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 approved FY24 Operating Budget for the Department of Environmental Protection is $43,013,822, an increase of $4,454,274 or 11.55 percent from the FY23 Approved Budget of $38,559,548. Personnel Costs comprise 35.90 percent of the budget for 129 full-time position(s) and one part-time position(s), and a total of 133.49 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 64.10 percent of the FY24 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 of $10,716,140 for Water Quality Protection bonds is required in FY24.

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 FY23 estimates reflect funding based on the FY23 approved budget. The FY24 and FY25 figures are performance targets based on the FY24 approved budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY25.

Initiatives

• Expand the County's climate change efforts, including new positions to manage County-based grant and incentive programs and new operating support to advance Community Choice Energy. In addition, new funding is provided to enhance the Tree Montgomery program, and a new position is added to help manage the increased rate of tree plantings.
  
• Add new funding and a new position to identify and address illegal discharge of pollutants throughout the County. New positions are also added to reduce pollutant runoff from County properties and to expand monitoring efforts ensure the County's stormwater management structures are inspected and maintained.
  
• Partner with the United States Army Corps of Engineers to conduct flood risk management studies in four priority watersheds to provide the County with plans for reducing the risk of flooding to property owners and critical roadways. This study will occur under the Planning Assistance to States (PAS) program, which is designed to provide planning-level assistance to communities and partners for water resource related issues.
• Enter Phase II of the development of Watershed Assessments for the County to better understand changes over time to our watershed, determine current conditions, adapt our management strategies, and help clearly guide DEP and the County's actions moving forward to improve water quality and watershed health.

Innovations and Productivity Improvements

• Coordinate the efforts of Tree Montgomery Program and the Stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP) Inspection and Maintenance Program to identify BMPs on public and private properties where trees can be planted, enhancing the stormwater treatment function and habitat.

• Partner with the Federal Department of Homeland Security, Department of Transportation, and the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security to install flood sensors that will detect rising flood water levels during storm events and send early flood warnings to officials based on real-time monitoring

• Transition Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) geodata to the Maryland Department of the Environment-required MS4 geodatabase, which ensures that the County is compliant with the data submitted for the MS4 permit.

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, and other...

  Administration

The Office of the Director provides for overall management of departmental programs to ensure safe and efficient operations, including contract administration management for the department, continuity of operations, oversight of operational programs at the County's Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS), and communications and public engagement. The Office provides strategic...