By Avery Farrell You are awoken by an abrupt beam of sunlight peeking through your blinds. Reluctantly, you get out of bed and stretch to properly wake up. The last couple of days have been overcast, cold, and rainy. Surprised by the sun reaching its bright yellow arms for your window, you check the… Read more »
In 2021 Howard County enhanced the Green Infrastructure Network (GIN) with over four acres of newly planted trees. The GIN is a system of the County’s largest, connected natural areas, including forests, wetlands, meadows, and waterways. It consists of hubs (the natural areas providing habitat) and corridors (the linear features that tie hubs together and… Read more »
On November 2nd, 2021, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball signed a bill to preserve the largest remaining farm in the rural west of Howard County eligible for the Agricultural Land Preservation Program (ALPP). The property, currently owned by the Dickey family and soon to be sold to the Sharp family, adds 127.7 acres of land… Read more »
Howard Community College had its 15th annual Sustainability Day on Oct 20, 2021, from 10 am to 8 pm. The date of the event is significant, indicating that Earth Day is exactly 6 months away. This year’s Sustainability Day included a combination of in-person and virtual activities, in contrast to last year’s entirely virtual event,… Read more »
Article update January 21, 2022. The Climate Action Plan RFP is closed and the award process is underway. Please refer to the article below for information on what the new Climate Action Plan will cover. Howard County’s Office of Community Sustainability and the Office of Purchasing announce that the Request for Proposals (RFP) for a… Read more »
By 2pm on Saturday Sept 25, 2000 native trees had been picked up by Howard County residents as a part of the Ball Administration’s Tree Giveaway. The annual project is put together by the Department of Recreation & Parks in cooperation with the Office of Community Sustainability. “Fall is the best time of year to… Read more »
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball highlighted transformative new solar legislation that allows solar in all zones across the county including on agriculturally preserved land. The Howard County Council unanimously passed the new regulations in Council Bill (CB) 17-2021 in May, 2021. Photos from the event can be found here and video here. “This legislation expands business opportunities… Read more »
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball kicked off the upcoming solar project with an information session on February 24, 2021. The Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with KDC Solar, Inc. will build enough solar power to provide up to 50% of the electricity used by County government operations. The original plan had a goal of 20-30%,… Read more »
Howard County is celebrating 30 years as an Arbor Day Foundation-designated “Tree City.” In honor of this achievement, Howard County Recreation & Parks planted 150 trees at Rockburn Branch Park in Elkridge. Some of these were planted by volunteers during a scaled back and socially distanced Family Volunteer Day on Nov 21st. “Our 30th year… Read more »
On October 30, 2020, County Executive Calvin Ball announced the launch of a 21-day public comment period on the Howard County Forest Conservation Manual draft. The Forest Conservation Manual implements the Forest Conservation Act, by explaining the nuts and bolts of forest conservation in Howard County. This “how-to” guide describes in detail how forest conservation… Read more »