The Keep Maryland Beautiful Grant Program is a partnership between the Chesapeake Bay Trust and Maryland Environmental Trust (MET), Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), and the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT).
Donor Name: Chesapeake Bay Trust
State: Maryland
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/15/2023
Size of the Grant:
- Community Stewardship: Up to $5,000
- Capacity Building for Land Trusts: Up to $10,000
- Tree Planting on Agricultural Lands: Up to $50,000
Grant Duration: 12 months
Details:
The Keep Maryland Beautiful Program is designed to engage diverse organizations in activities in Maryland that both improve natural resources and benefit communities. There are two tracks in the program, one that focuses on small scale stewardship activities, and one that seeks to increase the number of acres of forested agricultural land in Maryland.
Grants through the Keep Maryland Beautiful program help nonprofit groups, communities, and land trusts in Maryland to advance environmental projects that promote community wellbeing and protect natural resources in urban and rural areas.
This grant program builds the capacity of land trusts and supports other community-based organizations that are increasing civic engagement and the adoption of stewardship practices and developing solutions to local environmental problems. Proposed projects activate residents and encourage stewardship through education, outreach, and planting activities while increasing awareness of and working towards addressing local environmental problems.
Funding Information
The funding partners have $317,000 available in FY24, including:
- Approximately $84,000 for Community Stewardship and Capacity Building for Land Trusts.
- Approximately $233,000 available for Tree Planting Projects on Agricultural Lands.
Project Period
Projects must be completed within 12 months upon receipt of the award.
Eligible Project Types
Applicants can request funds from one of the following tracks:
Track 1: Community Stewardship (up to $5,000):
- Community and/or youth engagement
- The Keep Maryland Beautiful Stewardship grants honor the legacy of Bill James, who drafted the legislation that founded Maryland Environmental Trust, and Margaret Rosch Jones, former executive director of the Keep Maryland Beautiful program. This track funds projects that:
- enhance state roadsides through tree planting or litter pick up;
- increase knowledge of Maryland residents about environmental issues such as urban heat island effect, the negative impacts of litter, stormwater pollution, and impacts from anthropogenic climate change;
- identify and eliminate the root causes of local environmental issues, rather than just their consequences;
- inspire and empower young people to become stewards of their local environment and community through issue investigations and hands-on, project-based learning;
- encourage thoughtful consideration of local land use and development that preserves natural capital; and preserve natural areas and create a sense of place in communities.
- The Keep Maryland Beautiful Stewardship grants honor the legacy of Bill James, who drafted the legislation that founded Maryland Environmental Trust, and Margaret Rosch Jones, former executive director of the Keep Maryland Beautiful program. This track funds projects that:
- Track 2: Capacity Building for Land Trusts
- This project track honors Janice Hollmann, who exemplified community leadership of local land trusts in Maryland. She co-founded the Severn River Land Trust and the Arundel Conservation Trust and served on the Severn River Commission. She was Izaak Walton League’s Conservationist of the Year in 1989 and the Capital Newspaper’s Person of the Year for 1990. Organizational capacity-building project requests under this track:
- increase land trust capacity, support programming and innovation, and foster stronger, better connected land trusts that will protect natural resources and enhance the lives of Maryland residents.
- “Organizational capacity” is defined as activities that strengthen an organization to help it better fulfill its mission. Organizations that are strong and healthy are more effective in carrying out their missions and are more consistent and sustainable partners.
- Funds cannot be used for expenses incurred in the acquisition of purchased easements.
- Projects will fall under one or more of the following categories:
- Strategic Land Conservation
- Enhanced Land and Easement Stewardship
- Land Trust Strengthening
- This project track honors Janice Hollmann, who exemplified community leadership of local land trusts in Maryland. She co-founded the Severn River Land Trust and the Arundel Conservation Trust and served on the Severn River Commission. She was Izaak Walton League’s Conservationist of the Year in 1989 and the Capital Newspaper’s Person of the Year for 1990. Organizational capacity-building project requests under this track:
- Track 3: Tree Planting on Agricultural Lands (up to $50,000)
- Tree Planting projects will implement cost-effective reforestation or afforestation projects on qualifying agricultural land to support the state’s efforts in planting and maintaining 5 million sustainable trees native to Maryland by 2031. In addition, these projects will increase tree canopy, create forest habitat, provide livestock shade, improve water quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By increasing tree cover and expanding green areas, erosion can be reduced, water and soil quality can be improved, airborne pollutants such as particulates, nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide can be filtered, and summer temperatures and resulting ozone pollution and energy use can be decreased.
- It encourages small-scale planting projects on agricultural lands of less than 2 acres for a maximum request of $10,000. For large-scale planting projects on agricultural lands greater than 2 acres the maximum request amount is $50,000.
- Projects on individual private, commercial private, community-owned, nonprofit, and government-owned property are eligible for funding.
- Successful applicants will be obligated to complete the following project phases:
- Develop a planting design and plan;
- Obtain any required permits;
- Provide planting activities, including procuring contractual or volunteer services;
- Provide monitoring and maintenance in the first two years to ensure a survivorship rate consistent with guidelines in Maryland State Forest Conservation Technical Manual Third Edition of 1997.
Eligibility Criteria
Funding Partners and the Trust welcome requests from the following organizations in the state of Maryland:
- Nonprofits;
- Land Trusts;
- Community and Homeowners Associations;
- Service, Youth, and Civic Groups; and/or
- Municipal, County, Regional, State, and Federal Public Agencies.
For more information, visit Chesapeake Bay Trust.