BLADENSBURG, MD (September 17, 2008) - Governor Martin O’Malley today committed the Anacostia Watershed Partnership and its Leadership Council to actions over the next three years that will help clean and restore the watershed and set the stage for more improvements in the future through its Building Bridges Action Agenda. Governor O’Malley also announced that Mayor Adrian Fenty would be the new chair of the council.

“Maryland has a long-standing commitment to addressing the needs of the Anacostia Watershed,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “While a significant amount of work has been done, much more is needed. The strong commitment from the Leadership Council will provide added assurance that the restoration process will proceed and be successful.”

The Leadership Council is composed of the Governor of Maryland, the Mayor of the District of Columbia, the Montgomery and Prince George’s County Executives, the Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, and the U.S. EPA Region 3 Administrator.

The Building Bridges Action Agenda report details the potential of the Anacostia watershed. The watershed’s assets include thousands of acres of green space, which could be a major economic driver for ecotourism and for the appropriate redevelopment of its communities. To realize this potential, the report recommends both large and small actions and investments to restore the health of the Anacostia River.

The Building Bridges Action Agenda establishes such goals as reducing pollution, restoring ecological integrity, improving passage for fish, increasing wetlands, expanding forest cover, and increasing public and private participation. An ambitious series of indicators lays out steps to meet the goals by 2010 and progress to date. Actions specify steps that government, businesses, and citizens can take to reduce pollution and restore the watershed.

The entire report can be viewed at www.anacostia.net.

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