Sunrise over the Chesapeake Bay in Calvert County. (Photo by yvonne navalaney/Stock.adobe.com)
Gov. Wes Moore and legislative leaders have an important, though unenviable, task in the 2025 Maryland General Assembly session that convened last week: Meeting ambitious goals for our environment and climate while navigating a looming $3 billion budget shortfall.
In December, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) released its agency climate plan, which includes 100 priority actions across all state agencies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support a green economy.
Weeks prior, the governor was re-elected to chair the Chesapeake Bay Program Executive Council and recommitted to our shared Bay cleanup goals. He also announced his intention to sponsor a “Bay legacy bill” focused on oyster aquaculture, regenerative agriculture, water quality monitoring and environmental project permitting.
These promises are valuable and exciting. However, to make meaningful progress on the Chesapeake Bay’s health and our communities’ resilience, they must be backed up with strong action.
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In light of the tremendous fiscal challenge ahead, and the uncertainty of environmental policies under the new federal administration, it is more critical than ever that Maryland’s budget reflects our commitments to the Bay and our watershed’s natural resources.
Historically, during tight budget years, governors and legislators have looked to close deficits by borrowing from or reallocating funding sources that support environmental programs. Doing so again at this pivotal time for Bay cleanup and climate action could jeopardize the fragile progress we have made.
Investments in clean water and air are investments in Marylanders — our health, our jobs and our ways of life. Programs like the Bay Restoration Fund, Program Open Space, the Atlantic and Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund, and Maryland’s Agricultural Cost Share Program (MACS) are key to sustaining a healthy environment, thriving communities and the Bay. These environmental programs are smart investments that grow Maryland’s economy.
For example, reducing nutrient runoff from farms is one of the most effective and efficient ways to clean the Bay. Every dollar spent on further conservation practices in the watershed would, on average, return an estimated $1.75, including increased sales and earnings for businesses and workers. Many farmers rely on MACS programs to supplement their own private investments in environmentally friendly farm practices that reduce soil loss, improve habitat and increase farm sustainability.
Through MACS, we’ve made tremendous progress reducing the nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution entering local rivers and streams. We must keep the momentum going. Fully funding farm pollution-reduction programs would inject $655 million annually into the region’s economy, according to CBF’s 2022 Farm Forward Report. The farm practices supported by this investment are good for the Bay, good for farmers’ bottom line, and support local food production for the more than 30% of Marylanders who struggle with food insecurity.
Our Bay’s oyster populations are not just improving water quality, they are also part of a culturally and economically important Maryland industry. Each year, Maryland’s seafood industry contributes nearly $600 million to the state’s economy. The oyster aquaculture industry alone contributed approximately $13.3 million to Maryland’s economy in 2023. The industry has grown by about 24% per year since 2012, according to a 2020 CBF analysis, hitting record harvests each year. With sustained support and some smart permitting reforms, that trend is poised to keep growing.
In its new climate plan, MDE says it’ll advance policies and programs that “maximize positive environmental, economic and human health benefits for Marylanders.” From a public health perspective, protecting air and water quality can save lives and reduce economic stress for families. In the U.S., an estimated 20,000 heart attacks are caused per year from coal-fired power plant pollution. Living downwind of these plants can be like living with a smoker and induce conditions like asthma which cost the U.S. economy more than $80 billion annually.
MDE’s climate plan and promise to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2031 and achieve 100% clean energy by 2035, would be a tremendous achievement toward cleaner air and human health.
We know many tough budget decisions lie ahead. Investing in solutions like oyster recovery, farm stewardship and climate resiliency cannot wait. It’s not just good for the Bay and our communities, but makes good financial sense, too.