Maryland Proposes $25 Million for Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund

Maryland Gov. Martin O. Malley has proposed $25 million in fiscal year 2012 funding for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund. The funding would support projects to reduce polluted runoff to the Bay.

The Trust Fund was established in 2007 to provide a dedicated source of funding to accelerate Bay restoration. The Trust Fund focuses on projects that are the most cost-efficient and are targeted to areas where pollution reductions will be the most effective.

The Trust Fund supports critical efforts to significantly improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay, said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary John Griffin. Pending legislative approval, the on-the-ground fixes identified for funding in FY 2012 represent nearly a third of the overall annual nitrogen reduction needed from non-point sources.

The funding will support cover crop plantings on farms and tree plantings throughout the state. Additionally, the Trust Fund will direct $6.2 million to local communities to help clean up local streams and rivers.

• Prince George's County will receive $2.8 million for a large-scale restoration project on the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River.
• Howard County and the Columbia Association will receive $1.2 million for stormwater retrofits and forest buffer restoration in the Little Patuxent watershed.
• Baltimore County and the Herring Run Watershed Association will receive $640,000 for stormwater retrofits and forest buffer restoration in Back River.
• Harford County will receive $500,000 to construct four stormwater management projects in Wheel Creek.
• Anne Arundel County will receive $463,000 to construct and monitor an innovative sand seepage stream restoration in a Magothy River sub-watershed.
• The Sassafras River Association will receive $290,000 to install wetlands and pilot poultry manure incorporation within the watershed.
• The town of Centreville will receive $250,000 to manage stormwater at the local wastewater treatment plant in the Corsica River watershed.

The Trust Fund is funded through motor fuel tax and rental car tax in Maryland. Since 2008, the Trust Fund has allocated $38.4 million for projects that reduce polluted runoff. The 2012 funding is a 25 percent increase over 2011. When fully funded, the Trust Fund should generate $50 million every year.

Visit Maryland DNR's website to learn more about the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund.