Governor O'Malley at an off shore wind press conference last month.

While several important issues remain to be resolved during this last week of the General Assembly session, progress is being made on other matters important to the Chesapeake Bay.

 

The General Assembly has passed several bills that will improve enforcement of fishing laws in the Bay and increase penalties to deter those who would take oysters, striped bass or crabs illegally. As we saw when illegal striped bass gill nets were discovered earlier this year, poaching hurts both the honest watermen and the fishery resources that are the bounty of the Chesapeake Bay. The General Assembly has also expanded oyster aquaculture by allowing leasing of barren areas within oyster sanctuaries. This will increase opportunities for jobs and small businesses while increasing the number of oysters to filter the waters of the Bay. The legislation we proposed to streamline the aquaculture permitting process also appears to be moving toward final passage.

 

I am also encouraged by progress of legislation to modify lawn fertilizer sold in stores to reduce the excess nitrogen and phosphorus that washes off of lawns and into the Bay. Similar legislation is being considered in other states whose rivers drain into the Chesapeake Bay, and our joint action to reduce nutrient runoff from lawns and other grassy areas is an important addition to the efforts to restore the Bay.

 

Among the big issues remaining to be decided during the final days of this year's legislative session are funding for the Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund and Program Open Space, as well as the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act - which I proposed to bring us a local source of electricity, price stability, lowered greenhouse gas emissions and progress toward meeting our Renewable Energy Portfolio goals.

 

Earlier this year I highlighted the problems for the Bay caused by continuing construction of septic systems in new housing developments. Most septic systems treat some aspects of human waste but leave all the nitrogen dissolved in the water that seeps through the drain field into groundwater and eventually into the streams and rivers that feed the Bay. In the months ahead we need to collectively look at the combined impacts of growth patterns, septic systems and stormwater management and come together to design solutions that will work in Maryland to address these issues.

As always, thank you for your continued commitment in working with us to create a better future for our Bay and our children.