Dear Neighbors,

Will you help us raise $10,000 for legal defense?

We are Accokeek residents facing a David-and-Goliath battle against developers who want to destroy 16.9 acres of mature forest for 300 apartment units in an area that is improperly zoned.

The proposed Signature Club East development blatantly violates Maryland's Forest Conservation Act and County woodland preservation requirements, but these developers count on us not having the legal resources to stop them.

This isn't just about our neighborhood—it's about whether environmental laws mean anything when profits are at stake. If we allow this illegal development to proceed, we set a dangerous precedent that developers can ignore environmental protections.

The destruction would eliminate irreplaceable forest that absorbs 33.8 tons of CO2 annually and 456K gallons of stormwater, putting surrounding homes at greater flooding risk. It directly contradicts our County's own Climate Action Plan while adding countless cars to Highway 210, one of Maryland's deadliest roads, with no public transit available.

Accokeek has ONE school. This development will push our already overcrowded school further beyond capacity, and taxpayers will bear the infrastructure costs while developers profit from cutting legal corners.

We've invested countless hours studying regulations and organizing, but now we need financial support for the legal battle ahead. Expert witnesses, environmental studies, and specialized attorneys are expensive, but essential to hold these developers accountable for following the law.

Your donation, no matter the size, helps level the playing field against developers with unlimited resources and teams of lawyers.

When communities successfully challenge illegal developments, we protect everyone from similar violations.

We can prove that residents united in defense of environmental law and public safety can prevail against developers who put profits over people and planet—but we can't do it without your help.

Please stand with us. Together, we can ensure environmental laws aren't just words on paper.