March 27, 2019
Media Contact:
Scott Peterson, Director of Communications, Office of Public Information, 202-277-9412
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball released the following statement regarding potential federal budget cuts to the Chesapeake Bay Program. Earlier today, County Executive Ball sent a letter to President Donald Trump. A copy of that letter can be viewed here.
“Today, I sent a letter to President Trump, on behalf of the residents of Howard County, to urge him not to cut funding for the vital, Chesapeake Bay Program. The program has been cleaning the Bay and improving water quality for years, which benefits public health and our regional economy.
As I mentioned in my letter, the program was originally created under President Ronald Reagan and has been a model of a bi-partisan, effective partnership. It combines scientific research on the Bay with matching grants for local efforts to cut down on pollution. Federal funding for the program has been a key driver of the Bay’s restoration, made even more critical in our era of climate change.
The 18 million people who live in the Bay watershed, including all of us in Howard County, are depending on clean water and food. Cuts to this cleanup program would threaten all our health and thousands of jobs. My administration will continue to support the Chesapeake Bay Program and all preservation efforts.”