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How does the Maryland Department of Transportation reduce their impact on the environment when building roads through forested ares?

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Tree Preservation Initiatives - MDOT SHA

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The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) sometimes aligns roads through forested land to provide the motoring public with a safe road system.During the design stage of every highway project, MDOT SHA planners pay careful attention to limiting the environmenta…

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Details about the recycling program in Howard County, MD.

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About

The Recycling Division works closely with the Curbside Collections Division and Alpha Ridge Landfill to provide efficient curbside recycling service and specialty recycling and reuse programs. The division provides outreach material, tours, presentations and recycling program assistance to residents, schools and local businesses.

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Establishing and overseeing recycling and reuse programs to further the County's waste reduction and sustainability goals and work to achieve a recycling goal of 75% by 2030.

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Howard County Stormwater Management Program

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Howard County Stormwater Management Program

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Learn about Howard County, MD's stormwater management program.

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About Us

The mission of the Stormwater Management (SWM) division is to advance the quality of life for the citizens of Howard County through the improvement and management of the quality and quantity of water that originates in, falls onto, or passes through the county on its way to the Chesapeake Bay.
410-313-6444

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The mission of the Stormwater Management (SWM) division is to advance the quality of life for the citizens of Howard County through the improvement and management of the quality and quantity of water that originates in, falls onto, or passes through the county on its way to the Chesapeake Bay.

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Details about Howard County, MD's composting program.

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Food Scrap Collection Expands November 2023!

Starting in November, 7,860 additional households in Emerson and Kings Contrivance will be eligible to join their neighbors in the Feed the Green Bin food scrap collection program. Residents in this area will be receiving a postcard in the mail with more information about how to sign up.

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Starting in November, 7,860 additional households in Emerson and Kings Contrivance will be eligible to join their neighbors in the Feed the Green Bin food scrap collection program. Residents in this area will be receiving a postcard in the mail with more information about how to sign up.

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What does the composting facility at Alpha Ridge Landfill (a Howard County facility) look like? How does it work?

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Additional construction through 2021 will ensure that the project meets all of the intent of the 2015 compost processing regulation implemented by Maryland Department of the Environment. We are working with State and County regulatory agencies and departments to ensure that the composting facility meets and exceeds environmental standards and expectations, and creates high quality compost. We have created a successful composting program that protects the environment and serves as a model for other local communities.

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Additional construction through 2021 will ensure that the project meets all of the intent of the 2015 compost processing regulation implemented by Maryland Department of the Environment. We are working with State and County regulatory agencies and departments to ensure that the composting facility meets and exceeds environmental standards and expectations, and creates high quality compost.

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Learn how to compost in your own yard!

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Composting is a natural decomposition process. By observing a few simple rules, anyone can be a successful composter. Microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and protozoa digest plant tissues in the compost pile. For microbes to accomplish their work, they need enough nitrogen, oxygen and water to feed on the carbon rich plant materials provided by you, the gardener.

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Composting is a natural decomposition process. By observing a few simple rules, anyone can be a successful composter. Microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and protozoa digest plant tissues in the compost pile. For microbes to accomplish their work, they need enough nitrogen, oxygen and water to feed on the carbon rich plant materials provided by you, the gardener.

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Howard County environmental conservation and preservation

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Conservation And Preservation | Howard County

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Second testing done by an independent, certified water quality laboratory shows no detection of Cryptosporidium in the County’s drinking water samples since the initial trace found by Baltimore City’s Department of Public Works in its Druid Lake Reservoir. For the latest updates on the County’s publ…

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Each year Howard County gives away 3,000 trees to local residents.

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In September 2023, Howard County is distributing 3,000 trees to residents.

Registration for the 2023 Annual Tree Giveaway is now closed. All trees have been reserved. If you would like to be sent information prior to next year's tree giveaway, please sign up here for a notification.

Tree pick-up locations will be at West Friendship Park in West Friendship and Rockburn Park WEST in Elkridge. You will be able to choose which park you would like to pick up your tree.

You will also be able to choose which of the following dates and times to pick up your tree.

. YOU MUST PICK UP YOUR TREE AT THE LOCATION AND ON THE DATE YOU SELECT
Each site will only have inventory for that site and date. If you cannot pick up your tree on either of these dates, please do not reserve a tree. You may have another person pick up your tree for you. Have them bring a printout of your reservation.

If you are unable to pick up your tree, someone may pick it up for you. (Make sure to provide them with a copy of your "receipt."

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In September 2023, Howard County is distributing 3,000 trees to residents. Registration for the 2023 Annual Tree Giveaway is now closed. All trees have been reserved. If you would like to be sent information prior to next year's tree giveaway, please sign up here for a notification.

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Local nonprofit focusing on living green and sustainably in Howard County.

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Planting trees is just about the best thing we can do for the environment. Trees reduce erosion, clean the air and water, lock down carbon from the atmosphere, provide habitat and make our community more resilient to climate change.

Annual Tree Giveaway

The 2023 Tree Giveaway is happening in September. In 2023, Howard County is providing the widest selection of native tree species than we've ever had before, Flowering Dogwood, Eastern Redbud, Black Gum, Red Maple, Common Persimmon, Swamp White Oak, Sweetbay Magnolia, Serviceberry, River Birch, and Paw Paw. This amazing variety provides biodiversity for our ecosystem. Planting trees fights climate change in two major ways, reducing the greenhouse gasses that are in the air and also boosting resiliency, particularly in reducing heat through shade.

Visit the Howard County Recreation and Parks Forestry page and scroll down to Annual Tree Giveaway for more details on how to sign up. You can also learn about the Tree Giveaway and other local programs by following Live Green Howard on social media or subscribing to the monthly newsletter.

The 2022 Annual Tree Giveaway distributed 3,000 trees to Howard County residents for planting in our community. This brought the 4-year Tree Giveaway total to 9,250!

Starting in 2019, Howard County created the Annual Tree Giveaway. Planned by Howard County Recreation and Parks and the Howard County Office of Community Sustainability, native trees are reserved, picked up, and planted by Howard County residents each Fall. The Annual Tree Giveway helps fight climate change and also educates people about the benefits of native trees and how to properly plant and care for a tree.

The trees are all native species, meaning that they are adapted to our climate and conditions. Native species generally live longer and require less care. They are also co-adapted with native pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. The trees have been approximately 5 to 8 feet tall and come in 5-gallon containers.

2019: 2,000 native trees planted. The tree species were: Eastern Redbud, River Birch, Northern Red Oak, Swamp White Oak, Red Maple, Sycamore, American Hornbeam, and Black Gum.

2020: 2,020 native trees planted. The tree species were Eastern Redbud, Flowering Dogwood, Black Gum, and Red Maple.

2021: 2,250 native trees planted. The species were Black Gum, Red Maple, Flowering Dogwood, and Eastern Redbud

2022: 3,000 native trees planted. The 2022 tree species were, Easter Redbud, Flowering Dogwood, Hornbeam, Black Gum, Persimmon, Red Maple, White Oak, Sweet Bay Magnolia and River Birch.

Trees for Bees

In April 2022, Howard County added a second tree giveaway with a focus on species that are beneficial to pollinators. 1,000 trees were given out through local non-profits and individual residents in 2022 and 1,365 in April 2023! Combined with the Annual Tree Giveaway, that's 11,615 trees added to Howard County's environment. Thank you to everyone who participated in each program! Learn more about the Bee City program and helping pollinators on our Pollinators page.

Stream ReLeaf

The Stream ReLeaf program helps property owners plant riparian buffers. Riparian buffers are protective strips of trees, shrubs, and other vegetation along a stream which help prevent erosion, provide vegetative cover, and trap nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus - two major pollutants of the Chesapeake Bay. Thousands of trees have been planted this way.

