Protecting natural areas
Restoring vibrant communities
Through smarter growth

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The States and the Stimulus:  120-Day Report on Stimulus Funding

June 29th marks the 120-day deadline for states to commit at least 50% of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s (ARRA) $26.6 billion in transportation funds. It is a good time to examine how states are using the money. This report reviews project choices to answer critical questions about states’ accountability to the taxpayers who are providing tens of billions of dollars for new transportation projects.  Download the report here.

American Academy of Pediatrics Issues Ground-Breaking Policy Statement

Today, the American Academy of Pediatrics adopted a ground-breaking policy statement on the link between how we build communities and the health of the children in those communities. Richard Jackson, Professor and Chair, Environmental Health Sciences UCLA School of Public Health, says:  "It is, to my knowledge, the first time a health organization has made such an authoritative and direct statement about the healthfulness or hazards of the design of communities that children grow up in."

You can read the full policy statement here.

Looking for books on Smart Growth, architecture, or green living?  Please visit our Amazon store and see what our staff, board members, and friends have recommended.  A portion of your purchase will go to 1000 Friends of Maryland.

Stories Worth Sharing What's Happening Publications
Creating accountability in smart growth laws
3/30/2009
Why have Maryland's smart growth laws failed to stop runaway development? Because they lack clear goals and accountability for how we will grow.

WYPR: Legislators Feud Over Preservation Money
4/7/2009
Kelly Carneal, director of Partners for Open Space, a non-profit group, said the Senate's move would leave about thirty million dollars for land preservation over the next two years a fourth of what otherwise would have been available.

To restore the Chesapeake, get tough on growth
5/14/2009
We won't have clean water and healthy streams and rivers without a tougher smart growth policy that curbs sprawl in favor of growth in established urban areas.

Maryland Environmental Trust Announces 2009 Land C
6/9/2009
The Maryland Environmental Trust (MET) presented two awards to individual conservation leaders during the 2009 Maryland Land Trust Alliance Conference at the Patuxent Research Refuge National Wildlife Visitor Center in Laurel recently.

Mass Transit Shortchanged, Despite High Marks
6/30/2009
Better roads and more capacity aren’t the only answer, and Maryland’s state and congressional leaders need to put more emphasis on — and more money toward — building communities and improved transit options going forward.

Md. gets pat on back for stimulus spending
6/30/2009
Maryland was one of 10 states and the District of Columbia that elected to spend 100 percent of the money they put toward road projects on preserving existing infrastructure rather than adding new capacity.

Help Protect Our Streams: Learn how to identify and report construction pollution!
Get the Dirt Out Workshops in May and June
-- click here for more information

 

 

Follow the Money: New Direction for Transportation
View the full transcript of 1000 Friends' April 2009 transportation forum featuring Mike Burke, John Porcari and Ilana Preuss

120-Day Stimulus Report from Smart Growth America
June 29th marks the 120-day deadline for states to commit at least 50% of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s (ARRA) $26.6 billion in transportation funds. Now is a good time to examine how states are using the money.
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