What can you do to help the Bay?
Remove trash and debris that has collected along the banks of the Bay and its tributaries. Locate a stream in your neighborhood that needs help. |
| Bay Fact
Male crabs are called "Jimmies". Mature females are called "Sooks". | |
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From the desk of...
Martin O'Malley, Governor of Maryland
 Governor O'Malley and staff from the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, who oversaw construction of 1,000 oyster cages at Eastern Correctional Institution at the Marylanders Grow Oysters kickoff. Pictured here are the cages that are being used to grow oysters.
Last month, we made considerable progress in our efforts to build a cleaner, greener, more sustainable future for our State as the Maryland Commission on Climate Change released its Climate Action Plan.
The report is a valuable tool as we move forward, detailing what effects global warming will have on our State. It recommends actions to protect Maryland's vulnerable coastline and our citizens from rising sea levels and changing weather patterns, and outlines sixty actions to help us greatly reduce global warming pollution.
The Climate Action Plan concludes that Maryland would see significant economic and environmental benefits from taking early, immediate actions to reduce global warming pollution, and that the goals proposed by the Commission would help spur innovation and prosperity in our State.
The Climate Change Commission and its work groups include some of the brightest minds in Maryland. Over the past ten months, this dedicated commission of scientists, business leaders, environmental groups, public health advocates, and legislators has worked to put together this remarkable road map for our future. Through an Executive Order, we asked this Commission to study, prepare for, and offer solutions to address the serious challenge of climate change, and the Commission has clearly delivered on their pledge.
These goals are readily within our reach, and by working together with our partners in the Climate Change Commission and throughout the State of Maryland, we will work to develop both short- and long-term strategies to address climate change and to ensure a sustainable future for our children and theirs.
Sincerely,
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BayStat Team Meeting Update
At Tuesday's meeting, the BayStat team discussed a wide-ranging series of Bay restoration activities that agencies are engaged in, including: the recent launch of a new oyster cage initiative on the Tred Avon River and plans for expanding citizen participation in that program; the upcoming launch of Maryland iMap, which consolidates key Statewide maps into one authoritative location for State agencies, local governments and the public to access and use; and the State's efforts to encourage more property owners to upgrade septic systems with new nutrient-reducing technologies paid in part with money from the Bay Restoration Fund. |
Maryland Government at Work for the Bay
Oyster Cages being used to raise Oysters on Tred Avon River
 This month, Governor O'Malley installed the first of 1,000 oyster cages to be deployed at private piers along the Tred Avon River. This new program will engage waterfront landowners in a hands-on experience in Bay restoration, educate the public about the benefits of oyster restoration towards improving the Bay's health, and inform them on how they can become involved through an active website that tracks progress. Oysters raised through this project will be placed on targeted sanctuary oyster reefs. Click here for more information. |
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Chesapeake Bay Pelicans
 The recent colonial shorebird census compiled by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources found 1,042 nesting brown pelican pairs in the Chesapeake Bay, the largest number in recorded history. "Pelicans are relatively new to the bay ecosystem, and not something that Captain John Smith would have seen during his historic explorations," explains DNR biologist Dave Brinker. "Climate change - warmer weather and milder, shorter winters - may be encouraging pelicans to expand their northernmost Atlantic Coast habitat into the Chesapeake Bay." Click here for more information. |
Exxon Settles with Maryland
The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and the Office of the Attorney General announced a settlement of a case against ExxonMobil Corporation for the 2006 release of more than 25,000 gallons of gasoline at ExxonMobil's Jacksonville Service Station in Baltimore County. The consent decree will require ExxonMobil to continue clean up of groundwater contamination. For more information visit MDE's website. |
Workshops for Farmers
The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) and Maryland Cooperative Extension will offer a series of workshops this fall and winter for farmers who want to become certified by MDA to write nutrient management plans for their own operations. Maryland law requires all farmers grossing $2,500 a year or more or livestock producers with 8,000 pounds or more of live animal weight to run their operations using a nutrient management plan that addresses both nitrogen and phosphorus inputs. This plan must be prepared by a consultant or farmer certified by MDA's Nutrient Management Program. To register for the training, farmers should contact MDA at 410-841-5959 or visit www.mda.state.md.us. Click on Conservation, then Nutrient Management and scroll down the list of training programs. | |
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Researchers from the 