Senate president pushes conservation corps
In a year when green initiatives are few in Annapolis, Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. is pushing for creation of a "Chesapeake Conservation Corps" in the state.
The idea is to enlist students and young adults in community service projects promoting energy conservation and environmental protection while also training them for "green-collar" jobs in those fields. The bill was inspired by a proposal floated last fall in the Obama administration's draft Chesapeake Bay restoration strategy to create a multi-state conservation corps along similar lines.
Participants could get paid small stipends or college credit while being trained and performing various service projects, such as planting bay grasses or oysters, working on reducing runoff from farms, performing energy-saving audits for elderly and low-income households and working with schools and students. (Picture at left is of Marley Middle School students being instructed on planting grasses to help capture runoff from Marley Station Mall.)
The bill drew support from environmental groups at a hearing earlier this week in the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee. But there were also questions about how it would be financed and run, which have prompted Miller's staff to tweak the original idea by proposing some amendments.
As now envisioned, the corps would get "seed" funding of $500,000 a year - down from $1 million originally. Half of the funds would come from an electricity surcharge all state utility customers pay that is now earmarked for researching the environmental impacts of power plants. The other half would come from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, which gets its funds from state income tax checkoffs and license plate sales. The trust, known for distributing grants to groups for environmental projects, would take on the task of managing the corps.
It's not clear just how big the corps would be at that funding level. Vicki Gruber, Miller's chief of staff, said he hoped it could kick off with an inaugural class of 25 or 30.
Proponents hope that the re-purposed state funds could be supplemented or even supplanted in time by federal funds, if the Obama administration follows through on its idea of creating a regional corps to help with the bay cleanup. And they hope the idea could draw donations from businesses and foundations.
For Miller, the corps idea combines two imperatives - jobs and the environment, his aide says. "He views this program as training young adults for the future - one of the very important things we have to do in these times," Gruber says.
Prospects for the state corps are good in the Senate -- the president tends to get what he wants, and a majority of senators have signed on as cosponsors. House approval is less sure, though the chief sponsor there also has clout - Del. Maggie McIntosh, a Baltimore Democrat and chair of that chamber's Environmental Matters Committee.
(2007 Baltimore Sun photo by Jed Kirschbaum)
Comments
How is this program different from DNR's Civic Justice Corps?
Posted by: Aula | February 19, 2010 9:52 AM
In an age were revuneus are down, grants are down, and other departments and agencies in the State and in local areas, together with existing tax-exempts provide similar programs why do we need to creat a new expense center and beuracracy, independent or not? WHose favor is being returned here?
Posted by: Pallidin | February 19, 2010 10:55 AM
This is a neat idea! I do wonder about one thing, however. Is there still funding for researching the effects of power plants on the environment? That seems fairly important as well!
Posted by: Laurel Ady | February 19, 2010 1:31 PM
Even though finances are tight, we still have a responsibility to take care of our natural resources. Having a conservation corps is a logical and relatively inexpensive way to improve the health of the bay. I have fond memories of swimming at Maryland Beach when I was a child, too bad that the bay is so polluted now that my children cannot enjoy the same. I would hate to thnk about the health of the bay in my grandchildren's time if we don't take some action now.
Posted by: throwlikeagirl | February 19, 2010 3:41 PM