DR. MARCCUS HENDRICKS MAKES THE GRIST "50 FIXERS" LIST AND PUBLISHES ON LONG-TERM HOUSING RECOVERY
We here at EFC have the good fortune to work with Marccus Hendricks, an Assistant Professor at the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation – that is, when he has the time! He is an incredibly busy guy with a huge amount of energy and a multi-disciplinary perspective on working with communities on hazard mitigation, flooding and stormwater management. Since starting at the University of Maryland, he has initiated community-led projects through the Stormwater Infrastructure Resilience and Justice Lab in Baltimore and Washington, DC. And he is getting the recognition he deserves for his work, being recently named to the Grist List of 50 Fixers to watch in 2021. Check out the Grist List here and the SIJL here.

Hendricks was also recently published in the Journal of Planning Education and Research, with an article entitled "Modeling Long-Term Housing Recovery after Technological Disaster Using a Virtual Audit with Repeated Photography." This manuscript demonstrates the use of virtual auditing and repeat photography to enhance the knowledge base of disaster recovery at the parcel-level, and using that data to model long-term recovery trajectories for a community three years following an ammonium nitrate explosion similar to the Summer 2020 Beirut blast.

More information here.
NEW TOOL TO ANALYZE STORMWATER AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS AND BENEFITS
The Community-enabled Lifecycle Analysis of Stormwater Infrastructure Costs (CLASIC) tool is a new online resource that uses a life cycle cost framework to support feasibility and planning of stormwater infrastructure. It was designed to help stormwater professionals, community planners, and local decision makers understand and weigh the estimated costs, reductions in runoff and pollutant loads, and co-benefits of various planning scenarios as they consider various stormwater management projects. The tool is fully interfaced with GIS and links with national databases that can be applied at a community level. A four-year effort funded by the EPA National Priorities grants, EFC partnered with the Water Research Foundation, Colorado State University, Wichita State University, and the University of Utah to develop the tool.

A demo of the new CLASIC tool will be held on May 26 – register here. More information here, and access the web-based tool here.
SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND PROGRAM HOSTS LEADERSHIP TRAINING ON EQUITY
Sustainable Maryland hosted its annual Leadership Workshop in March on "Equitable Engagement in Local Government". More than 60 attendees from municipal, county and state government and non-profits attended this virtual program. Presenter Alexis Goggans of Be Bold Services kicked off the program with an overview of JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion). Local examples of equitable engagement in Maryland municipalities were provided by Kate Stewart, Mayor of Takoma Park; Dr. Derek Shackelford, Alderman in the City of Frederick; and Larry DiRe, Town Manager for Federalsburg, in a panel session moderated by Dr. Luisa Robles, Sustainability Coordinator in Greenbelt. Attendees also participated in breakout sessions that allowed for peer-to-peer sharing.

The JEDI overview session can be found here, and the panel session can be found here.
EFC's DR. JENNIFER EGAN LEADS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERSHIP
A growing body of evidence shows that green infrastructure—the tree canopies, parks and neighborhood gardens dotting our urban landscapes—can transform human mental and physical health. Often called urban forests, research shows they reduce respiratory diseases and urban temperatures, curb obesity and lower levels of depression and anxiety. What is less understood is how to translate these findings into the practice of planning healthier cities. Now, a partnership between UMD’s Environmental Finance Center (EFC), the American Planning Association (APA) and the University of Washington School of Environmental and Forest Sciences will offer guidance for planners, healthcare organizations and policymakers on the spatial characteristics of urban forests and other green spaces that can maximize community health benefits.
THANK YOU TO SHAYNE AND AMANDA!
Many thanks to Shayne Piltz and Amanda Bai, who will be concluding their work at EFC this spring.

Shayne is graduating in May with a dual masters degree in Architecture and City Planning. Over the last three years Shayne was involved in a wide variety of EFC projects, including the development of stormwater action plans for communities in Montgomery County, the analysis of the Anacostia watershed litter monitoring program and survey data, and the development of funding and financing strategies for the Elizabeth River Watershed Action Plan. Her skills developing maps, designing report layouts, as a researcher, and assisting with field work have been invaluable to the EFC team. We have truly enjoyed working with her and wish her the best of luck as she moves on to the next exciting phase of her journey!
Amanda is leaving EFC after a year of serving as a Chesapeake Conservation Corps volunteer. During her time with EFC, she worked on projects for the Sustainable Maryland program, including developing greenhouse gas emissions inventories for several towns and developing the 2020 Annual Report. She also managed the MOST Center's social media presence, provided support services to the Prince George’s County Department of Environment in their effort to develop and adopt a Climate Action Plan, and supported this year's Festival del Rio Anacostia. Before her year of service ends, Amanda will develop maintenance plans for residential stormwater management projects that will be installed in multiple communities in Fall 2021 and Spring 2022. We will miss her, appreciate her hard work over the past year, and wish her the best on all of her future endeavors!
FOLLOW EFC ON SOCIAL MEDIA
You can follow EFC and some of our programs on social media: EFC is on Twitter @EFCUMD, Sustainable Maryland is on Facebook, and the Municipal Online Stormwater Center (MOST) is on Twitter @TheMOSTCenter
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