Governor Martin O’Malley created BayStat by Executive Order in February, 2007 – a powerful new statewide tool designed to assess, coordinate and target Maryland’s Bay restoration programs, and to inform our citizens on progress. Land conservation is one of the programs evaluated by BayStat. The areas that have been targeted by POS Stateside are among the most effective lands for protecting water quality. In fact, water quality protection was one of the factors used to identify where Targeted Ecological Areas were mapped. Successful implementation of land conservation programs is an important tool for protecting Chesapeake Bay water quality. Click here to learn more about the Governor’s BayStat initiative.