Chesapeake Bay News

Maryland Offers Free Fishing Days on June 14 & July 4

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages first time anglers and children to commemorate their first catch through DNR’s My First Fish certificate program.

“Every child should have the opportunity to explore Maryland’s natural resources through fishing. Some of my earliest childhood memories are fishing with my dad and grandfather, “said Tom O’Connell, Maryland Fisheries Service Director. “I’ll never forget the look on my son and daughters faces when they caught their first fish. We hope that parents and mentors will commemorate their children’s first catch by taking advantage of our My First Fish program.”

First-time anglers of all ages may receive a free My First Fish certificate noting their name, species caught, length, catch date and fishing buddy upon completing an online form or visiting an official Maryland Sport Fishing Citation Center. If a digital photograph is taken and included with the entry form, the photo will be included on the certificate.

To encourage new people to try out the sport, Maryland designated June 14 and July 4 as free fishing days, where anglers may fish in public waters without the normally required annual fishing license.

Both first-time and experienced anglers may also join the hunt for Diamond Jim through the 2008 Maryland Fishing Challenge this summer. Any angler who catches a citation award qualifying fish will be eligible to win one of the several grand prizes including, including a 2008 Toyota Tundra 4×4 pickup truck from Central Atlantic Toyota, a boat and trailer from Bass Pro Shops and $5,000 in fishing gear from Bill’s Outdoor Center. More than 60 species of fish are eligible for the grand prizes in the summer-long contest that runs through September 1.

To help ensure that all Maryland children have an opportunity to experience and connect with nature, Governor O’Malley recently signed an Executive Order establishing the Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature. This coalition of state, local, private and non-profit partners is charged with promoting the well-being of youth by accelerating environmental learning, connecting communities to parks and public lands and expanding opportunities for structured and unstructured outdoor time in nature for both play and learning.

To access the online My First Fish form and a list of local citation centers visit www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/recreational/tournament/firstfish.html.

For more information about Maryland’s free fishing days, visit www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/freefishing.html.

For more information on the 2008 Maryland Fishing Challenge, visit www.dnr.maryland.gov/fishingchallenge.

source: DNR press release

On June 11, 2008, Maryland’s Governor Martin O’Malley will be honored with the prestigious Sportsmen’s Best Friend of the Year Award by the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation at its 7th Annual Banquet & Auction, Loews Annapolis Hotel.  It is the highest honor annually awarded by the Foundation – an affiliate, non-profit organization of the bi-partisan Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus within the Maryland General Assembly.

The Governor is being honored by “Maryland’s first conservationists,” in recognition of his extraordinary leadership on the environmental issues critical to the time-honored traditions of fishing, hunting and trapping, as well as his support of other legislation that impacts Maryland’s sportsmen and women.

“Look at the Governor’s record,” said Senator John Astle, Democratic Co-Chair of the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus.  ”He stands with the sportsmen of Maryland on all fronts, meaning he wants what we want and he goes after them.  Enactment of the 2010 Trust Fund, a fully-funded Program Open Space, compliance with a financial commitment to the recreational fishing community, rebuilding of the Bay’s beleaguered blue crab population, promotion of fishing habitat and oyster reefs through the Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative, advocacy for sustainable forestry and a strengthened Critical Areas law, just to name a few.”

Republican Co-Chair of the Caucus, Delegate Richard B. Weldon, Jr. echoed Senator Astle’s sentiments.

“When it comes to the traditional rights of sportsmen to hunt, fish and trap, there are no partisan boundaries,” Delegate Weldon said. “We all want available open space land in which to hunt and a clean watershed in which to fish.  And, in the final analysis, we’re all conservationists which need to stand together.  I commend the Foundation for its decision to honor Governor O’Malley as the Foundation’s Sportsmen’s Best Friend of the Year.  And, I commend the Foundation for its unrivaled efforts to build bridges with other stakeholder community groups which share our same conservation-minded values.

The Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation – in partnership with the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus – works on behalf of current and future generations of Maryland Sportsmen not only by helping to conserve, promote and protect the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland’s coveted open space lands, wildlife and habitat, but also by safeguarding their traditional rights to hunt, fish, trap and enjoy the lawful use of their firearms.  MLSF is a 501 (c) non-profit organization.

Governor Martin O’Malley today announced the opening of a competitive process through which local governments, community groups, non-profit organizations, academic institutions and private enterprises may apply for local implementation grants from the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund. Under Governor O’Malley’s leadership, the Fund was created during the 2007 special session of the General Assembly to help restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

“After 25 years of dedicated effort to restore the Chesapeake and Coastal Bays, it is clear that Maryland and our partners have not achieved our goal and a new approach is needed if we want to ensure healthy, productive Bays for our children and grandchildren,” said Governor O’Malley. “The people of Maryland have entrusted us to utilize these special funds for implementation of the most cost-effective restoration and pollution prevention efforts, so that we can realize meaningful, measurable results in the local streams and rivers that most impact the Bays’ health.”

“Thanks to Governor O’Malley, and to those who advocate for our Bay and the environment, we have new resources through the Chesapeake Bay 2110 Trust to address issues that challenge the health of the Chesapeake Bay,” said Delegate Maggie McIntosh, Chair of the House Environmental Matters Committee. “This fund has been a long time legislative priority for the Environmental Matters Committee, we are pleased to have been a partner in it’s creation.”

The request for proposals (RFP) process is designed to leverage available funding for non-point source restoration projects that will result in measurable water quality improvements within one to three years through nutrient and sediment pollution reduction. Projects expected to have the greatest nutrient reduction benefit within high priority watersheds that include local government and multiple organizations as partners will be given priority consideration for funding.

“This is a very exciting step forward for Bay improvement. We now have permanent funding for effective pollution reduction practices so that we will actually see improved water quality in the Bay and rivers.” said Chesapeake Bay Foundation Maryland Executive Director Kim Coble.

Competitive grants will encourage specific geographic targeting, clustering of multiple projects and strategies to maximize results, and restoration efforts that combine cost-effective best management practices throughout local watersheds.

“Targeting available resources at a scale that science tells us will have a measurable result represents a new approach to Bay restoration,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary John R. Griffin.

“We thank Governor O’Malley for assuring funding assistance to local governments like Montgomery County who are working hard to reduce stormwater and other water quality impacts from suburban and urban areas,” said Robert Hoyt, Director of the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection. “The innovative funding through the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund not only makes dollars available, but it does it in a way that will help local governments leverage other dollars, support existing and create new partnerships with key stakeholders, and implement comprehensive watershed-based solutions.”

Through Governor O’Malley’s BayStat Initiative, Maryland has identified high, medium and low priority watersheds based on current water quality conditions and modeled nitrogen loads to the Chesapeake Bay from each watershed. For fiscal years 2009 and 2010, priority consideration will be given to projects located in small (30,000 acres or less) watersheds of the lower Eastern Shore, Choptank River, upper Eastern Shore, lower western shore and Patuxent River. Identified high priority sub-watersheds include the Corsica River, Langford Creek, Little Patuxent River, lower Chester River, lower Choptank River, Magothy River, lower Patuxent River, Sassafras River, Severn River, South River, Southeast Creek, Stillpond Fairlee, and Wye River.

“It is promising to see such a strong focus on inter-jurisdictional cooperation and clear, measurable goals for these implementation grants,” said Jennifer Dindinger, Chair of the Choptank River Tributary Team. “Encouraging a watershed approach to water quality management is the key to cleaning up our streams and rivers and this program will go a long way toward achieving that goal.”

The State will accept proposals through August 29, 2008. Proposals will be reviewed by an independent scientific advisory panel comprised of scientists, educators, planners, environmental advocates and policy experts. Final grants will be announced in October 2008.

During the 2008 session of the Maryland General Assembly, Governor O’Malley secured $25 million for fiscal year 2009 implementation of the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund, all of which will be targeted to practices and areas which the best science available indicates will result in the greatest possible water quality improvements. Through Governor O’Malley’s BayStat Initiative, Trust Fund grants will be publicly reviewed, held accountable for measurable results, and adapted as need to maximize success. A similar RFP for fiscal year 2011 will be released in early 2009.

