Maryland Awards $6 Million in Trust Fund Grants to Local Pollution-Reduction Projects

Maryland has awarded $6 million in grants from the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund to help local communities and landowners reduce pollution to the Chesapeake Bay.

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley announced the recipients at the recent Chesapeake Executive Council meeting in Baltimore, noting that the appropriation is the trust fund’s highest to date.

The Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund was created in 2007 to accelerate Bay restoration by focusing financial resources on the most effective pollution control projects that help achieve the state’s two-year milestones.

“These dollars are targeted in areas and ways that science shows us will have the best results,” said Gov. O’Malley. “This process allows us to select those projects that will deliver the greatest possible benefits to the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.”

The recipients announced at the Executive Council meeting include:

• Baltimore City, the Parks and People Foundation and the Herring Run Watershed will receive $2.35 million for stormwater retrofits
• Howard County and the Columbia Association will receive $1.3 million for the Little Patuxent River
• Kent County and the Chester River Association will receive $520,000 for the Middle Chester River
• Queen Anne’s County, the Town of Centreville and the Corsica River Conservancy will receive $520,000 for the Corsica River
• Anne Arundel County will receive $480,000 for four projects on Cypress Creek
• Talbot County will receive $480,000 for the Tred Avon River
• Harford County will receive $370,000 for Wheel Creek

The projects will be funded for up to three years.

Trust fund grants were available to local governments and non-government organizations that demonstrated an ability to implement projects necessary to help achieve the two-year milestones for Bay restoration.

The first of the two-year milestones – short-term pollution-reduction goals set in 2009 – are scheduled to be met by December 2011. Under the milestones, the six Bay states and the District of Columbia will put actions into place to reduce a projected 15.8 million pounds of nitrogen and 1.1 million pounds of phosphorus.

The trust fund is generated through motor fuel taxes and car rental taxes in Maryland. When fully funded, it is expected to generate $50 million annually. This year’s budget sets aside a total of $20 million for the trust fund for the new fiscal year beginning in July.

Visit the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ website for more information about the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund.