Clean Green Sustainable Baltimore County

Baltimore County is working hard to achieve its tree canopy goals in our rural areas and neighborhoods. Learn how you can participate in this effort by planting trees on your property, and possibly qualify for free reforestation projects.  

Tree-Mendous Maryland—Offers communities and residents resources for planting in residents' yards and on public lands like parks, public schools, community colleges, government facilities, rights-of-way and homeowner association open spaces.

You and your group can do a quick litter pickup and help your favorite local Baltimore County public school win the Team BCPS Clean Green 15 Litter Challenge and earn an environmental grant.

Join Baltimore County's Adopt-A-Road Program. Participating groups, who conduct at least four litter cleanups per year, will have their name posted on two road signs promoting their good work. 

Find more information on our Local Stream and Litter Cleanups page. 

Conserve Water —Learn how to conserve water to reduce stress on our natural resources and local infrastructure. You'll find tips on reducing water usage inside your home and for gardening, washing vehicles and maintaining swimming pools. 

Downspout Disconnection—Learn about this easy way for homeowners to keep stormwater from gushing into our streams.

Prevent flooding from clogged storm drain inlets—Avoid raking or blowing yard waste into roadways. Remove debris from neighborhood storm drain inlets to help prevent flooding, especially before heavy rain and snow events. Contact the Department of Public Works and Transportation Bureau of Highways to report clogged storm drain inlets. 

We all live in a watershed, and what we do on the land affects water quality in our streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. Storm runoff washes pollutants into storm drains that flow unfiltered into local waterways. Here are some good practices for a bay-friendly yard:

• Yard Materials
  • Keep your yard clippings out of storm drains and streams by grasscycling, leafcycling or composting. These practices benefit your soil by replenishing nitrogen and phosphorous and helping your yard retain water. From April through November, Baltimore County collects residential yard materials separately from trash, and composts them.
  • Direct your lawn mower discharge back into your yard, not into the street. This keeps nitrogen-rich clippings from washing into storm drains and polluting waterways.
  • When possible, perform yard work during dry weather and reserve chemical applications as a last resort. If using chemicals, only apply herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers in specified target areas and according to label instructions. Make sure to sweep up any chemical products and fertilizer from hard surfaces (sidewalks and driveways).
  • Handling your yard waste on-site:
    • prevents waterway pollution. Yard materials that enter streams, rivers, and bays are decomposed by bacteria, which depletes the oxygen in the water. Consequently, this lack of oxygen can cause fish kills. Simultaneously, yard materials are rich in the key nutrients of nitrogen and phosphorus. Too much of these nutrients can cause harmful algal blooms, which are unsightly but can also release toxins dangerous to aquatic organisms, human health, and our pets' health. Algal blooms often result in beach closures and recreational restrictions, leading to the loss of revenue for the tourism and recreation industry.
    • promotes healthy streambanks and shorelines. Keep streambanks free from yard waste, which can smother and kill healthy stream bank vegetation. During high stream flows, after heavy rain events, loose yard materials and dead vegetation will wash off the banks, leaving bare soil vulnerable to erosion.
    • extends landfill life. Yard trimmings improperly disposed of as trash take up space in landfills, and can release the greenhouse gas, methane, as they decompose.
    • keeps storm drains clear. Yard materials (clipped grass, pulled weeds, leaves and branches, and loose soil) can clog storm drains – which can cause costly and disruptive flooding of nearby homes, streets, businesses, utilities, parks and other infrastructure.
      • Report clogged storm drains. For clogged storm drains on County-maintained roads, contact DPWT Bureau of Utilities at 410-887-7415 or utilities@baltimorecountymd.gov. For state-maintained roads, contact the Maryland State Highways Administration. For private property, contact the property owner or management.
      • Report storm drain pollution. Anything that goes into a storm drain flows directly to a local stream, with no treatment or filtration. If you see evidence of dumping or pollutants in storm drains, please report it on our Report and Environmental Issue page so that a DEPS natural resource specialist can investigate the issue.
• Pet Waste—Scoop the poop every time to prevent bacteria and other pathogens from washing into our waterways. Take the pet waste pledge.
• Backyard Actions for a Cleaner Chesapeake Bay—You'll find helpful tips to contribute to a cleaner Chesapeake Bay from Maryland Department of Agriculture, including best practices to control erosion and rainwater runoff.
• Bay-Wise Program—Baltimore County’s Master Gardeners program shares resources to help homeowners design an environmentally friendly yard.

Check out the programs and volunteer opportunities available through Baltimore County's watershed associations.

Stream buffers are the vegetated areas directly beside our streams and rivers. They are critical to the health of our waterways. Healthy stream buffers:

• Filter stormwater runoff. During and after storms, rainwater picks up pollutants, such as bacteria from pet waste, sediment, and excess nutrients from grass clippings and fertilizer. Planted stream buffers can filter these pollutants, reducing the negative impact to our streams.
• Slow and reduce stormwater runoff. Trees and healthy vegetation intercept rainfall, letting it soak into the soil and recharge groundwater resources. One large tree can take up as much as 8,000 gallons of water per year. Stream buffers naturally slow the flow of stormwater runoff, moderating the damaging effects on streams.
• Shade and cool streams. The shade they provide keeps streams cool and helps maintain healthy temperatures in riparian habitats. Many fish species, including trout, can only survive in cold water.
• Prevent the loss of valuable property. Tree roots and plants stabilize streambanks,  protecting property by reducing erosion and  widening of streams. 

How to protect and enhance stream and shoreline buffers on your property:

• Less is more when it comes to yardwork.
  • Mow less by leaving a 50-foot buffer from the edge of your stream. This creates opportunities for pollinator habitat and cool, shaded streams.
  • Yard clippings are rich in nitrogen and phosphorous. Repurpose these clippings to enhance your soil health and control weeds. Avoid chemical applications; this saves you money and reduces excess nutrients from entering waterways. 

Find more helpful tips from Maryland Department of Agriculture, including best practices to control erosion and rainwater runoff. 


 

 Learn about Baltimore County's recycling and waste prevention programs and opportunities.

Food waste makes up an estimated 30 to 40 percent of the U.S. food supply, contributing 119 billion pounds to the waste stream. Consider these ways to reduce the amount of food you waste, such as:

• Meal planning app
• Eating “ugly” produce and cooking with scraps and leftovers.

Household Hazardous Waste— Learn about Baltimore County's programs for household hazardous waste disposal, recycling and reduction. 

• Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audit—Find low-cost solutions to help you waste less energy and water.
• Find a Renewable Energy Provider—Search for providers and compare rates.
• Learn about Baltimore County government's renewable energy policy and action strategies.
• Learn about electronic vehicles and find charging stations. 

• Maryland Energy Administration (MEA)—MEA offers grants, loans, rebates and tax incentives designed to help attain the state's goals in energy reduction, renewable energy, climate action and green jobs. MEA helps Maryland residents, businesses and nonprofits implement energy efficiency upgrades and install renewable energy systems.
• Septic System Upgrade Grants—Grants are available for septic system users to upgrade onsite systems with the Best Available Technology (BAT) for nitrogen removal. Apply online to see if you are eligible.

Estimate your carbon footprint —Use the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Household Carbon Footprint Calculator to calculate in three areas—waste, home energy and transportation.

NeighborSpace—Find out about potential opportunities to preserve your neighborhood's green spaces through easement protection.

View recreational water sampling results and water quality safety alerts and advisories from the Baltimore County Health Department. Learn about the long-term overall ecological health of local streams and waterways by viewing the Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability Water Quality Dashboard. 

Register as a Litter-Smart Business by pledging to keep your property litter free and inviting.

Add your business to the Maryland Green Registry today—A free, voluntary program that showcases sustainability efforts by local governments and businesses, the Green Registry offers resources to help organizations and businesses meet sustainability goals.