BayStat Chesapeake - Tracking Progress of Maryland's Most Precious Natural Resource

BayStat headquarters. The Governor meets monthly with State agencies to monitor progress on Bay health.

We are well into the 2008 legislative session, and working together, we have proposed new legislative measures to continue protecting and restoring our Chesapeake Bay. Using BayStat, we are developing a process for allocating Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund dollars in the most efficient and effective way possible. We have proposed legislation to strengthen our State's Critical Area law, and encourage transit-oriented development (see below). We are also working with members of the General Assembly to pass the Global Warming Solutions Act to help address global climate change and rising sea levels.

These new measures will build upon our legislative successes of last year. The Stormwater Management Act of 2007 will result in significant reductions in the runoff that carries pollution into our streams and the Bay. The Clean Cars Act will reduce pollution that reaches the Bay through the air, and we have joined 15 other states in filing suit to ensure the federal government allows us to enforce it. We are optimistic that our new oyster restoration law will help us revive this economically and ecologically critical species. And we are confident that the progress we made last year, along with new initiatives this year, will further enhance our ability to improve the health of our Bay.

I look forward to working with you and our legislators on these and other innovative Bay restoration efforts, and to keeping you informed of our shared progress. Signature of Governor O'Malley

About BayStat
Governor Martin O’Malley created BayStat by Executive Order in February, 2007 – a powerful new statewide tool designed to assess, coordinate and target Maryland’s Bay restoration programs, and to inform our citizens on progress.

Each month Governor O’Malley meets with his BayStat team -- the Secretaries of the Maryland Departments of Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources and Planning, scientists from the University of Maryland and other key staff -- to make sure our Bay restoration work is on track. These sessions provide a regular opportunity for the team to assess progress, evaluate what’s working and what’s not, and adapt our efforts accordingly.

BayStat allows Maryland state agencies us to work smarter…

coordinating efforts and programs
basing decisions on the best available science
targeting resources to get the biggest bang for the buck and
being more open and accountable to Maryland citizens

Benefits of BayStat
By coordinating efforts, targeting resources, embracing new technologies, engaging local governments, communicating with citizens and adapting activities when necessary, BayStat will help us achieve…

Cleaner water
Cleaner air
Connected open space for recreation
Sustainable agriculture
Healthier fish, animals and habitat
More involved and confident citizenry
More efficient & effective use of resources

“Working together, we are fusing science, innovation and responsibility to create a new beginning for Maryland’s beloved Chesapeake Bay. We know that our problems are manmade, and so too are their solutions.”
-- Martin O’Malley, Governor
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Martin O'Malley, Governor