The full request for proposal and additional information including a map of identified priority watersheds is available online at http://www.baystat.maryland.gov/trustfund.

In addition to the Trust Fund and BayStat Initiatives, Governor O’Malley recently strengthened Maryland’s critical areas law to better protect from development the most environmentally sensitive and significant lands within Maryland’s Chesapeake and Coastal Bays watersheds.
June 5, 2008

Governor Martin O’Malley proclaimed June 2008 Great Outdoors Month, encouraging Maryland residents and visitors to spend time enjoying the State’s diverse and bountiful outdoor recreation opportunities.

Whether in the mountains of Western Maryland, near the shores of the Chesapeake Bay or Atlantic Ocean, or places in between, I hope citizens and visitors will take advantage of warm June weather by enjoying one of the countless outdoor activities that abound across our State,” said Governor O’Malley. “Spending a morning, afternoon, or weekend outdoors fishing, hiking, biking, boating, or bird watching can strengthen our personal health and well being, as well as relationships with family and friends.”

Governor O’Malley also talked about the personal responsibility that each Marylander shares in passing along an appreciation for our environment to the next generation.

“Every Marylander has a role in continuing our legacy of caring for our natural resources,” added the Governor. “Sharing a favorite outdoor activity with a young person helps them connect with our natural world and can inspire a lifelong path of personal development and stewardship.”

To ensure that all Maryland children have an opportunity to experience and connect with nature, Governor O’Malley recently signed an Executive Order establishing the Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature. This coalition of state, local, private and non-profit partners is charged with promoting the well-being of youth by accelerating environmental learning, connecting communities to parks and public lands and expanding opportunities for structured and unstructured outdoor time in nature for both play and learning.

On June 7, Maryland will also celebrate National Trails Day during which hundreds of organizations and parks from across the nation will participate in events that celebrate the United States’ superb network of outdoor trails.

“Maryland’s public lands offer more than a thousand miles of trails through forests, wetlands, grasslands, and other natural areas,” said DNR Secretary John Griffin. “From hiking and horseback riding to cycling and paddling, our State’s public lands offer nearby, affordable and safe opportunities for everyone to enjoy time outdoors.”

For a full listing of trails visit http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/.

NorthBay, an environmental educational center located in North East, Md., will host a demonstration of habitat mapping with a Robotics in the Bay event on June 10, 2008. Presentations are scheduled to include technical demonstrations from the Mid Atlantic Bight National Undersea Research Center, Rutgers University, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Chesapeake Bay Office, and NASA.

The event will include demonstrations of autonomous operated underwater vehicles (AUV) used to create a bay-floor habitat map for the NorthBay area of North East, Md. This baseline data will be used by NorthBay students to monitor temporal and spatial changes in the bay bottom.

After the AUV has been launched and is gathering data, educators will design, build and launch an operating remotely operated vehicle (ROV). This exercise is available to educators to create and integrate into their own programs. Additionally, the event will include an informal, open forum for participants to discuss and explore the types of technologies presently being used to explore the ocean, and ways to integrate these techniques into the classroom in a contagious way.

NorthBay was established in 2005 by The Erickson Foundation to establish educational opportunities for young people. Through its partnerships with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Maryland Department of Education, NorthBay hosts more than 10,000 middle school students each year. With a full-time staff of more than 100 professionals, NorthBay uses experiential education to instill confidence, knowledge, and leadership in young people and teach them that their actions have a lasting impact on the future. NorthBay is located on more than 97 acres at the confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna River in Cecil County, Md.

Virginia Marine Resources Commission has approved the following projects for 2008

Recreational Fishing Advisory Board Recommended Projects:

A)  2008 Sunshine Children’s Fishing Program.  Denny Dobbins, Portsmouth Anglers Club.  $7,194.

B)  2008 Saxis & Morley’s Wharf Fishing Pier Youth Fishing Tournaments (Year 7).  Allen Evans, Eastern Shore of Virginia Anglers Club.  $2,500.

