Cove Point Light Station Keeper's House Restoration
Request: $125,000
The Calvert Marine Museum Society
14200 Solomons Island Road
Solomons, Maryland 20688

Funding would be used to undertake Phase II of the restoration of the Keeper's House at the Cove Point Light Station, built in 1828 and the oldest, continuously operating lighthouse in Maryland.  It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars because funds will preserve an important historic site, make Maryland's oldest continuously operating lighthouse self-sustaining, and promote tourism to Southern Maryland.

Marlay-Taylor Water Reclamation Facility Enhanced Nutrient Removal (ENR) Upgrade
Request: $1,500,000
St. Mary's County Metropolitan Commission
43990 Commerce Ave.
Hollywood, MD 20636

Funding will help enable the St. Mary's County Metropolitan Commission upgrade the Marlay-Taylor Water Reclamation Facility, a 6.0 million gallon per day publicly-owned wastewater treatment plant.  Funding will be utilized to upgrade the enhanced nutrient removal process to enable the plant to meet or exceed the Maryland Department of the Environment's new design limits on nitrogen of 3 mg/l and 0.3 mg/l on phosphorus. This is a good use of taxpayer dollars because this project will limit the point source discharge of nitrogen and phosphorus to the lowest nutrient limits technically possible, thereby improving the quality of life for local residents and the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay.

East Prince Frederick Tower and Well Project
Request: $500,000
Calvert County Board of County Commissioners
175 Main Street
Prince Frederick, MD 20678

Funding will assist in the construction of a drinking water well and water storage tank in Prince Frederick, Maryland.  This is a good use of taxpayer dollars as it will assist Prince Frederick in achieving compliance with arsenic standards for drinking water and will also provide adequate water supply to for fire needs and peak demand.

USGS Comprehensive Assessment of Water Resources, MD
Request: $500,000
Maryland Department of the Environment
1800 Washington Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21230

The Governor's Advisory Committee has projected that the need for increased water withdrawals in Maryland will grow by as much as 233 million gallons per day by year 2030.  This represents a sixteen percent increase of fresh water use over the amount used in 2000.   Funding would enable the Maryland Department of the Environment to continue to assess the state's two aquifers - Coastal Plain and Fractured Rock - and develop tools to manage and optimize these resources.  This is an important use of taxpayer dollars because it is critical that we take action to ensure adequate water supplies of suitable quality for the continued economic vitality and health of the residents of Maryland.

Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network
Request: $2,000,000
National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Program
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109, Annapolis, MD 21403

The Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network is a partnership of public and private parks, refuges, museums, historic sites, and water trails throughout the Bay watershed.  Funding for the Network supports matching grants to participating Gateway sites (currently over 150) for development of high-quality interpretation, access, or conservation and restoration projects and a series of initiatives to support the entire Network.  This is a good use of taxpayer funds because it improves accessibility, conservation, and interpretation of critical natural and historic resources while raising awareness of the public's abilities to individually contribute to the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay.