Regional Green Initiatives

In Spring 2008, the Learning Green, Living Green steering committee compiled a list of initiatives and programs that actively promote conservation, environmental sustainability, recycling, and community outreach in our region. FSU hopes to form partnerships with many of these organizations to promote the development of a strong positioning for environmental sustainability in our region.

Inventory of Regional Green Initiatives - (as of May 2008)

Initiatives and organizations included on this list belonged to one of ten categories: conservation, development, educational program, government, mountain top removal, local or organic food, recycling, renewable energy, watershed group, and miscellaneous.

Examples of Green Initiatives and Programs 

Allegany County Outdoor School for 5th grade students is held at the Western Maryland 4-H Center in Garrett County, MD. This program provides weeklong residential experiences for fifth graders focusing on experiential and environmental education.

The Allegany County Recycling Office has been proactive in providing county residents with various recycling options. Besides maintaining permanent recycling sites, the county also organizes Recycling Days for hard-to-recycle items such as tires, electronics, and hazardous wastes. The county recycling web site provides tips and valuable resources, and also lists contact information for partnering recycling centers in the region.

Big D Electric is a local renewable energy resource that provides and installs solar and wind turbine systems.

The Canaan Valley Institute fosters local decision-making in support of sustainable communities in the Mid-Atlantic Highlands, which include portions of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. The Institute is committed to enhancing the ability of the region's residents to improve their quality of life and to helping communities determine solutions to problems that threaten their economic or environmental resources.

Cedar Rock Farm sells produce and beef that is certified organic and naturally grown. Produce are sold at farmers' markets in Cumberland and Frostburg as well as at local restaurants. The farm also offers community-supported agriculture (CSA) shares.

The Highlands Action Program aims to form locally driven partnerships involving community groups, government agencies, industry groups, academic institutions, and private industry. These partnerships help meet the needs of local residents and help to solve environmental and economic problems. The Mid-Atlantic Highlands region extends from New York to the North Carolina/Tennessee border, and from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Ohio River.

The Office of Sustainable Futures, part of the Department of Natural Resources, serves to facilitate, guide and assist the DNR in developing and implementing sustainable practices, as well as coordinating with other state agencies. The Office critically examines processes and systems, rather than programs, in order to streamline current efforts and develop policies that institute the principles of long-term sustainability.

The Town Creek Ecosystem Management Project was created in 1994 by the Maryland DNR-Forest Service to focus on applying the emerging concept of ecosystem management in a mixed ownership watershed. The concept is based on a vision of desired future ecosystem conditions that integrates ecological, economic and social factors affecting a management unit defined by ecological, not political, boundaries.

The Western Mountains Chapter of the MD Native Plant Society was formed to expand the efforts of MNPS on the Allegheny Plateau and Ridge & Valley provinces of the central Appalachians.