What Can I Do?
Reduce Energy and Fuel Use
Using less energy and fuel reduces the amount of air pollution that reaches the Bay. Burning coal, oil, or gas to make electricity or fuel vehicles adds nitrogen pollution to the air. Reducing energy and fuel usage helps save the Bay and also saves you money. More information here and here. |
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Bay Fact
Air pollution is a major cause of problems in the Bay. The Bay is overloaded with nitrogen, and about one-third of the nitrogen that reaches the Bay is deposited from polluted air. The nitrogen gets in the air from combustion of fossil fuels (oil, gas, and coal) and ammonia emissions. Polluted air reaches the Bay from as far away as Ohio, Canada, and South Carolina. More details... |
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From the desk of...
Martin O'Malley, Governor of Maryland
Governor O'Malley at Oyster Restoration Announcement on May 21st. Secretary Griffin to left.  |
Last month we announced that the Bay's blue crab population rose in 2009 to its highest level since 1997. This dramatic increase resulted from the tough decisions and science-based strategy implemented in 2008 to reduce harvest pressure on female crabs. In addition, watermen actually harvested more crabs this past season than in 7 of the past 10 years, confirming the long-held belief that a healthy harvesting industry can coexist with regulations that protect the long-term health of the blue crab population.
We have taken the next step to produce a similar result for the native oyster population in the Bay. We announced our plan to submit regulations to the General Assembly to expand oyster sanctuaries and aquaculture leasing areas for their ecological and economic benefits. The Bay's native oyster population has languished for years at just 1 percent of historic numbers. Implementation of the proposed regulations will add millions to Maryland's economy, create hundreds of jobs, and leverage the natural filtering benefits of oysters to help in our Bay clean-up efforts.
In May we also launched the StreamHealth website as part of our efforts to make government more transparent and accessible. The website's interactive map provides information on individual stream health as well as the presence or absence of forested streamside buffers and impervious surfaces - two of the major factors influencing stream and Bay health. The StreamHealth website takes information out of hidden files and computer storage and makes it available so you can see the status of the streams in your neighborhood - our lifelines to the Bay.
Much of the data for the StreamHealth website is collected by volunteers who sample aquatic insect populations, which are excellent indicators of stream health. If you would like to help, I encourage you to join the Stream Waders. Like our citizen tree-planting and oyster-growing efforts, Stream Waders offers you an opportunity to take personal responsibility for the stewardship of our fragile, finite resources.
As summer sets in, I hope you will find time with your family and friends to enjoy the large variety of outdoors opportunities that our great state of Maryland has to offer. We are truly blessed with the tremendous opportunities close to home, including all the excitement of the Chesapeake Bay and our beautiful waterways, fresh produce, our parks and forests, and many choices for outdoor recreation. Sharing new outdoor experiences with our loved ones helps to bring families closer and creates memories that can last for a lifetime.
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BayStat Team Meeting Update
Much of the time in the May BayStat meeting was used by the participants to prepare for the upcoming Chesapeake Bay Program Executive Council meeting, which will be held June 3 at the Living Classrooms Foundation in Baltimore. The BayStat team also reviewed the new StreamHealth website, which has now been launched for public use. |
 Help Maryland State Parks Raise Money by Planting a FREE virtual Tree
Maryland is competing against all 49 other states for $200,000 toward planting trees at State parks. Odwalla will donate a dollar to Maryland for each vote. Money will be used to plant trees in Maryland State Parks. Votes are limited to one per email address. DNR gets $1 for every vote. Tell everyone -- share with family and friends! Vote now!
Maryland has 960 votes now, let's beat Florida's record of 1761 votes. |
Maryland Government at Work for the Bay
New Stream Health Website
The new StreamHealth website provides the information you need to understand the health of your local streams and watersheds. The interactive map includes layers showing presence or absence of forested streamside buffers and impervious surfaces. Check it out here. |
 Governor O'Malley Signs Laws for Clean EnergyIn late May, Governor O'Malley signed into law 5 bills that promote clean energy and move Maryland closer to a green economy. Creation of green jobs is important because these jobs will last as the economy shifts away from oil towards more sustainable sources of energy. Click here for descriptions of the new laws. |
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Sustainable Communities Act Now Law
This year the Maryland General Assembly passed Governor O'Malley's proposal to create the Sustainable Communities Act of 2010. The new law will help create jobs while encouraging growth in Main Street business districts, transit-oriented development and BRAC zones, and in sustainable communities. It expands an earlier program that leveraged substantial new employment and redevelopment in Maryland's older communities. The new law took effect on June 1. Click to learn details. |
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See a Snakehead? Please kill it!
Northern Snakeheads are invasive fish that damage habitat and crowd out more desirable fish species. You can catch and keep snakeheads without any size or other limits, as long as you make sure they are dead. More info... |
Please Report Stranded Marine Animals
If you see a live or dead marine mammal or sea turtle, especially a stranded one, please report it to the Natural Resources Police Call Center. The toll-free hotline is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week at 1-800-628-9944. More details... |
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Last Chance at PlanMaryland Public Forums
Bowie, Frederick, and Chestertown are the locations for PlanMaryland public forums during June. These forums, coordinated by the Department of Planning, will help shape a vision for Maryland's future. One subject being discussed is how to steer development toward areas that already have roads, schools and other public infrastructure. Click here for details. |
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