(Annapolis) - Demonstrating his commitment to the environment, Governor Martin O'Malley has dedicated $1 million in Transportation Enhancement Program (TEP) funds to restore the natural channel of 4,800 linear feet of the Cowhide Branch Stream, and to replace an outfall from a storm-water management pond. The Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works will provide funding of nearly $1.3 million. The total cost of the project is $2.3 million.
The project will remove a fish barrier along US 50 (Blue Star Memorial Highway) and provide water quality improvements to Cowhide Branch, Weems Creek and the Severn River. It will also include channel improvements and reintroduce native wetlands plants to the area.
The project is intended to provide improved water quality and improved quality of life through the enhancement and creation of a habitat using native plants to create a functional, unique and scenic area.
"Sometimes the best thing we can do as stewards of the land is simply restore it to its natural state," said Governor O'Malley. "By removing the fish barrier and reintroducing wetlands, we are following a course that makes sense not only historically, but for future generations as well."
John R. Leopold, Anne Arundel County Executive, said "I commend the way that the Anne Arundel Medical Center and the Westfield Mall are working together with the Environmental Protection Agency and the State Highway Administration to help restore the entire Cowhide Branch."
The State contribution to this and similar projects is made possible through the Transportation Enhancement Program, which funds non-traditional, community-based transportation-related projects. The Governor determines which projects qualify for funding based on need and potential benefit to the public. Grants approved so far in 2007 total $11.3 million. The Maryland Department of Transportation's State Highway Administration oversees the federal program, which has awarded more than $173 million for 244 projects in Maryland since TEP began in 1991.
CONTACT:
Rick Abbruzzese
Governor's Press Office
410-974-2316
Valerie Burnette Edgar
SHA
410-545-0303
800-323-6742 |
