Sierra Club Endorses O'Malley/Brown

Cite O’Malley’s leadership, commitment and new ideas to improve Maryland’s Environment

BALTIMORE, MD (August 23, 2006) – Today, Martin O’Malley and Anthony Brown accepted the endorsement of the Sierra Club, Maryland Chapter, a grassroots environmental organization with over 750,000 members nationwide. The endorsement, which took place at took place in Ellicott City in Howard County at Centennial Lake Park, caps several weeks of events by the O’Malley/Brown campaign on the preserving and enhancing Maryland’s environment.

“Today, Anthony and I are proud to officially join in partnership with the Sierra Club to create a better, stronger Maryland for our children,� said Martin O’Malley. “It’s time for a governor that works for our environment and our families instead of the special interest polluters.�

O’Malley and Brown were joined at the event Jan Graham, Legislative Chair, Sierra Club, and Betsey Johnson, Chair, Sierra Club, and local elected officials including Delegate Liz Bobo, Delegate Neil Quinter and County Councilman Ken Ulman.

During the official endorsement Jan Graham of the Sierra Club cited the O’Malley-Brown Environmental Bill of Rights and BayStat program to show that Martin O’Malley and Anthony Brown have the leadership ability, commitment and new ideas to once again begin improving Maryland’s environment.

The Sierra Club works to protect the environment through legislative and grassroots efforts. The purpose of the organization is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources; and to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment.

O’Malley and Brown kicked off their environmental rollouts earlier this month when they unveiled –BayStat – and initiative to monitor and gauge the health of the Chesapeake Bay, its rivers and tributaries and 36 major basins. BayStat would marshal the collective resources of the State of Maryland to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay and expand Maryland’s Open Space Program. O’Malley and Brown also focused on the need for transit and protecting Maryland communities from a proposed LNG plant in Baltimore County.

In addition to accepting the endorsement of the Sierra Club today, Martin O’Malley sent the attached letter to Bob Ehrlich urging him once again to reconsider the state’s lack of involvement in development process and, instead, use Maryland’s open space dollars to help local officials redirect growth in a smarter way closer to the center of Cambridge.

Letter from Martin O’Malley to Bob Ehrlich:

August 23, 2006

The Honorable Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.
Office of the Governor
State House
Annapolis, MD 21401

Dear Governor Ehrlich,

As I am sure you are aware, with the approval of the Blackwater Resort development project Monday night by the Cambridge City Council, it is now incumbent upon the State of Maryland and the Critical Area Commission to step in, finally, and do it’s duty.

Earlier this summer, I wrote to you to request that the State of Maryland use its substantial open space dollars to help the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy purchase the lower two-thirds of the proposed site from developers and redirect development away from the critical area of the Little Blackwater River. I urge you to reconsider the state’s lack of involvement in this process and, instead, use Maryland’s open space dollars to help local officials redirect growth in a smarter way closer to the center of Cambridge.

Over the last few months, it has become increasingly clear that as Maryland continues to grow, local jurisdictions will need a strong state partner to help them manage development in an environmentally-friendly, balanced and sustainable manner. Understandably, local jurisdictions are looking to grow their populations and increase their tax-base to provide improved public services to their residents. But our State should not force local jurisdictions to make the false choice between increased revenue and sacrificing our state’s natural treasures and risking further damage to the health of the Chesapeake Bay – to the detriment of farmers and watermen.

Sadly, it is a choice that local governments have been forced to make because our State currently lacks a comprehensive statewide strategy to manage growth. The State of Maryland should play an active role in helping communities develop and plan for growth in a manner that protects open space, ensures the proper infrastructure, including roads, schools and sewage capacity, and protects the critical areas essential to the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

Our state government has an enormous responsibility to make sure we do not allow over development and sprawl to shape the character of Maryland over the next ten years. Rather, it is our responsibility as elected leaders to ensure that the character of Maryland shapes development in our state in an environmentally sound and balanced manner. In this case, we need to make choices that keep the Eastern Shore the Eastern Shore.

Thank you,

Martin O’Malley