In order for a property owner to be eligible for this program, they must commit to planting a minimum of a dozen trees or shrubs, and the area to be planted must be within 75 feet of a stream (but not in a utility right-of-way). For more information on the Stream ReLeaf Program, please visit the Recreation and Parks Departments' Forestry webpage.

Turf to Trees

The Turf to Trees program was created to help alleviate the damaging effects of stormwater runoff by increasing tree coverage throughout the County. The program provides trees and planting services to Howard County property owners with lots of 1.5 to 10 acres in size, free of cost. Since the project started in 2015, over 3,100 trees have been planted.

To qualify for the program, property owners must commit to receiving and maintaining a minimum of 50 trees. The property owner must care for the trees provided by the County. To learn more, visit the Turf to Trees webpage.

Volunteers Planting Trees

Students Branching Out is a Howard County program that involves students in tree planting projects. Visit the Students Branching Out webpage to find out more.

Each spring, at Earth Day with Recreation and Parks, volunteers plant trees in local parks or open space. More trees are planted each fall at Family Volunteer Day. These events are usually in April and November. Signups are posted seasonally on Howard County's volunteering website, hocovolunteer.org

Previous Tree Programs

In spring 2017, 250 native trees were given out to Howard County residents through a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation and BGE.

In 2010, the County provided trees to county residents through the 2010 Trees and 2010 More Trees events.

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Tree Programs - Live Green Howard County

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Planting trees is just about the best thing we can do for the environment. Trees reduce erosion, clean the air and water, lock down carbon from the atmosphere, provide habitat and make our community more resilient to climate change. Annual Tree Giveaway The 2023 Tree Giveaway is happening in September.

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Local nonprofit focusing on living green and sustainably in Howard County

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Recycling & Waste - Live Green Howard County

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Did you know that recy­cling just one alu­minum can saves enough money to run a TV for three hours or the equiv­a­lent of half a gal­lon of gas? There are no lim­its to the amount of times alu­minum can be recy­cled so what are you wait­ing for!

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Local nonprofit focusing on living green and sustainably in Howard County.

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Com­post­ing is a safe, nat­ural and con­ve­nient way to convert organic matter into a useful product. When spread in the gar­den, com­post improves soil aer­­ation, water reten­tion, root pen­e­tra­tion and provides valu­able nutri­ents to plants. Home Composting It's easy to con­vert leaves, grass clip­pings and veg­etable scraps into valu­able compost.

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Local nonprofit focusing on living green and sustainably in Howard County.

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Water is one of the most vital resources that we have. We should all strive to conserve and protect it. Visit the pages in this section to learn more about Howard County's water programs and What You Can Do to help out.

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Water is one of the most vital resources that we have. We should all strive to conserve and protect it. Visit the pages in this section to learn more about Howard County's water programs and What You Can Do to help out.

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Chesapeake Bay Foundation: How We Save the Bay

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Chesapeake Bay Foundation: How We Save the Bay

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Regional nonprofit shows how they work at different levels to protect the bay.

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We work at the local, state, and federal level to restore the waters we love through our education, advocacy, litigation, and restoration programs.

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Oyster Recovery Partnership: Oyster Restoration

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Oyster Recovery Partnership: Oyster Restoration

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Regional nonprofit that works to increase the oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay. Oysters, which are filter feeders, play a critical role in the health of the bay.

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Oysters are incredible creatures that provide important ecosystem services. Oysters are "filter feeders" that filter excess nutrients and other pollutants from the water. In fact, a single, healthy adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day! Oysters are also known as a keystone species in the Chesapeake Bay. Their reefs provide valuable habitat, food, and protection for other marine animals and plants such that they would be negatively effected if oysters disappeared.

In 2014, the Chesapeake Bay Program - a partnership of federal, state, and local governments, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations - committed to restore oyster populations in ten Chesapeake Bay tributaries by 2025, five in Maryland and five in Virginia. In Maryland, the Tred Avon, Little Choptank, Manokin, and the Upper St. Mary's Rivers, as well as Harris Creek are the targets of this large-scale work.

