2023 Annual Report - Flipbook - Page 10
Re
s
Resiliency Reporting
ha
d,
In c
.
The Charles County Resilience Authority is a
nonprofit
government instrumentalit y operrle
sC
lan
ou n t y, M ary
ated for the public purpose of responding to the
impacts of climate change in communities across
Charles Count y.
of C
Charles County Government Annual Report • 2023
nce Autho
rity
ilie
The Resilience Authorit y prioritizes equit y-based projects to build
the resilience of overburdened and underser ved communities
through nature-based projects with multiple co-benefits, and our
goal is to turn climate change challenges into positive opportunities
to address environmental justice issues to create more equitable,
environmentally sustainable – and thus resilient – communities
in Charles Count y.
Recognizing that nature-based solutions are on the front lines of
climate resilience and environmental justice, this past year, the
Resilience Authority applied for and received
funding through count y, state, and federal
grants for Resilience Forward – RAYC Ahead.,
This funding will suppor t it s initiatives to
Reforest Charles Count y Public Schools and
design urban tree canopied pocket park s
and green stormwater solutions through its
Concrete to Green partnership with Charles
County government, and create the Resilience
Authorit y Youth Corps.
Additionally, the Resilience Authorit y has
par tnered with the Universit y of Mar yland
Center for Environmental Sciences for the
first ever Count y level Climate Adaptation
Report Card.
ESTABLISHMENT OF URBAN TREE
CANOPIES AT COUNTY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
FORMATION OF THE
RESILIENCE AUTHORITY
YOUTH CORPS OF
CHARLES COUNTY
Increasing temperat ures f rom climate
RESILIENCE
change affect everyone, and communities
The Resilience Authorit y and the
FORWARD
in urban heat islands (areas characterized
Student Conser vation Association
by more heat-absorbing buildings and
(thesca.org) have joined forces
pavements and fewer cool spaces with
to form the Resilience Authorit y
Climate resilience grounded
trees/greener y) are more likely to experiYouth Corps (RAYC). Through our
in environmental justice
ence heat-related illnesses and mortalit y,
“Resilience Forward – RAYC Ahead”
for everyone.
with related negative effects including poor
initiative, the Student Conser vation
air qualit y and a higher air conditioning cost
A s s o ci a t i o n , in c o o rd in a t i o n w i t h
burden. Multiple Charles County public schools
Charles Count y public schools, provides
are in urban heat islands. Well planned native tree
paid green job training and career developplanting and long-term maintenance of those trees build climate
ment for Charles County high school students
resilience by reducing imper vious surface, providing needed cooland young adults associated with monitoring, improving air qualit y and health outcomes, while advancing
ing and maintaining newly planted urban tree
carbon sequestration and stormwater management.
canopies in the count y’s urban heat islands.
RAYC AHEAD
In April of 2023, the Resilience
Authority held its inaugural Resilience
ARBOR DAY event at Thomas Stone
High School, and in October 2023, we
celebrated the 2023 Charles County
Resilience Authority FALL ARBOR DAY
at Westlake High School in Waldorf (pictured) to mark the 75th tree planted on
Charles County public school campuses
in urban heat islands.
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CharlesCount yMD.gov
