BayStat...Monitoring Bay Health Progress.

   Your link to the Chesapeake Bay July 2009   
IN THIS ISSUE
Governor Launches Maryland Green Registry
$12 Million in Cover Crop Funds Available
EPA Awards Maryland Funding for Clean Water Projects
Maryland Partners with Mid-Atlantic States to Protect Ocean
Report Card Highlights Coastal Bays Health
11 Organizations Join In Marylanders Grow Oysters
Department of Planning Releases Smart Growth Report
What Can I Do?
 
You can help the Bay! 
HELP IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF THE BAY WITH THESE 10 SIMPLE STEPS:
 
RECYCLE. The average American discards 1.5 TONS of garbage a year. Recycle just one aluminum can and save enough energy to power a TV for 3 hours. Recycle half of everything you throw out and... well, you do the math.

PICK UP AFTER YOUR PET. You wouldn't bathe with it. Why swim with it (or eat fish that do)?

DRIVE LESS.  Carpool. Combine Trips. Use public transit. Stay at home and read a good book.

USE LESS WATER.  Turn it off while brushing. Run only full loads of dishes and clothes. Cut your shower time by five minutes, save 10 to 12 gallons of water and get that "5 more minutes" of sleep you've always wanted!

CONSERVE ENERGY.  Use low energy light bulbs. Turn off or unplug appliances not in use. Install an adjustable thermostat. Then, kick back and watch your savings pile up. (An average family spends $1,900 a year on energy bills!)

DISPOSE OF CHEMICALS PROPERLY.  Motor oil. Paint. Cleaning Fluids. Ugh! Find out how at your local government website.

EAT FOODS GROWN LOCALLY.  Feed your family healthier, better tasting food, support local farmers, and reduce pollution from transport -- most foods travel 1,300 miles before arriving on our plates.

FREQUENT A CARWASH.  Your driveway is a first class, non-stop ticket to the Bay for dirt, soap and chemicals.

BE PICKY ABOUT PAPER.   Use recycled or unbleached paper products.  Better for the Bay, better for your family, not to mention all those trees! Speaking of which...

PLANT A TREE. Clean the air. Cool the earth (and your home). Provide habitat for wildlife.  Get a $25 coupon and register the trees you plant online.
Bay Fact
 
DNR does continuous monitoring of our waters throughout the Bay.
DNR performs continuous monitoring at many locations throughout the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Get real time information for your area with Eyes on the Bay.
More News 
Quick Links
From the desk of...
Martin O'Malley, Governor of Maryland
 
Governor O'Malley gives a tour of the interactive BayStat website. 
On Tuesday, nearly 100 local leaders from across our State joined us at our June BayStat meeting. We held the open meeting at the Maryland Municipal League's annual summer conference in Ocean City to provide attendees with an in-depth look at BayStat, and to encourage their involvement in Bay restoration efforts.
 
At the meeting, I conducted a tour of our BayStat website, and we talked about our new 2-year milestones and the impact they will have on our long term restoration goals.  Holding ourselves (and not some future group of policy makers) accountable is helping in our efforts to make our government work. And nowhere is the value of performance-based governance more evident than in our efforts to restore and protect our State's waterways.

We also discussed a variety of other topics - including the tipping point we're seeing in some tributaries, and the vital roles of local government and citizens in changing the course for our Bay.  Our guests were receptive to our discussion, and the open forum at the end of the session was tremendously informative, both for our guests and for our team. 

As we accelerate our efforts to reach our current nutrient reduction goals by 2020, every local government, every business and every citizen will have a significant role to play. Working together as One Maryland, we are creating a smarter, greener future for all Maryland families and for the Chesapeake Bay. 
 
Sincerely,

Governor Martin O'Malley's signature 
Maryland Government at Work for the Bay

 
Governor O'Malley launches Maryland Green Registry. 
Governor Launches Maryland Green Registry
On June 23 Governor O'Malley launched the Maryland Green Registry, a new voluntary program to promote and recognize sustainable "greening" efforts by organizations of all types and sizes within the state.   Membership is free and encourages businesses, churches, schools, governments, and other organizations to share information on the practices they have in place to reduce the environmental impact of their facilities and services. Become a member.
$12 Million in Cover Crop Funds are available.$12 Million in Cover Crop Funds Available for 2009-10
Following up on his pledge to accelerate the Chesapeake Bay cleanup, Governor Martin O'Malley has committed approximately $12 million in cost-share funds to farmers who plant cover crops on their fields this fall to reduce nutrient runoff, control soil erosion and protect water quality in the Bay and its tributaries.  Enrollment for the statewide program is taking place from June 22 through July 8, 2009 at local soil conservation district offices. 
EPA Awards Maryland Recovery Funds for Clean Water Projects
EPA awards funding for clean water projects.The Maryland Department of the Environment received $121.6 million through the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Programs.  ARRA funding will enable construction of water infrastructure projects to create jobs, protect public health, improve the environment, and help to clean up the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland waterways. For more information click here.  
Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean formed. 
Maryland Partners with Mid-Atlantic States to Protect Ocean
At an Ocean Summit in New York City in early June, the State of Maryland joined with the states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Virginia to announce a new Mid-Atlantic ocean partnership designed to address the region's priority ocean issues including offshore energy, climate change, water quality and habitat protection. The states' governors, through the newly formed Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean, will advocate in one voice to leverage greater state influence on the management of offshore areas and help guide federal and interstate actions and resources. Read more.
Report Card Highlights Maryland Coastal Bays Health 
Report Card Highlights Coastal Bays Health
A new report card from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science gives Maryland's Coastal Bays a C+ when it comes to ecosystem health. The report card, based on science originally developed to aid Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts, shows some parts of the Coastal Bays are doing better than others. More information is available online.
11 Organizations Join Marylanders Grow Oysters 11 Organizations join Marylanders Grow Oysters.Program
Maryland's citizen oyster growing program has invited 11 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to coordinate oyster growing efforts in their local tributaries in 2009. Launched by Governor Martin O'Malley in September 2008, Marylanders Grow Oysters fosters stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay among citizens, and creates living oyster reef populations in protected sanctuaries to help restore the iconic species.   Applications from interested NGOs are still being accepted - click here for more information.

Department of Planning Releases Smart Growth Report
Maryland Department of Planning Releases Reports.Highlighting statewide accomplishments toward Governor O'Malley's vision for Maryland as smart, green and growing, the Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) published both its 2008 Annual Report and the Maryland Smart Growth Sub-Cabinet's 2008 Report. The 2008 Annual Report summarizes the department's accomplishments over the past year to help improve the quality of life in Maryland, while protecting Maryland's precious, yet limited, land resources in every region of our State. The Smart Growth Sub-Cabinet's report, entitled "2008 Annual Report on the Implementation of the Smart Growth Areas Act," summarizes the budgetary commitments of State agencies in fulfillment of Maryland's premiere Smart Growth law. Read more.
Contact Info

Important: Please add [email protected] to your address book to make sure we don't get caught in your spam filter.

For comments and suggestions regarding this newsletter, please send an email to [email protected]