Chesapeake Bay News

Highcamera Aerial Photographic Service recently released for sale a new series of aerial photographs.

The photographs provide aerial views of well known Chesapeake Bay landmarks including Smith Island Maryland, the USAS American Mariner, Tangier Island Virginia, and Watts Island.

Images in the Smith Island gallery include aerial photos of Rhodes Point, Tylerton and Ewell, the three communities that exist on the island.

The Tangier Island gallery features several views of Virginia’s Tangier island.

The Chesapeake Bay gallery includes aerial views of  two rarely seen landmarks.

In Maryland, lies the hulk of the USAS American Mariner, which after a long history, has become a target ship for the armed forces.

Further South is Watts Island, located in the Virginia portion of Pocomoke Sound.

Prints are available of each photograph,  in a variety of sizes. Each image is reproduced on high quality paper using permanent vibrant inks.

Prints will be signed by the photographer and are certain to retain their value for many years to come.

Highcamera Aerial Photography also produces aerial photographs for Real Estate, Construction Progress and advertising on demand.

For more information, visit highcamera.com

The National Park Foundation (NPF) has awarded three grants totaling $39,700 to national parks in Maryland.  Among the funding is in $10,450 grants to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park and the Catoctin Mountain Park, respectively. The grant will be applied to assist area teachers in developing service-learning projects and other lesson plans involving the parks.

The NPF’s Park Stewards Grants to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park and the Catoctin Mountain Park will provide high school teachers with immersive training throughout the summer in the parks, where they will learn about each park and then develop park-related service-learning projects and lesson plans to be implemented in the upcoming school year.

Students from Allegany County Public Schools will explore the cultural, natural and architectural elements of the C&O National Historic Park, while students from North Hagerstown High School will participate in a hands-on environmental program focusing on invasive plants at Catoctin Mountain Park.

source: Senator Barbara A. Mikulski press release

Chesapeake Bay deadrise workboat

A variety of icons represent the Chesapeake Bay region. Instantly recognizable, these images have strong cultural ties with the people that live and work on the water and in nearby communities.

Seafood is closely intertwined with Chesapeake Bay culture. Blue crabs, oysters, clams, rockfish and other seafood are traditional icons of the estuary and its communities.

Closely associated with Chesapeake Bay seafood are a number of boats, including Chesapeake Bay skipjacks, deadrise workboats, oyster buyboats, and flat bottomed crabbing skiffs.

Waterfowl such as Canada geese, snow geese, brant and a several species of ducks have long been recognized as icons of the Chesapeake Bay region. Blue herons, egrets and other shorebirds are also familiar symbols of the region.

In the Chesapeake Bay, ospreys and bald eagles are popular icons. These large birds of prey are famous for their ability to catch fish and other creatures. Both species have returned to the Chesapeake in large numbers after periods of near-extinction.

Several songbirds are associated with the Chesapeake Bay. Some are state birds, mascots or have cultural significance in the region. Songbird icons of the Chesapeake Bay region include the Baltimore oriole (Maryland state bird), northern cardinal (Virginia state bird), Prothonatary warbler, and red-winged blackbird.

Artists of the Chesapeake Bay often incorporate local seafood, wildlife, boats and other icons in their work. Art forms include working duck and goose decoys, model boats, sculptures, carvings, photographs, original paintings, prints, or other artwork.

For Chesapeake Bay enthusiasts, an extensive collection of Chesapeake Bay artwork is available at North America online store.

The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office recently submitted its Biennial Report for fiscal years 2009 and 2010 to Congress. The report highlights many of NCBO’s programs and projects, including recent actions in support of implementing the President’s Executive Order on Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration.

The document describes the Office’s work, including:

Monitoring the Bay’s health, improving boater safety, and interpreting the John Smith water trail through operation and maintenance of the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System;

Surveying bottom habitat to collaborate with state and other partners in identifying prime locations for oyster restoration, sturgeon spawning habitat restoration, and derelict crab pot removal efforts;

Developing decision-support models for fisheries managers to evaluate different management options;

Providing states with funding, technical assistance, and data to restore native oysters in the Bay, including support for aquaculture efforts;

Improving blue crab management by providing key blue crab data and survey information to marine resource managers;

Providing hands-on learning as part of the Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Chesapeake Program;

Creating a new Environmental Science Training Center for environmental education professionals and other programs.

For more information, see: http://www.chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/

In connection with National Safe Boating Week and Memorial Day, several organizations are urging boaters to practice safe and responsible boating.

Here are tips from the U.S. Coast Guard to help boaters have a safe and pleasant summer on the Chesapeake Bay:

Wear your life jacket: Almost three-quarters of all fatal boating accident victims drowned, and of those, nearly 90 percent were not wearing a life jacket. Accidents can happen very quickly, sometimes leaving no time to don a life jacket. More than 90 percent of boaters who drown were not wearing their life jackets.

Bow riding is when passengers unsafely remain on the bow of a recreational vessel while it is making way. This is inherently unsafe when the bow is not outfitted with the appropriate safety equipment for seating passengers, such as non-skid, railings or seats. Even while wearing a life jacket, a person who is sitting on the bow can be at risk of a propeller strike if they fall overboard.

Make a float plan: A float plan states where you are going and how many people are on board your vessel. It also gives a vessel description, details your destination and says what time you expect to arrive there. If you are delayed for some reason, make sure you let someone know.

Check the local weather: Weather can change very rapidly, and you should keep a watchful eye on the forecasted conditions. Check marine radio weather reports often to stay abreast of small craft advisories and current weather forecasts.

Know how to operate your equipment: Have up to date nautical charts of the area in which you are boating, a global positioning device and a reliable means of communication on board your vessel. VHF radio is the best method of communication while on the water. The Coast Guard monitors VHF channel 16. Although cell phones are a good backup, they can be unreliable due to gaps in coverage area and the inevitable dead battery.

Don’t drink and boat: Boating under the influence or boating while intoxicated is just as deadly as drinking and driving. It is illegal to operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs in every state. Penalties for violating BUI/BWI laws can include large fines, suspension or revocation of boat operator privileges, and jail terms.

Take care navigating at night and in unfamiliar waters: The most frequently reported boating accidents are collisions with other vessels, so it’s important to maintain a safe speed, post a lookout and ensure all navigation lights work. Spotlights can be very helpful, and ensure all safety gear is readily available and life jackets are worn. Be extra careful not to run over anchor lines in crowded areas, and don’t take shortcuts during periods of darkness.

Don’t overload your boat: Resist the urge to invite more friends or family aboard than what your boat was designed to carry. Heavily loaded small boats and those with little freeboard such as bass boats, are more susceptible to swamping from weather or wake action associated with heavy boating traffic.

All vessels must operate outside of 500 yards of U.S. Navy vessels. Violating the Naval Vessel Protection Zone is a felony offense, punishable up to 6 years in prison and/or up to $250,000 in fines.

Similar boating safety tips are offered from Maryland Natural Resources Police:

Generally boating safety relies on good judgment and safety precautions before departing from the dock. Boaters can help ensure their safety and the safety of others by remembering the acronym “SAFE”;

S – Survey or examine your boat’s hull, engine and navigational equipment for serviceability. Ensure the hull is sound and free of cracks, holes and defects. Inspect the vessel’s engine performance. Take it to a certified mechanic to ensure the engine is operating properly.  Survey and examine all navigational lights, communication, radar, GPS and other electronic equipment to ensure that they are functioning properly.

A – Anticipate the needs of the trip prior to leaving the dock. Ensure fuel, clothing, and medical needs are met during the trip. Plan for unexpected events like severe weather or sudden storms.

F – File a float plan with a friend or relative. Tell someone where you are going, how long you plan to stay, and when you expect to return. This is vital information for rescuers searching for lost or overdue boaters.

E – Equipment. Ensure that all safety equipment is in good condition and sufficient quantity for the people on board the vessel. Basic equipment includes correct size and quantity of life jackets, fire extinguishers, visual distress signals (flares etc), and sound producing devices such as a whistle or horn.

For further boating safety information, check online at one of the following:

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary: http://www.cgaux.org/

Vessel Safety Checks: http://www.vesselsafetycheck.org/

Coast Guard Boating Safety page: http://www.uscgboating.org/

National Safe Boating Council: http://www.safeboatingcouncil.org/

The State of Maryland has enacted several new regulations that pertain to commmercial fisheries and shellfish aquaculture.  According to Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources, the regulations are designed to deter harmful fishing activity by increasing penalties for oyster, blue crab, and striped bass poachers; authorizing Natural Resources Police (NRP) officers to inspect commercial fishing business’s storage areas; and streamlining penalty imposition processes.

Senate Bill 159 and House Bill 273 require the revocation (through an administrative hearing) of an individual’s commercial fishing license within 60 days of oyster poaching violations.

Similarly, Senate Bill 635 and House Bill 1154 require the revocation of an individual’s commercial fishing license if they are found by an Administrative Law Judge to have knowingly committed an egregious or repeat violation against striped bass or blue crabs including: using illegal gear; harvesting during closed seasons; harvesting from a closed area; violating established harvest, catch or size limits; or violating tagging and reporting requirements.

Senate Bill 655, along with House Bill 1225, increase the penalty for engaging in commercial fishing with a suspended license, a revoked license or without a license, by establishing a fine of up to $25,000 and imprisonment for up to one year.  A higher fine and possible imprisonment will deter future violations resulting from fishing on a suspended commercial license.

Governor O’Malley also signed into law bills that will streamline administrative hearings for natural resource violations and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of law enforcement officers.

Senate Bill 414 and House Bill 396 authorize NRP officers to inspect licensed commercial vessels, vehicles, and premises where Maryland fishery resources may be stored.  The new law also helps to modernize fisheries law enforcement by authorizing NRP officers to issue electronic citations, thereby enabling officers to spend a greater portion of their time doing law enforcement instead of administrative work.  The law also allows DNR to suspend or revoke a license after providing the opportunity for a hearing, thus preserving the rights of defendants while streamlining administrative enforcement and allowing the NRP to focus on new cases.

The Governor also signed several bills consistent with Maryland’s Oyster Restoration and Aquaculture Development Plan to encourage shellfish aquaculture business growth.

Senate Bill 847 and House Bill 1053 will streamline the aquaculture permitting process by consolidating and transferring several important aquaculture functions within one State agency.  DNR will now coordinate all aquaculture permitting, issue water column leases, and staff the Aquaculture Coordinating Council and Aquaculture Review Board.

Finally, House Bill 208 allows the Department to lease barren areas located within oyster sanctuaries for aquaculture.  This law increases opportunities for new and growing small businesses engaged in oyster aquaculture.  The expansion of aquaculture areas along barren submerged land will also increase natural disease resistance in the wild oyster population, create localized water quality improvements, create more oyster shell habitat, and enhance the natural recruitment of baby oysters within sanctuaries.

source: MD DNR

M&T Bank recently presented a $10,000 donation to the Chesapeake Bay Trust to fund environmental education and Chesapeake Bay restoration projects throughout Maryland.

The Chesapeake Bay Trust, a nonprofit grant making organization founded in 1985, has awarded close to $40 million in grants to fund environmental education, Chesapeake Bay restoration and community outreach throughout Maryland and the broader Chesapeake Bay watershed region.

“M&T Bank has been an exceptional partner of the Chesapeake Bay Trust as we work to educate and engage Marylanders in projects and programs designed to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay,” said Allen Hance, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Trust.  “We sincerely thank M&T Bank for their continued support and steadfast commitment to community stewardship and environmental education.”

In 2010, the Trust awarded more than 350 grants totaling $4.2 million.  These grants touched every county in Maryland and Baltimore City and engaged more than 150,000 Marylanders, including almost 98,000 Maryland students last year alone.  One such program the Trust supports is “Chesapeake Trades,” an environmental education initiative administered by the Annapolis Maritime Museum that teaches Maryland students about stormwater run-off and water quality, while also providing hands-on community service projects that remove invasive plant species.  During today’s event, more than 90 eighth graders participated in these all-day activities to learn more about the Chesapeake Bay and ways they can help protect it.

For more information on the Chesapeake Bay Trust and its grant programs, visit www.cbtrust.org.  M&T Bank can be reached at www.mtb.com.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries Service will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. on May 9 in the Fellowship Hall at the Calvary United Methodist Church in Annapolis to present and obtain input on several regulatory ideas, including:

-  Possible changes to the current commercial female blue crab closure periods and catch limits

- A new regulation for egregious or repeat crab or striped bass violations related to using illegal gear, harvesting during a closed season, harvesting from a closed area, exceeding harvest catch or size limits and violating, tagging and reporting requirements. This action will also add oyster poaching penalties.

- Elimination of a regulation that prohibits the commercial harvest of blue crabs on the second and third Thursdays in November.

- Removal of the requirement to list a vessel number on a commercial crabbing license.

- A clarification that all recreational crab pots are required to be marked with owner’s name and address.

- Allowing temporary transfers of frozen and male only limited crab harvester licenses.

- A clarification that oyster taxes only apply to oysters caught in the public commercial fishery.

- A requirement of an individual to declare their intent to commercially harvest clams

- Create consistency between regulations for the black sea bass, summer flounder and horseshoe crab commercial fisheries and allow some flexibility in coastal commercial permitting.

- To prohibit all recreational and commercial fishing for river herring beginning January 1, 2012.

- To allow leasing in sanctuaries on non-historic natural oyster bars.

Additional information on these agenda items is available at http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/regulations/draftregulations.asp

Regulatory Scoping Meetings are held to discuss possible changes to fishing rules. Draft regulatory ideas are posted on the Fisheries’ Service website and comments are taken by email, fax, or mail by a specified date and at the Public Scoping Meeting.

Based upon public input, the Department will determine whether or not to proceed with these regulatory ideas, as presented or modified, by submitting a proposed regulation.

Sign language interpreters and other appropriate accommodations will be provided upon request.

You may submit comments on these regulatory ideas by going to the Fisheries Draft Regulations Website, faxing them to 410-260-8310 or mailing them to Fisheries Regulations, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, 580 Taylor Ave., B-2, Annapolis, MD 21401.

Virginia and Maryland fishery managers  have released results of the 2011 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey.  The study found that the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population is at its second highest level since 1997 and well above the target for the third year in a row.

Overall crab abundance, however, declined due to this past winter’s deep freeze that killed as many as 31 percent of Maryland’s adult crabs, compared to about 11 percent in 2010.

At 460 million crabs, the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population is at its second highest level since 1997, and nearly double the record low of 249 million in 2007. And, for watermen across the Bay, the unusually high crab abundance last year translated into a harvest of more than 89 million pounds — the highest since 1993.

Commenting on the winter kill,  Steven G. Bowman, Commissioner of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission remarked: “We cannot control the weather. It was a harsh winter and crab mortality was higher than normal. In fact, it was the worst we’ve seen since 1996.”

“This drop in abundance should be viewed as a speed bump in our stock rebuilding program, and just means it will take a bit longer to get to where we want to be with a stabilized crab stock of high abundance,” Commissioner Bowman added.” Some stock management challenges remain, but the evidence shows we’re going in the right direction.”

According to the survey, 254 million adult crabs survived the bitter cold winter in the Chesapeake, above the current population target for the third year in a row. This marks the first time since the early 1990s that the Bay has seen three consecutive years with the adult population was above the target (200 million crabs) and the harvest was below the target of 46 percent.

Estimates of abundance are developed separately for young of the year crabs, mature female crabs, and adult male crabs. Together, these groups of crabs will support the 2011 fishery and produce the next generation of crabs

In 2008, Maryland, Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission took action to reduce harvest pressure on female crabs by 34 percent. At that time, scientists deemed conservation measures necessary as blue crab suffered near historic lows in spawning stock.

“The coordinated management of blue crabs since 2008 clearly demonstrates the conservation gains that can be achieved when Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions act collectively toward a common vision – in this case a healthy blue crab population and sustainable fishery, said Peyton Robertson, director of the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office.

In September 2008, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service responded to Virginia’s and Maryland’s request for disaster assistance funding for watermen impacted by the declining blue crab population.

The primary assessment of the Bay’s blue crab population is conducted annually by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS).  Since 1990, the survey has employed crab dredges to sample blue crabs at 1,500 sites throughout the Chesapeake Bay from December through March. By sampling during winter when blue crabs are buried in the mud and stationary, scientists can develop, with good precision, estimates of the number of crabs present in the Bay.

“The overall crab abundance is down a bit from what it was last year at this time, but let’s keep that in context. We saw a huge bay-wide harvest in 2010, the largest since the early 1990s, and despite that the stock abundance continues to be higher than we’ve seen in many, many years,” Travelstead said.

source: Virginia Marine Resources Commission

According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, renovations of the Lapidum Boating Facility in Susquehanna State Park are now complete. The project was a partnership effort between DNR, the Department of General Services and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

The Lapidum Boating Facility provides an important access point to the Susquehanna River downstream of the Conowingo Dam, an area renowned for fishing, boating, hunting and general recreation for the public.

The renovations included replacing the deteriorated boarding pier with a state-of-the-art floating dock, improving both the safety and ease of use of the facility at the varying water levels experienced at Lapidum.

The stone breakwater was also renovated to provide essential protection from storms and wave action and the parking area was expanded to accommodate more users due to high demand. The new and improved facility is also ADA compliant.

The total cost of the construction phase was $435,000, with funds coming from both state and federal sources. State funding was provided through a DNR Waterway Improvement Fund grant of $135,000.

Revenue for the fund comes from the one-time 5 percent excise tax paid when a boat is purchased and titled in the State of Maryland. The Waterway Improvement Fund was created in 1966 to support the development, use, and enjoyment of all waters in Maryland for the benefit of the general boating public.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service provided $300,000 through the Federal Sport Fish Restoration Program which is a user pay, user benefit grant program funded by federal excise tax on fishing equipment and fuel tax from motor boats.

source: MD DNR