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What Can I Do?
Melting Ice Safely
Do not use fertilizer to melt ice and snow - the nitrogen and phosphorus in fertilizer can harm your local stream and the Bay. Instead, there are several small measures you can take to remove thin layers of ice on small areas, such as spreading sand, ashes or kitty litter on slippery areas. Learn more about melting ice safely in this Fact Sheet from the Maryland Cooperative Extension. |
| Bay Fact
The average winter in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed results in about 15 days with measurable snowfall, sleet, or freezing rain (this number varies for individual locations in the watershed). | |
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From the desk of...
Martin O'Malley, Governor of Maryland
It's been two years since we came together to create BayStat, a Statewide tool to help us assess, coordinate and target our restoration programs, and to inform our citizens on the progress we are making as One Maryland.
From implementing the most cost-effective practices like cover crops, to addressing our greatest challenges like urban stormwater runoff, the 22 solutions we are currently tracking are the best indicators of the progress we are making, and are also helping us determine where and when changes are needed.
I hope that, like me, you are finding our website useful. I visit the site regularly to review the most current data available and to help inform my conversations with the Bay Cabinet and our many partners.
As BayStat enters its third year, we are taking a number of steps to redouble our efforts to make progress, including working closely with leaders in the new Obama Administration. The team that President Obama has put together to help our nation work towards a cleaner, greener future - including Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, EPA Secretary Lisa Jackson and Energy expert Carole Browner - brings with it a renewed commitment to protecting our environment and the legacy we leave to our children. I am confident we can count on them to support us in our efforts to accelerate the pace of Bay restoration, both in Maryland and across the watershed.
In the meantime, even as we continue to address our fiscal challenges, please know that our Administration also remains committed to working with you to realize the greatest gift we can give to our children and theirs: a vibrant, healthy Chesapeake Bay.
Sincerely,
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BayStat Team Meeting Update
At the January BayStat meeting, we began the process of assembling information about the solutions we currently rely on to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus pollution to the Bay, looking for opportunities to accelerate implementation where we can, including targeting state funds to the most cost-effective practices and placing Best Management Practices in places where they can make the most difference. Stay tuned - more to come! |
Maryland Government at Work for the Bay
Nutrient Management Plan Workshops Scheduled for Farmers
The Maryland Department of Agriculture and University of Maryland Cooperative Extension will offer a series of free workshops for farmers who need to update their nutrient management plans for the upcoming cropping season in order to remain in compliance with the Nutrient Management Program. Get more information. |
Annual Surveys Indicate Good Oyster Survival Rate, Poor Reproduction  Maryland Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologists recently concluded the 2008 oyster survey, an annual assessment of the health and population of oyster bars in Maryland's portion of the Chesapeake Bay. "Preliminary results from 2008 indicate that reproduction was poor throughout most of the Bay, with the exception of the lower Eastern Shore areas of Tangier Sound, Honga River, and the Little Choptank River," says Mitch Tarnowski, DNR fisheries biologist. "In general, mortalities and oyster disease levels appear to be relatively low again this year." Read the press release. |
Maryland to Receive $5.1 Million in Farm Bill Funding for Agricultural Conservation Practices
 The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released $23 million for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative, a program of the 2008 Farm Bill that provides the region's farmers with assistance to implement vital agricultural conservation practices to help clean up the Bay. The 2008 Farm Bill will provide $188 million over the next four years to support restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed, which represents one of the largest single federal investments in the clean-up effort and an unprecedented targeting of Farm Bill resources to a specific watershed. Congressionally authorized future funding levels are $43 million in 2010, $72 million in 2011 and $50 million in 2012. For more information visit www.nrcs.usda.gov. |
| Annapolis Phosphorus-Free Fertilizer Law Takes Effect
Annapolis Mayor Ellen Moyer reminds residents they may only use phosphorus-free fertilizer starting January 1, 2009. This law affects the sale and application of lawn fertilizer containing phosphorus. The purpose of the law is to prevent phosphorus from entering into the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The goal is to reduce non-point source pollution and to improve water quality. Click here for details. |
Green Building Workshops Offered for Homeowners
 The Lower Potomac Tributary Team is partnering with the Green Building Institute to offer Green Building Classes at the Charlotte Hall Library throughout 2009. Registration information is available online at www.greenbuildinginstitute.org. A fee coving the cost of instruction and materials will be charged for each class. Comprised of citizens, businesses, local and state government representatives, the Lower Potomac Tributary Team works to reduce nitrogen and sediment pollution and restore habitat in the Potomac River's southernmost watershed through community participation. The team's next monthly meeting will be held on Jan. 26 at 5:30 p.m. at the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home in St. Mary's County. |
Volunteers Needed to Educate Students about the Chesapeake Bay
 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is seeking enthusiastic adults to become Teaching Environmental Awareness in Maryland (TEAM) volunteers. TEAM DNR is a volunteer program committed to educating elementary and middle school students about the Chesapeake Bay and other Maryland environmental issues through hands-on presentations in classrooms around the state. "TEAM volunteers directly influence the lives of our children as they learn to become stewards of our natural world," says Amy Henry, Conservation Education Specialist at DNR. "Through interactive activities the volunteers introduce students to Maryland's diverse natural resources and help foster connections to their environment." |
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Maryland to Grow Green Collar Jobs, Incubate Energy Innovations Maryland has launched the region's first ever center dedicated to the promotion of clean energy development. With the recent appointment of the Board of Directors by Governor Martin O'Malley and steps already underway to create the foundation of the Center, the board is actively seeking an executive director and additional staff, working to secure funding and accepting proposals from counties and cities seeking to bring the Center to their area. Information regarding the Center can be found at www.energy.maryland.gov. |
 UMCES Expands Oyster Research
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science researchers are launching a new in-depth study to better understand when oysters spawn and where their larvae go in the Choptank River. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the research aims to help improve the success of Bay oyster restoration efforts. Read more! | |
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