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CBF Recognizes Governor O'Malley for Environmental Leadership

 

(left to right) CBF Trustees Chairman Keith Campbell, Gov. Martin O'Malley, CBF President Will Baker
 
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary John R. Griffin and CBF Maryland Executive Director Kim Coble converse at a reception for fisheries staff hosted by CBF.
In the same way the Bay is exhibiting some noteworthy signs—healthy underwater grasses and rebounding crab numbers—so Maryland government is making strides on environmental issues that also are worth noting.

To that end the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) on Friday, October 23, 2009, recognized Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley for his leadership on many Bay-related issues, honoring him at a meeting of the CBF Board of Trustees at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C.

CBF Trustees Chairman D. Keith Campbell presented O'Malley with an original Turner Sculpture "Osprey Bust" in recognition of the Governor's significant efforts: successfully pushing for a state global warming law, creating the BayStat monitoring program, fighting against the planned introduction of non-native oysters to the Bay, and other accomplishments.

"I am not going to tell you—nor would the Governor say—that the job is done," said CBF President William C. Baker.  "But I believe a new day may be dawning for the Chesapeake Bay, and Governor O'Malley's hard work and leadership have helped us get here."

As a special thank you to the O'Malley Administration for its management of various Bay fisheries, CBF also held a reception and award ceremony Thursday, October 22, at the Philip Merrill Environmental Center for the staff of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Service. John R. Griffin, secretary of the agency, told the gathering he and other political appointees may come and go, but the dedicated staff persevere sometimes for decades to establish and maintain successful programs.

In the fisheries area, Governor O'Malley, working with Virginia Governor Kaine, established strong crabbing rules in 2008 to address the significant decline in the Bay's blue crab population. As a result, the Bay-wide crab population showed strong improvement in last winter's survey. Again working with Governor Kaine, Governor O'Malley's administration played a key role in the decision to prohibit the introduction of Asian oysters in the Bay. In addition, the Governor has worked to restore the native oyster population and cut through the red tape that prevented the development of an oyster aquaculture industry in Maryland.

"Managing the Bay's population of blue crabs, oysters, striped bass, and other fish can be difficult due to many conflicting interests," said Kim Coble, Maryland Executive Director for CBF.  "But this Administration has demonstrated a commitment to science-based fishery management, to rising above controversy, and to increasing public participation in that management."

CBF also recognized O'Malley for:

  • BayStat: Through an Executive Order in 2007, the Governor created this rigorous accounting program for state agencies to ensure progress is being made in restoring the Bay. Recognizing the importance of coordination and frequent assessment of restoration efforts, the Obama administration incorporated the BayStat approach in the recent draft Executive Order reports on Federal Bay Restoration efforts in a program called ChesapeakeStat.
     
  • Two-year Milestones: The Governor went a step further than the other members of the Chesapeake Executive Council and committed to have all of the necessary implementation mechanisms for clean water in place by 2020, five years in front of the other watershed states, the District of Columbia and the federal government, which have committed to a 2025 deadline.
     
  • Global Warming Reduction Efforts: When the O'Malley Administration sponsored Maryland's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act it placed Maryland out in front of the efforts to curb global warming and helped put in place lasting environmental protections.  The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act requires the State to achieve a 25 percent reduction in statewide greenhouse gas emissions from 2006 levels by 2020.
     
  • Environmental Education/Children in Nature: The Governor has positioned Maryland as the nation's leader on environmental education. In 2008, the Governor issued an Executive Order creating the Partnership for Children in Nature. The Governor tasked the partnership with creating an environmental literacy plan for Maryland students, increasing opportunities for structured outdoor learning in state parks, and ensuring the environmental literacy of students that graduate from Maryland schools.

"The clock is ticking for the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, and we are fortunate to have Governor O'Malley's leadership at this critical time," said D. Keith Campbell, Chairman of CBF's Board of Trustees.

 Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Service staff with Secretary John Griffin R. Griffin (left). CBF gave two separate awards to agency administrators and to fisheries staff for a host of accomplishments.