Progress on Chesapeake Bay Restoration since 2003, August 24, 2006

1 ffiw/an Progress on Chesapeake Bay Restoration Since 2003 includes: Passed the landmark Chesapeake Bay Restoration Act of 2004, which creates a fund that will generate up to $1 billion in revenues to upgrade all 66 major wastewater treatment plants with enhanced nutrient removal (ENR) technology thereby eliminating 7.5 million pounds of nitrogen and 260,000 pounds of phosphorus in the Bay each year. The fund also provides unprecedented dedicated revenue sources for agricultural cover crops and septic system upgrades Completed the Maryland Tributary Strategy for nutrient and sediment reduction and begun development of an implementation strategy for each of Maryland's 10 tributary basins Published New Standards for Chesapeake Bay Water Quality, based directly on what the Bay's living resources need to survive Signed into law the Healthy Air Act of 2006, which codified the Governor's historic Clean Power Rule to reduce Maryland power plant emissions. One-third of the nitrogen delivered to the Bay comes from the air. The Clean Power Rule will have a significant benefit on public health, air quality and the health of the Chesapeake Bay. The rule will reduce air deposition of nitrogen by 900,000 pounds a year to the Bay Responding to requests by Governor Ehrlich: • President Bush included $10 million in his FY05 Budget proposal for a Chesapeake Bay Pilot Program under the EPA's Targeted Watershed program that Congress ultimately funded at $8 million • USDA will make $5 million in Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) available to Chesapeake Bay Watershed states in 2005 • In 2004, USDA provided an additional $5 million in conservation funding for Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware over and above the $38 million that those states would have received from the formula allocation • USDA made $5 million in Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) available to Chesapeake Bay Watershed states in 2005, and an additional $5 million was made available in 2006 Created an aggressive program for conducting large-scale bay grass restoration projects, with a goal of planning 1,000 acres of bay grass by 2008. This represents bay grass restoration on a scale never before attempted, and will accomplish with new technologies currently being tested and evaluated Initiated an Environmental Impact Statement to explore alternatives for restoring a healthy oyster population to the Chesapeake Bay - a key component of Maryland's Bay Restoration effort. A draft EIS is expected in spring 2007 Planted an additional 300 miles of riparian buffers along Maryland's streams and rivers, bringing the state's total to 1,275 miles since 1996 Certified our 112th Clean Marina, facilities that have voluntarily implemented measure to control pollution associated with vessel maintenance and repair Initiated numerous projects to increase Transit Oriented Development (TOD) by identifying land use characteristics that change development trends and policies and encouraging development of mixed-use walkable communities near transit. Designated 6 Priority Place communities