Chesapeake Bay News

A new contest sponsored by the Chesapeake Bay Trust will reward Marylanders for showing their love for the Chesapeake Bay.

The “Hooray for the Bay” contest kicked off on July 15, and is designed to engage and educate Marylanders about the impact buying Bay Plates has on the Chesapeake Bay. The contest features 100 Bay Plate Factoids placed strategically at parks, schools and community centers around the state.

To enter, participants can email a picture of one of the factoids to contest@baytrust.org, along with a short description of why they love the Bay. Additionally, participants can visit www.bayplate.org and complete the entry form, or they can text “BAYPLATE” to 24587 to enter.

The Chesapeake Bay Trust will award 100 Bay Plate prizes to the first 100 eligible entries received by the Chesapeake Bay Trust. The grand prize winner will be chosen by a panel of judges who will select the best “Why I Love the Bay” message. Judging will be based on originality, creativity, relevancy, and amusement factor. Complete contest details can be found at www.bayplate.org.

Research conducted by the Chesapeake Bay Trust and The Cyphers Agency showed that while 76 percent of Marylanders easily recognize the plates, which feature a heron and a Maryland blue crab, most do not know that 90 percent of the revenues derived from the $20 license plate supports Bay restoration and education programs.

“The majority of Marylanders rank keeping the Bay clean and healthy as their top environmental priority for the State,” says Allen Hance, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Trust. “What many don’t realize is that buying a Bay Plate is a simple, affordable way to help achieve this goal.”

Last year, revenues from Bay Plate sales helped:
•    Restore 65 acres of wetland, oyster reef, and streamside buffers
•    Award 401 grants to schools and organizations from every county in Maryland
•    Remove 429 tons of trash by engaging more than 30,000 volunteers across the State
•    Install 6,752 linear feet of living shorelines
•    Educate nearly 90,000 students on environmental issues concerning the Bay
•    Plant more than 220,000 native plants and trees

The research also showed that many Marylanders also incorrectly believe that the plates can only be purchased when renewing vehicle registration. Bay Plates can be purchased at any time of the year at www.bayplate.org.

The contest runs until September 15, 2010, and winners of the contest will be announced in October 2010.

In July, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) formally dedicated the Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park. Attending the ceremony were members of the Burton family, DNR Deputy Secretary Joe Gill, representatives of the Fisheries Service, Maryland Park Service and other invited guests.

The park is now officially dedicated to Bill Burton, an outdoors reporter, writer and fisherman who chronicled outdoor activities in Maryland for over half a century.

At the dedication ceremony, members of Bill’s family including his wife, Lois, and daughter, Heather, each spoke about his lasting legacy and dedication to Maryland’s many natural resources.

The Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park is a fitting tribute to Bill’s life and work, as he was instrumental in preserving the Choptank River Bridge for use as a fishing pier when the new bridge was constructed.

The park is a destination fishing spot for anglers and a popular access point for many working families of Maryland because of the variety of fish that can be caught there, including perch, striped bass, hardheads, sea trout and catfish.

The dedication took place nearly one year to the date from when the Board of Public Works approved the renaming of the Choptank River fishing piers in Talbot and Dorchester counties on July 22, 2009. Sadly, less than a month after the renaming, Bill passed away at age 82 on August 10, 2009.

“Bill is an iconic figure in Maryland’s outdoor history, having reported for over 50 years on outdoor opportunities for Maryland citizens,” said DNR Secretary John Griffin. “The Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park is a wonderful tribute to a man who spent his life’s work sharing information about the bountiful natural resources our state has to offer.”

Portions of the Bill Burton Fishing Pier were closed for several months to replace over 700 broken, cracked and hazardous handrails with new concrete rails. During this time, the Maryland Park Service also upgraded park benches and picnic tables. The Dorchester section of the pier was closed first and reopened, and then the Talbot section of the Pier was closed and reopened Friday for fishing and crabbing.

The Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park is now open 365 days per year, 24 hours per day. Both sections of the piers are lighted for night fishing from April 1 through December 31 and the Dorchester County side of the pier is open and lighted year round. The pier adjoins Sailwinds Park via the walkway under the bridge.

Source: MD DNR press release

TEAM DNR Volunteer Training
March 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; free
Tawes State Office Building, 580 Taylor Avenue, Annapolis (Anne Arundel County)

Maryland DNR is seeking interested adults to become TEAM DNR volunteers. Volunteers should have an outgoing personality and a strong desire to protect the Chesapeake Bay. No prior teaching experience is necessary. Currently, TEAM offers schools free classroom programs on the following topics: Chesapeake Bay watershed, streams, oyster reefs, horseshoe crabs, and Chesapeake Bay watermen. Participants are asked to bring their own lunch. Beverages and snacks will be provided. For information, call 410-260-8828.

8th Delmarva Charter Boat Operators Workshop

“Charter Boat Business Management for Your Future”

Harrison’s Chesapeake House

21551 Chesapeake House Drive, Tilghman Island, Maryland

Thursday, April 8, 2010 — 9 am to 3:00 pm

Organized jointly by the Sea Grant programs at the University of Maryland and the University of Delaware, the workshop will focus on business management, marketing, safety, and fishery resource issues pertaining to the charter and head boat industry and also to eco-tourism based charter businesses

$40 registration fee includes a buffet lunch and all educational materials.

Workshop Registration Deadline: Friday, April 2, 2010

Registration information is available online at:

http://darc.cms.udel.edu/charterboat/cbw10.html

Walk-ins will be taken as space allows, but registration fee will increase to $50

Overnight accommodations are available at Harrison’s Chesapeake House

see http://www.chesapeakehouse.com/ or call 410-886-2121 for reservations.

For additional information about the workshop, contact

John W. Ewart    (302) 645-4060 or Michelle Scorziello    (302) 645-4346

Ten junior chefs from Maryland and Delaware competed for top honors in the 3rd annual Junior Chefs Rockfish Cooking Contest.  The event, which was sponsored by the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Seafood Marketing Program and the Sea Grant programs of the universities of Maryland and Delaware, took place on Jan. 30 as part of the 2010 East Coast Commercial Fisherman’s and Aquaculture Trade Exposition in Ocean City. The three judges were:  Melissa McCormick, Calvert Marine Museum and Seafood Marketing Advisory Commission member, Gary Leach, executive chef, Ocean City Convention Center, and Dr. Thomas Miller, regional director, University of Maryland Extension.

The contest was part of the Maryland Rockfish Celebration, which is also taking place at more than 50 Maryland restaurants and retail markets through the end of February.

The following are the results from each division:

Kids Division – Ages 7-12

1st Place: Benjamin Voshell, 11, Galena, Md.
BRAT: Bacon Rock and Tomato Sandwich

2nd Place:  Mareike Van Wie, 12, Wilmington, Del.
Summer Dream

3rd Place: Mattie Gene Janus, 11, Newark, Del.
Rockfish with Jicama and Pepper Relish

Junior Division – Ages 13-17

1st Place: Jonathan Romero, 16, Silver Spring, Md.
Rockfish Romero

2nd Place: Kat Chlumsky, 15, Burtonsville, Md.
Rockfish Stuffed with Mushrooms, Bacon & Caraway Served with a Sour Cream Gravy

3rd Place: Amanda Lay, 17, Silver Spring, Md.
Rockfish Ravioli with Lemon Pesto

All participants received a plaque and cash prizes of $200 for first place, $100 for second place, and $50 for third place.  For the 10 finalists’ recipes, visit www.mda.state.md.us/pdf/rockfishrecipes2010.pdf. For further information about restaurants and retailers participating in the Rockfish Celebration this month, visit www.marylandseafood.org or call 410-841-5972.

The winning recipe:

BRAT:  BACON ROCK AND TOMATO SANDWICH
Benjamin Voshell, 11
Galena, Maryland

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless rockfish fillets
4 tablespoon butter, melted
Salt and pepper to taste
4 thick slices of bread, toasted
4 slices cooked bacon
4 large slices tomato
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon tarragon
Garnish – fresh parsley and paprika

Preparation:
Sprinkle rock fillets with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with melted butter and place under hot broiler.  Broil until fish is just cooked; don’t overcook.   Break bacon in half and place two bacon halves on top of toast.  Next top with sliced tomato.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, and tarragon.  Spoon over fish.  Return to broiler until hot and bubbly.  Garnish with paprika and parsley.

Serves 4.

source: Maryland Department of Agriculture press release

The Maryland Clean Marina Initiative, in cooperation with the Marine Trades Association of Maryland, is hosting three informational roundtable meetings to introduce the program to marina, boatyard and yacht club operators. Participants will network with local Clean Marina operators and talk with Clean Marina Initiative staff. Participants will learn how other marinas and boatyards have solved environmental challenges, what the advantages of Clean Marina certification are, and how best to start the process.

The initiative will hold roundtables from 10a.m. to 12 p.m. at these locations:
# February 9 – Tidewater Marina, Havre de Grace
# February 11 – Oxford Community Center
# February 17 – Port Annapolis Marina

Free program materials (Clean Marina Guidebooks, templates) will be provided along with refreshments. A tour of the host facility (or one located nearby) will follow the roundtable discussion, weather permitting, to illustrate certain best management practices recommended by the Clean Marina Program.

Staff from the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) will also be on hand to discuss the next edition of the General Permit for Discharges from Marinas. MDE is interested in learning more about current boatyard procedures to craft the new Permit and welcomes input from boatyard operators.

The Maryland Clean Marina Initiative was created in 1998 in response to §6217 of the Coastal Zone Reauthorization Act Amendments of 1990. The goal of the program remains to reduce non-point source pollution from marine facilities through the voluntary adoption of best management practices.

Facilities that adopt a significant portion of the recommendations in the Maryland Clean Marina Guidebook, and which comply with all applicable environmental regulations, are eligible for the Clean Marina Award. To earn the award, facilities must pass a site visit from DNR staff and the manager of another Clean Marina. Certifications are good for three years, at which time facilities must be re-certified.

Advanced registration is requested as space is limited. Marinas may register by sending an email to dmorrow@dnr.state.md.us and indicating which roundtable they wish to attend. The roundtables are for operators and staff of Maryland marine facilities and not for product demonstrations, solicitation, or similar purposes.

Space is limited and there is minimum needed of at least six marinas registered in advance. Roundtables may be rescheduled or cancelled due to inclement weather.

Information on the Maryland Clean Marina Initiative can be found at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/boating/cleanmarina/ or by contacting Ms. Donna Morrow at dmorrow@dnr.state.md.us or 410-260-8773.

The Magothy River Association will hold its eighth annual “State of the Magothy River” presentation on Wednesday, February 17, 2010, starting at 6:30 PM. The meeting will feature the annual Magothy River Index.

“This year, I am disappointed to report that the aquatic health of the Magothy River dropped again, to 28% – we are giving letter grades for the first time and it got a “D” grade. As a result of this poor water quality, the MRA has suspended our efforts to grow and restore underwater grasses in the Magothy, which we have done every year since 2003. I believe a “D” grade doesn’t mean that the Magothy River is “Doomed.” If we implement a strategy that builds on personal stewardship and community restoration, and demands legal and political actions to enforce environmental regulations and control development, we can clean up our river.” – MRA President Paul Spadaro

Scheduled speakers:

1) 2009 Magothy River Index. Prepared by Dr. Peter Bergstrom, NOAA and MRA. (Produced each year since 2003)
2) MRA and the World Bank: Working Together to Support Community Science, by Dr. Carolyn Winter
3) MRA Committees: Education/Action; Stormwater/Runoff; Zoning/Enforcement

Displays:

1. MRA kayak raffle
2. Watershed Stewards Academy
3. Bayland Consultants, Mill Creek and North Cyprus Branch Restoration
4. Friends of Dobbins Island
5. Magothy River Land Trust – Conservation Easements in the Magothy Watershed
6. Magothy SAV Surveys – How you can help
7. Magothy River Day

Doors and displays open at 6:30. Program to start at 7:00. Following the presentations, there will be refreshments and time to visit the displays and chat with watershed residents and the experts. Are you interested in clean water, healthy fish, living oyster reefs, and limiting suburban effects on the Magothy?  Come and see how you can help!

Date:    Wednesday February 17, 2010
Place:   Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, East Campus
Humanities Building, (HUM on map), Room 112 (use Parking Lot A or B)
Map at:  http://www.aacc.edu/locationsandmaps/file/ArnoldCampusMapCMYK_10_09.pdf

The Maryland Chapter Trout Unlimited is hosting Larry Coburn, co-author of “Guide to Maryland Trout Fishing” who will give a presentation on steelhead fishing in New York State.  The meeting is Wednesday, October 21, 2009.  It starts at 7:30 P.M. in the Odd Fellows Hall at 511 York Road, next door to Set’s Sport Shop.

Larry is a landowner on Trout Brook, a tributary to the Salmon River in New York.  Larry will share his knowledge of the area and tips on how catch these magnificent fish.

