Updates from the Governor

March 3: Protecting Our Bay

 

Dear Friend,

We all recognize that the health of our Bay is at a critical crossroads. In its annual report last year, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation gave the health of the Bay a score of 28 out of 100. Over the last five years before that the average score was 27.

As One Maryland, we have a choice. We can continue with the status quo and hope that the health of the Bay begins to improve, or we can take action to strengthen our critical area laws and improve the health of our Bay.

Today, I joined with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and business, community, and environmental leaders to outline new initiatives to begin restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the need for a strengthened critical area law.

Last year, we came together to establish BayStat - to begin monitoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay in real time, and working with the General Assembly, we passed the Stormwater Management Act, the Clean Cars Act, and most recently, we passed the Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund to take our efforts to the next level.

But if last year's Four Seasons project on Kent Island - a project that would have put 1,350 houses right next to the Bay - tells us anything, it is that chronic over development in our Critical Areas on the Western and Eastern shore is one of the largest, continued threats to our watershed.

Updating and strengthening Maryland's critical areas law will ensure more adequate protection of the most environmentally sensitive and significant lands within Maryland's Chesapeake and Coastal Bays watersheds.

The protection of our tidal shorelines and habitats in Maryland is a shared responsibility, and I hope you will join with me in supporting this critical legislation to save our Bay.

Sincerely,

 

Martin O'Malley
Governor

 

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