You've heard a lot from us lately as together we worked to protect funding for land conservation and toughen the state's smart growth laws. Now that the 2009 legislative session has come to a close, I wanted to update you on how our priorities for growth and the environment fared. Here are the highlights. For a more detailed look visit our website at www.friendsofmd.org, where you'll find information on a broad range of growth and environmental legislation from the 2009 session.

Environment and the Budget: Good Outcomes. Governor O'Malley and the legislature recognized that the environment remains a priority for Marylanders as they made tough financial decisions.

• Funds for Program Open Space were restored after prolonged budget negotiations. Governor O'Malley and state lawmakers showed strong leadership in preserving funds for Maryland's premiere land conservation program.
• The Governor's budget invested in transit at the same level as highways for the first time in the State's history. The legislature left transit funding intact.
• Funding was mostly preserved for the Community Legacy Program, Maryland's highly successful program to support redevelopment in towns and cities.
  
  

Smart and Fair Growth: Mixed Results. The biggest disappointment this session was the failure to make real progress on growth policies. 1000 Friends brought together a diverse coalition of leaders in smart growth, the environment, hou sing and faith-based communities to fight for standards and accountability in local planning decisions. Although the bill did not pass, we did win some elements of this policy on the House floor and have set the stage for next year's fight. The Governor and General Assembly also took strong action to correct the court decision about Terrapin Run.

• Our top priority bill, which would have set performance standards and accountability in local land use plans, did not pass.
• The Governor's bill to correct the court decision about Terrapin Run and make zoning decisions consistent with local growth plans passed.
• The Maryland Heritage Structure Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program, or Historic Tax Credit, was not reauthorized, a blow to a highly effective tool for redevelopment and smart growth.
  

Global Warming: Big Victory! The General Assembly passed the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act. This strong law will reduce global warming pollution by 25 percent below 2006 levels by the year 2020.

Greener Growth: Key Victories. Several bills passed this session that will reduce the impact of development on the environment.

• The legislature passed the first bill in the nation to require the removal of all nitrogen pollution from septic systems. The scope of the bill was limited through the legislative process to just designated critical areas that have the biggest impacts on the Bay.
• Private homeowners were prevented from building sprawling, environmentally untenable homes by installing private wastewater treatment plants to allow the growth.
• The strongest energy efficiency codes in the nation were adopted.

Transportation Choices: Small Steps. No significant legislation passed this year to create a more balanced transportation system with more options for walking, bicycling and using transit.

• Transit-oriented development received a boost with the Governor's bill to allow the use of local taxes to finance development efforts near transit stations.
• Efforts to de-fund the Inter-County Connector did not succeed.
• Legislation to promote bicycling, including a bill to give bicyclists 3' when passing, failed.

Want to dig deeper? Visit our website at www.friendsofmd.org for a full run-down of environmental and growth bills.