viability
of the agricultural sector, the American Farmland Trust has worked
closely the Maryland Department of agriculture, The Center of Agro-Ecology
and the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development
to formulate a vision for the future. Former Governor Erhlich, recognizing
the need for a statewide strategic plan, appointed 28 representatives
to his Agricultural Commission and asked AFT to facilitate eight
listening sessions around the state to bring light to key concerns.
As a result of the findings, AFT worked with the Agricultural Commission
to develop 30 comprehensive policy recommendations in A
Statewide Plan for Agricultural Policy and Resource Management.
The plan emphasizes the need for continued farmland protection,
increased farm productivity, reduction of tax burdens, expansion
of local markets, technical assistance for new and next generation
farmers on best practices, and improvement of agricultural conservation
stewardship activities. A representative from the American Farmland
Trust is serving on Governor O’Malley’s Implementation
Committee to refine state farm policies that support to maintain
the state agricultural land base and to promote the economic viability
of the agricultural sector.
Center
for Watershed Protection
BBest known for its watershed planning services, the Center for
Watershed Protection has worked with local county governments, consultants
as well as watershed partners. They offer comprehensive technical
information for effective application, innovative planning demonstration
projects, recommendation for best practices and tools to protect
and restore watersheds. Its "Better
Site Design" program became the core agenda for their "Builders
of the Bay" initiatives, focusing on the review of existing
county codes and ordinances. As a result of a nine-month review
and consensus-building period, the site planning roundtables, consisting
of developers, government officials, community leaders and environmentalists,
were asked to come up with recommended changes for their county
codes and ordinances that would be more environmentally friendly
and economically prudent.
Building on the success of the roundtable format held
in Frederick, Harford and Baltimore counties, the Center has now
been encouraged to work collaboratively with the local watershed
associations to develop joint comprehensive watershed management
plans across jurisdictional boundaries. These efforts will include
conducting a storm-water retrofitting inventory developing a management
plan and providing services for pollution prevention demonstration
projects. Specifically the Center is providing direction on the
construction of rain gardens and two bio-retention ponds in the
herring Run Watershed.
Chesapeake
Climate Action Network
Launched in 2002, Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) has focused
its efforts on educating citizens about the trend of global warming
and options for renewable energy. CCAN had taken a lead role in
the Clean Air Coalition in informing citizens about the benefits
of the Maryland Healthy Air Act that passed in January 2006. The
Act now requires coal-fired power plants to install pollution-control
technology to reduce air pollutants contributing to global warming.
CCAN then promoted an educational campaign through grassroots efforts
for the state of Maryland to adopt California-model clean-car standards.
The Clean Cars Program will help to put cleaner cars on the road
by reducing rising carbon-dioxide levels and lowering fossil fuel
consumption in the future. A central focus of their 2008 and 2009
agenda is to continue to educate the public about the importance
of passing Maryland’s Global Warming Solutions Act. If successful,
Maryland will follow in the footsteps of California and Massachusetts
requiring the reduction of greenhouse gases to 25% of the 2006 levels
by 2020.
The
Conservation Fund
The Abell Foundation provides funding for The Conservation Fund's
technical assistance initiatives for the implementation of Maryland's
Rural Legacy Program and Green Print Program. The Fund also serves
as a partner with the state in negotiating contracts and leveraging
funding for major state acquisition of natural resource areas and
open space while at the same time helping to sustain natural resource-based
industries, such as forestry.
Based on their recent publication, "Better
Models for Development in Maryland", The Conservation Fund
is working with local planning commissions and communities in Cecil
and Talbot counties to update their strategic plans by launching
discussions about future land use planning, tax incentives for conservation
efforts and creation of green infrastructures. The Fund anticipates
a strong demand for community presentations, technical assistance,
training workshops to develop strategic visioning, to address sustainable
growth strategies, and to plan for smart growth along with smart
conservation.
Eastern
Shore Land Conservancy
Now a nationally prominent land trust, the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy
has taken a leadership position in preserving valuable farmland
and natural habitats on the Eastern Shore in Maryland. In 2002 the
Conservancy created a six-county agreement called Eastern
Shore 2010: A Regional Vision. Through this six county
partnership, the counties agreed to preserve 50% of the land located
outside the locally designated growth areas, direct 50% of all new
development within designated growth areas, develop a regional transportation
plan and promote resource-based agriculture, fisheries and forestry
in local economic development plans. A report, written by Tom Horton,
“Growing…going…GONE?;
The State of Growth on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and Meeting
Its Challenges Through Eastern Shore 2010 examines how well
the region is meeting the six-county compact with its updated goals
and strategies in order to accommodate pending growth in a smarter
and more balanced way.
Environmental
Integrity Project
As an advocate for more effective enforcement of environmental laws,
the Environmental Integrity Project is actively pursuing clean-ups
of Maryland 11 dirtiest coal-fired power plants in an effort to
reduce harmful toxic emissions. In partnership with the Maryland
Clean Air Coalition, the Project has been reviewing permitting files,
preparing violation notices and education key state legislators
about the need to require the clean up of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen
oxide, mercury and carbon dioxide emission. As a result of these
collaborative efforts, the state of Maryland passed one of the nation's
strictest clean air legislation to improve the quality of air and
health of the state's citizenry.
The new regulations call for a 90-percent reduction in mercury emissions,
80-percent cut in sulfur dioxide, 65-percent reduction in nitrogen
oxide and 10-percent reduction of carbon dioxide within the next
five years.
Environmental
Law Institute
The Abell Foundation provided funding for the design and publication
costs of the "Forests
for the Bay" report. The Environmental Law Institute prepared
this report to recommend the adoption of forest landscape policy
goals to promote the expansion and connection of contiguous forests
that protect the Chesapeake Bay.
Waterkeepers Chesapeake
As a coalition of fifteen independent Waterkeeper programs (eight
located in Maryland), Waterkeepers Chesapeake is working to coordinate
and develop local programs to protect and restore the Chesapeake
and its tributaries. By encouraging the modestly staffed local program
to share resources and leverage their individual strengths, Waterkeepers
Chesapeake anticipates increased regional capacity for monitoring
and enforcing clean water regulations.
In response to Maryland’s Stormwater Management
Act of 2007, Waterkeepers Chesapeake and the coalition have launched
“Get Out the Dirt” Campaign, an initiative developed
to abate pollution from storm water run-off, a major contributor
to the Bay’s degraded water quality. Waterkeepers Chesapeake
has assembled training materials and scheduled periodic training
sessions for volunteer monitors. The data collected from blatant
storm water violations in the watersheds will serve as a platform
to advocate for revision in weak policies, regulations and permitting
processes. When appropriate, Waterkeepers will join other conservation
groups to seek legal challenges to infractions of general construction,
industrial and municipal permits as well as loose regulations of
the EPA.
Mobilizing an increased number of citizens in the compliance and
environmental enforcement process, Waterkeepers Chesapeake intends
to have a positive impact on the improving the water quality of
the streams and rivers of the Bay.
Visit the Grantmaking
section to learn about the steps involved in making a grant application
and to see other recently
funded grants.
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