Chesapeake Bay News

The Chesapeake Conservation Corps, a program that provides career and leadership training for young people interested in environmental careers and Chesapeake Bay protection will be receiving 21 new participants.

This initiative, established by the Maryland Legislature in 2010, matches young people, ages 18-25, with organizations throughout the state for paid, one-year terms of service.

In its inaugural year, 16 Corps Volunteers worked on a variety of environmental initiatives including energy efficiency programs, restoration activities and clean-ups, water quality monitoring programs, reforestation projects and job training programs for youth.

Due to the success of last year’s program, the Corps has expanded this year to include 21 participants, who will gain valuable work experience and partner with local communities to advance conservation initiatives in Maryland.

At a recent kickoff, new Corps volunteers were introduced to the 21 Maryland watershed organizations, county governments, and other nonprofits at which they will serve for the next year. The Corps Volunteers are between the ages of 18 and 25 and bring diverse experience and backgrounds to their host organizations, ranging from international climate change and marine biology to experience working with volunteer organizations such as the Red Cross.

Four of last year’s Corps participants (25 percent) have already been hired by their host organizations as full time employees, thus providing sustained employment for young people in Maryland.

The program is funded by both the State of Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay Trust, with a generous contribution provided by Constellation Energy.  Volunteers are provided with a stipend for one year in addition to on-the-job experience and technical training provided by the Chesapeake Bay Trust.

Corps volunteers also have an opportunity to enroll in environmental career certificate programs offered by the Chesapeake Area Consortium for Higher Education, a consortium of Maryland community colleges.

source: Chesapeake Bay Trust

On April 15, the Chesapeake Bay Trust  announced a $25,000 environmental education grant to fund the the Annapolis Maritime Museum’s “MUDDY FEET” Program.

The program, which stands for “Maritime Unbounded Damp & Dirty Yucky Fun Environmental Education & Training,” seeks to provide all Annapolis-area schoolchildren with at least three meaningful watershed educational experiences prior to high school graduation.

The Trust announced this grant as part of its Environmental Education grant program, which awarded more than $450,000 in 2010 to fund educational initiatives throughout Maryland.

The MUDDY FEET Program has grown dramatically since it was launched in 2008 with 350 students participating.  During the 2009-2010 school year, 1,200 students participated. By the end of this current school year, the Museum will have achieved its objective of reaching all city-based elementary and middle schools, serving 1,700 students in 25 schools.

The Chesapeake Bay Trust grant is expected provide a boost which  could result in over 2,300 students in 33 Anne Arundel County schools getting “MUDDY FEET.”

The Museum’s education programs are aligned with Anne Arundel Country Public School standards and curricula in language arts, social studies, science and math. Students participate in a myriad of activities that include making observations, taking measurements, keeping journal records, exploring historic Bay sites, handling artifacts, and speaking with watermen, tradesmen, historians, and artists.

For more information on the Museum and its programs, visit http://www.amaritime.org

The Chesapeake Bay Trust is encouraging Marylanders “Check Line 37” on their Maryland state income tax form and contribute to the Chesapeake Bay and Endangered Species Fund, a voluntary mechanism created to support Bay restoration and education programs and to protect Maryland’s endangered species.

The fund, which is split evenly between the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, allows Marylanders to donate through their state income tax return to help the Bay and conserve Maryland’s native wildlife and endangered species.

In 2010, more than $1.1 million was contributed through the tax check-off, which funded Bay restoration initiatives, community stewardship projects and environmental education programs throughout the state.

The Chesapeake Bay Trust is an independent nonprofit foundation that receives half the proceeds generated from the Bay Fund. The organization awards hundreds of grants each year to organizations that engage individuals and local communities in efforts to improve the health of the Bay and local waters.  Since 1985, the Trust has awarded more than $34 million in grants, including $4.2 million in 2010 alone.

In 2010, Trust grants engaged 97,803 students and 42,000 volunteers who removed 553 tons of trash from Maryland streams and rivers, planted 115,665 native plants and trees, and restored 47 acres of wetlands, oyster reefs and streamside buffers.

Launched in 1990, the Chesapeake Bay and Endangered Species Fund is one of the most successful voluntary tax check-off programs in the nation.  Last year, almost 46,000 Maryland state income tax statements were returned with contributions to the fund, which averaged $28 per donation.

To make a donation, taxpayers can simply complete line 37 on their Maryland state income tax form or ask their accountant to process the donation.  Donations of any dollar amount can be made and all are tax deductible.

