GOVERNOR O’MALLEY TO ATTEND BAYSTAT MEETING

ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 25, 2011) –TOMORROW, Governor O’Malley will attend BayStat – a monthly meeting created by Executive Order in February 2007 as a statewide tool designed to assess, coordinate and target Maryland’s Bay restoration programs, and to inform Maryland citizens about progress on the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

Each month, the BayStat team meets - the Secretaries of the Maryland Departments of Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources and Planning, scientists from the University of Maryland and other key staff - to make sure Bay restoration work is on track. These sessions provide a regular opportunity for the team to assess progress, evaluate what’s working and what’s not, and adapt efforts accordingly.

BayStat allows Maryland state agencies to work smarter by:

• coordinating efforts and programs;

• basing decisions on the best available science;
• targeting resources to get the biggest bang for the buck; and
• being more open and accountable to Maryland citizens.