The "smart growth" incentives were dropped in an effort to defuse opposition, which last year included developers and rural local governments.  "Politically it didn't seem the (O'Malley) administration and the legisalature were ready to tackle that big issue of sprawl and growth," said Coble. Also, questions were raised about whether the fines for sprawl in last year's bill were big enough to change the behavior of home buyers.

The fact that the bill has been watered down to appease developers strikes some people as a smart move, politically.  But some environmentalists are uneasy with the compromise.  Gary Belan, director of the Healthy Waters Campaign at the nonprofit group American Rivers, said in an email: "In general, I support this legislation because I think the Bay needs a dedicated source of funding to reduce stormwater pollution..... but I don’t think any progress can be made on saving our water, in particular the bay, until we start to manage our regional growth better."

You can read more at the American Rivers blog.

This year's version of the Green Fund billl would raise about $85 million by imposing fees on nearly every property owner in the state. The fees would range from $40 a year for people who own homes of more than 3,000 square feet, to $20 for an average home, to $5 for people whose houses are less than 1,500 square feet.

The money would be collected by local governments, which could keep 45 percent of the funds if they use them to fix leaky stormwater systems.

Half of the rest would go to the Maryland Department of the Environment, for pollution control projects like urban stream reconstruction to filter runoff from city streets, as well tree planting and other efforts. Forty percent would go to the Maryland Department of Agriculture, to pay farmers to plant crops without fertilizer in the offseason and take other steps to reduce fertilizer runoff.  The final 10 percent would go to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, for wetlands construction, river reconstruction and the planting of oysters. 

It's still not yet clear if the bill has enough support to go anywhere.  It's sponsored by state Del. Maggie McIntosh, a Baltimore Democrat and chair of the House Environmental Matters Committee. And once again it has the support of influential House Speaker Michael Busch, a Democrat.

But Gov. O'Malley hasn't yet said whether he intends to back it -- and he's already trying to sell the legislature on a complex tax-raising package that includes the difficult subject of slot machines.  Also silent so far has been Senate President Thomas "Mike" Miller, a Democrat who helped kill last year's bill.

The poll, paid for by the foundation, was conducted  Oct. 1 - 3 by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin and Assocatiates. It found that 63 percent of 500 registered voters would be willing to pay $20 a year "to clean up the bay and local rivers, lakes and creeks."

Eighty-one percent of those polled said the Cheapeake Bay should be a funding priority for Maryland. 70 percent said pollution in the nation's largest estuary is a "serious or very serious issue." 77 percent said the bay and its rivers "urgently need help," according to the nonprofit group.

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Here is a Bay Foundation "GREEN FUND FACT SHEET":

Green Fund: Restoring Maryland's Rivers, Streams and the Bay

Why We Need A Dedicated Fund for Bay Restoration

Maryland committed to reducing nitrogen pollution loads to the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers by 2010. We are about halfway to meeting our goal. The remainder is the toughest type of pollution to control: non-point source pollution, such as runoff from development, farm fields, and parking lots. We know what actions to take; we just need the resources to get the job done.

If we secure the necessary funds, Maryland will be the first Bay state to make significant progress toward meeting these Bay commitments, remaining a regional leader in Bay restoration efforts.

Proposed Revenue Source (annual fee):

Commercial, Industrial and Institutional
· $0.01 / square foot of hard surfaces - including rooftops and parking lots

Residential
· 0 - 1,500 square feet of enclosed area: $5 per year
· 1,501 - 3,000 square feet: $20 per year
· 3,001 square feet and more: $40 per year

Total of all fees will generate approximately $85 million per year.

Real-World Examples of Annual Payments

 Facility   Annual Fee Size
· Big Box Retailer:  $3,250  (325,000 square feet of roof and pavement)
· Fast food restaurant:  $   320  (32,000 square feet of roof and parking lot)
· Commercial warehouse:  $5,500  (550,000 square feet of roof and pavement )
· Church:    $   100  (10,000 square feet of roof and parking lot)
· Multi-story office tower:  $   650  (65,000 square feet of roof and pavement)
· Small office:    $     50  (5,000 square feet of roof and parking)

Fee Collection and Distribution

Counties, and Baltimore City, would collect fees within their jurisdiction and may keep up to 5 percent of collected revenues to offset administrative costs associated with collecting the fee. Revenues will be forwarded to the State Comptroller, who will allocate funds.

· 50 percent to Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to distribute to local governments for stormwater management projects, urban tree plantings, stream restoration projects, and technical assistance;
· 10 percent to Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for natural filters such as oyster restoration, forest protection, wetland restoration, and technical assistance and research;
· 40 percent to Maryland Department of Agriculture for implementation of agricultural best management practices and technical assistance.

Why this will work

· Fee is minimal and applied broadly - no single sector is over burdened.
· Fee is progressive - the larger the house or the parking lot, the greater the fee.
· Homeowners are NOT measuring their driveways, sheds, or porches.
· Data to assess fee (parcel size and enclosed area) is currently available.
· Fee is strongly supported by entire environmental community and Maryland Homebuilders.
· Fee is the most significant step Maryland has taken toward Bay restoration in 4 years.
· Fee addresses most difficult problem facing Bay - non-point source reduction.
· Fee (with existing programs) will get Maryland about 70 percent toward our Bay commitments - further than any other Bay state.