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Maryland Department of the Environment

Maryland Department of the Environment Connects Rural Counties with Funding to Fight Climate Change 

$500,000 for technical assistance to identify projects and apply for federal grants
 

BALTIMORE (April 11, 2024) – Maryland is providing new funding for smaller and rural jurisdictions to get the technical support they need for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance the state’s climate goals.

The Maryland Local Government Climate Action Support Program assists counties and municipalities with identifying high priority greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects with important social, ecological and economic benefits and building capacity across Maryland for project planning, design, financing, implementation and tracking. Program support can include county-specific outreach, technical support, consultation and grant writing.

“When it comes to responding to the climate crisis, we are in this together,” said Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain. “This program provides resources to help Maryland communities join in this effort and transition to a green economy, leaving no dollar behind when it comes to accessing federal and state grant funding.”

The Department of the Environment will provide the Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland with up to $500,000 to assist local governments on the Eastern Shore and in Western and Southern Maryland in accessing state and federal funding opportunities. This effort complements the federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, which recently provided $3 million in climate planning support for metropolitan areas across Maryland over the next three years.

New assistance will be available to local governments in Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Calvert, St. Mary’s, Kent, Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset and Worcester counties. Maryland is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent from 2006 levels by 2031, achieving 100 percent clean energy by 2035, and reaching net zero emissions by 2045.

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