This means that our South Mountain region was selected to participate in a capacity building program that will be facilitated by the Chesapeake Bay Trust.  The purposes of this initiative are to a) increase the collective and individual grassroots capacity to accomplish regional goals at the intersection of community and environment and b) establish durable, powerful, and coordinated efforts to advance programs and policies to improve regions and communities beyond the term of the initiative.

This initiative will provide facilitation services, technical assistance, training and grants to strengthen and diversify regional collaborations working together to advance a shared regional and community driven agenda that improves the quality of life in the region and protects and restores natural resources. This request for proposals invites proposals from regions, prepared collaboratively by organizations working at the community, watershed and/or regional level to improve human health, create economic opportunity, advance clean water plans, increase access of local, sustainable food, conserve lands, protect and enhance community open space, etc, to seek assistance to develop and support cross sector collaborative strategies and also build individual organizational capacity.