Chesapeake Bay News

Maryland’s Governor has signed a bill into law to strengthen protection of children on Maryland waterways. Under the new law, effective immediately, any child under the age of 13 is required to wear a personal flotation device (PFD) while aboard a vessel that is underway. The law will also require children under the age of 16 to possess a certificate of boating safety education before they can operate a vessel unless they are supervised by an adult or someone 16 or older who has a boating safety certificate, effective Oct. 1.

“As a State, nothing we do is more important than protecting the lives of our children,” said Governor O’Malley. “By raising the age at which a child is required to wear a life vest and improving boating safety education, this legislation will do just that.”

Formerly, any child under the age of seven had to wear a PFD on a recreational boat 21 feet or smaller, unless the boat is moored or anchored or the child is below deck in an enclosed cabin.

“We firmly believe this new legislation will help us prevent boating fatalities,” said DNR Secretary John Griffin. “Even one boating-related death is unacceptable. We are doing everything we can to keep our boaters – and our children – safe.”

The State averages 12 boating related fatalities a year. In 2009, Maryland had 17 boating related fatalities;16 of the victims were not wearing PFDs.

“A life jacket is the single most important piece of safety equipment, but it doesn’t work unless you wear it,” said NRP Superintendent Colonel George Johnson. “This law will provide an added measure of safety for our children boating on Maryland waters. “

Raising the age requirement puts Maryland in line with federal regulations and 34 states, including Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Washington, DC. The federal regulations do not supersede the state, but the National Transportation Safety Board strongly encourages states to update their PFD requirements.

The legislation was supported by the U.S. Coast Guard, National Transportation Safety Board, Safe Kids USA, National Boating Federation, National Safe Boating Council, National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, and the Marine Retailers Association of America.

Existing Maryland law requires that anyone born on or after July 1, 1972 must have a Certificate of Boating Safety Education in order to operate a mechanically propelled vessel on Maryland waters. NRP offers both in-person and on-line boating safety courses to receive that certificate. For more information go to http://www.dnr.state.md.us/boating/safety/basiccourse.html

The full bill can be viewed at http://mlis.state.md.us/2010rs/bills/sb/sb0092t.pdf

This information is provided as a public service of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. www.dnr.maryland.gov

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has removed two sunken barges from the Somers Cove Marina, making it ready to welcome boaters this season. The barges sank in the marsh of Jersey Island near Somers Cove Marina approximately 20 years ago.

“For years, this area of the marina has been a bit of an eyesore. Now, we can begin the first stage of a beautification project in that section,” said Lloyd Tyler, executive director of Somers Cove Marina.

Beautification efforts include covering the land next to the project area with topsoil and grass, and planting new trees.

Steven’s Marine Construction was awarded the contract to remove the sunken barges. Fuel tanks from the barges were properly drained and removed before the barges were hauled out, which will result in safer navigation of the area. Following removal, the barges’ corroding steel was taken to Delmarva Recycling Inc. to be recycled.

“The commission is very supportive of this effort to remove the old barges,” said Somers Cover Marina Commissioner Ladell Dorman. “They were a potential hazard to navigation as well as a possible source of pollution.”

In conjunction with ongoing projects to replace an old dock with a floating dock, and to upgrade and repair the fuel dock, removal of the sunken barges has Somers Cove Marina ready to welcome boaters for the 2010 boating season.

This removal was made possible by $13,500 from the Waterway Improvement Fund, which is supported by the five percent excise tax boaters pay when registering a vessel in Maryland.

This information is provided as a public service of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. www.dnr.maryland.gov

The Maryland Board of Public Works approved $1.39 million in Waterway Improvement Funds to be used for pier upgrades and replacements at Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield, Md. “Somers Cove Marina will continue to be one of Crisfield’s greatest assets. Boaters throughout the state will reap benefits from this project,” said Crisfield Mayor P.J. Purnell.

The marina’s fuel pier, which was originally built in the 1960s, will be extended by 66 feet and undergo other much-needed repairs. The fuel pumps and dispensers will be replaced with modern equipment and reconfigured to allow up to four vessels to be served at once, relieving congestion on busy weekends and holidays. Re-decking and repairing the fuel pier will improve both safety and functionality and the changes to the fuel dock will allow for easier approach and docking for boaters.

