Green Towson Alliance is writing to share that Dr. Carol Newill has stepped down from her role as a member of our Executive Committee after 11 years of dedicated service to the organization. Carol is a founding member who brought together neighborhood greening chairs in the greater Towson area to share ideas and experience. From the first gathering in her home, to an organization now comprising more than 170 members Carol consistently advocated for a greener, cleaner, more beautiful community. We want to thank Carol for her founding vision, dedication and significant impact. Her work […]
Continue readingBeth Miller
Letter from the GTA Executive Committee to the Baltimore County Council regarding the Jones Falls Sewershed
May 26, 2026Baltimore County Council 400 Washington AveTowson, MD 21204 Re: Bill 37-26, 2026 Basic Services Sewerage Map (BSSM) Dear Council Members: The purpose of this letter is to express our deep disappointment with both the timing and the substance of the letter dated May 4, 2026 submitted to you by the Office of Governmental Affairs in opposition to an amendment proposed by Councilman Patoka expanding the Area of Deficiency (AOD) within the Jones Falls sewershed. As for the timing, it appears that a copy of the letter was not made available to the public in […]
Continue readingWhere Do Our Storm Drains Lead?
Today I gathered the colorful fall leaves along the curb to put in my compost bin. Not only will I have black gold after the leaves decompose to rich soil, those leaves will also no longer be washed into our storm drains when it rains. It is illegal to rake or blow leaves into the street and this is why: The storm drains in our neighborhoods are piped to the nearest stream, then to the Herring Run, to Back River and ultimately to the Chesapeake Bay. Whatever goes into the storm drain goes into our […]
Continue readingFive questions for the 2022 Baltimore County Council Election Candidates
Question 1: Several Maryland counties have strengthened their laws regulating how the Maryland Forest Conservation Act of 1991 (FCA) is implemented. Provisions in the FCA were intended as a minimum, with each county responsible for developing implementation laws in their own county. In 2022, the Baltimore County Commission on Environmental Quality (CEQ), at the request of the County Council, created a report including recommendations on strengthening forest conservation in our county, but thus far no changes have been made. The 3-part CEQ report is attached below for your information. Do you favor legislating improvements to […]
Continue readingHow to Start a Tree Planting Program
Becoming your neighborhood tree steward can be a very rewarding experience. Increasing or preserving the tree canopy improves the health and beauty of your community. If you live in an older community, many of the established trees are nearing the end of their lives. With a typical 40 years to maturity, now is the time to plant the mature canopy of the future. PLANTING TREES Blue Water Baltimore (BWB) has established a community tree planting program for street and yard trees in the following watersheds: Jones Falls, Gwynn Falls, Baltimore Harbor and Herring Run. They […]
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