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Polls: Marylanders want cuts restored to clean air and open land programs

Friday, March 3, 2006

ANNAPOLIS — Environmental groups released polls this week showing support for a budget maneuver that would restore cuts to a fund that helps communities preserve undeveloped property and for the Maryland Healthy Air Act, which would compel the state’s power plants to reduce harmful emissions of nitrogen, sulfur, mercury and carbon dioxide.

The poll, conducted for the Maryland League of Conservation Voters and the Healthy Air Coalition, showed 90 percent of likely voters favored the measure. And 78 percent see pollution from coal-fired power plants as a threat to air quality, according to a league statement.

‘‘Such overwhelming support sends a clear message to legislators: Marylanders want you to take strong action to clean up our air, reducing all four main pollutants, this General Assembly session,” said Dawn Stoltzfus, a league spokeswoman.

The Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee is expected to vote today on the Healthy Air Act, which would require Maryland’s seven outdated power plants to reduce emissions of the four main pollutants.

The other poll shows that 57 percent of Marylanders support a plan to restore$70 million to Program Open Space. Enacted in 1969, the program sets aside money from a one-half of 1 percent tax on the sale of property in Maryland to build parks and preserve land.

That poll comes from Partners for Open Space, a coalition of 130 organizations that includes the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 1000 Friends of Maryland and the Maryland League of Conservation Voters.

The $70 million was diverted from Program Open Space during the last legislative session, said Marcia Verploegen Lewis, the coalition’s campaign director.

During the past four years, however, the state has diverted $400 million from the fund to be used for other services.

‘‘Marylanders are increasingly concerned about the rate of growth and development in the state,” Dru Schmidt-Perkins, executive director of 1000 Friends of Maryland, said in a statement.

Schmidt-Perkins said a survey last year showed 48 percent of Marylanders thought the rate of development in their communities was too fast. This year, that number is 58 percent.

Lewis said the poll showed 89 percent of Marylanders support Program Open Space.

Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates conducted both polls by surveying 803 registered voters from Feb. 9 to Feb. 14. The margin of error was 3.5 percent.