Green Plan Working Groups
The Steering Committee has established groups working on individual aspects of the Green Plan. Cheverly Residents are invited to contribute to their work. Contact the working group chairs to express your interest.
Finance
Chair vacant.
Mission:
To locate and secure sources of funds to finance the formulation
of the Cheverly Green Infrastructure Plan (CGIP).
Responsibilities:
Research financing options secured for similar initiatives by other towns.
Seek and respond to available grants or other such sources of outside
funding.
Land Use and the Built Environment
To investigate and inform Cheverly through the Cheverly Green Plan about opportunities, resources, and good practices in improving, maintaining and restoring the built environment and appropriate land use in harmony with the mission, goals and objectives of the Cheverly Green Infrastructure Plan.
Responsibilities:
Built Environment
Melanie Hartwig-Davis (hdsquared@verizon.net), Chair
1. Identify and assess existing regulations or agreements between/among County, Town and Private land owners.
2. Inventory existing building structures to assist in determining valuable attributes that might help prioritize the timing and size of potential projects.
3. Identify other groups (National, local, public and private) whose missions might assist (directly or indirectly) the CGP with our goals. i.e. LEED (Leaders in Energy and Environmental Design ) and historical groups.
4. Make recommendations concerning sustainable building practices. Consider possible regulations or agreements that might be needed to encourage or require building owners to participate in these practices.
Land Status and Land Use
Jeremy Coon (jeremycoon1@gmail.com), Chair; Hugh Guest, Sheila Salo
1. Research existing Town, County, State, Federal and private land management regulations, zoning and policies.
2. Inventory existing public, private and green space lands in and adjacent to the Town of Cheverly
a. prioritize based on timing and size of potential projects among other factors.
3. Identify potential local, regional and national partners that could assist the CGP with our land use goals and objectives
4. Research good practice for mechanisms that enable Cheverly to implement land use projects, ie. Stormwater utilities, land trust partnerships, agreements with local landowners (ie. PG Hospital, Industrial Park, etc)
Mapping and Data Analysis
RJ Eldridge (rj.eldridge@gmail.com), Chair
Purpose:
Maps provide visual representation of geographic information. This allows complex ideas and spatially related information to be conveyed efficiently. For the purposes of a Green Infrastructure Plan, maps may be used to convey the information regarding the following elements:
· Existing conditions (i.e. where do we have tree canopy)
· Soils types
· Property ownership
· Land use and zoning
· Location of existing buildings
· Roads, sidewalks, driveways and other impervious surfaces
· Classification under county’s current GI Plan
· Environmental features such as waterways and floodplains
· Terrain
· Priority areas for preservation
· Areas appropriate for (re)development
· Etc.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software allows spatially oriented databases to be displayed visually and analyzed in the same manner as a conventional quantitative database. For example, using GIS a user can quickly assess the amount of impervious cover in Cheverly or quantify the total acres within the flood plain (assuming the necessary base data is available).
Responsibilities:
The mapping group will be responsible for acquiring base GIS and orthophotographic information from various sources (MNCPPC). The mapping team will be responsible for conducting much of the numerical analysis of spatial data. The mapping team will also be responsible for developing maps displaying plan findings and recommendations.
Outreach and Education
Cynthia Robinson (crr@pipeline.com), Chair; Jeremy Coon, Melanie Hartwig-Davis, Leila Price, Sheila Salo, Dan Smith
Mission:
To inform and educate Cheverly residents and other stakeholders about the creation of a Cheverly Green Infrastructure Plan, including the benefits and opportunities of a plan for the town and surrounding areas, and to foster active input and participation in the development of the plan and future implementation.
Responsibilities:
Manage comprehensive and timely promotion of CGIP activities throughout Cheverly and surrounding communities; plan and implement educational activities and community forums to educate and engage stakeholders and solicit input for the final plan. Tasks include soliciting info from other committees; developing and maintaining comprehensive stakeholder contact lists; arranging educational sessions and community forums; writing, producing and distributing news and updates; posting calendar announcements of community education and input events on local listservs, the Cheverly town newsletter, and in community papers and organization newsletters (churches, garden club, Anacostia Watershed Society, etc.); writing occasional press releases/feature articles on the CGIP activities and outputs.
Science
Matt T Salo (mtsalo1@gmail.com), Chair; Marian Dombroski, Skee Jones, Charisa Morris, Warren Steiner, Jil M Swearingen
Purpose:
The purpose of the Science Committee is to ensure that the best, most accurate and up-to-date scientific knowledge and methods are used to guide the implementation and the continuing development of the Cheverly Green Infrastructure Plan. As the results of our abuse of our environments mount and become more glaring each day we are reminded that Nature is unforgiving and that we cannot continue to go against the laws of nature without incurring penalties. We must adapt to and work in harmony with natural laws in order to achieve a sustainable relationship with our environment that will protect our future along with the environment.
Constitution:
The Science Committee will consist of experts from the various fields of environmental sciences concerned with soils, microorganisms, plant and animal life, our watershed, atmosphere, etc., all informed by and integrated into a coherent framework by the more encompassing science of ecology.
Responsibilities:
The Science Committee will provide a comprehensive and integrated foundation to guide the implementation of the Green Infrastructure Plan so it can continue to evolve and adapt to new needs and challenges in the future. The committee members will act in an advisory, evaluative and educational capacity. They will keep abreast with the latest information about their areas of expertise and provide input to the Steering Committee on issues where their knowledge is relevant to decisions to be taken. From time to time they may give presentations to the Steering Committee, or the Cheverly Town council and the general public on how the subject matter of their areas of specializations is related to the goals of the Green Infrastructure Plan. They may evaluate or comment on suggested courses of action or bring new issues to the attention of the Steering committee and its working groups.
Stormwater Issues
Michael Giese (mg9588a@msn.com), Chair
Tree Canopy
Nathan McElroy (mcelroyarborist@yahoo.com), Chair; Steve Casper, Michael Giese, Andrea Leal
Mission:
Provide information about the composition of Cheverly’s Tree Canopy and make recommendations to maintain and enhance it.
Responsibilities:
The town of Cheverly Tree Ordinance states that the “Tree Commission” shall:
(1) Prepare an annual report of the condition of the urban forest;
(2) Oversee the preparation of the master tree plan described in this chapter;
(3) Notify the mayor and council of significant events related to the urban forest;
(4) Recommend as needed, changes in law or other actions the mayor and council may wish to take to protect and promote the urban forest of the town;
(5) Initiate recommendations to seek available funding to support the town tree program; and
(6) Perform any other related duties assigned by the mayor and council by ordinance or resolution.
(7) Be responsible for producing and maintaining a list of the kinds and species of trees suitable and desirable for planting in the town and the areas and conditions under which such trees should be planted. This list shall be known as the "master tree list."
(8) Education. The tree commission shall attempt to provide education on tree planting and maintenance, disease control and other measures to ensure the health of the urban forest, without liability, to the residents of the town and make recommendations to the mayor and council on using donations to the town for planting trees.
The Cheverly Green Infrastructure Plan (GIP) will address some of the most pressing of these issues.