Stormwater Partners Network

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering a coupon worth $25 towards the purchase of one tree with retail value of $50 or more.  The coupon is valid for trees listed on the Marylanders Plant Trees Recommended Tree List, which is at  www.trees.maryland.gov/pickatree.asp.  

Today, June 5 is National Trails Day.  So it was appropriate to have the ribbon cutting for the Northwood Chesapeake Bay Trail today. This was the culmination of an effort that began about a year ago. Today, VIPs were on hand to make opening remarks. The public was invited to participate in either a 5K fun run or hike. Community groups like Friends of Sligo Creek and Neighbors of the Northwest Branch had information tables about their organizations. About 100 to 200 people participated in the event.

Representatives from all the partnership organizations cutting the red ribbon officially opening the Northwood Chesapeake Bay Trail.

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Comments made to Montgomery County Park and Planning on the need to revise certain aspects of our Zoning Code in order to harmonize with, promote, and remove barriers to, Environmental Site Design.

Please accept this email letter as the comments of the Audubon Naturalist Society
on the Montgomery County’s Zoning Code “Sustainability Audit.” Your email requested specific comments on “the priority pieces of the audit that should be incorporated into the new zoning code.” You had set today, June 1, as the deadline for your receipt of comments that will be presented to the Zoning Advisory Panel at its June 16 meeting.

Regarding the Sustainability Audit, (attached), we support the provisions of the Stormwater matrix, pp. 19 through 22, with the exception of the item concerning the proposed inclusion of green roofs for the “green area” requirement. As ANS has previously testified, we support green roofs for several reasons, but they do not serve as ground-level green areas. We support the amendments to the definition of green area contained in ZTA 08-01 proposed by Councilmember Elrich, and we see this definition as being conducive to our stormwater/ESD, Smart Growth, walkability, green street, and other County sustainability goals.

As I requested during our May 24, 2010 meeting at the Planning office, we ask that you incorporate all of the attached Biohabitats and Horsley-Witten Group consultants’ comments into the Zoning Code revisions. These consultants’ comments are aimed at helping the County to fulfill its stormwater permit mandates for:

* elimination of barriers to use of ESD practices;
* identifying specific opportunities to promote use of ESD; and
* correction of gaps in the code where ESD could be better enabled

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The Neighbors of the Northwest Branch recently purchased signage for their demonstration rain gardens.  These signs are a valuable tool in reaching out to the community. In order to see significant water quality improvements, we will need to see a significant percentage of homeowners sustainably manage stormwater on their properties.

New Rain Garden Sign Used By Neighbors of the Northwest Branch

New Sign in Rain Garden of NNWB Member Jim Fary

The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection is hosting a public meeting this Saturday June 5^th to discuss revisions to the Montgomery County Code to meet new stormwater regulations.   The location is Rockville Library, and time is 10 a.m. – 12 noon.   Click here for the event flyer.