Ruppersberger Meets with Environmental Advisory Council

Ruppersberger Meets with Environmental Advisory Council

Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) met with members of his Environmental Advisory Council at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Headquarters in Annapolis on December 11, 2006. Congressman Ruppersberger created the council to provide a forum for environmental groups to discuss important environmental issues facing the Maryland 2nd District and the rest of the region.

"I look forward to meeting with members of my Environmental Advisory Council. They are the local experts who have first-hand knowledge of Maryland's pressing environmental challenges. I look forward to working together in the 110th Congress to find federal solutions to local environmental needs," said Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD).

The Environmental Advisory Council meeting covered a variety of topics including protecting the Chesapeake Bay, the Farm Bill, offshore drilling, new energy solutions, and Conowingo dam sediment. The Environmental Advisory Council meeting included representatives from the Sierra Club - Maryland Chapter, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central Atlantic States, the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, Clean Water Action, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Maryland Conservation Council, 1000 Friends of Maryland, Partners for Open Space, Environment Maryland, Cleanup Coalition, Environmental Defense Foundation, Waterkeeper Alliance, Maryland Pesticide Network, the National Wildlife Federation, the Nature Conservancy, the Trust for Public Land, and the National Recreation and Park Association.

Congressman Ruppersberger is a strong supporter of protecting the environment. He advocates energy policies that promote long term solutions through technical advances and energy conservation while preventing environmental degradation.

Congressman Ruppersberger sponsored legislation that will help cut fuel consumption and encourage Marylanders to drive environmentally friendly hybrid vehicles by offering valuable tax credits for people who purchase a hybrid. The legislation reinstates the Clean Fuel Vehicle tax credit that expired at the end of 2004 and extends it to $4,000. The language was included in the energy bill that recently passed Congress.

During his time as Baltimore County Executive, the Ruppersberger Administration invested over $230 million dollars into water treatment and sewage system modernization to keep our water safe and clean. The Administration initiated the Baltimore County and City Watershed Agreement which combined city, county, business, and citizen groups to protect our region's watershed areas. Through a coordinated regional effort, the agreement mitigated the effects of development on the Chesapeake Bay through stream restoration, storm water management and control of shore erosion. Together local, state, and federal leaders vigorously worked to preserve valuable farmland, forests, and wetlands, earning Baltimore County a 7th place national ranking on the list of Top Local Farmland Preservation Programs. In addition, the Ruppersberger Administration quadrupled Baltimore County's park, recreation, and open space to more than 800 acres.

http://www.house.gov/list/press/md02_ruppersberger/Ruppersberger_Environmental_Advisory_Council.html