Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is to enhance the quality of life in our community by protecting and improving Montgomery County's air, water, and land in a sustainable, innovative, inclusive, and industry-leading way while fostering smart growth, a thriving more sustainable economy, and healthy communities.

Budget Overview

The total recommended FY27 Operating Budget for the Department of Environmental Protection is $45,764,034, a decrease of $3,452,792 or 7.02 percent from the FY26 Approved Budget of $49,216,826. Personnel Costs comprise 36.03 percent of the budget for 129 full-time position(s) and one part-time position(s), and a total of 104.40 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 63.97 percent of the FY27 budget.

The debt service for the Water Quality Protection Fund is appropriated in the Debt Service Fund and is, therefore, not displayed in this section. To pay for the debt service, a transfer of funds from the Water Quality Protection Fund to the Debt Service Fund is required for Water Quality Protection Bonds and long-term financing offered by the State of Maryland.

In addition, this department's Capital Improvements Program (CIP) requires Current Revenue funding.

County Priority Outcomes

While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following are emphasized:

• A Greener County
• Effective, Sustainable Government

Program Performance Measures

Performance measures for this department are included below (where applicable), with multi-program measures displayed at the front of this section and program-specific measures shown with the relevant program. The FY26 estimates reflect funding based on the FY26 approved budget. The FY27 and FY28 figures are performance targets based on the FY27 recommended budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY28.

Innovations and Productivity Improvements

• Issued electric leaf blower rebates and educated the public on the leaf blower electrification law. In 2025, DEP expanded dealer participation, offering flexible funding and streamlining rebates. The department conducted in-person outreach to landscapers in English and Spanish, and public messaging reached millions of impressions.
• Celebrated the 10th anniversary Tree Montgomery, which has planted thousands of shade trees across thousands of properties, including public schools, with a high survival rate. These trees will help remove air pollutants, manage stormwater, and save in energy costs. The program also secured its fourth Chesapeake Bay Trust Urban Trees grant, which provides funds to plant trees in under-served urban areas.
• Developed the inaugural Healthy, Efficient, Electrified, Climate-Adapted Pilot (HEECAP) low-and-moderate-income (LMI) Homes Grant Program. Now its second year, this program distributes grants in the current term to organizations that implement electrification, climate resilience, and pre-weatherization repair projects for low- and moderate-income residents. The goal is to holistically upgrade homes for better efficiency, lower bills, and less environmental and climate harm.
• Completed award agreements with the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) and the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) to build EV charging stations throughout the County. Funding from MEA and MDOT will support the installation of Level 2 and DC Fast Charging infrastructure at County-owned and non-County locations, including parking garages, park-and-ride lots, libraries, and community centers.

Program Descriptions

  Watershed Restoration

The Watershed Restoration Division leads the County's efforts to improve stream health and water quality through the targeted planning, design, construction, inspection, and maintenance of best management practices (BMP) built to manage stormwater runoff. The Watershed Restoration division supports watershed-based monitoring and reporting to achieve County stream protection goals (Montgomery...

  Energy, Climate, and Compliance

The Energy, Climate, and Compliance Division develops and implements policies and programs focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing the resilience of the County in the face of a changing climate, and enforces County laws and regulations related to air and water pollution, illegal dumping, noise control, the bag...

  Administration

The Strategic and Administrative Services (SAS) Division provides essential support to ensure the department operates efficiently, transparently, and strategically. SAS oversees Fiscal Management, including budget and financial planning, debt management, payroll, accounts receivable and payable, fixed assets, internal controls, compliance, and financial reporting. These functions ensure accountability and sound stewardship...