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Tim Purinton: Investments in conservation are crucial for Maryland’s future

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This time every year our representatives make important budget decisions about what to fund now and what can be kicked down the road. As with saving for retirement, making smart investments in conservation today is a sound investment for tomorrow. That’s why fully funding critical conservation programs like the Bay Restoration Fund and Program Open Space will pay dividends to Marylanders for years to come.

Thanks go to previous legislators for having the foresight to create and then fund these programs and kudos to the current administration for fully appropriating money for them. That one-two punch can’t be taken for granted, as one of the biggest threats to conservation across the country comes from program raids to balance state and local budgets. Robbing Peter to pay Paul is not sound public policy.

Additionally, deferring or raiding core investments in clean water and land conservation will catch up to us. Pressures from climate change, coupled with a growing population and the associated infrastructure needs, will only increase stress on our limited natural resources.

As part of our ongoing advocacy in the Maryland General Assembly and executive branch, The Nature Conservancy sent a letter to the governor, the speaker of the House, and the Senate president in advance of this year’s budget cycle to urge support for environmental and economic programs. Investing in the Clean Water Commerce Act and the Chesapeake and Coastal Bays Trust Fund will not only save taxpayers money in the long run but lay the groundwork for a resilient and prosperous future.

A healthy Chesapeake Bay is an economic engine that needs to remain an investment priority. According to the most recent figures from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the commercial fishing industry in Maryland alone generated a whopping $90 million in revenue and employed over 7,000 people. The bay’s natural resources provide ample opportunities for wildlife-viewing and other ecotourism, contributing approximately $600 million a year to Maryland’s economy. Both of these industries rely on the health of the bay.

While Maryland has been a leader on bay restoration, it takes years of sustained effort to see improvements in water quality. The Clean Water and Commerce Act passed in 2017 will jump-start innovative and cost-effective approaches to tackle the problem of excess nutrient from urban and suburban sources. The Chesapeake and Coastal Bays Trust Fund accelerates the water quality improvements by funding critical projects and programs, including restoring water-purifying oyster populations.

Maryland also faces a real challenge caused by climate change and sea-level rise. Our 7,000 miles of coastline are at risk, as are other iconic landscapes. During the 2017 legislative session, we supported a successful bill that provides tax credits to landowners who build a living shoreline to protect their property from land erosion.

Through the Chesapeake and Coastal Bays Trust we have funded living shorelines projects that have served as models for many other parts of the world facing similar challenges. Continuing to do so is one way we need to prepare for rising seas.

A changing climate also threatens our Western Maryland forests and the resource-based economy they support. Appalachian forests provide some of the most critical migration pathways for species across the U.S., and the Central Appalachians of Western Maryland are at the heart of this migration superhighway.

The mountain forests are also natural filters, protecting the headwaters of the streams and rivers that supply drinking water for millions of residents in Maryland and Washington, D.C. It is crucial that funding be increased for our state Forest Service to help our forests endure and adapt to warmer temperatures, increased droughts, pests and diseases.

In Maryland, we have an opportunity to set an example for thoughtful state policymaking and budget planning that focuses on the best outcomes for people and nature. Smart, timely investments in nature need to be made now to fortify Maryland’s long-term economic health. Preparing for tomorrow requires investing in nature today.