Governor O'Malley on a field trip with Maryland Congressman John P. Sarbanes.
This month, I am pleased to report that we have made great strides in our effort to protect the Chesapeake Bay, making progress both here in Maryland and at the federal level.
Last month, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and I agreed to reduce the 2008 harvest of female blue crabs by 34 percent this year, an important first step toward protecting and rebuilding our declining blue crab fishery. On May 22, the Maryland General Assembly's Administrative, Executive, Legislative Review Committee showed their strong support of this initiative when they voted to implement emergency regulations that will help us restore this iconic Maryland resource.
While we continue to protect our natural resources, we are also working hard to help relieve the potential short-term economic impact on our watermen. I have joined Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin in seeking a federal disaster declaration for the Chesapeake Bay blue crab. This would make our watermen eligible for federal emergency funding in addition to the $3 million in Maryland support that we made available during the past legislative session. Our goal is to use these funds as we work in partnership with our State's watermen to move forward on restoration work and diversified fishery ventures, while keeping our processing plants open and our citizens employed.
The new Farm Bill enacted by Congress this month provides even more good news for the entire Chesapeake Bay as well as for Maryland farmers and citizens who enjoy locally grown and raised foods. The Farm Bill will provide major funding for restoring our Bay and for local marketing, organic research and research into biofuels. By working together with leaders from around the Chesapeake and in our Congressional Delegation, we have made steady progress toward strengthening our family farms and businesses, protecting the environment and the health of our residents, and expanding opportunity for more people rather than fewer.
We are also working to swiftly implement the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund, and we will be providing additional details and progress updates on the BayStat website. We encourage you to visit the BayStat site to learn more about the actions we are taking and find out about ways to get involved as we work together to revitalize the Bay.
Working together as stewards of our environment, we can help to restore the beauty and health of the Chesapeake Bay, leaving our children and our grandchildren a cleaner, greener Maryland.
Sincerely,
and the environment 
New research shows that restoring urban streams can help reduce nitrogen pollution flowing into the Bay. Researchers at the 
Duron Paints & Wallcoverings, with corporate headquarters and primary manufacturing plant in Beltsville, Maryland, has been a member of Businesses for the Bay since 1998. The company focuses on pollution prevention 
reducing or eliminating pollution at the source rather than through control or treatment at the end of the process. In addition Duron produces paints that meet Green Seal and LEED requirements for use in green buildings.