Additionally, an existing fixed pier that dates back to the mid-1970s will be replaced with a modern floating dock that will have 26 slips ranging from 40-50 feet in length. A new section of the floating dock will be able to accommodate vessels up to 100 feet. Floating docks are very popular with boaters because they rise and fall with the tides, alleviating the need to adjust dock lines often and making boarding safer. The marina already has a waiting list of boaters who want a slip on the new floating dock system.

“These necessary improvements will enhance services to Maryland boaters as well as the many transients who make Somers Cove Marina their first stop in Maryland on their way up and down the Intracoastal Waterway,” said Lloyd Tyler, Executive Director of Somers Cove Marina.

Somerset Paving and Marine, Inc. has been selected for the project, which will greatly improve service and safety for commercial and recreational boaters using the marina. The Waterway Improvement Fund is supported by the 5 percent vessel excise tax that is paid when a boat is titled in Maryland and is administered by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for the benefit and safety of the boating public.

Work is expected to begin on the fuel pier in two to four weeks, and construction on the installation of the new floating dock will follow. All upgrades and repairs should be complete in time for boaters to enjoy them for the bulk of the 2010 boating season.

This information is provided as a public service of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. www.dnr.maryland.gov

David Turnbaugh’s painting entitled “Marsh Dweller” is the winner of the 2010-2011 Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest. The winning painting shows a Hooded Merganser walking through a marsh setting and will be featured on the 2010-2011 Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp.

The entries were judged before a large crowd on Saturday, March 27 at the 21st Patuxent Wildlife Art Show held at the National Wildlife Visitors Center in Laurel, Md.

“It was selected out of 28 entries from 14 Maryland artists,” said Bob Beyer, Associate Director of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service. “The contest is the fourth oldest in the country and is restricted to Maryland residents only.”

Mr. Turnbaugh has been a competing artist in Maryland’s duck stamp competition since the mid-1980s and is the only six-time winner in the history of Maryland’s prestigious Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest. Mr. Turnbaugh’s other artwork can be viewed and a print of this year’s winning entry can be ordered at his website http://www.marylandrealist.com or by calling 410-665-1903.

The Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest showcases the talents of Maryland’s gifted artists. Migratory game bird hunters are required to purchase these $9.00 stamps and the proceeds are used to fund migratory game bird research and habitat enhancement on the state’s public lands. More than $4.5 million in stamp sales have been spent on migratory game projects since the inception of the stamps in 1974.

source: DNR press release

The Chesapeake Watershed: A Sense of Place and a Call to Action has just received a national book award. The book was the 2010 Winner of the Best Book on Environmental and Natural Resources, given by The American Society for Public Administration.

For more information about the book, see this article:

New Estuary Book “The Chesapeake Watershed: A Sense of Place and a Call to Action”

The Oyster Recovery Partnership launched Maryland’s first Oyster Shell Recycling Alliance in Baltimore, MD together with more than 20 restaurants, catering companies and seafood wholesalers, the regional oyster shucking community and volunteers. The Alliance will focus on collecting used oyster and clam shells from restaurants and caterers in the Baltimore/Annapolis/Washington, DC metro area.

Oyster shell is a limited resource which provides crucial natural habitat for new oysters in the Chesapeake Bay. Shells are used exclusively by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Horn Point hatchery for its oyster setting process.

Local oyster shuckers, watermen and Oyster Recovery Partnership staff are conducting ongoing pickups delivered to three dumpsters in the region. The shell are then transported via Oyster Recovery Partnership vehicles and deposited to the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) Horn Point Lab Hatchery in Cambridge, MD for aging. About one year after collection, the hatchery attaches small oysters (“spat”) to the shells and they are replanted into the Bay on strategically-designated areas by the Oyster Recovery Partnership in cooperation with our many partners including the UMCES, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Army Corp of Engineers, University of Maryland, Maryland Watermen Association and Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Over the last 18 months, the pilot program collected more than 3,000 bushels or 1.5 million shells from local catering companies and on-call pickups. The successful pilot immediately attracted 20 high-profile restaurants and caterers who are now official Alliance partners. The goal is to expand the collection points across Maryland and Washington, DC. It is estimated that approximately 15 million new oysters planted be planted back into the Chesapeake Bay as a result of this initiative thus far.

“We believe we can collect about 5,000 bushels in our first Alliance year, enough shell to provide substrate for 25 million spat on shell,” said Vernon Johnson, a nationally-recognized oyster shucking competitor and Alliance volunteer. “Whether it’s one oyster or one million, every oyster shell makes a difference.”

The Alliance’s 2010 Season is sponsored by a generous donation by Maryland citizen Doug Legum and matching grant funds provided by DNR and NOAA. Oyster Recovery Partnership is currently seeking a 2011 Season sponsor.

Only a handful of other States currently have shell collection programs, including South Carolina and New Hampshire. Each state has customized their shell collection process to take advantage of the local oyster consumption habits. In the case of Maryland, a majority of shells are generated from catered events like Bull and Oyster Roasts.

Over the last century, the Chesapeake Bay has seen a dramatic decline of its native oyster population. A healthy oyster reef not only filters the Bay’s dirty waters, but also provides crucial habitat for an underwater community that furnishes valuable life support for blue crabs and fish. According officials ORP processed, cleaned and transported 60,000 bushels of shell in 2009 that was in turn used to plant more than 650 million baby oysters back to the Bay.

Alliance Partners

Annapolis

Boatyard Bar & Grill
Middleton’s Tavern
Federal House
Rams Head Tavern
McGarvey’s Saloon

Baltimore

Atlantic Catering
McCormick & Schmick
Bob’s Seafood
Michael’s Eight Avenue
Café Hon
Oceanaire
Harbor Court Hotel
Ocean Pride
Nicks Cross Street
Phillips Seafood
Nick’s Fish House
Ryleighs
Mama’s on the Half Shell
Woodberry Kitchen

Grasonville

W.H. Harris Seafood

D.C.

Old Ebbitt Grill

Oyster shells are collected into 5 gallon containers with lids. Full containers, free of trash, should be assessable for easy pick-up. ORP requests a weekly minimum of 5 containers to be a participant for regular pickup. Individual citizen participation is also encouraged. There are several places in Maryland to drop used oyster shell.

Visit www.oysterrecovery.org to learn more.  Anyone interested in participating can sign up on the ORP website or contact Bryan Gomes on 410.990.4970.

source: ORP press release

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries Service has submitted this year’s recreational summer flounder regulations to the General Assembly for approval. The proposal limits coastal and Bay anglers to a three fish creel with a 19-inch minimum size from April 17 through November 22.

“After long and productive discussions with dedicated flounder anglers from the Atlantic Ocean City, coastal bays of Ocean City and Chesapeake Bay, this plan seems to do the most to encourage the enjoyment of our share of summer flounder while ensuring that Marylanders are doing their part to help restore the abundance of fish for the future,” said DNR Fisheries Director Tom O’Connell.   “Of the management options that were available to Maryland, this plan will provide the longest fishing season which is of significant interest to sports fishermen as it will increase recreational opportunities and in turn support tourism and local businesses.”

The proposed regulations were ironed out with representatives from coastal and Chesapeake Bay sport fishing groups. They meet Federal requirements for preserving and restoring the nation’s summer flounder fishery by 2013, while protecting recreational opportunities for Maryland’s anglers to enjoy these hard-fighting and delicious fish.

Perhaps the most significant change from past years is the consolidation of the minimum size between Bay and coastal fisheries. Previously, coastal anglers fished with an 18-inch minimum and a creel limit of three a day. Bay anglers enjoyed a smaller minimum size of 16 ½ inches and a creel limit of just one fish per day. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission who is responsible for the management of flounder along the coast objected to the split rules due to the statistical difficulties that this system presented in assessing the recreational impact on the fishery and the fact that Maryland did not perform very well in staying below the recreational harvest targets in recent years.

DNR’s proposed regulations will also continue the practice of applying the recreational size limit on Maryland’s commercial hook-and-line fishery.

Anglers are also encouraged to participate in the management process by submitting volunteer angler survey information. Those who join the survey will become eligible to win a rod and reel combo donated by Keith Fraser, owner of All Tackle.com a fishing tackle retailer with superstores in Annapolis, Ocean City and online.

To register and earn a chance to win the rod and reel combo, anglers must fill out the survey at www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/survey/vasurvey.

In addition, Anglers who catch a citation flounder measuring 24 inches or longer will earn admission to the grand finale of the Maryland Fishing Challenge at Sandy Point State Park in September, and will be entered to win prizes in the year-long celebration of fishing in Maryland.

For details go to www.dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/recreational/tournament/mdsportfish

On March 15, 2010, the Coast Guard along with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration conducted seasonal buoy replacements in the Chesapeake Bay.

The Coast Guard Cutter James Rankin, a 175-foot coastal buoy tender homeported in Baltimore, maintains approximately 375 aids to navigation and conducts fall and spring buoy replacements annually.

Weather buoys collect data and report real-time environmental information including wind speed, temperature and wave height. The buoys also serve as interpretive buoys that mark the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historical Trail that runs throughout the Chesapeake Bay.

“The weather buoys provide valuable weather information during peak recreational boating seasons,” said Lt. Dave Lewald, the commanding officer of the Rankin. “The buoys also provide historical data which can benefit researchers collecting information on how to clean up the bay.”

For more information visit www.ndbc.noaa.gov

A first-of-its-kind cookbook featuring local Maryland products,  the farmers and watermen that grow and harvest them, and the chefs who prepare the recipes is being released on March 24, 2010 in Annapolis.

This new book captures the unique and delectable cuisine of Maryland with “150 recipes from the Alleghenies to the Chesapeake Bay.” Dishing Up Maryland is authored by award-winning Maryland writer Lucie Snodgrass. Stunning photography by Edwin Remsberg, himself a Maryland farmer, provides the visual counterparts to stories of the farm families and chefs featured in the book. John Shields, renowned chef who embodies the buy local effort, provides an insightful foreword to the book.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to the Maryland’s Best program to promote the purchase of locally grown and raised products for the benefit of the State’s farmers, watermen and related businesses. The book is published by Storey Publishing.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is inviting citizens, businesses and organizations to become sponsors of the 2010 Maryland Bay Game. Through games, trivia, puzzles and outdoor activities, this award-winning natural resources activity book has inspired kids to learn about and connect with their natural world for over a decade.

“I know this is a difficult economic time, but the Bay Game is an investment in our future,” said DNR secretary John Griffin. “It’s a fun, educational opportunity for Maryland children. The 2010 Bay Game will guide our children into becoming responsible and informed stewards.”

This publication is sought-after by tens of thousands of families, civic and community groups, scouting organizations, environmentalists and educators throughout Maryland and the region. One-quarter million print copies were distributed statewide in 2009 through public libraries, welcome centers, State Parks and public schools. An electronic version of the Bay Game is also available on the DNR website, which receives over 1.5 million unique visitors annually.

The Bay Game is written and designed by DNR staff, but printing and distribution is paid entirely by sponsors. There are several opportunities for businesses to sponsor the Bay Game through logos, website exposure, full and half-page sponsorships and more while also ensuring another summer filled with interactive and engaging outdoor activities for Maryland children. Donations are tax deductible, though sponsors should review the requirements outlined in IRS Publication 526 and consult their tax advisor.

In 2008, Governor O’Malley signed an Executive Order establishing the Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature, a program that is being used as a national model of environmental education and awareness. This coalition of state, local, private and non-profit partners is charged with promoting the well-being of young people by accelerating environmental learning and expanding opportunities for outdoor experiences. The 2010 Maryland Bay Game will reinforce this commitment to the development of Maryland children as future stewards.

For more information please visit http://www.dnr.state.md.us/baygame/ or contact Jill Kubatko at 410-260-8007 or jkubatko@dnr.state.md.us.