Town of Poolesville Earns Sustainable Maryland Certification

The Town of Poolesville has earned the Sustainable Maryland Certified designation in recognition of its commitment to an array of sustainability initiatives led by the Town government, residents, businesses, and non-profit organizations. Poolesville was among eight new municipalities that were awarded the distinction for 2015 at this week’s Maryland Municipal League Fall Conference, held in Cambridge, Md.

Sustainable Maryland is a certification program for municipalities in Maryland that want to go green, save money and take steps to sustain their quality of life over the long term. Sustainable Maryland Certified is a collaborative effort between the Environmental Finance Center (EFC) at the University of Maryland and the Maryland Municipal League.

To achieve Sustainable Maryland Certified status, local Poolesville residents, community leaders and municipal staff and officials formed a “Green Team” and worked with Poolesville Green, a local non-profit, to complete a variety of sustainability-related actions such as, but not limited to, the following:

· Infrastructure improvements for the town, including installation of LED streetlights and permeable concrete;

· Development and maintenance of the Poolesville Community Garden;

· Development and maintenance of the Chestnut Tree Orchard;

· Development and implementation of the Pet Waste Education Program;

· Development and maintenance of a solar array to help power the town’s wastewater treatment plant;

· The establishment of “green” schools and other public facilities;

· Development of a Water Conservation Outreach Plan.

“We’re very proud of the way everyone in our community came together and rolled up their sleeves to focus on the various ways we in Poolesville can contribute to the betterment of our community and our world,” said Poolesville Town Manager Wade Yost. “Not only have we achieved our goal of becoming Sustainable Maryland Certified, but the initiatives we put in place will cost-effectively serve our town and environment for years to come.”

“Poolesville is not only going green, but we are making every effort to save money and sustain the quality of life that we have put in place,” said Poolesville Town Commissioner Valaree Dickerson, who helped to spearhead the certification process in Poolesville. “Poolesville has a very clear direction on what actions we plan to take, how we are going to measure our progress and enhance the livability for our families. We are so excited about becoming certified in our endeavors.”

The Town of Poolesville’s Sustainable Maryland Certification is good for three years, during which time the town will continue to implement sustainability-related initiatives.

About the Town of Poolesville

The Town of Poolesville (Incorporated 1837) is a historic, yet progressive and business-friendly community centrally located in the heart of Montgomery County’s vaunted Agricultural Reserve. Just 33 miles from Washington, D.C., Poolesville is also conveniently located to nearby Frederick, Gaithersburg and Rockville Maryland, as well as to Leesburg, Virginia. Poolesville is the proud home of top-ranked Poolesville High School and Blue Ribbon and Character Award winning John Poole Middle School. Visit www.poolesvillemd.gov for more about Poolesville.