WASHINGTON—The National Governors Association today (NGA) announced California Gov. Edmund G. Brown and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan will serve as co-chairs of the new NGA Center for Best Practices’ Water Policy Learning Network.
The primary goal of the network is to inform governors’ natural resource advisors on best practices for water policy that they are uniquely positioned to advance. Both California and Maryland are recognized leaders in water quality and conservation policy.
“As extreme weather becomes the norm and we swing from historic drought to record rainfall, we have to better manage and wisely conserve water,” said Gov Brown. “To do that, it’s critical we collaborate across state lines.”
“The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure, and an invaluable asset to Maryland and the region, making water conservation a critical issue for our state,” Gov. Hogan said. “Our administration has invested over $3 billion in funding for Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts, and we continue to look for alternatives to improve water quality in the most efficient and effective way. I look forward to sharing what we have learned with our colleagues in other states.”
Water policy oversight is often fragmented among different state offices and agencies that can include drinking water, wastewater, energy, transportation and agriculture departments and public utility commissions. As such, governors can play a key role in convening and advancing holistic policy and program design.
The new initiative will include an annual Water Policy Institute that will highlight best practices from states on a wide variety of issues, quarterly webinars and state retreats where designated cross-agency teams will develop policy strategies with NGA’s support.
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