Preserving Our Natural Resources

• All State agencies actively encourage their employees to recycle and provide appropriate receptacles.
• Donating materials suitable for recycling art projects for use by students at Port Discovery in Baltimore City.
• Using green janitorial products and biodegradable trash bags in State facilities.
• Encouraging the creation of compost bins or piles at State facilities.
• Created a list of acceptable Recycled Products to encourage State agencies to specify recycled content during the procurement process.
• Replacing Styrofoam products with paper wherever possible.
• Applying Transit Oriented Development guidelines for State office space.
• In partnership with the South River Federation, the State installed three rain gardens, or bioretention areas, in Anne Arundel County to help catch and filter water before it enters the headwaters of Broad Creek and South River.
• Development of a backyard food garden at the Governors home in Annapolis in support of the Grow It, Eat It campaign.
• Adaptive re-use of 55 plastic gallon drums donated by Coca-Cola for use by emergency environmental response teams to clean up contaminated sites or as rain barrels.
• During 2009, the State collected 49,000 empty pesticide containers weighing 21.6 tons. These containers were collected, chipped, processed and remanufactured into new pesticide containers by a contractor. Read more
• For the States pest control programs, we are using the least toxic methods at the minimum effective rates when applying insecticides and pesticides.
• Instituted a program for the Innovative Use of Dredge Materials at the Port of Baltimore to recreate islands in the Chesapeake Bay, like Poplar Island, to create additional wildlife habitats. Read more
• The Port Administration established the Maritime Environmental Research Center to test and evaluate ballast water treatment systems for ships and other maritime vessels to prevent contaminants or invasive species for entering the Chesapeake Bay. Read more
• Initiated the Oyster Restoration Program to help sustain the Chesapeake Bays native oysters. The program replenishes oyster reefs with young, disease-free oysters raised in a Maryland hatchery. Read more
• Instituted Environmental Management Systems at the Port of Baltimore and BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport to minimize the environmental impact of day-to-day business. Read more
• Sponsors several planting programs including Planting One Million Trees, Planting Wildflowers Along Marylands Highways and the Partnership Planting Program where the State Highway Administration works with local governments, garden clubs or community groups to beautify State highway property.
• Created a Living Shorelines program at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum to preserve shoreline while promoting native plants and minimizing major construction.