Chesapeake Bay News

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced the launch of its updated Online Boating Access Guide. The web-based guide provides the location of public boating access sites across the state, as well as site-specific details on amenities, parking, directions, and fees. The new site is located at www.dnr.state.md.us/boating/boatramps.asp

“The previously offered data were out of date, and boaters told us they needed more information,” said Lisa Gutierrez, DNR’s Division Director of Boating Services who oversaw the project. “In addition, we wanted to reflect the growing number of non-motorized recreational boaters who wanted information on soft launch sites.”

DNR’s Boating Services Unit worked for almost two years to produce new maps and collect data from local, state and federal partners for the updated site. Boaters planning to use launch sites are encouraged to check the website before planning a trip.

While DNR provides the maps, most boat ramps are operated by county departments of parks and recreation. Contact information for these offices is provided on the new website and boaters should contact the counties for information on parking, fees, and permits, which vary.

“This new guide will help supply boaters all over Maryland, and beyond, with the information they need to access and experience Maryland’s waterways and the Chesapeake Bay,” said Bob Gaudette, DNR’s Director of Boating Services.

For more information visit www.dnr.state.md.us/boating

The Wye Landing public boat ramp in Talbot County was reopened on August 26th with a ribbon cutting ceremony following major reconstruction and expansion to improve public access to the waterway and incorporate sustainable solar and wind power devices. Funding for the $428,000 project was provided by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Waterway Improvement Fund, Talbot County, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

The project included replacing a two-lane boat ramp with a new four-lane, concrete ramp, adding two fixed piers and a floating, ADA-accessible dock, and creating four slips along the existing loading/unloading dock. Solar down-lighting was installed on the pilings at the end of the docks and a hybrid solar/wind powered light pole was installed to light the wharf and ramp area.

Wye Landing is one of the Eastern Shore’s most heavily-used boat ramps. The additional lane and boarding piers will allow for more efficient launching and reduce wait times and congestion. In addition to the new ADA-accessible floating dock, ADA parking spaces were also designated.

Of the $428,000 total project cost, DNR’s Waterway Improvement Fund provided $96,649. The Waterway Improvement Fund is funded by the 5 percent excise tax that boaters pay when they register a boat in Maryland. Remaining costs were funded by Talbot County and a $288,317 Sportfish Restoration Program grant from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

source: DNR

On Sunday afternoon, 7/25/ 2010, the Coast Guard responded to 37 distress calls resulting in more than 77 people assisted or rescued after a severe thunderstorm developed in the Chesapeake Bay.

At 3:05 p.m., the National Weather Service Radar indicated a line of severe thunderstorms capable of producing destructive winds in excess of 70 mph. A marine broadcast was issued to notify mariners to seek shelter immediately.

At approximately 3:25 p.m., Sector Baltimore watchstanders received the first call notifying them that vessels were being affected by the storm. Within minutes, multiple calls came in to the command center.

Damaging wind gusts, frequent cloud to ground lightning strikes and unstable sea conditions began to create a dangerous situation for mariners.

Within a two hour period, eight Coast Guard response boatcrews from six different small boat stations, including Stations Stillpond, Station Oxford, Station St. Inigoes, Station Curtis Bay, Station Annapolis and Station Washington, D.C., began responding to the distress calls. Distress cases spanned from the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal to as far south as Colonial Beach, Md., to include the Potomac River.

Some of the rescue efforts included:

Coast Guard Station Oxford boatcrews rescued two people from a capsized kayak near Cambridge Creek, Md.

Station Annapolis boatcrews rescued three personal water craft operators who were located clinging to a buoy near Herring Bay, Md.

Station St. Inigoes rescued five people located in the water after their raft capsized near St. George’s Island. With the use of a translator, St. Inigoes crewmembers were also able to rescue a Spanish speaking family aboard a 30-foot pleasure craft that was disabled near Colonial Beach.

“I have been working this job for more than five years, and I have never seen this happen before,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Jason Stanley, a search and rescue coordinator at Sector Baltimore.

“Storms can turn a normal day out on the boat to a battle of life and death, in one case we literally had victims clinging to a buoy for life,” said Chief Petty Officer Keith Moore an operations specialist at Sector Baltimore. “This is what we train for; this is why we are here. However, in an emergency as large as this was, a number of unprepared mariners can take a toll and create a very difficult situation for all responders. We could not have done this alone; we are incredibly thankful to our state and local agencies for helping us carry the burden of such a difficult mission.”

