Want to get these bird-supporting bills passed? It's your call!
As the Maryland legislative session comes to a close on April 12, it’s down to the wire with bills in Maryland that support birds. Thanks to your letters, most of the bills supported by Audubon Mid-Atlantic (formerly Audubon Maryland-DC) have made it to the finish line.
With legislators’ in-boxes full as the sessions nears its end, it’s time to pick up the phone and make a quick call to your senator’s and delegate’s office to tell them to make a difference for birds. Click here if you aren’t sure who your representatives are.
Here’s what you can do:
- Click on the “call your…” links below
- Click on your state senator’s or delegate’s name
- Call the number that appears.
- Leave a message with the bill number and name and briefly say why you support it/them. Tell them your name and the town you live in so they know you’re a constituent. Scroll to the end of this e-news to support all of our priority bills.
Help Now by Taking Action!
The State Revolving Loan Funds Aggregation (HB0094) bill would modify federal funding eligibility for state clean water grants to include tree planting and forest protection as a way to improve water quality. The bill has passed in the House and is in the Senate. It could help plant or protect thousands of acres of forest. Please call your state senator and tell them this bill both gives flexibility to local governments and protects birds you care about.
The Climate Solutions Now (SB0414/HB0583) act would reduce Maryland greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and plant 5 million native trees. Some green building provisions in the bill were gutted and emission reduction was originally 60% but much of the bill remains intact. We’re hopeful some of these rollbacks will be corrected in conference committee. In order to slow and reverse the loss of so many bird species in Maryland, we must put in place policies that will begin reducing emissions. Please call your delegate and relay that you want Maryland to move forward on climate.
The Comprehensive Conservation Finance Act (SB0737) provides a long-term framework for the state to achieve environmental outcomes. Among its many ways of incentivizing private investment in preservation and restoration is the development of forest sequestration programs to promote forest conservation and planting. Please call your delegate and note that having a guided state conservation plan could tap millions of dollars annually in private investment to make the state more beautiful and more bird-friendly.
The Maryland Sustainable Buildings Act (HB0236) would require the state to establish standards for Maryland-owned or funded buildings to minimize window strikes from birds like Baltimore Orioles and American Woodcocks. Please call your state senator and tell them to make Maryland buildings safer for birds!
Feeling ambitious? Tell your legislators you also support these Audubon Mid-Atlantic priority bills. You can act on bills that would ban most plastic bags (HB0314-call your senator) at point of sale and keep homeowners associations from placing unreasonable restrictions (HB0322-call your senator) on gardens and wildlife habitat.
If you support all these bills one call can do it all!
Senator: Support HB0236, HB0094, HB0314/SB0223, HB0322
Delegate: Support SB0414/HB0538, SB0737
