The Environmental Finance Center (EFC) at the University of Maryland, in partnership with the Low Impact Development Center, Inc., has launched the Municipal Online Stormwater Training (MOST) Center. MOST is a platform designed to enhance the stormwater education and training experience by providing innovative, easily accessible, online training and resources that engage and empower a variety of stakeholders to develop effective and affordable stormwater management programs.
With open enrollment and free content delivered in short, self-paced modules, the MOST Center has been created to bridge the gap in technical and financial stormwater management resources available to communities in the Chesapeake Bay region and beyond. MOST Center courses will draw upon the expertise of online learning specialists and subject matter experts to deliver content that is engaging, user-friendly and quality assured. Two introductory courses (Introduction to Local Government Stormwater Financing and The Building Blocks of an Effective Stormwater Management Program) are currently featured, and additional courses will be added each year.
“To advance local stormwater management efforts in the Chesapeake Bay, we must continue to offer training and resources to communities and local leaders in new, innovative ways,” says EFC Director Dan Nees. “The MOST Center aims to be a model for how stormwater training and education can be delivered.”
The MOST Center is made possible by a five-year Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The INSR grant program supports efforts within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to accelerate nutrient and sediment reductions with innovative, sustainable and cost-effective approaches.
The Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland works to equip communities with the knowledge, resources and leadership needed to empower decision-making that advances resource management priorities in an innovative and efficient way. Through direct technical assistance, capacity building and program and policy analysis, it strives to move communities towards a more sustainable and resilient future.
Potential partners interested in sharing their stormwater expertise and delivering training content in this new, dynamic platform should contact mostcenter@umd.edu for more information.
For information on MOST, contact Jenny Pascaran Beard, Communications Manager Environmental Finance Center, University of Maryland jpbeard@umd.edu, 310.210.2135.
VACo Contact: Larry Land, CAE