Chesapeake Bay Foundation Issues Maryland Lobbying Agency

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is seeking to enter into a year-long contract with a professional lobbyist that focuses on environmental issues and other public interest issues in the Maryland General Assembly.

Background:

Serving as a watchdog, we fight for effective, science-based solutions to the pollution degrading the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams. Our motto, “Save the Bay,” is a regional rallying cry for pollution reduction throughout the Chesapeake’s six-state, 64,000-square-mile watershed, which is home to more than 18 million people and 3,000 species of plants and animals. With offices in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia and 15 field centers, CBF leads the way in restoring the Bay and its rivers and streams. For more than 50 years, we have created broad understanding of the Bay’s poor health, engaged public leaders in making commitments to restore the Chesapeake, and fought successfully to create a new approach to cleanup that features real accountability—the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint.

But the Bay is still a system dangerously out of balance. We continue to engage in education, advocacy, litigation, and restoration to turn the tide and leave a legacy of clean water for future generations.

Our Mission

Save the Bay®, and keep it saved, as defined by reaching a 70 on CBF’s Health Index.

Our Vision

The Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers, broadly recognized as a national treasure, will be highly productive and in good health as measured by established water quality standards. The result will be clear water, free of impacts from toxic contaminants, and with healthy oxygen levels. Natural filters on both the land and in the water will provide resilience to the entire Chesapeake Bay system and serve as valuable habitat for both terrestrial and aquatic life.

Scope of Work:

1. Contract lobbyist would be retained to represent CBF before the Maryland General Assembly (MGA), Administration, and state agencies.

2. During the both the 2020 Regular General Assembly Session and any “Special Sessions” that follow, the Contract Lobbyist will serve as an official representative of CBF in the state legislature and before the Administration and provide the following services:

·        Attend CBF strategy and planning meetings to provide appropriate consultation and advice.

·        Provide frequent updates via email

·        Maintain a comprehensive bill profile that tracks all legislation relevant to CBF’s agenda

·        Review the bill synopsis daily for any legislation that might be relevant to CBF’s agenda and include it on the bill profile

·        Regularly monitor committee schedule and prepare a weekly hearing schedule

·        Prepare and/or deliver testimony before the MGA on CBF’s behalf

·        Help draft priority legislation, find lead sponsors, co-sponsors, and ensure that legislation is submitted in a timely manner

·        Directly lobby the Administration and lawmakers on all CBF legislation, with an emphasis on CBF priority issues

·        Communicate regularly with sponsors, committee chairs, and committee staff regarding priority legislation and coordinate efforts

·        Help draft and place desired amendments

·        Provide hard vote count in committee on major legislation and hard vote counts on the floor when legislation passes committee

·        Identify and target potential swing votes on key legislation

·        Attend CBF’s organized legislative activities

·        Upon closure of the MGA session, provide a thorough review and analysis of the session (s) as it pertains to CBF’s issues.

3.  When the General Assembly is not in session, the contract lobbyist will attend relevant CBF planning or strategic meetings, attend study sessions of the General Assembly relative to CBF issues and report back to the CBF staff, enhance the CBF’s legislative relationships by setting up strategic meetings with key legislators and CBF staff, work with staff to plan CBF’s special events as they relate to the legislative program and assist in the planning and development of the CBF’s grassroots and grasstops programs. 

The contract lobbyist will help develop and execute a strategy related to the Maryland budget, both the Capital budget and special funds. This strategy shall include how to deal with budget items that come before the Board of Public Works, how to support state agencies such as MDE, DNR, and Ag on their budget initiatives, and how to position ourselves for the budget items that will come before the General Assembly. 

Due Date:

Sept 15, 2019

Address:

Karen Frostbutter (kfrostbutter@cbf.org)

Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Inc.

6 Herndon Ave., Annapolis, MD 21403

Karen Frostbutter or Alison Prost (410) 268-8816

Firms with capabilities include MWWPR and APCO Worldwide.

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