With a number of high-profile environmental issues to tackle in the next few years, including the Chesapeake Bay's pollution diet, leaders of the 17th annual Environmental Legislative Summit stressed one overarching statement — we are here.

"We are the faces of today and those who ignore us do so at their own peril," said Will Baker, president of the Annapolis-based Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Attendees were packed into the President's Conference Center of the Miller Senate Building in Annapolis on Tuesday for the event organized by Citizens Campaign for the Environment, a coalition of environmental groups.

Even with people scrambling for wall space, a number of latecomers poured into the lobby area of the conference center just to have a place to stand. Although it made for a slightly uncomfortable setting for some, the turnout elated speakers and organizers of the event.

"Talk about packing a room, I'm glad the fire marshal didn't show up," joked Chris Trumbauer, District 6 Anne Arundel County Councilman, who spoke at the event. "It's great to see people come out and support what we're trying to do here."

The event was headlined by Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, who spoke about a number of environmental initiatives his county has taken up in the past four years.

One of the highlights was a new solar panel project that will provide Ellicott City's Worthington Elementary School with 90 percent of its energy needs. The 2,000 solar panels will be placed at a landfill adjacent to the school, according to Ulman.

Additionally, Ulman has enacted a massive recycling initiative that he says has cut the amount of trash generated by the Howard County by 20 percent.

"We have less of what we pay them to take and more of what they pay us for," said Ulman, alluding to the fact that the county now pays less in trash hauling and receives more revenue for recyclables.

"It's saved us millions," Ulman said.

The Howard County Executive also boasted about a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant, which allowed the county to purchase three buses that are recharged when stationed over an electromagnetic platform. The pilot initiative is just a hint of what is to come, according to Ulman.

While Ulman's speech provided a upbeat crash course in what can be accomplished at the local level, he alluded to the fact that the road to a resuscitated environment is one that goes uphill. And, at a time when tax dollars are sparse, the path becomes even more treacherous when additional funds are needed.

"The challenge in front of us this term is big," said Del. Maggie McIntosh (D-Baltimore city). "We may encounter more contentious issues this term than I can ever remember."

McIntosh used her time at the podium to address what will likely be one of these contentious issues — a raise in the statewide flush fee.

By 2012, $537 million in additional revenue will be needed for major waste water treatment upgrades, according to McIntosh. To get there, the Baltimore City delegate called for doubling the current flush fee rate.

The Democrat also took the opportunity to harp on localities, which she said aren't doing enough to control  storm water management problems.

"Counties are simply not keeping up or paying for storm water management," said McIntosh.

Trumbauer used his time in front of the crowd to call for localities to meet McIntosh's challenge. The Democratic councilman from Annapolis called for the General Assembly to pass the Watershed Protection and Restoration Act, which would set up dedicated funding sources in localities to pay for storm water system upgrades.

"Basically, the state would require counties to implement their own specific way to collect and distribute funds specifically for storm water," Trumbauer said. "Each county gets to decide how much their going to collect and what that would be spent on."

Trumbauer stressed the importance of the issue staying local, because each county has different problems – and state initiatives can often get overly bureaucratic.

"It stays local, which is important because so many times when things go up into the state level it's easy to lose track of," Trumbauer said. "We want the people that pay into this to get the benefits."

Although he's hopeful for the legislation, Trumbauer told Patch that the county council could take up legislation to the same effect, if the state-wide effort fails.

"If we can't [get this legislation passed], then I would pursue doing something specific for Anne Arundel County," Trumbauer said.

The first-term councilman also stressed to the audience that the time is now for Chesapeake Bay restoration.

"We’ve put bay restoration on the credit card and we’ve been paying the minimum payment,” Trumbauer said. “Our community needs these projects and our economy needs these jobs.”

With such an ambitious agenda, the real question may be whether or not these environmental initiatives can make it through a state legislative process.

"There is going to be so much pressure to cut these programs and put the money elsewhere," said Alison Prost, a lawyer with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. "But we need to show that jobs are connected to this, because these programs are good for our environment and good for our economy."

While environmental cuts may be all but imminent on the state level, Trumbauer said that’s exactly why localities need to follow the lead of people like Ulman of Howard County.

“County level is where the rubber hits the road on so many of these important issues that affect our environment,” Trumbauer said. “I’m looking to be a champion on these issues, and I’m confident my colleagues will as well.”

Trumbauer kept an upbeat tone regarding the Watershed Protection and Restoration Act.

“We’re optimistic that the problem is real, the awareness is up there, and that something is going to move on the state-level,” Trumbauer said.