For more information on the Chesapeake Bay Trust, visit www.cbtrust.org

For information about the Department of Natural Resource’s Wildlife and Heritage Division, visit www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife.

source: Chesapeake Bay Trust

On February 18, 2011, the Chesapeake Bay Trust announced more than $1.4 million in awards to Maryland schools, nonprofit organizations, community groups and local governments to fund much-needed Chesapeake restoration, education, and community engagement projects and programs.

During the first quarter of 2011, the Trust will make 90 grants through its Environment Education, Outreach and Community Engagement, Restoration, Fisheries and Mini Grant programs. Each of these grant programs is designed to promote  increased individual and community stewardship of our region’s land and water resources and heightened public engagement in the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay.

“Each year the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s grant programs engage more than 150,000 Marylanders.  These exceptional teachers, students, community leaders and volunteers work on projects that show all of us how we can become better stewards of the environment,” said Allen Hance, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Trust.  “The Trust is proud to announce this latest round of grants, which will elevate the environmental literacy of our students and create real on-the-ground change in communities through the Chesapeake Bay region.”

On February 8, 2011, the Chesapeake Bay Trust released the results of a statewide poll that surveyed more than 1,000 Marylanders on their attitudes about Chesapeake Bay restoration and other environmental issues.  In total, more than 90 percent of respondents stated that “water pollution in rivers, streams and the Chesapeake Bay” is their top environmental concern.

While most Marylanders believe that the health of the Bay and local waters is not yet improving, they remain strikingly optimistic about the prospects for the future, with 85 percent saying that “the [water pollution] problem can be fixed.”  The study also shows that Marylanders are willing to step up efforts – in their personal lives and by government – to ensure the Bay’s recovery.

“The Trust commissioned this study as part of our ongoing effort to support Marylanders’ everyday commitment to environmental stewardship.  Even in the face of continuing economic difficulties, Marylanders care deeply about a healthy Bay and a clean environment,” said Allen Hance, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Trust.  “More importantly, this commitment is backed up by high levels of individual stewardship and civic involvement and robust support for strengthened public policies to protect the environment.”

Marylanders are highly engaged in the civic life of their communities, with large numbers supporting or becoming actively involved in organizations working to solve local problems.  More than three quarters (78%) contribute money to causes they believe in, with 38 percent saying they have done so frequently over the last year.  Almost three quarters (63%) volunteer for a charitable organization in their community and 58 percent report that they’ve worked with others in their local community to solve a problem or make it a better place.

“The Chesapeake Bay Trust makes grants to organizations and schools to engage volunteers and community members in efforts to create local solutions to local problems, especially those related to water pollution.  We have always known that Marylanders are civic-minded and service-oriented,” said Hance, “but this survey reveals levels of participation higher than national averages and allows us to identify new opportunities to support community-based stewardship.”

When it comes to public policymaking, Marylanders place a high priority on protection of the natural environment.  55 percent of Marylanders place their concern for the natural environment “above average” or “at the top” of their priority list, with only 13 percent ranking their concern as “below average” or “at the bottom.”  With respect to water pollution and the health of the Bay, nearly three-quarters of Marylanders (71%) believe that government regulation is necessary to deal with the problem.  Only 22 percent think the problem can be fixed with incentives and voluntary actions alone.

When asked about a new federal and state regulatory plan for Bay clean-up, 73 percent voiced support for the concept of a pollution diet “that will require local governments in Maryland and other Bay states to reduce pollutants coming from homes, businesses, and farms within their jurisdictions.”  Nearly the same number (71%) would support a stormwater fee to address the problem of polluted runoff, provided the policy was enacted equitably across the state, returned revenue to local communities, and created jobs.  A strong majority (80%) would support “strengthened regulations on the formulation and application of lawn and garden fertilizers in order to prevent support runoff from reaching local waters and the Chesapeake Bay,” with only 15 percent opposed.

In their individual lives, Marylanders demonstrate their strong commitment to environmental stewardship in a number of ways, ranging from recycling to purchasing green products to reducing lawn fertilizer and pesticide use.  The vast majority (89%) report that they recycle and the same number (89%) are attempting to reduce energy usage.  Similar numbers of Marylanders say they pick up litter (87%) and 39 percent care enough that they talk to others about littering.  Nearly half (47%) indicate that they are actively reducing their use of lawn fertilizers and pesticides.

