Baystat - your online source for everything Chesapeake Bay.

   Your link to the Chesapeake Bay October 2008  
IN THIS ISSUE
From the Desk of Governor Martin O'Malley
BayStat Team Meeting Update
New Stormwater Regulations Will Help Protect Chesapeake Bay
Free Septic System Upgrades
Make a Difference in Maryland for Future Generations
New Study Finds Decline in Brook Trout Due to Temperature and Land Cover Changes in Maryland
UMCES Expands Bay Research Fleet
Take it From Maryland Farmers
2008 Young-of-Year Striped Bass Survey Shows Below Average Reproduction
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Launches New Online Network for Bay Community
What can you do to help the Bay?
Photo of compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL). 
Change a light bulb.  Wherever practical, replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. Replacing just one 60-watt incandescent light bulb with a CFL will save you $30 over the life of the bulb. CFLs also last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, use two-thirds less energy, and give off 70 percent less heat.   If every U.S. family replaced one regular light bulb with a CFL, it would eliminate 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the road. 
 
The bulbs do contain tiny amounts of mercury, so it is important to recycle these bulbs.
Recycling these bulbs is easy now that all Home Depot and Ikea stores offer free take-back programs.
Bay Fact
Chesapeake Bay Program Logo. 
The Chesapeake Bay was the first estuary in the United States targeted for intensive government-sponsored restoration efforts.  The cleanup effort was first championed by citizens throughout the watershed who fought to stop the pollution that had damaged the health of the Bay.  The Chesapeake Bay Program serves as a model for dozens of other estuary cleanup efforts nationally, such as Casco Bay, Long Island Sound, Tampa Bay, Monterey Bay, Puget Sound and others.
Quick Links
From the desk of...
Martin O'Malley, Governor of Maryland
 
Governor O'Malley at the Marylanders Grow Oysters kickoff event.
Governor O'Malley addresses a group at the Marylander's Grow Oysters kickoff.
 
In September, we kicked off Marylanders Grow Oysters, a pilot project through which pier owners along the Tred Avon River in Talbot County are becoming caretakers for thousands of young oysters during their first year of life. This project, which we plan to expand to other areas of the Chesapeake Bay next year, is the first of several initiatives that bring citizens, State agencies, and environmental groups together to help us reach our natural resources goals.

The program is managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources in collaboration with the Oyster Recovery Partnership and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. This year, nearly 250 Talbot County residents will help grow thousands of oysters until they are large enough to be planted on local, permanent sanctuaries. Talbot County has been a critical partner in helping us identify interested homeowners. I'm also pleased to note that the 1,000 oyster cages for this project were built by individuals at the Eastern Correctional Institution in Somerset County.

I am pleased to report that as of today, 547 oyster cages have been delivered to 120 interested homeowners, marking substantial progress in meeting our goals.

Through their action and commitment, our neighbors are setting a vital example of stewardship for our fellow Marylanders. Not only will more oysters be placed in the Chesapeake Bay as a result of these efforts, but rejuvenated oyster reefs will naturally become critical underwater ecosystems for a rich diversity of aquatic life.
 
Working together, as One Maryland, we can realize our shared goal of bringing about that cleaner, greener, more sustainable future all of us prefer - both for ourselves, and for future generations.
  
Sincerely,
Governor Martin O'Malley's signature
 
BayStat Team Meeting Update
 
At the October meeting, the BayStat team explored the merits of developing a better understanding of how nutrients - particularly phosphorus - are managed on farm fields in Maryland.   Despite our regulatory commitment to implement nutrient management on 100% of the farm fields, regional studies show that we may in fact have more nutrients from air pollution, poultry waste, sludge from advanced waste water treatment systems and chemical fertilizers than our crops need or that can be transported to other areas.  The BayStat team also discussed ways to streamline the State's oyster aquaculture program to improve service to the user community.
Maryland Government at Work for the Bay

