Chesapeake Bay 2 Year Milestone Plan Overview
“At the 26th meeting of the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council, Governor Martin O’Malley announced ambitious two-year milestones to accelerate Maryland’s on-the-ground efforts to meet nutrient reduction goals by 2020. With last year’s acknowledgement that the Bay jurisdictions would not meet the long-term nutrient reduction deadline of 2010, the Executive Council committed to developing new shorter-term goals to accelerate progress and bolster accountability.
Governor O’Malley committed Maryland to reaching current nutrient reduction goals by 2020, five years earlier than the 2025 end date agreed to by the other jurisdictions. “While we respect the varied circumstances of our Bay partners, we feel strongly that in Maryland we need this stretch goal to maintain our own sense of urgency,” said Governor O’Malley.
Governor O’Malley and his team used the BayStat process to develop the first of the new two-year milestones, which will put Maryland on the pace necessary to meet our ultimate Bay Restoration goals by 2020. This first set of 2-Year Milestones will be completed by December 31, 2011, and will then be followed by subsequent 2-Year Milestones until we achieve our goals.
“We know, of course, that these ambitious plans will only be successful with the full commitment and involvement of our state agencies, county governments, municipalities, soil conservation districts, tributary teams, NGOS and our businesses and citizens,” said Governor O’Malley. “And to ensure these partners are fully engaged, we are bringing both technical and financial resources to them through new programming, including our Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund.”
Governor O’Malley and senior scientists have discussed two new strategies to accelerate Bay restoration in Maryland. Citing what scientists call a “tipping point” — a stage at which progress within a tributary can begin to promote self-healing — the Governor announced plans for a major new outreach effort to enlist local governments, businesses and citizens to take a more active role in restoring the health of Maryland’s waterways.
Specifics of the first set of 2-Year Milestones and monthly tracking of progress at achieving them can be viewed through the two links above. We invite to follow Maryland’s progress as we accelerate our restoration of Chesapeake Bay.”
Governor Martin O’Malley at the Executive Council Meeting on May 12, 2009
“For decades now, policy makers have set and reset restoration goals for 10 or more years into the future, all the while knowing that true progress lies in holding ourselves accountable for what we can do during our own political lifetimes. Over the past two and-a-half years, we have spent too much time debating — focusing on missed goals, bad report cards and lack of resources — and not enough time holding our own feet to the fire. This changes today, with two-year milestones that will demand a new level of accountability and set a new course for making real progress on the ground.”