The Salmon River, a half day’s drive from Baltimore, flows through the old town of Pulaski. The Salmon River is a tailwater and flows are controlled by Mohawk Power Company. There are two main tributaries to the Salmon below the dam, Trout Brook and Orwell Brook.

Upstate New York/Salmon River is a fishing mecca. There are miles of rivers and streams to fish and plenty of fish to fish for.  Steelhead fishing is great in late fall and early spring.

Hooper Straits Lighthouse, St. Michaels Photo Credit: Alma Pasek

On September 19 and 20, the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society and the Maryland Lighthouse Organizations will host the 2009 Maryland Lighthouse Challenge – “Celebrating Maryland’s 375th Birthday!”

Throughout that September weekend, the public is invited to participate in this “enlightening” and fun-filled event showcasing the state’s historic sentinels, including: the Chesapeake Lightship, Concord Point, Cove Point, Drum Point, Fort Washington, Hooper Strait, Piney Point, Point Lookout, Seven-Foot Knoll and Turkey Point.

This award-winning driving tour will take participants to some of the most picturesque spots in the state along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary, the Potomac. At the first lighthouse visited, participants will receive the event brochure, which includes driving instructions to all the lights.  At each lighthouse stop along the route, they will receive a complimentary souvenir depicting that lighthouse. It is not necessary to visit all the lighthouses to participate and they can be visited in any order. Those who visit all ten lights within the allotted twenty hours will receive a special commemorative souvenir to mark their accomplishment!

In celebration of Maryland’s 375th Birthday, organizers are also planning to promote the state and its iconic symbols along this year’s Challenge route—The Blue Crab, Black-eyed Susan, Chesapeake Bay Retriever and Maryland Skipjack among them.

For participants’ added viewing pleasure and to really put the “challenge” into the 7th annual event, organizers are again offering two BONUS lights–offshore Sandy Point Shoal (to be viewed offshore from the coast of Maryland’s capital, Annapolis), and the recently constructed Blackistone Lighthouse Replica on St. Clement’s Island. The island marks the spot of Maryland’s birth where the first colonial landing occurred in 1634.

The Challenge is an award-winning driving tour of the state’s beloved Bay beacons. The event, a collaborative effort between the Chesapeake Chapter, U.S. Lighthouse Society and the lighthouse organizations of Maryland is held annually to increase awareness and visitation to Maryland’s historic lighthouses.

Read more about the statewide Challenge at www.cheslights.org.

The 39th annual Waterfowl Festival takes place in the colonial town of Easton, Maryland. The historic buildings of Easton serve as venues for galleries and exhibits, while events and demonstrations are held at the surrounding ponds and scenic areas.

The Waterfowl Festival is America’s premiere wildlife art exposition featuring art work from more than 300 artists recognized world-wide. Hundreds of paintings, sculpture, carvings, photos, and fine crafts reflect the beauty of the natural world.

Dealers offer antique and contemporary decoys, arts, crafts and Eastern Shore food.

The Festival offers fly fishing and retriever dog demonstrations – sure to entertain the experienced outdoor enthusiast, children and everyone in between. Also this year will be the DockDogs, an entertaining competition between dogs to see who can make the longest jump into a pool.

There are numerous hands-on activities for the entire family, especially for the little ones, such as nature arts and crafts activities and up close wildlife education.

Four world-class calling contests take place at the Festival attracting top callers from across the country and Canada. Contests: World Championship Goose Calling Contest® with $10,000 first prize, Mason-Dixon Regional Duck Calling Contest, World Champion Live Duck Calling Contest® and World Champion Live Goose Calling Contest™ – all with cash and gear prizes.

Attendees can checkout the latest gear, accessories and gadgets for hunting, fishing and marine sports at the Sportsman’s Pavilion.

The Waterfowl Festival is produced annually by Waterfowl Festival Inc., a not-for-profit organization dedicated to wildlife conservation, the promotion of wildlife art and the celebration of life on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

In its 39 years, the Festival has become a leader in the conservation of waterfowl and wildlife habitat. More than $5 million has been donated to projects throughout the Atlantic Flyway and in particular the Chesapeake Bay.

The Waterfowl Festival takes place November 13-15 in downtown Easton, Maryland, off Route 50. Festival hours are: Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Admission is $10 for all three days – children under 12 free.

For additional information or tickets online, visit www.waterfowlfestival.org or call 410/822-4567.