Sustainable Frederick County
Fall 2020
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Little Hunting Creek Stream Restoration |
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OSER Project Update: Little Hunting Creek Stream Restoration |
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Frederick County’s Department of Public Works and the Office of Sustainability and Environmental Resources recently completed the Little Hunting Creek Stream Restoration Project. The restoration stabilized a portion of Little Hunting Creek located on both Maryland Department of Natural Resources land as well as Private Property in the Thurmont area downstream of the Catoctin Mountain Highway. The project included 200 linear feet of stream restoration. It provides additional instream trout habitat, as well as forest buffer enhancements along the stream.
Stabilization along the main stem tributary was achieved using a j-hook and rock wall to reduce stream bank erosion. The rock wall, which used large “imbricated” stone from a local quarry, was needed to protect buildings in the vicinity. A field visit to the site in early August after the recent tropical storm that moved through our area showed that the stream held up very well with the increased water volume.
The Little Hunting Creek Stream Restoration project is part of Frederick County’s Capital Improvement Projects, and helps to meet Frederick County’s goals to restore streams and water quality.
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County Executive’s Forest Resource and Zoning Bills Passed by County Council |
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On July 21, 2020, the County Council passed County Executive Jan Gardner’s updates to the Forest Resource and Zoning Ordinances that reinstate a rule that protects existing forests and ensures a no net loss of forest as the result of new development. The ordinances also clearly define perennial and intermittent streams, ensuring better protection of these resources.
The updates state that trees removed for development must be replaced using either a 1:1 ratio or a site specific calculation for every acre removed. The County will use the method that would result in the most reforestation.
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Waterbody Buffer Requirements Legislation Passed by County Council |
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The Frederick County Council passed legislation to modify waterbody buffer requirements on September 15, 2020. The modifications increase the buffer width from a 150-foot cross section to a 175- foot cross-section on each side of a waterbody.
A waterbody buffer is a strip of land on either side of a waterway that is vegetated with trees, shrubs, or grasses. These areas typically have a high water table and experience periodic flooding. "Bill 20-14 restores buffers to what they were before the last Board of County Commissioners reduced them in 2013. Wider buffers help filter pollutants and, with a tree canopy, lower stream and river temperatures. Hopefully we can continue to move forward in making Frederick County a cleaner place," said Council Member Jerry Donald.
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OSER Receives Chesapeake & Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund Grant Award |
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In August of 2020, the Office of Sustainability and Environmental Resources was awarded $530,000 in funding from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Chesapeake & Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund Grant. The grant will help to partially fund plantings in the Creek ReLeaf Reforestation Program.
In June 2020, Frederick County completed a Chesapeake & Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund grant that helped to fund several Capital Improvement Projects. Projects completed under this grant included four small-scale best management practices on existing uncontrolled impervious surfaces within the Lower Monocacy watershed. These projects will treat approximately 1 acre of runoff. Additional projects included two County-owned stormwater pond best management practice conversions to achieve water quality and channel protection volume, and Creek ReLeaf plantings on thirteen private and seven County-owned properties with a total of 298 reforested acres. Click here to view a summary of the completed projects.
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Creek ReLeaf Application Period Begins on November 1, 2020 |
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Do you have areas on your property that are two acres or greater that you don’t know what to do with? Are you tired of mowing it, or is it full of weeds? Would you like to get paid to have the land reforested with trees?
Frederick County's Creek ReLeaf Program is a reforestation program designed to increase forest acres in Frederick County and to meet goals for clean streams. The program is a cornerstone of County Executive Jan H. Gardner’s efforts to reverse the trend of tree loss in Frederick County. Trees are planted on both private and public land. The Creek ReLeaf Program plants eligible areas with native trees/shrubs and provides the first 5 years of maintenance to ensure successful planting efforts, at no cost to the landowner.
The Creek ReLeaf program may be able to help you:
- Have the land cleared of invasive weeds
- Get trees planted on your property
- Have the trees maintained for five years
- Receive a payment in exchange for keeping the land in trees
- Continue to own the land
The area that is planted will have lasting protection by a permanent conservation easement, which will continue even if you sell your property. If accepted into the program you will receive payment for the permanent conservation easement, which will be based on 75% of fair market value of the land to be planted, up to $9,000 per acre.
The application period for the 2020 Creek ReLeaf Program will begin on November 1, 2020 and run through December 31, 2020. Plantings are tentatively scheduled for spring/fall 2022. To learn more visit: www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/CreekReLeaf.
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Climate Emergency Mobilization Resiliency Workgroup |
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In July 2020 the Climate Emergency Mobilization Workgroup (CEMWG) was established. This group will make recommendations to the Frederick County Council on policy and legislative actions to address climate change.
The CEMWG is a joint Frederick City - Frederick County workgroup authorized by the Mayor, Alderpersons, and County Council through the Climate Emergency Resolutions. The County Council adopted the resolution on July 21, 2020.
The Workgroup will consider four main concerns of specific relevance to Frederick County and City:
- Energy, Transportation and Building
- Agriculture, Forestry and Sequestration
- Health and Extreme Weather Adaptation and Resilience
- Public Engagement and Education
Shannon Moore, Manager of the Office of Sustainability and Environmental Resources, presented a virtual presentation about Frederick County's climate actions to the Frederick County Council at their June 23, 2020 workshop. The presentation aimed to give the Council a better understanding of Frederick County Government's role in fighting climate change.
The Climate Emergency Mobilization Workgroup meets on the Second and Fourth Thursdays of the Month from 5:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.
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Frederick County Adopts Complete and Green Streets Policy |
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In the past year, Frederick County adopted a Complete and Green Streets policy. This policy focuses on all modes of transportation and a design approach that minimizes environmental impact. The policy focuses on efforts to retain, treat, and eliminate stormwater runoff at the source using green infrastructure applications. The Complete and Green Streets policy requires projects to provide a planned, designed, operated, and maintained approach. This approach enables safe, convenient, and comfortable travel and access for all users and abilities regardless of their mode of transportation.
Green infrastructure helps replicate natural functions like storage, detention, infiltration, filtration, evaporation, transpiration, and uptake by plants, and can improve water quality and reduce runoff volumes. These natural functions are often lost in transportation projects where impervious road surfaces prevent rain water from soaking into the ground.
Frederick County aims to use strategies that manage stormwater runoff, enhance community and neighborhood livability, and strengthen the local economy. Green streets use vegetated facilities to manage stormwater runoff at its source while prioritizing design to create an aesthetically pleasing environment for pedestrians and alternate modes of transportation. These streets are sustainable stormwater strategies that meet regulatory compliance and resource protection goals. They use a natural systems approach to manage stormwater, reduce flows, improve water quality and enhance watershed health.
The County anticipates producing a Complete and Green Streets design manual. The manual will highlight and provide a directed design focus on measures that construct roadways that are safe, accessible and usable for all users regardless of the mode of transportation. This manual is in the early design stages and is anticipated to be a collaborative effort between the County and development community.
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Maryland Energy Administration Announces Over $5 Million in Grant Awards for Resilient Clean Energy Grants
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District Farms, LLC in Frederick County was awarded $25,000 in FY20 Resilient Maryland funding. The farm operates a USDA certified organic, hydroponic controlled-environment, indoor greenhouse system. Grant funds will be used toward the cost of feasibility analysis, engineering, and design of an overall resilient facility power system solution that will incorporate combined heat and power (CHP) technology as well as solar PV and energy storage options.
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Green Business: Thermo Fisher Scientific |
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Congratulations to Thermo Fisher Scientific! The League of American Bicyclists recognized Thermo Fisher Scientific with a Gold Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) award, earning it a place alongside over 1,400 businesses across the country contributing to the movement to build a more Bicycle Friendly America. Thermo Fisher Scientific is the first Gold BFB in Frederick County and one of ten Gold BFB in the State of Maryland. There are over 240 Gold BFB across the US.
Frederick County has four other Bicycle Friendly Business awardees:
- State Farms – Darius Mark (Silver)
- Yakabod Federal Solutions (Bronze)
- CAS Engineering (Bronze) and The Trail House (Bronze).
In addition, Frederick County has one Bicycle Friendly Community – The City of Frederick (Bronze). Congratulations to all!
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Have you always wanted to install a rain barrel or a rain garden? Are you searching for information on how to maintain your septic system, how to compost or how to control invasives? Look no further! Our website offers a Resources page with tip sheets on all of this information and more!
OSER staff also recently partnered with Frederick County Public Library's Virtual Learning Series to present instructional videos on the benefits of Rain Barrels and Rain Gardens. The videos can be viewed here.
The Resource page also offers information on Water Quality Resources which includes Frederick County Stream Survey Reports and Watershed Studies.
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Frederick County Government
Office of the County Executive
Sustainability and Environmental Resources
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