* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Kraft
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
A Request for the Allocation of Funds from the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund and Nonpoint Source Fund for Metropolitan Parks
FOR the purpose of requesting that the State of Maryland allocate $5 million of the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund and Nonpoint Source Fund to be used for metropolitan parks.
Body
Recitals
The Chesapeake Bay is a valuable and unique resource that must be protected. Sadly, most of the Bay's waters continue to be degraded. In 2006, less than one-third of Bay water quality goals were met, despite recovery efforts.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program, urban and suburban stormwater is the one pollution sector where progress has been negative, due to population growth and related development. Where development replaces natural forests and fields with impervious surfaces, the volume of stormwater run-off increases, and this run-off moves across the land more quickly than it did under pre-development conditions. As a result, more pollutants reach the Bay, degrading the water. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation reports that the total acres of imperviousness in the watershed increased from 611,017 acres in 1990, to 860,004 acres in 2000 - an increase of 40.7%. At the current impervious change rate of 24,899 acres per year, the watershed is estimated to contain 1,108,991 impervious acres by 2010.
Municipal parks offer urban centers a means of restoring natural surfaces and vegetation, thereby curbing run-off and water pollution. However, Baltimore City, as well as many other cities in Maryland, will face difficult budgetary decisions in the coming years. It is crucial that these cities have the necessary resources to protect the Bay without sacrificing public services. As the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund and Nonpoint Source Fund was originally proposed, Baltimore City would be eligible for such funds.
Senate Bill 213 and House Bill 369 propose certain changes to the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund and Nonpoint Source Fund, including alterations to the distribution of funds. .
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That this Body requests that the State of Maryland allocate $5 million of the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund and Nonpoint Source Fund to be used for metropolitan parks.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the
Governor, the Honorable Chairs and Members of the Senate and House Delegations to the Maryland General Assembly, the Mayor, the Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of State Relations, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
dlr08-0109(1)~intro/30Jan08
ccres/Chesapeake/af:
dlr08-0109(1)~intro/30Jan08
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ccres/Chesapeake/af: