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Governor Martin O’Malley, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced on August 25 that the Department of Defense will participate in watershed implementation plans for Maryland’s military acreage. As a result, Maryland’s military installations are expected to become key players in helping to restore the Chesapeake Bay.
As a result of this historic announcement, Maryland’s military base commanders are now actively exploring strategies to fully participate Bay restoration efforts.
“Our ultimate goal is to work with our federal partners to set specific, attainable goals, identifying new implementation opportunities, and get restorative practices in place,” said Governor O’Malley. “President Obama’s willingness to engage as a true federal partner in this effort is unprecedented, and it’s our obligation to take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity to fulfill our Bay restoration goals.”
Military land is approximately 1.7 percent of the total land area in Maryland, or approximately 100,894 acres out of a total of 5.9 million acres. However, as much as one-third of Maryland’s military property lies within the sensitive Chesapeake Bay Critical Area.
“The health of the Chesapeake depends on strong partnerships between all of the Bay's stakeholders, and in particular the states that border the region,” said Secretary of the Navy Mabus, who is the Department of Defense Lead for the Chesapeake Bay Executive Order. “I look forward to continuing to work closely with the State of Maryland to ensure that the military's presence on the Bay is in accordance with environmental and clean water standards, and that we strive to make the Chesapeake Bay clean and hospitable."
“To clean up the Chesapeake Bay, we must first lead by example. This begins with reducing water pollution from federal facilities and lands in the region,” EPA Administrator Jackson said. “At EPA, we're working with our federal, state, and local partners, including the Department of Defense, to meet and surpass our goals and ensure clean water for communities throughout Maryland and the region.”
Immediately after the August 25 leadership meeting, more than 50 State and Department of Defense officials remained to participate in a two-hour work session to identify specific opportunities for future collaboration. These include upgrading federally owned wastewater treatment plants, addressing stormwater runoff from existing and new development on base, creating natural filters such as wetlands, and reforesting suitable military property throughout Maryland.
Click here for more information on Bay Restoration and the Watershed Implementation Plans.
Click here to go to Maryland BayStat.
Click here to go to EPA’s Chesapeake Bay TMDL website.
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