Maryland

Keep Maryland Beautiful grant applications being accepted

Published

1 year ago

September 21, 2024

Keep Maryland Beautiful grant applications being accepted

Special to the Herald-Mail
| The Herald-Mail

The Maryland Departments of Natural Resources, Transportation and Agriculture, along with the Chesapeake Bay Trust, are partnering to accept applications for this year’s Keep Maryland Beautiful Grants program.

About $327,000 is available for this year’s grant round.

These grants are offered annually to volunteer groups, nonprofit organizations, communities and land trusts in Maryland to support environmental education projects, community stewardship and the protection of natural resources in urban and rural areas.

Applications for funding will be accepted now through Friday, Nov. 15.

Awards will be announced in March 2025.

Keep Maryland Beautiful grants include:

Community stewardship grants for volunteer groups, nonprofits, local governments and schools
Capacity building grants for Maryland’s land trusts
Grants for nonprofits to implement forestry projects on agricultural land

Funding for the Keep Maryland Beautiful grants is provided by the Maryland Environmental Trust, a unit of the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Agriculture.

“I look forward to yet another impactful year of grantmaking with this team of partners,” said Maryland Environmental Trust Director John Turgeon. “The Keep Maryland Beautiful program always funds truly inspiring projects, and I am excited to see what applications are submitted for this round!”

Keep Maryland Beautiful was assigned to Maryland Environmental Trust at its creation by the state’s legislature in 1967. The nonprofit Chesapeake Bay Trust administers the program’s grant application and award process.

“From neighborhood cleanups to rain gardens to tree plantings on agricultural lands, Keep Maryland Beautiful invests in community-led projects that together preserve our natural resources for generations to come,” said Jana Davis, Ph.D., president of the Chesapeake Bay Trust. “We are excited to help administer funding through this program to continue to empower stewards across Maryland to protect the environment.”

The following grants are available:

Community Stewardship Grants of up to $5,000 are awarded to schools, nonprofits and other community organizations whose missions are centered upon directly engaging community members (especially children and young adults) in environmental education and stewardship. These grants also support organizations that demonstrate active engagement as defenders of the environment by developing innovative solutions to local environmental problems.
Capacity Building for Land Trusts Grants of up to $10,000 are awarded to Maryland land trusts to increase capacity, support programming and innovation, and foster stronger, better-connected land trusts that will protect natural resources and enhance the lives of residents and generations to come.
Aileen Hughes Grant of up to $5,000 is awarded to an individual representing a Maryland land trust for outstanding leadership, partnership, and innovation in a conservation project or organization development.
Tree Planting on Agricultural Land Grants of up to $50,000 are awarded to nonprofits to implement reforestation or afforestation projects on qualifying agricultural land to support Maryland’s efforts in planting and maintaining five million trees by 2031.

Last year’s awards included 18 grants totaling $236,000 for projects in 12 Maryland counties and Baltimore City.

The list of the 2024 award recipients with project descriptions is available online at https://tinyurl.com/7k4627sx.

Recipients of USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funds announced

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Maryland

SUN: Dozens of vehicles moved to planned Maryland ICE facility; advocates concerned

Published

5 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

SUN: Dozens of vehicles moved to planned Maryland ICE facility; advocates concerned

Advocacy groups are raising concerns over a warehouse in Washington County that is slated to become an Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility after dozens of black SUVs were moved to the warehouse’s parking lot on Sunday.

“When federal enforcement vehicles begin lining the warehouse lot, it sends a clear message about what’s taking shape in our community,” said the organizer of Hagerstown Rapid Response, Claire Connor. “We refuse to let ICE quietly plant roots in Washington County without transparency, accountability and community consent.”

The 825,620-square-foot warehouse is located at 16220 Wright Road in Williamsport. Access to the facility was blocked by orange traffic barriers and signs outlining regulations and “governing conduct on federal property” with the Department of Homeland Security emblem at the top of the page.

In late January, Washington County issued a news release stating that on Jan. 14, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent a letter to the county’s historic district commission and department of planning and zoning regarding the property.

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Maryland

Howard County police investigate fatal officer-involved shooting in Columbia

Published

18 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Howard County police investigate fatal officer-involved shooting in Columbia

COLUMBIA, Md. (WBFF) — An adult man was killed in a police-involved shooting in Columbia early Sunday, prompting an investigation by the Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division.

Howard County police said officers were called on March 1, at about 12:09 a.m., to an apartment building in the 6400 block of Freetown Road for a report that involved an adult male threatening to harm himself.

According to police, at about 12:22 a.m., officers encountered the man outside the building. The man approached officers while holding a knife and ignored commands to drop the weapon, police said. Officers then shot the man.

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Officers attempted life-saving measures, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Officersrecovered a knife near the man.

No officers were injured, and the officers were equipped with body-worn cameras.

The Independent Investigations Division is investigating.

Anyone with information about this incident, including cell phone or private surveillance video, is asked to contact the IID at (410) 576–7070 or by email atIID@oag.maryland.gov.

The IID willgenerally releasethe name of the decedent and any involved officers within two business days of the incident, although that period may be extended, if necessary,pursuant toIID protocol.

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TheIID willgenerally releasebody-worn camera footage within 20 business days of an incident. There may be situations where more than 20 days is necessary, including if investigators need more time to complete witness interviews, if there are technical delays caused by the need to shield the identities of civilian witnesses, or to allow family members to view the video before it is released to the public.

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