“This research shows that Marylanders’ concern for the Chesapeake Bay and the natural environment doesn’t slip, even in times of budget deficits and persistent economic challenges.  For Marylanders, it’s not an ‘either-or’ between the economy and the environment,” said Steve Raabe, Founder and President of OpinionWorks, the firm that conducted the survey.  “They want to see tangible progress toward a healthy Bay and are willing to pay for restoration and to support regulatory changes designed to achieve this goal.”

source: Cheseapeake Bay Trust

Governor Martin O’Malley has proposed $25 million in fiscal year 2012 funding for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, a 25 percent increase over 2011. The dedicated fund supports projects designed to reduce non-point source pollution that reaches the Chesapeake Bay.

“Even during these difficult fiscal times, Maryland has been able to strengthen our efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay,” said Governor O’Malley. “With 90 percent of these funds being directed for projects and infrastructure that will employ installers, designers, engineers and construction services, the Trust Fund will not only help us achieve our restoration commitments, but will create jobs and support local economies.”

Established in November 2007, the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund was created to provide a dedicated source of funding to accelerate Bay restoration by focusing resources on practices that are the most cost efficient and are targeted to the areas where pollution reductions will be the most effective.

The Trust Fund is made up of monies generated through motor fuel tax and rental car tax in Maryland. Now in its third year, the Fund has targeted a total of $38.4 million to date for projects that reduce non-point source pollution: $20 million in fiscal year 2011; $8.81 million in fiscal year 2010; and $9.6 million in fiscal year 2009. It is anticipated that when fully-funded, the Trust Fund will generate $50 million annually.

In addition to supporting Maryland’s commitment to cover crops and planting trees in targeted areas across the State, the Trust Fund will direct $6.2 million to local communities to assist in clean-up of local rivers and streams.

Prince George’s County will receive $2.88 million to construct a large-scale urban stream restoration in the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River.

Other projects to be funded include:

* $1.2 million to Howard County and the Columbia Association for stormwater retrofits and forest buffer restoration in the Little Patuxent watershed

* $640,000 to Baltimore County and Herring Run Watershed Association for stormwater retrofits and forest buffer restoration in Back River.

* $500,000 to Harford County to construct four stormwater management projects in Wheel Creek.

* $463,000 to Anne Arundel County to construct and monitor an innovative sand seepage stream restoration in a subwatershed of the Magothy River.

* $290,000 to the Sassafras River Association to install wetlands and pilot poultry manure incorporation within the watershed.

* $250,000 to Centreville to manage stormwater at the local wastewater treatment plant in the Corsica River watershed.

Maryland’s agencies, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association worked together to maximize available Bay restoration dollars.

The complete SFY 2012 Workplan and supporting materials can be found at: http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/ccp/funding/trust_fund.asp.

source: MD DNR

On January 20, 2011, the Chesapeake Bay Trust announced its 2011 Annual Awards Program winners, including its Environmental Educator of the Year, Student of the Year and Honorable Arthur Dorman Scholarship recipient.

At a ceremony held in the Miller Senate Office Building in Annapolis, members of the Maryland General Assembly were joined by Chesapeake Bay Trust partners and supporters as they honored these exceptional individuals and their contributions to environmental education, community outreach and civic engagement.

“Educating and engaging the next generation of Bay stewards is crucial to the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams,” said Allen Hance, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Trust. “This Maryland teacher and these two talented Maryland students exemplify what it means to be environmentally literate: every day, they translate scientific knowledge and environmental values into actions that are making a difference for the Bay and their local communities.”

The Trust awarded its 2011 Environmental Educator of the Year to Susie Peeling, a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Resource Teacher at Pleasant Plains Elementary, Lutherville Lab and Halstead Academy in Baltimore County.  Peeling is an educator who uses the rigorous STEM curriculum and outdoor educational experiences on school grounds and through field trips as a platform for increasing environmental literacy and improving student achievement.  Working with diverse student populations in Title I schools, Peeling’s approach is yielding measurable results.   In addition to a cash award of $2,500, Peeling also has an opportunity to apply for a $5,000 grant to be used for environment projects and programs within her schools.

The Trust’s Honorable Arthur Dorman Scholarship was awarded to Jillian Tse, a senior at Paint Branch High School in Montgomery County, for her exceptional work at Paint Branch and throughout the broader community.  The $5,000 Arthur Dorman Scholarship is presented each year to a minority student who shows an exemplary commitment to improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and who exhibits leadership in promoting diversity, inclusion, and tolerance for individuals of all backgrounds.  Tse, an honors student, is an active member of Eco-exist, the environmental club at her school and has, both as a volunteer and an employee, helped advance local environmental education and community-clean up efforts.