The Coast Guard urges mariners to pay close attention to the weather reports and weather advisories prior to and while boating. Mariners should take appropriate action when a storm is nearing by leaving affected areas, returning to marinas and safe haven as soon as possible.

source: USCG press release

A special guest has been invited to the annual Potomac River Ramble, July 8-11. On the second night of this year’s canoe and kayak camping trip, the 18th century Cherokee Indian “Mankiller” Ostenaco (played by actor  Doug Wood) will appear in the firelight, his head painted warrior red, to tell the story of how he led 130 men into war to protect British settlers against the fury of the French.

The Potomac River Ramble, sponsored by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin and led by River & Trail Outfitters, is an annual, multi-day canoe and kayak trip featuring riverside camping, catered meals, restoration projects, history talks, nature walks and environmental education.

Biologists, historians, geologists and other experts will meet the group of paddlers along the way for hands-on instruction and discussion. Organizers hope participants will become intimately connected with the “nation’s river” by camping alongside it as they paddle the three-day course.

This year’s event begins Thursday evening, July 8 and ends Sunday afternoon, July 11. Experienced guides and other experts will lead paddlers from Town Creek Park, W.Va. through the gorges and rolling hills of the Potomac River’s Paw Paw Bends, ending at Little Orleans.

No paddling experience is necessary, and you do not have to register for the entire trip. The cost is $55 per day and includes meals, camping fees, guides, shuttle and educational programming. If you do not have a boat, rentals are available; prices include delivery and pickup.

For more information please visit:  http://www.potomacriver.org/cms/

You may also contact Jennifer Willoughby with the ICPRB at 301-984-1908 ext. 109 or JWilloughby@icprb.org; or Lee Baihly with River & Trail Outfitters at 301-988-5712 or lee@rivertrail.com.

The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin has been working to enhance and protect the Potomac River and its tributaries through regional and interstate partnerships since 1940. River and Trail Outfitters has been guiding trips since 1972, annually outfitting more than 30,000 people on various rivers in the Potomac watershed.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and the Marine Trades Association of Maryland will hold a forum July 8 in Annapolis to offer an opportunity to learn more about the new General Discharge Permit for Boat and Vessel Maintenance. The forum is intended for operators of facilities that perform or allow boat repair.

MDE is reviewing appropriate changes to the General Permit for Discharges for Marinas. Changes to the permit address and update requirements related to bottom paints and wash water. Maryland’s waters must be protected from toxicity that could compromise aquatic life and public health now and in the future.

DNR’s Clean Marina Program and the Marine Trades Association of Maryland are assisting in the process by providing technical expertise and experience, and will provide ongoing compliance assistance.

Attendees will learn about the active ingredients in bottom paints from several paint representatives as well as how marina discharges are handled in other states. This forum is not a “public hearing” as no draft determination of the permit has been proposed for public comment. Rather, the forum is a chance to hear why changes are being discussed and to get industry suggestions to best meet new water quality standards.

The forum will run from 1:00 to 4:00p.m. July 8 in the meeting hall of the Calvary Methodist Church on at 301 Rowe Boulevard in Annapolis. There is no cost and operators of businesses that conduct—or allow—boat repair work on site are strongly encouraged to attend.

To register contact the Marine Trades Association of Maryland at susan@mtam.org or by calling 410-269-0741.

For more information on Maryland’s Clean Marina Program visit:

www.dnr.maryland.gov/boating/cleanmarina

source: MD DNR

The 2010 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Advisory Report, while noting that blue crabs appear to be making a comeback in the Chesapeake, recommends that the jurisdictions that manage the fishery keep conservation measures in place.

In early 2010, surveys estimate roughly 315 million harvestable (adult crabs 1+ years old) within the Chesapeake, an impressive 41 percent increase from 2009 numbers. The blue crab population rebuilding goal (200 million harvestable crabs) set by the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee (CBSAC) has been surpassed for two years in a row, but two years is not enough time to know if these numbers can be maintained over the long term.

“The 2010 numbers show continuation of a positive sign that crab populations in the Chesapeake Bay are rebounding,” said Peyton Robertson, director of the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office. “Living resource managers in the bay have made a commitment to working together and to using the best science available to manage blue crab stocks in the bay, and their efforts are paying off.”

Crab populations in the Bay hovered near historic lows for much of the last decade due to over exploitation, pollution, and reduced habitat. But this iconic crustacean is making a comeback—thanks in part to coordinated management efforts across bay jurisdictions in 2008 to reduce female harvest. However, the report notes that conservation measures need to continue to be maintained over time for their full effects to be studied.

The Blue Crab Advisory Report, developed by the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee and reviewed by the Executive Committee of the Sustainable Fisheries Goal Implementation Team, is based primarily on data collected in the 2009-10 bay-wide winter dredge survey, the most comprehensive and statistically robust annual blue crab survey conducted in the bay. The data shows:

* Harvestable blue crabs, those over the age of one year, increased by 41 percent from the 2009 estimate to 315 million. This was primarily due to an increase in abundance of spawning-age females. Since the winter dredge survey began in 1990, the average blue crab population in the bay has been 192 million.

* Bay-wide, numbers of juvenile crabs entering the population doubled from last year’s estimated 179 million juvenile crabs to 345 million. The long-term average is 260 million.

* An estimated 43 percent of crabs were harvested from the bay by commercial and recreational fishers in 2009. The harvest restrictions put in place in 2008 and 2009 have maintained harvest at sustainable levels that appear to have allowed the population of blue crabs to grow.

* The estimated 2009 harvest of blue crabs from the bay and tributaries was 53.9 million pounds—24 percent higher than the record-low 43.5 million pounds in 2007, but well below the long-term average of 74 million pounds.

“The 2010 advisory report contains good news for Chesapeake Bay blue crabs and the associated fisheries,” noted Lynn Fegley of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, current chair of the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee. “The 2009 fishery did not exceed the target removal level and there is an increased abundance of adult and juvenile crabs to start the 2010 season. Going forward, it will be critical for the management jurisdictions to continue management strategies that ensure that exploitation on the spawning component of the stock remains within safe limits.”

The recently released “Strategy for Protection and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay Watershed” affirms NOAA’s support for continued regional blue crab management. Using the latest science, NOAA will continue to work through the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee and coordinate with the states and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission to reevaluate the blue crab interim rebuilding target by 2012. The new abundance target will be based on an updated blue crab stock assessment to be completed in 2011 and will help guide future management actions.

The Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee includes fisheries scientists from the University of Maryland, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, NOAAs Fisheries, and the states of Maryland and Virginia.

The Executive Committee of the Sustainable Fisheries Goal Team is composed of senior fisheries managers from across the Chesapeake Bay and focuses on facilitating fisheries management that encourages sustainable Chesapeake Bay fish populations, supports viable recreational and commercial fisheries, and promotes natural ecosystem function. The Sustainable Fisheries Goal Team provides the forum to discuss fishery management issues that cross state and other jurisdictional boundaries and better connect sound science to management decision making.

The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office focuses NOAA’s capabilities in science, service, and stewardship to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay.

The Blue Crab Advisory Report and supporting figures are available at:

http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/fish-facts/blue-crab

source: NOAA press release

President Obama recently announced his America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, a collaborative effort to seek the best ideas on conservation, how these ideas can be pursued in partnership with local communities, and how the administration can be more responsible stewards and promote conservation. To seek input from stakeholders, listening sessions have been scheduled across the country, including a very important one on Friday June 25 in Annapolis for the Chesapeake Bay region.

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) wants to ensure national parks play a prominent role in any forward-thinking conservation initiative.

According to NPCA the following concepts are related to the Chesapeake Bay watershed:

- In the Chesapeake watershed, Shenandoah and 50 other national parks anchor larger landscapes of America’s history and heritage. The future of national park wildlife and water quality depends upon the health of the larger natural systems within the Chesapeake region. Vital connections between national parks, other protected areas, and private lands must be preserved — and in some areas, established — to protect plants and wildlife, the landscapes of our shared cultural history, inspiring scenic views, clean water, and water access for recreation. The Administration must lead policies and funding to preserve and protect the meaningful, beautiful landscapes of the Chesapeake region. Such policies should include thoughtfully expanding existing parks such as Petersburg National Battlefield, and providing reliable funding for easements on private lands that help protect park wildlife.

- Our national parks serve as outdoor classrooms where history comes to life and lifelong learning takes place. Students can learn about the Civil War while walking across hallowed ground at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, or explore a forest’s ecosystem while hiking the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. The Administration must support and significantly grow successful service learning and other educational programs so that Americans, young and old, have an opportunity to learn about America’s history and heritage in our national parks and public lands.

- We can already see the impacts of climate change on the Chesapeake region through sea level rise and the intensity of storms. Now more than ever, the Administration must protect and work to connect our Chesapeake landscapes so that plants, wildlife, rivers and streams, and our surrounding communities can adapt to the impacts of climate change.

-Every federal dollar invested in national parks returns at least four dollars in economic activity in local communities. In the height of our country’s economic downturn, visitation to our national parks increased by 4 percent in 2009.  Despite these facts, our national parks are severely underfunded. The Administration should provide our national parks the operating, maintenance, and land protection funds they need to protect these national treasures for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.

- In the Mid-Atlantic’s Chesapeake region, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a  conservation program, has funded many land protection projects. Examples include lands critical to protecting history-soaked landscapes such as Gettysburg National Military Park and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. The Administration must lead efforts to protect America’s national parks and other public lands by fully meeting authorized funding levels for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

For more additional information on America’s Great Outdoors and the Annapolis listening session, see:

http://www.npca.org/americasgreatoutdoors/

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has set the dates, times and locations for four public regulatory hearings as part of the implementation of Maryland’s Oyster Restoration and Aquaculture Plan.

In January 2009, Governor O’Malley sponsored legislation to promote oyster restoration and aquaculture in Maryland by streamlining the regulatory process, expanding oyster sanctuaries in the Bay and opening areas to aquaculture to reduce the pressure on wild oysters and to provide alternative economic opportunities for Maryland watermen. The legislation passed overwhelmingly in the General Assembly.

“Since Governor O’Malley announced this groundbreaking proposal in December, we have worked diligently with legislators, local elected officials and all of our stakeholders—including members of the oyster industry, aquaculture interests, scientists, environmentalists, sport fishermen and citizens,” said DNR Secretary John Griffin. “This unprecedented public process resulted in more than 150 meetings during which we made numerous adjustments to our proposal to address the concerns of our watermen while maintaining the integrity of the Governor’s plan.”

The Chesapeake Bay’s oyster population has languished at one percent of historic levels since 1994, quality oyster bars have decreased by 80 percent and the number of harvesters has dwindled from 2,000 in the mid-1980s to just over 500 annually since 2002. Today there are only eight oyster processing companies in Maryland, down from 58 in 1974.

These public events will feature an overview of the proposed regulations by DNR staff followed by opportunities for individual comments. Comments may also be submitted online at fisheriespubliccomment@dnr.state.md.us or by mail to:

MD-DNR Fisheries Service
Oyster Recovery
Tawes State Office Bldg
580 Taylor Ave. B-2
Annapolis, MD 21401

The public hearings are scheduled as follows:

* July 7, 6:00 p.m., Anne Arundel Community College, Pascal Center for the Performing Arts, 101 College Parkway, Arnold, MD 21012
* July 13, 6:00 p.m., Leonardtown High School Auditorium, 23995 Point Lookout Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650
* July 22, 6:00 p.m., Salisbury University, Caruthers Hall Auditorium, 1101 Camden Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21801
* August 5, 6:00 p.m., Chesapeake College, Todd Performing Arts Center, Route 50 and Route 213, Wye Mills, MD 21679

To view the full Oyster Restoration and Aquaculture Plan, go to www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/oysters/pdfs/OysterOpenHouseFINAL2a.pdf

A concise overview of the proposed regulations is located at www.dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/oysters/OysterRestoration&AquacultureDevelopmentProposedRegulationsFactsheet.pdf

source: MD DNR

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Artificial Reef Initiative joined Anne Arundel County officials and representatives of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Coastal Conservation Association, Pasadena Sport Fishing Group, and the students from Chesapeake Middle School kickoff the first deployment of artificial reef material around the Downs Park Fishing Pier.

Students of Chesapeake Middle School will be making reef balls to improve conditions for fish, oysters, and the community, with the help of DNR Fisheries and the Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative (MARI) partners. Their plan included the Downs Park Pier as a suitable site.

source: MD DNR

Public boat ramps on Thompson Creek and Shipping Creek have re-opened following major renovations. Both of these popular boat ramps are located on Kent Island and have been closed since January for repairs.

The Thompson Creek Ramp was widened and has a new ADA accessible boarding pier. The Shipping Creek ramp was expanded and now has two launching lanes with a center boarding pier. The last major improvements to these facilities were made over 20 years ago. The ramps opened in time for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

source: DNR