County's 40 Environmental Accomplishments

On the eve of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Ike Leggett and I unveiled a list of 40 of Montgomery County’s environmental accomplishments over the years.

Not everyone knows that we’ve been a national leader in protecting the environment for decades. Frankly, we sometimes take for granted the truly innovative and meaningful policies and programs we have instituted over the years. These 40 achievements have changed the course of our local history and have inspired jurisdictions across the country.

For instance, last year, the County exceeded its 2010 farmland preservation goal, with 71,500 acres now protected through easements. An additional 35,500 acres of land has also been preserved as local parks which protect stream valleys and have virtually eliminated flooding damage to homes. Together with the Agricultural Reserve, these parks and other easements are protecting nearly 50 percent of the County. We also announced that eight new businesses were certified under the County’s Green Business Certification Program in response to a challenge to become a ‘green’ business by Earth Day. The newly certified companies joined 11 others already certified as green by demonstrating their commitment to environmental stewardship, conservation of energy and water, carbon footprint reduction, and waste reduction and recycling. The Green Business Program was launched in December by DEP, in partnership with the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce and Montgomery College to recognize voluntary efforts to protect, preserve and improve the environment.

The newly certified businesses are: All Eco Center, Wheaton; Greenavise, Silver Spring; Innovative Business Interiors, Inc., Silver Spring; The Maven Group, Bethesda; The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, Rockville; Radius Technology Group, Inc., Silver Spring; Reznick Group, Bethesda; and Solid Waste Association of North America, Silver Spring.
A description of what the certified green businesses have done to earn their certification is available on the County’s website at http://mcgreenbiz.org/directory.