Maryland Takes Meaningful Strides in Environmental Justice with New Executive Order adn Funding
Annapolis, MD – Governor Moore has signed a landmark executive order aimed at advancing environmental justice across Maryland, a move hailed by advocates as a critical step toward equity and resilience. The initiative includes the appointment of the state’s first-ever Assistant Secretary for Environmental Justice and allocates over $2 million too community-lead projects such as tree planting and air monitoring.
“This is the first of what I anticipate will be many steps down the path toward achieving environmental justice for all who call our state home,” stated Vernice Miller-Travis, Co-Founder of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, underscoring the long-term vision for the initiative.
Kim Coble, Executive Director of the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, praised the order, describing it as “exactly the kind of bold environmental justice leadership Maryland needs.”
Delegate Regina T. Boyce, a member of the Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities Commission, emphasized the need for a unified governmental approach. “Environmental justice does not belong to a single state department, but rather it demands a coordinated effort and response among all state departments across goverment given the interconnectedness of the subject,” Boyce remarked.
Camille E. Burke, Chairwoman of the Maryland Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities, highlighted the human-centric nature of the order, stating it is “not about policy-it’s about people.”
Gabriela Lemus, Executive Director of Maryland Latinos Unidos, expressed strong support for the executive order, calling it “a critical step toward equity and resilience for the Latine community across the state.”
Photo credit: Maryland Governor’s Office