Volume: 7 Issue: 1
The University of Maryland is currently preparing a Master Plan for the campus in College Park. This Master Plan is to guide their decisions pertaining to facilities for the next 10 to 15 years. As a result of intense public pressure on environmental issues over the past year, University officials are considering including an environmental component in the plan.
The University contracted with Biohabitats, an environmental consulting firm in Baltimore, to make recommendations for the Master Plan. The preliminary report from Biohabitats, with a “greenUM” theme, was delivered in April, and presented a strong picture of where the campus is environmentally, and where it should be going. The report defines a good overall framework for a sound long-term environmentally sensitive plan for this campus, including priorities for riparian buffers, wetlands, storm water management, and reduction of energy consumption. This is a major step forward for the University. The Eyes of Paint Branch has been an outspoken critic of the University's environmental record in the past, but we strongly support the recommendations in this preliminary report. The report is available at www.allaboutmike.com/greenum/.
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| Beautiful and serene Paint Branch near UMCP |
Now we need to convince University officials to include these environmental recommendations in the Master Plan. We urge all students, faculty, and community members who care about the environment to write letters and e-mails to University officials urging them to implement Biohabitats' recommendations. A simple letter, such as the example below, urging them to implement this plan, is all that is needed. It is also important to send copies of your letter to President Mote and Vice President Sturtz, since the provost will be leaving soon.
Clayton D. Mote, President
University of Maryland
Rm.1101, Main Administration Building
College Park, MD 20742-5025
dmote@deans.umd.edu
Charles F. Sturtz
Vice President for Administrative Affairs
University of Maryland
Rm.1132, Main Administration Building
College Park, MD 20742-5035
csturtz@accmail.umd.edu
geoffroy@deans.umd.edu
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Gregory L. Geoffroy Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost University of Maryland Rm.1119, Main Administration Building College Park, MD 20742-5031 Dear Provost Geoffroy, Thank you for making the environment a priority in the new Facilities Master Planning process. I hope you have had the opportunity to review the preliminary greenUM report from Biohabitats, which outlines a number of recommendations for improving the University's environmental performance. They can be summarized as follows:
Sincerely, XXXXX |