The Oyster Recovery Partnership is proud to lead the oyster restoration efforts in Maryland's portion of the Chesapeake Bay. ORP helps design and implement large-scale restoration projects that maximize the ecosystem services that oysters provide.

In Maryland, ORP is on track to meet the '5 by 2025' goal, restoring billions of oysters to Bay waters! Since 1998, ORP has planted more than 9 billion juvenile oysters on 3,000 acres of permanently restored sanctuaries, areas protected by state law and where harvesting cannot occur. Sanctuary reefs have the best chance of forming the natural, three-dimensional structures that provide habitat for Chesapeake Bay marine life and ecosystem services such as water quality improvement.

The restoration process is complex and relies on the work of our partners who supply oyster larvae, identify areas that will sustain successful reefs, and monitor reefs after construction. Click for more information on the restoration process and projects:

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Oyster Restoration - Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP)

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Oyster restoration is critical to improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay. ORP is working to restore oyster reefs in five locations - learn more.

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What are the recycling efforts and policies in Howard County Public Schools?

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The Howard County Public School System has partnered with Jenn-Kans Disposal for the pickup of trash and recyclables. Our goal is to continue to improve our recycling efforts every year. This year we will continue to focus our efforts in single-stream recycling. Single-stream recycling allows us to collect paper, cardboard, plastic, cans, and glass recyclables in one container.

Waste Management Recycle America (WMRA) is under contract with Howard County for the processing and marketing of recyclables. WMRA operates a state-of-the-art recyclables processing facility near Elkridge. The facility contains the necessary equipment to sort recyclables in preparation for sale to individual material markets.

All schools and offices have 6 yard metal containers, 95-gallon blue toters, and 32-gallon recycling containers for your recycling convenience. In addition we have 56-gallon containers for bottles/cans in all of the school stadiums.

If you have questions or concerns about our recycling services, please contact the Office of Custodial Services at 410-313-2595.

What we Recycle

Paper

Milk cartons and juice boxes

Newspapers and inserts

Magazines, catalogs and junk mail

Paperboard food and snack boxes

Office paper and envelopes (typing, tax, copy and letterhead)

Folders, three-ring or spiral notebooks

Paper bags

Telephone books

Shredded paper (Must be bagged in a see-through bag.)

Cans

Aluminum cans

Steel food and beverage cans

Aerosol cans (empty)

Aluminum foil

Aluminum pie and cake pans

Glass

Bottles and jars of any color

Plastic - bottles

Plastic - wide-mouth containers

Applesauce cups

Yogurt cups

Pudding cups

Margarine/butter tubs

Cottage cheese tubs

Sour cream tubs

Whipped topping tubs

Peanut butter jars

Mayonnaise jars

Preparation of Recyclables

Containers need to be emptied, but not rinsed.

Non-recyclable Items

Unfortunately we can no longer recycle plastic utensils. Their small size make it too difficult for the computer eye to detect them as they travel down the recycling belt.

Also, no styrofoam containers, napkins, tissues or paper towels are collected.

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The Howard County Public School System has partnered with Jenn-Kans Disposal for the pickup of trash and recyclables. Our goal is to continue to improve our recycling efforts every year. This year we will continue to focus our efforts in single-stream recycling. Single-stream recycling allows us to collect paper, cardboard, plastic, cans, and glass recyclables in one container.

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Test your recycling knowledge!

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Howard County challenges you to test your waste diversion knowledge and play our new sorting game. Do you "Know Before You Throw"? Sort materials correctly and win fun items to build your own digital park! www.howardcountymd.gov

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Howard County challenges you to test your waste diversion knowledge and play our new sorting game. Do you "Know Before You Throw"? Sort materials correctly and win fun items to build your own digital park! www.howardcountymd.gov

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A local solution to water pollution!

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Information about the Federal Act to preserve forests directly relating to watershed/water management.