Resilience to the Changing Climate

1. Clean Water Act: National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System

With changing weather patterns resulting from climate change, the Washington, D.C. area is experiencing warmer weather than years past and more intense storm events. The resulting flow of stormwater may result in flooding, erosion and negatively affect surface water quality.  

The University of Maryland-College Park (UMD) undertakes extensive measures to manage stormwater and part of that effort is within a regulatory program that aims to manage discharges from “Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems” (MS4). The MS4 permit requires that UMD implement the following Minimum Control Measures (MCMs):

• Personnel Education and Outreach
• Public Involvement and Participation
• Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
• Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control
• Post Construction Management
• Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping

2. Occupational Safety and Health Administration: Standards for Employers

The University of Maryland Heat Safety Program was developed to provide workers and their supervisors with the training and tools to help protect themselves from heat-related illnesses.

The program was prepared using criteria provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH).

Although currently there is not a specific OSHA standard for heat stress, employees are protected under the General Duty Clause. Additionally, MOSH Heat Stress Illness Prevention criteria, as well as guidance provided by OSHA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) were included in the development of this program.

1. Best Management Practices (BMPs) are used on campus to mitigate polluted stormwater runoff entering waterways. Increasing pervious surfaces through the installation of rain gardens/bioretention cells, green roofs, and permeable pavement allows stormwater to percolate downwards into the soil, where it is naturally filtered before entering Campus Creek. 
2. Composting and Waste Minimization is an important component of reducing UMD's footprint by diverting as much waste as possible across campus with compost, recycle, and landfill waste bins throughout campus. In the 2024 Campus Race to Zero Waste, UMD placed 2nd in the Diversion category, representing the commitment towards reducing waste generation through behavior modification. 
3. Green Buildings take into account site sustainability, energy, water conservation, indoor environmental quality, and materials. There are currently 22 LEED-certified Silver or higher buildings on UMD's campus, and 1005 of new development is carbon neutral. 
4. Green Cleaning practices in academic buildings and residential dorms strive to minimize the negative impact of cleaning on the environment and human health through use of Green Seal certified products, more energy efficient equipment, and more durable cleaning materials that need to be replaced less often. 
5. Tree cover on campus aids in temperature regulation, provides habitat for wildlife and enhances the wellbeing of the community. In addition to replacing any trees lost to damage or age, the arboretum plants 100 new trees on campus per year. In addition, 91 acres of forested areas on campus have been designated as forest conservation areas, representing official permanent protection and preservation of natural land.

1. Baltimore Avenue Connected Communities Roundtable is an initiative of the Smart Cities Initiative (SCI) run collaboratively since 2017 by the National Center for Smart Growth (NCSG) and the College of Information Studies (iSchool). SCI's purpose is to serve as an institutional framework for research, education, and engagement in smart cities and urban analytics. This initiative focuses on applying smart cities technologies to critical community needs and opportunities in the greater College Park region, including Public Safety and Health, Smart Mobility, Environmental Sustainability, Digital Equity, and Economic Innovation.
2. The Eastern Ecological Center performs research to inform natural resource decisions that preserve and enhance our quality of life. Science performed at the center includes measuring, modeling, and predicting the response of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise in the Chesapeake bay region and using pollinator DNA to assess the ecological resilience of grasslands.
3. Good Neighbor Day is a collaborative partnership between the University of Maryland, the City of College Park, and The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). It is an annual day of service each October and one of the service themes is Sustainability Initiatives, including stormwater drain painting, waterway cleanups, and raingarden installation.
4. The Environmental Finance Center in the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation is part of a national network that aims to assist public and private sectors through training, direct professional assistance, production of durable resources, and innovative policy ideas. EFC supports local climate mitigation and adaptation efforts by partnering with communities as they undertake comprehensive resilience planning, integrate climate considerations into their existing planning processes and programs, or pursue standalone resilience activities. In particular, EFC works to advance the understanding and implementation of effective resilience financing methods.