Delivering Results

Record: Restoring the Bay

Rebuilding the Crab Population

Bringing Back the Native Oyster

Smart, Green, and Growing

Children in Nature

A Greener Future

Governor O’Malley Earns A- for Environmental Record

CBF Honors Governor O'Malley for His Leadership

Climate Action Network “Climate Hero Award”

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Rebuilding the Crab Population

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Protecting Our Environment

With his innovative BayStat program and efforts to restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay, Governor O’Malley has been recognized as a national leader in implementing effective environmental restoration policies.

Governor O’Malley fought for legislation to reduce storm water run-off into the Chesapeake Bay, and his policies have helped to reverse the decline in the Bay’s Blue Crab population. Today, the Blue Crab population is at a ten-year high in Maryland. Governor O’Malley has also implemented a plan to revitalize Maryland’s native oyster population.

Governor O’Malley fought to upgrade Maryland’s Critical Area laws and has fully-funded Program Open Space, leading to the preservation of 28,000 acres of critical land in Maryland.

While there is still more work to do, the Chesapeake Bay is the healthiest it’s been in years – receiving its highest grade since 2002 from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.

Governor O’Malley has set a goal to create 100,000 new green-tech jobs in Maryland by 2015 and at the same time reduce energy consumption and Maryland’s carbon footprint. Governor O’Malley has supported alternative energy sources, including solar and off-shore wind.

Bob Ehrlich: No Friend of the Environment

When the vitality of our state’s greatest natural resource was in danger, Bob Ehrlich responded by doing what he knows best—supporting special interests. Instead of trying to preserve our precious open space, he was caught attempting to sell off state owned land to big developers for below-market prices.

Bob Ehrlich actively opposed efforts to improve Maryland’s air quality and his law firm even represented the oil company that spilled 80,000 gallons of oil on our own shores.

Bob Ehrlich’s failed record on the environment prompted the Maryland League of Conservation Voters to award Bob Ehrlich a D for his environmental efforts. In 2008, Governor O’Malley received an A- from the same group for his environmental policies.

O'Malley-Brown: Delivering Results

Record: Restoring the Bay

• Governor O'Malley's innovative BayStat is bringing together key stakeholders to restore the Chesapeake Bay. Governor O'Malley led the effort to create the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund to use restoration funds on projects that will have the greatest positive ecological impact on the health of our national treasure—the Chesapeake Bay.
• Governor O’Malley and Lt. Governor Brown updated Maryland Critical Areas laws for the first time in over 25 years to protect our most vital wetlands, and restored the office of Smart Growth to promote sustainable growth across our State.

Rebuilding the Crab Population

• Through unprecedented cooperation with the State of Virginia, Maryland's Blue Crab population has increased 60% over last year to an estimated 658 million crabs - the highest estimate the State has recorded since 1997.

Bringing Back the Native Oyster

• Governor O’Malley created the Oyster Restoration and Aquaculture Development program--a program that helps restore the Chesapeake Bay, brings back the native oyster and supports a more targeted and sustainable public oyster fishery--creating jobs and driving business to our state. The plan opens up 600,000 previously closed acres of land to leasing for aquaculture.
• The State and its partners also planted a record 750 million oysters in 2009 through Governor O’Malley’s Marylanders Grow Oysters program which encourages citizen stewards in a dozen Bay tributaries to grow baby oysters for planting on local sanctuaries.

Smart, Green, and Growing

• Governor O'Malley launched Smart, Green and Growing to unite state and local government, businesses, citizens and grass roots organizations in creating a sustainable future for our State—a future where clean air and water, valuable open spaces, livable communities, and a restored Chesapeake Bay support a strong economy, a healthy environment and social well being.
• Under the leadership of Governor O'Malley, Maryland has preserved over 28,000 acres of precious land through Program Open Space—fully funding the program every year since 2007.
• Governor O'Malley pushed for legislation to strengthen local comprehensive plans to help guide sustainable development, expand and modernize planning decisions, and expand Transit-Oriented Development.
• The Governor created the Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission to advise on and promote smart planning and growth across the state, and established achievable goals to improve the quality of our environment, such as reducing per capita electricity consumption by 15% and accelerating Bay restoration efforts to reach the Healthier Bay Tipping Point.
• This past session, Governor O'Malley led the effort to pass the Sustainable Communities Tax Credit—credits granted to projects constructed with sustainable building practices that will also create jobs.

Children in Nature

• Governor O'Malley has positioned Maryland as the nation's leader on environmental education. In 2008, the Governor issued an Executive Order creating the Partnership for Children in Nature. The Governor tasked the partnership with creating an environmental literacy plan for Maryland students, increasing opportunities for structured outdoor learning in state parks, and ensuring the environmental literacy of students who graduate from Maryland schools.

A Greener Future

• Governor O’Malley fought for and signed the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act, making Maryland one of only a handful of states that are taking decisive actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions—the primary cause of global warming. In partnership with commerce, industry, labor, and State and local leaders, Maryland has set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25% by 2020—and in the process generating a net benefit of over $2 billion in energy savings while creating more than 100,000 new green jobs Statewide.
• The O’Malley-Brown Administration fought for legislation that provides a vehicle excise tax exemption for qualified plug-in electric drive vehicles in order to encourage Marylanders to make more environmentally-friendly automobile purchases.
• Governor O'Malley has set one of the highest goals in the nation for achieving energy savings of 15% by 2015.

Governor O’Malley Earns A- for Environmental Record

• The Maryland League of Conservation Voters awarded Governor O'Malley an A- in its Gubernatorial Mid-Term Report Card. This is the highest score the conservation watchdog group has ever given a governor, and the first-ever A grade, since the Maryland League of Conservation Voters began issuing governor’s report cards in 1997.

CBF Honors Governor O'Malley for His Leadership

• In October 2009, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) recognized Governor O'Malley for his leadership on environmental issues. The Governor was honored at the CBF Board of Trustees meeting.

Climate Action Network “Climate Hero Award”

• Governor O'Malley receieved the Climate Hero Award from the Climate Action Network. CCAN’s Climate Leadership Award is presented annually to individuals and organizations in Maryland who have exhibited exceptional leadership in fighting global warming through clean, efficient energy.