Maryland Senate Restores Money Cut From Bay Cleanup Fund....Program Open Space Looking Better

In this time of draconian budget cuts, I know a lot of you Bay Daily readers have been following this issue very closely.  So here is an update on proposed cuts to programs in Maryland that are vital to the health of the Chesapeake Bay:

Last night, the state Senate approved a $14.6 billion budget for the year starting July 1 that restores $3 million (or about 12 percent) that the state House had cut from the Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund. It's a four-year-old program that uses car rental taxes to pay for projects to reduce runoff pollution in urban and rural areas. The cleanup fund will receive $25 million next year, the same as budgeted this year (and half the amount intended by the original legislation).

The Senate (thankfully) did not include any permanent caps or long-term cuts in this bay cleanup fund, which is important for Maryland’s ability to meet new EPA pollution limits for the Chesapeake Bay.

Another initiative that has been at risk, called Program Open Space, also received some good news. The House Appropriations Committee followed Governor Martin O’Malley’s advice, and approved borrowing (bonds) to restore money for land preservation and recreation programs that had been transferred into the state general fund.  A proposal to effectively terminate Program Open Space appears to be dead.

The battle is not over yet, however.  Why?  On Monday, the state Senate is scheduled to make a decision about whether to approve borrowing (bonds) that will allow Program Open Space to be fully funded next fiscal year (starting on July 1). 

I hope our state Senators realize the environmental and health benefits of keeping Program Open Space alive and healthy. We all need our green spaces, and our children especially need quality recreation programs.

By Tom Pelton

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

 (Photo by Middleton Evans/Chesapeake Bay Program)

 

Comments

[CJ]

When state and local governments need to cut their budgets, parks and open spaces are often seen as non-essential, and as such, are easy targets for reductions in funding. The irony in this is that these places may actually be more valuable to the public in times like this. A family that can no longer afford a day at the amusement park can still afford to spend a day outdoors instead, fishing, swimming, or hiking. A family that can't afford a weekend in a hotel at the beach can still afford to go camping instead. Cutbacks come at a time when these places are needed most.