As the Maryland General Assembly began the 2026 session this week, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) outlined its priorities to Gov. Wes Moore and legislative leaders, calling on them to protect funding that supports a healthy environment from budget cuts.

In November 2025, CBF joined at least 30 other environmental organizations as signatories on a letter to Moore, urging him to keep and expand upon investments that protect natural resources and support the surrounding communities.

As the legislative sessions starts, CBF is re-emphasizing its priorities: to preserve programs that invest in climate resilience and water quality, like the Bay Restoration Fund, Program Open Space, and the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund. These programs directly benefit farmers, watermen, homeowners, and restoration practitioners who are on the ground improving our waterways. The funds are critical to supporting Maryland’s $600 million seafood industry and $9 billion outdoor recreation economy.

“With all eyes on the budget, we have one urgent message for the Governor and Maryland legislators — now is not the time to backslide on environmental investments,” Allison Colden, CBF’s Maryland executive director, said in a statement. “With cuts and policy changes at the federal level already impacting the Bay, Maryland’s state-level leadership is more important than ever to sustain our progress in Chesapeake Bay cleanup.”

The Bay Restoration Fund is run through Maryland’s Department of the Environment, and has been in existence for over 20 years. In 2004, a bill was passed in the Maryland Senate to collect a monthly fee from each Maryland home to help improve water quality by reducing nitrogen in the Chesapeake Bay waters.

The Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund is also focused on cleaner, safer water in the Bay, via restoration of healthy streams, floodplains, buffers, forests, wetland ecosystems, and better stormwater management.

The funds are administered through the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Program Open Space acquires outdoor recreation and open space areas for the public to use. That program is also run by Maryland’s DNR.

During the General Assembly session, CBF will urge legislators to prioritize environmental efforts that are long-lasting, cost-effective, and deal with climate change. It wants the General Assembly to fund the Departments of the Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture, as well as the Maryland Energy Administration. CBF will also be pushing for funds that support clean water and healthy habitats, including jobs surrounding them. Other priorities include protecting food sources, recreational benefits, land preservation programs, and more.

In 2025, CBF helped keep environmental programs alive in the final FY 26 budget package passed by the General Assembly. At the same time, Moore and the legislature managed to close a $3 billion deficit. CBF is hoping to accomplish at least as much during the 2026 session as legislators face a nearly $1.5 billion deficit.

“Clean water is not a luxury,” Colden said. “A healthy Bay watershed supports our communities, health, and economy every day. As our population continues to grow, and the effects of climate change are felt on a daily basis, legislators must prioritize funding for clean water, air, and green spaces. We urge legislators to pass a budget that holds the line on funding for the environment for its benefits to all Marylanders.”

Baltimore Fishbowl

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