As I write this missive from my desk at the Severn River Association office, I note the call of a Carolina Wren on the breeze through my window screen, and the conspicuous fact that today is a beautiful spring day. Today I rode my bike to the office to capitalize on the weather and got to thinking. Mostly I thought "Wow I'm out of shape! I need to do this more often." But I also thought about transportation patterns, bikeable city planning, and car emissions (especially when I was trailing a larger vehicle).
Much of the conversation regarding car emissions centers on the generation of carbon dioxide, but fossil fuel combustion also produces oxidized nitrogen (NOx), a major source of Nitrogen pollution to the Chesapeake Bay. Thankfully, this sort of pollution has diminished considerably as a result of amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1990, which is good for me (huffing and puffing along the too-narrow shoulder) and good for the River.
There are two stories here. Certainly reducing our overall use of fossil fuels reduces the pollution we generate and that's good for the river, but also, there are regulatory approaches that can make a real difference for the environment. The Maryland General Assembly wrapped up its work last week and one important bill for SRA that passed was the Whole Watershed Act. This new law sets up a funding approach that will dramatically impact restoration efforts in 5 tributaries to the Chesapeake within Maryland. The gist of it is that by October 1, the State's newly constituted management team for the new program will put out a request for proposals to direct about $20 million to sponsors of restoration plans for 5 tributaries. SRA's full testimony on the bill can be found here. Of course, now that the bill will go into effect, the Severn River Association will be working with stakeholders throughout our watershed to advance the Severn as one of those rivers selected for this targeted funding.
The criteria by which applicants will be judged are set forth in the bill, but one key criterion, and the way that YOU can help, is that proposals must demonstrate "partnership opportunities among nonprofit and for profit organizations, community organizations, all levels of government, and scientists." For our efforts to be successful, we need the buy-in of our communities--from the City of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County governments to private property owners, residential community associations, businesses, schools, churches, clubs, and civic associations.
Our Severn River Action Plan is a good start, but we need you to help spread the word. If you represent a community group, or can make an introduction to a leader of your congregation, or run a business in the watershed, we can use your help to build as broad a coalition as possible for the Severn. Let's show the State of Maryland that the Severn--its own capital river--is the best place it can invest to show just how much difference smart environmental policy can make.
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