Howard County Becomes 1st MD County To Earn AGZA Certification

SAVAGE, MD — Savage Park has received the first AGZA certification from The American Green Zone Alliance. Howard County is the first jurisdiction in the state of Maryland to be AGZA certified.

AGZA Certified Green Zones are a defined property or collection of properties on which routine landscape maintenance is performed with low-impact equipment and people-powered tools. AGZA Green Zone Certification establishes municipalities, academic institutions, school districts and private industry as models of low-impact land care for their communities, county leaders said at the news conference.

“Howard County has become a leader in the state and region through its fight against climate change,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball at a news conference. “Transformation starts locally, and through the county’s Climate Forward: Climate Action and Resiliency Plan that I launched in 2023, we are continuing to make progress towards our climate goals. The peaceful experience you enjoy while walking, playing or simply relaxing here at Savage Park is now even more serene – thanks to these electric hand-held tools.”

The county purchased battery-powered hedgers, leaf blowers and trimmers that will be used and stored at Savage Park, which was built in 1982. It contains 2.8 miles of interconnecting trails, including links to Patuxent Branch Trail. Within the park are five ball diamonds, two basketball courts, two horseshoe pits, a picnic pavilion, four lighted tennis courts, two volleyball courts, a restroom facility and a playground. The current playground opened in November 2021.

“This new equipment improves working conditions for our staff and takes significant steps towards Howard County reducing the negative impacts of gas-powered maintenance equipment on our environment,” said Nick Mooneyhan, director, Howard County Recreation and Parks. “This transition highlights our commitment to sustainability and enhancing the quality of life for our residents.”

In February 2024, 25 staff members from the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks were trained and certified as AGZA electric landscaping professionals. Training covered everything from operating, charging and maintaining battery-electric lawn and garden tools, to understanding safety protocols and developing new procedures for commercial use. They carefully tested equipment, selected the best fit for the county’s needs and ensured the proper infrastructure was in place to support this transition, county leaders shared.

"I want to congratulate Howard County for establishing the first AGZA Certified Green Zone in the great state of Maryland,” said Dan Mabe, CEO and president of AGZA. “Howard County has taken a lead by example approach based on the needs of county operations, their landscape maintenance workforce and the community."

In addition to a more than $8,500 cost savings on fuel and maintenance during the first five years that can be attributed to the transition to battery-operated equipment at Savage Park. That means that each year, the county will:

• Eliminate an estimated 570 pounds of toxic and carcinogenic emissions, including 43 pounds of ozone-forming exhaust;
• Remove 1,125 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions—the equivalent of what 23 mature trees absorb in a year; and
• Prevent potential spills of gas and oil that could seep into our soil and aquifers.