MBM Receives Grant from National Fish and Wildlife

One of the organizations receiving grant money is the Maryland Black Mayors Association, a nonprofit that represents more than 15,000 residents in 16 municipalities across the state. The $267,461 will help coordinate projects aimed at helping reduce stormwater runoff.

The Maryland Black Mayors, Inc. (MBM) in partnership with the Environmental Finance Center (EFC) at the University of Maryland and the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) will work together to advance the capacity of MBM municipalities in addressing stormwater runoff.

Maryland Black Mayors Advancing Stormwater Management, builds off of Getting the MOST for Maryland Black Mayors, a pilot project (funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust) which provided in-depth training to a small cohort of MBM member communities on establishing community-based stormwater management programs. MBM’s leadership first identified the need for greater stormwater education for municipal governments as they have a vested interest in clean and healthy communities and are uniquely equipped to engage and educate community members in watershed issues.

Now MBM will take the next step in building the capacity of these municipalities and help establish a stronger pipeline of community stormwater management leaders, moving participating MBM members from education, to public outreach, and ultimately implementation of residential best management practices (BMPs). MBM proposes working with the cohort of MBM communities who are receiving training on stormwater management, to conduct outreach to the residents of their community, share their lessons learned, and recruit homeowners in each of their respective communities to install residential BMPs. To this end, MBM will 1) conduct a series of community meetings; 2) provide participating communities with outreach tools; 3) coordinate the installation of BMPs on the property of five homeowners per community; 4) conduct post-implementation walking tours; and, 5) develop an outreach video highlighting the success of participating MBM communities.