The recipient of the Trust’s 2011 Student of the Year Scholarship is Emily Peterson, a senior at South Carroll High in Carroll County, who is honored for her outstanding commitment to environmental stewardship, Chesapeake Bay restoration, and civic engagement at South Carroll High and throughout her local community.  Peterson, the winner of this $5,000 scholarship, is an accomplished honors student, the founder of her school’s environmental club, a national leader for the Green Schools Youth Summit and Vice President of Sustainability for Venturing Crew.

Each year the Trust makes six awards to Marylanders for a variety of environmental leadership roles and educational achievements.  In addition to the Teacher of the Year, Student of the Year and Honorable Arthur Dorman Scholarship, the Trust announces recipients of its Dr. Torrey Brown Award (for Bay leadership), the Ellen Fraites Wagner Award (for an exceptional Bay Steward) and the Melanie Teems Award (for an outstanding Trust grant project) in the spring. The Trust’s awards program was launched in 1998 with each year more and more applications being submitted to the program.

“We are thrilled to recognize these exceptional individuals not only for the work they are doing to improve Chesapeake Bay and its waterways, but also for their efforts to educate others on the importance of civic involvement and community activism,” said Tara Potter, Trust Board Chair and Assistant Vice President of Government Affairs for Verizon.  “These awardees aren’t just sitting around waiting for change to happen; they are out there doing it, making a difference and inspiring others to act.”

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.

NorthBay was awarded a mini-grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust in the amount of $598 for the establishment of a native tree nursery as an addition to their growing Follow-On Program.

By creating the native tree nursery at NorthBay students will have the opportunity to engage in a meaningful learning experience about living organisms and ecosystems of the Chesapeake Bay. By adding the nursery on-site, NorthBay will be able to provide trees to schools throughout the state at no cost, particularly in Baltimore City, who are taking on Schoolyard Habitat or reforestation projects in their community. The trees will be donated to schools to increase the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay as well as instill an appreciation and awareness of one of the greatest and most valuable filters for the bay.

The Chesapeake Bay Trust is a private, nonprofit grant-making organization created to promote public awareness and participation in the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay and its Maryland tributaries. Since its creation in 1985 the Trust has awarded more than $24 million in grants that have made a measurable impact in the Bay restoration effort. The Chesapeake Bay Trust funds projects that help protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers.

Over the next two weeks, Tuckahoe State Park will welcome nearly 350 elementary school students from Caroline County for a series of educational and inspirational “all things Bay” activities as part of the park’s annual Bay Days environmental education celebration. Media are invited to take part in Greensboro Elementary School’s Bay Day on Wednesday, May 14, between the 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

“Visiting a Maryland state park is one of the best ways for children to learn about our natural environment and the Chesapeake Bay,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “Maryland remains committed to ensuring that every school-aged child enjoys and learns from an outdoor environmental education experience.”

Through Bay Days, students learn from hands-on environmental activities. Through a presentation by the park’s scales & tales program, the children learn about the area’s native birds and reptiles and how their well-being is directly connected to the condition of the land and waterways where they reside. Seining in the Bay offers students the opportunity to identify and better understand the fish and other marine inhabitants living in the park’s lake and creeks. Students also work together to plant trees, which will help to reduce run-off of nutrients and other pollutants into the park’s waterways and ultimately benefit Bay health. Since it’s inception, thousands of tree saplings have been planted, further improving the park’s buffer zone and providing necessary habitat for the park’s bird and wildlife populations.

“The half-day field trip is designed Tuckahoe State Park rangers to impart upon visiting students the importance of our natural resources and how what we do on land ultimately affects the health of the Chesapeake Bay,” said Ranger Jessica Conley. “Our strong partnership with Caroline County Public Schools enables hundreds of students to learn about our environment through first-hand outdoor experiences every year.”

Bay Days also support Governor O’Malley’s new Children in Nature Initiative, which was established last month via an Executive Order that charged a partnership state, local, private and non-profit with promoting the well-being of youth by accelerating environmental learning and expanding opportunities for outdoor experiences. The Partnership is tasked with creating an environmental literacy plan for Maryland students, increasing opportunities for structured outdoor learning through programming on state parks and other conservation lands, enhancing school and community natural areas to provide for structured and unstructured play, and tracking program progress.

Tuckahoe State Park which has organized the program for the last seven years, has hosted more than 2,800 schoolchildren during its annual Bay Days. Funding for Bay Days is provided by a generous grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust.