BayStat Update
At its most recent meeting, the BayStat team discussed the county government submissions for phase II of the Bay Watershed Implementation Plan. The team also discussed possible ways to get additional progress towards reducing the excess nutrients that flow into the Bay.
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What Can I Do?
Buy Local Trees and Decorations
Choosing locally-grown, real Christmas trees and greenery saves the fuel used to transport them long distances, supports local businesses, and keeps land open in Christmas tree farms. By comparison, manufacturing plastic trees uses more energy and causes more pollution, and plastic trees are not recyclable. More...
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Bay Fact
The Chesapeake Bay's Susquehanna Flats area was once the winter home of perhaps half of the North American canvasback population. But the shoals' lush beds of wild celery have declined with compromised water quality and increased sedimentation. Chesapeake canvasback numbers followed suit and have declined some 80 percent over the last 50 years. More info...
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From the desk of...
Martin O'Malley, Governor of Maryland
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Governor O'Malley at the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council Meeting earlier this year.
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As we prepare for the start of a new year, now is the perfect time to reflect on our efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay. After decades of hard work to improve the health of our Chesapeake and Coastal Bays, it is clear that great work lies ahead for us to protect our most precious resource. Together with our partners in the General Assembly, we created the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund to support the most cost-effective water quality benefits, and we increased funding for winter cover crops, the most efficient way to reduce agricultural nutrient runoff from reaching the Bay. We strengthened protection of the fragile Critical Area along the Bay's borders and as a result to the Stormwater Management Act of 2007 and revised urban permits, we have improved the way we manage stormwater - letting it soak into the ground naturally instead of speedily carrying pollutants directly into the rivers and streams that feed into the Bay. Working jointly with our colleagues in Virginia, we instituted protections for reproducing female crabs that have led to a resurgence in blue crab populations. And we are committed to a long-term, science-based strategy that we expect to lead to future increases in native oyster populations. Maryland was a leader among Bay states to begin upgrading public wastewater treatment plants for Enhanced Nutrient Removal, and to ask farmers to write plans for the way they fertilize their crops. Thanks to the leadership of President Obama, Senators Mikulski and Cardin and Maryland's Congressional delegation, our neighboring states are taking similar actions. While we were unable to enact septic enhancement legislation earlier this year, we remain committed to looking for ways to improve Maryland's wastewater treatment plants and update outdated systems that cause harm to our environment. The future of our Bay is still at a crossroads, and it will take partnerships throughout our State and this entire region to protect it. Only by working together at all levels can we continue to make real and steady progress to ensure that future generations have the opportunity to enjoy the health of the land, the water and the environment that we love. Best wishes for a safe and joyous holiday season. Sincerely,
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Eyes on the Bay
Water Data Explains Oyster Mortality
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) water quality monitoring data helped the Shellfish program identity the cause for the upper bay oyster mortality in 2011. Due to the elevated flows of fresh water in spring 2011, upper bay salinities were well below the 5 parts per thousand threshold for several months, resulting in high oyster mortality in some oyster bars north of the Bay Bridge. 2011 was such a wet year that by May, total flows reaching the Bay through Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna had equaled the average total annual flow! While salinity levels were also depressed after the fall storms, most damage to these oyster bars had already occurred in the spring. Click here for more information. DNR is continuing extensive monitoring throughout Maryland's streams, rivers and bays to better track restoration progress and understand Maryland's complex waters. Real time monitoring information is always available at Eyes on the Bay (eyesonthebay.net). |
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Your Government at Work
 Maryland Funds Innovative Technology for the Bay
Using relatively small investments, the state works with the University of Maryland to advance new technologies that will accelerate Bay restoration. Recent projects include developing a new flooring design that virtually eliminates ammonia in chicken houses, and biodegradable plastic pots that help newly-planted submerged aquatic grasses thrive. Click here for more info... |
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Sandy Point State Park Hosts Lights on the Bay
Sandy Point State Park is hosting the annual Lights on the Bay sponsored by Anne Arundel Medical Center. Lights on the Bay is a scenic drive along the shore of the Chesapeake Bay with over 60 animated and stationary light displays along the park's roadway. The light show is open from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. nightly, weather permitting, through Sunday, January 1, 2012. Cost is $14.00 per vehicle. The Maryland Park Service Annual Passport is not valid for entry into the charity light show. For more information click here or contact 443-481-3161.
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Top 10 Reasons to Buy a Locally Grown Christmas Tree
Here are the Maryland Department of Agriculture's top 10 reasons to buy a fresh, locally grown Christmas tree:
10. While they're growing, real Christmas trees absorb carbon dioxide and other gases and emit fresh oxygen, unlike artificial trees which are petroleum-based.
9. A real Christmas tree is biodegradable, which means it can be easily reused or recycled for mulch and other purposes, whereas an artificial tree is only used for six to nine years before it is thrown away, remaining in a landfill for many years.
8. Christmas trees can be recycled in a variety of ways, including local government programs to chip them into mulch that returns valuable nutrients to the soil.
 7. The farms that grow Christmas trees stabilize soil, protect water supplies and provide wildlife habitat while creating scenic green belts.
6. When growing in open space, a 3" in diameter Douglas fir tree can reduce atmospheric carbon by 23 pounds and intercept 102 gallons of stormwater runoff per year (Davey.com tree calculator).
5. Christmas tree growers plant one to three new seedlings for every tree they harvest, rarely using fertilizer after planting.
4. When you buy directly from a farmer, that dollar will circulate through the local economy four times, strengthening our communities.
3. When farmers are profitable, they are able to stay on the land, keeping it open and productive for the benefit of all.
2. Evergreen trees look and smell wonderful and are part of a sentimental American tradition.
1. Visiting a tree farm is great holiday fun for the entire family.
To find a Christmas tree farm near you, click here.
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State Seeks Smart, Green & Growing Partners
Maryland's redesigned Smart, Green & Growing website is providing citizens, businesses, organizations and local governments with a one-stop connection to the State's sustainable programs, services and tools as well as a terrific platform for highlighting green successes and ideas.
Governor O'Malley launched Smart, Green and Growing in 2008 to engage every Marylander in the State's efforts to create a more sustainable future -- one that recognizes the inherent connection between our quality of life, our economy and our environment. The program is currently seeking partners -- organizations that are helping create a more sustainable future by promoting SGG information to their members, customers and constituents, adopting sustainable practices and sharing their own innovative ideas and successes.
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