C)  2008 Hope House & Oak Grove Nursing Home Fishing Excursions and Clinics.  D. Hurst, C. Macin, Great Bridge Fisherman’s Association.  $4,000.

D)  Virginia Marine Sportfish Collection (Year 2).  J. Grist, J. Cimino, VMRC.  $12,000.

E)  Estimating Relative Abundance of Young-of-Year American Eel, Anguilla rostrata, in the Virginia Tributaries of Chesapeake Bay (Year 8).  Mary Fabrizio, VIMS.  $45,348.  From recreational fund $22,674.

F) Estimating Relative Juvenile Abundance of Recreationally Important Finfish in the Virginia Portion of Chesapeake Bay.  Mary Fabrizio, VIMS.  $74,242.

G)  Estimate and Assess Social and Economic Importance and Value of Menhaden to Chesapeake Bay Stakeholders and Region (3 Year Study) – Year 2.  James Kirkley, VIMS.  $236,479. From recreational fund $205,479.

K)  2008 Deployment of Artificial Reef Structure.  Mike Meier, VMRC.  $500,000.

L)  Buckroe Beach Saltwater Fishing Pier.  Fred Whitley, City of Hampton.  $750,000.

M)  Data collection and analysis in support of single and multispecies stock assessments in Chesapeake Bay:  the Chesapeake Bay Multispecies Monitoring and Assessment Program (ChesMMAP).  R. Latour, C. Bonzek, VIMS.   $94,221.

Commercial Fishing Advisory Board Recommended Projects:

A)  Product Development for Cownose Ray.  Shirley Estes, VMPB.  $55,900.

B) Project Manager for the Re-examination of Feasibility Study on One-year Grow-out of Triploid Crassostrea ariakensis.  Frances Porter, VSC.  $26,530. (Part 1 of 2)

H)  Repeatability of the Enrichment Procedure for Triploid C. ariakensis larvae.  Standish Allen, VIMS.  $30,000.  (Part 2 of 2)

C) Estimate and Assess Social and Economic Importance and Value of Menhaden to Chesapeake Bay Stakeholders and Region (3 Year Study) – Year 2.  James Kirkley, VIMS. $31,000.

D)  Estimating Relative Abundance of Young-of-Year American Eel, Anguilla rostrata, in the Virginia Tributaries of Chesapeake Bay (Year 8).  Mary Fabrizio, VIMS.  $22,674.

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.

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) is observing National Safe Boating Week through May 23 to highlight the need for boaters to wear a life jacket at all times while on the water as well as abide by other safety precautions.

“Safe boating saves lives,” said Col. George F. Johnson, NRP Superintendent. “When you boat in Maryland, remember to practice safe and responsible boating, always wear your life jacket, and be alert and aware while on the water.”

On average a dozen people die each year in boating-related incidents on Maryland waterways, most of which could have been prevented had a lifejacket been worn. Last year, Maryland saw an increase in fatalities, from eight in 2006 to ten in 2007, and injuries went from 163 to 208. Records show that the majority of accidents are the result of wake and/or excessive speed, reckless or negligent operation and operator inexperience or inattention.

Nationwide, 3,474 injuries and 710 fatalities resulting from boating-related accidents were reported in 2006. Overall, two-thirds of all fatal boating accident victims drowned. Of those who drowned, 90 percent of the victims were not wearing their life jacket. Eight out of every ten boaters who drowned were using boats less than 20 feet in length.

source: DNR press release

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.

The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art hosts the free reading program “Nature Tales for Tots” from 10-11 a.m. every first and third Wednesday of the month in the Ward Museum lobby. This program is designed for children of the preschool to first-grade age. Early learners hear lively stories pertaining to the environment. Following the reading, a fun craft activity is conducted. For more information call 410-742-4988, ext. 104 or 110, or visit the museum’s Web site at www.wardmuseum.org.

Upcoming topics and dates include:

May 21: Saltwater Marshes
June 4: Insects
June 18: How the Garden Grows
July 2: Islands
July 16: Ocean Animals
August 6: The Chesapeake Bay