Paved Paradise to put up a parking lot ... Changing the Narrative

State Leadership Conference Baltimore, MD 2015

Who is Blue Water Baltimore?• Technical experts on solutions to solve water quality

problems• Implementer of pollution reduction projects

• Trees• Rain Gardens• Bio-retention facilities (BMP’s) • Native Plants

• Work at the intersection of policy, implementation and legal and regulatory efforts

• Champion for urban water quality solutions

Our Watersheds

StatsMap

• 194 square miles• 454 river miles• 1 million residents

Major Impacts to Water Quality Land use changes

- Development- High levels of impervious surfaces - Overdesign & failed engineering - De-forestation( man and natural activities)- Lack of public transportation

Failing Infrastructure - Wastewater – old pipes and treatment plants - Complete lack of investment in stormwater- Leaking drinking water conveyance system

The health of watersheds, the people living in them, and the water are all connected.

Water Quality Impacts of Runoff• Fecal Coliform Bacteria (Enterococcus, E. coli, etc.)

Sources: Human sewage, pet and wildlife waste• Heavy Metals (e.g. Lead, Mercury, etc.)

Sources: Industry-contaminated sediments, air pollution, stormwater runoff

• Legacy Pollutants (e.g. Chlordane, PCBs, etc.) Sources: Industry-contaminated sediments

• Total Suspended Solids (i.e. Sediment) Sources: Agriculture, Development

• Nutrients (N & P) Sources: Sewage, Agriculture, Homeowners, etc.

Changing the Narrative

“Changing the Narrative” was a short-term, fast-moving effort to collect information and use it to equip advocates with effective messaging tools and knowledge

Messaging & Coalition work

Influence

Capacity & Expertise

Chris Trumbauer

chris@thehatchergroup.com410-990-0284

The Hatcher Group is a public affairs and communications firm that connects nonprofits and foundations to policymakers and the media. We focus exclusively on progressive policy issues and work to advance our clients’ agendas for social change.

Defense

• The environmental community did a great job working together and passing legislation in 2012

• In 2013, we were outplayed by the “rain tax” rhetoric

• We needed to take back control of this conversation

• We needed to build new alliances to make this happen

• We needed to take advantage of newly emerging interest and focus of the faith based community

High Stakes Politics

Overall Goals

Educate Activate Influence• Elected Officials

(State and Local)• Community and

Faith-based Leaders

• General Public

• Grassroots Advocates

• “Green” Congregations

• Legislative Leaders

Educate

Focus groups by Opinionworks

First, we had to educate ourselves:

• What do people know?

• What don’t people know?

• What do they need to know?

• What messages resonate?

• What messages don’t?

Educate

Findings:

• Awareness is low• Accountability and

Transparency is important• Personal attachment is key.

e.g. fish/crabs, local streams greenspace

• Build on Public Health messaging work done before

• Shared responsibility

Educate

“Proponents… need to assure the public confidently that this fee gives them what they want: local control, dedication to an important purpose, practical results they can see, and accountability.”

The best defense is a good offense

Findings:

problem

solu

tion

actionvi

sion

Polluted runoff makes our waterways unsafe for swimming, threatens Maryland seafood and causes localized flooding and property

damage.

Communities all across the country have successfully adopted similar fee programs to reduce pollution by constructing much needed on-the-ground projects to capture polluted runoff, repair failing infrastructure and restore damaged streams.

Maryland’s polluted runoff law will reduce stormwater pollution and make our waters swimmable and fishable.

Maryland’s legislature must keep the polluted runoff law intact to help clean up local

waterways and the Chesapeake Bay.

Activate

Strategic outreach to faith community• Denominational Lobbyists

o Catholic Churcho Jewish Leadershipo Maryland Interfaith Legislative Network

(Episcopal, Presbyterian, Lutheran, United Methodist)

• Procure a Stance – no repeal

Denominational Lobbyists

Influence

Influence

Influence

Keep the weedkiller

outta my crab cake…

ResultsThe Church IS NOT: • Advocating for a repeal of the stormwater fee.

A number of local jurisdictions have already put into place good-faith efforts to reduce stormwater runoff based on the fees they expect to raise, and these efforts should not be undermined.

• Seeking an exemption from stormwater fees. Cleaning up the bay is a shared responsibility, and everyone will need to do their part to achieve this goal.

Results

• 20 bills defeated in committee in 2014

• HB987 remained intact

• SB863 strengthens bill in 2015( the great stormwater caper)

• Local implementation challenges • Real concern about meeting local and

Chesapeake Bay pollution reduction targets mandated by EPA