 
New Stormwater Regulations Will Help Protect Chesapeake Bay and Urban Waterways
Stormwater Management webpage.The Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) posted its proposed regulations to implement the Stormwater Management Act of 2007, which requires developers to use state-of-the-art Environmental Site Design practices wherever possible to control runoff and pollution from both new development and redevelopment. This comprehensive approach to reducing stormwater runoff and pollution uses a combination of enhanced site planning techniques, alternative permeable covers, vegetative buffers, and small-scale treatment practices to address the impacts associated with development.  The process includes a 30-day comment period, and the agency will hold a public hearing Dec. 8 at 1800 Washington Boulevard in Baltimore. The formal regulations are expected to be adopted in January. Click here for more information.
Free Septic System Upgrades
Chart of grants for septic upgrades.Did you know that the septic systems many of us use actually leak nitrogen that can harm the Chesapeake Bay, your stream, and our drinking water?  If you own a septic system, you can get a FREE upgrade to make sure it removes harmful pollution while at the same time protecting and extending the life of your septic system. The new equipment, the installation, and 5 years of maintenance are absolutely free -- 100 percent of your costs are paid through the Bay Restoration Fund.  Click here for more information.
Make a Difference in Maryland for Future Generations
Smart Growth Listening Logo.You can help chart the future of growth in Maryland's communities. The Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) and the Task Force on the Future for Growth and Development in Maryland invite you to participate in a survey informing their work on recommendations and strategies for sustainable growth in the State. Click here to take the survey! 

New Study Finds Decline in Brook Trout Due to Temperature and Land Cover Changes in Maryland
Trout study.A new study by Maryland Department of Natural Resources biologists highlights the detrimental impact of development, loss of forest, and temperature changes on brook trout, Maryland's only native trout species, in six Baltimore area streams.  "Over the last 30 years brook trout numbers have declined drastically in many Maryland streams and disappeared completely from several streams in the rapidly developing Baltimore metropolitan area," said the study's lead author Scott Stranko, a biologist with DNR's Resource Assessment Service. "Brook trout are very sensitive to landscape alterations and stream temperature increases."  The full study recently published in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management is available online.

UMCES Expands Bay Research Fleet
Photo of one of the fleet.Scientists will be able to better assess the health of the Bay and its rivers, thanks to the newest addition to the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science research fleet, the R/V Rachel Carson. Specifically designed to monitor the Chesapeake Bay, the 81-foot, state-of-the-art vessel will be christened in November and begin monitoring cruises later this year. Click here for more information.
Maryland's best!
Take it From Maryland Farmers
The Agriculture Awareness Group has launched the second phase of Take It From Maryland Farmers, an educational outreach program that uses farmer spokesmen to inform homeowners of practical gardening actions to protect the Chesapeake Bay.  Governor Martin O'Malley and MDA's Deputy Secretary Earl F. "Buddy" Hance are featured on a radio public service announcement urging Maryland homeowners to compost, shred or recycle leaves this fall instead of bagging them for curbside pickup.  The ads will run on radio stations in Baltimore, Salisbury, Annapolis, Frederick and Washington, D.C. during the last two weeks in October.  Movie theatre ads will also appear on more than 60 screens around the state during the first two weeks in November.   Click here for more information.
Seine site map.2008 Young-of-Year Striped Bass Survey Shows Below Average Reproduction
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Service recently finalized the 2008 striped bass (rockfish) juvenile index, a measure of striped bass spawning success in Chesapeake Bay. The 2008 index is 3.2, below the long-term average of 11.7.   "Healthy striped bass populations are known for such highly variable spawning success," said Eric Durell, DNR Fisheries Biologist. "This is just the third time in the past decade that striped bass reproduction in Maryland's Chesapeake Bay has been below average."  To learn more, click here.
Chesapeake Watershed Network Logo.Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Launches New Online Network for Bay Community
The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay has launched the Chesapeake Watershed Network, an online networking community that will connect scientists, environmental professionals and local citizens working to restore the Bay region's land and waterways.  The Chesapeake Watershed Network is similar to other online communities such as Facebook and LinkedIn.  It includes features such as profiles, groups, blogs and discussion boards that allow members to share ideas and projects with the community. Members can create and join groups related to specific regions, projects, topics and organizations, and use those groups to correspond with others that have similar interests.  Join the Chesapeake Watershed Network at www.chesapeakenetwork.org.
Contact Info

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