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April 24, 2026
Local government leaders from Prince George’s County, MD, participating in a Wandering Waterways tour in 2025.
For over 25 years, the Alliance has been engaging and empowering local government officials to implement conservation actions that protect and restore their local waterways. The Local Government Initiative Team works to facilitate the flow of information across levels of government and expand the knowledge and capacity of local leaders on topics related to the health and restoration of the watershed.
Through local government engagement opportunities, like our Wandering Waterways tour series and Local Government Roundtables, the Local Government Initiative team (LGIT) brings local leaders together to share their needs and priorities and connect with other officials. Throughout these engagements, local leaders gain access to the resources and data that can support them in addressing challenges facing their communities.. These efforts are complemented by the Alliance’s staff support for the Local Government Leadership Workgroup (LGLW) which builds local leaders’ knowledge and capacity through education and training, and the Local Government Advisory Committee which facilitates dialogue and feedback from local leaders so their voices can be heard by state and federal decision makers
In 2023, LGAC recommended to the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Executive Council that they amplify support for local governments to meet the goals of the Watershed Agreement. The LGLW took it a step further and, through Goal Implementation Team Funding, worked with the Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC) to complete a Technical Assistance (TA) Inventory and Gap Analysis. The inventory and gap analysis aims to help provide recommendations to CBP decision makers about how to best allocate resources to support local governments accessing technical assistance. Findings show that while TA exists, there is a limited capacity for the amount of time entities can provide, especially to the smallest and most under-resourced local governments.
To fill this gap, the Alliance added a critical “third leg” to the stool of its Local Government Initiative in the form of direct technical assistance. This new facet, the Green Infrastructure Technical Assistance for Towns (GI TAFT), directly supports local governments, focusing on small towns, in their efforts to protect local waterways and meet local priorities.
The GI TAFT project provides no-cost planning, design, and implementation support for green infrastructure best management practices (GSI BMPs) to address stormwater runoff, reduce flooding and erosion, and improve public spaces. Participating towns receive virtual consultations and in-person site visits to identify key issues and learn about town priorities. A desktop analysis harnesses the expertise of the Alliance’s Green Infrastructure team to develop site-specific recommendations to utilize GSI BMPs to address identified issues. Recommendations are synthesized into an “Action Plan” which can support the town in funding acquisition and public engagement. Work doesn’t stop there as the Alliance shares the recommendations with local decision-makers and stands at the ready to support implementation if the town decides to move forward.
While still new, the GI TAFT project has seen amazing results in supporting towns in tackling environmental issues and moving them from the sidelines and onto the playing field. Below are a few case studies from the initial cohort.
Town leadership enrolled in the 2024 Wandering Delmarva’s Waterways Peer to Peer Tour and were exposed to the local government services provided to smaller, under-resourced, and primarily rural communities by the Alliance. Through continued engagement and additional offerings, the Town Council and President joined the pilot year of the Technical Assistance Program on Delmarva. Upon completion of their Green Infrastructure Action Plan, they are now motivated to work with a local land preservation organization to install meadow and conservation landscaping at a waterfront park in town. This grant program is a great first step in implementing the numerous opportunities outlined for the town to improve their impacts on the Manokin River and the Chesapeake Bay, while reducing mowing and maintenance costs.
Princess Anne Town Council with Alliance Staff (Left to right: Commissioner Joseph Gardner, Vice President Marion “Mickey” Polk, Commissioner Zelma E. Hayward, James “Jay” Prouse is the Town Manager, Tom Leigh (Alliance)
Town leadership responded to a visit to the Town office, offering no-cost Technical Assistance to address resource concerns within the jurisdiction. The Town Manager suggested that the Alliance engage with a small group of volunteers who were leading an effort to improve the conditions at a local park. As a result of consulting with town residents and elected officials, Parksley Town Park was the subject of a grant application submission to fund the development of a concept plan that aims to outline the community’s input for park amenities and incorporates stormwater practices throughout the property. Parksley hopes to seek additional funding opportunities to design and implement the community’s vision, and construct stormwater treatment opportunities to protect downstream resources and improve local water quality.
During a local government roundtable, Libby Clark, Town Manager of Mt. Crawford, highlighted the critical importance of technical assistance for smaller municipalities. With a population of less than 500 residents and only two full-time staff, she emphasized that technical assistance is essential for securing funding and successfully implementing water resource projects.
With that information, Mt. Crawford was our first call once the program was established and they agreed to serve as the first municipality in the cohort! The Alliance focused its efforts on a newly constructed public access point to the North River, an important community asset experiencing erosion, jeopardizing the integrity of the trail. The Alliance contracted with a local engineering firm to develop a solution to reduce runoff and partnered with the VA Department of Forestry to recommend a planting plan to mitigate erosion, and developed strategies to combine this work with the neighboring park that the town is currently constructing. To move the Action Plan towards implementation, the Alliance submitted a funding application to Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Mid-Atlantic Community Forestry Fund to secure financial resources for a tree planting at the boat launch and future park.
Mt. Crawford Staff and Officials with local partners. (From left to right: Christina Bonini (Alliance), Neal Friedman (Alliance), Stuart Baker (Dept. of Forestry), Libby Clark (Town Manager, Treasurer/Clerk), Craig George (Valley Engineering), Neal Dillard (Mayor), Royce Hylton (Zoning Administrator).
Local governments are key to the success of Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration. As the bridge between regional initiatives and on-the-ground action, local governments deserve recognition and support to make the most informed decisions and take effective action.
Thank you to our funders, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Trust, and the Maryland Department of the Environment, for making this work possible. Thank you to the Delaware League of Local Governments (DLLG), Maryland Municipal League (MML), and Virginia Municipal League (VML), whose partnerships enable the Alliance to systematically and strategically deliver technical assistance to towns throughout the watershed.
Is your town interested in participating in the program, or have questions? Email GITowns@allianceforthebay.org.
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