Chesapeake Bay News

A new online Native Plant Center for the Chesapeake Bay Region allows for the identification and selection of native plant species for habitat restoration in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The guide is intended to help property owners replace portions of lawn areas and typical landscapes with native plants that suit local conditions, reducing or eliminating the need for fertilizers and pesticides which wash into streams, rivers and, ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay.

Users to the portal, www.nativeplantcenter.net, can search for native plants by name, plant type, sun exposure, soil texture and moisture, and even find native plants with the same shape, color, size or other characteristics as some of their favorite non-native plants. The portal also includes a geo-locator feature to identify plants suited to a user’s specific location. An online network for interacting with other Chesapeake Bay stewards is planned.

The portal uses the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service’s native plant database, associated with the publication entitled Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

To reach more citizens and organizations, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, with support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, contracted with Image Matters LLC to create an online version of the guide, the Native Plants Center, Chesapeake Region.

On May 25, 2011, A coalition of environmental groups announced that they have filed a motion in federal court to oppose the efforts of major national agricultural organizations to force an end to federal and state programs to reduce pollution and restore the Chesapeake Bay.

The coalition includes the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, Defenders of Wildlife, the Jefferson County Public Service District, the Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy, and the National Wildlife Federation.

Within days after the federal government announced scientific pollution limits and the states laid out specific plans to reduce pollution in local rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay, the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau went to federal court in Pennsylvania to stop those efforts.

They have since been joined by other national agricultural lobbying groups, including the Fertilizer Institute, the National Pork Producers Council, the National Corn Growers Association, the National Chicken Council, the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, and the National Turkey Federation.

“Just as the Bay is making progress in its long fight to survive, these big money industry lobbyists are trying to derail the process.  Why? A simple profit motive,” said Chesapeake Bay Foundation President William C. Baker. “They want the rest of us to suffer dirty and dangerous water so they can maximize their corn, hog, and poultry profit.”

For decades, science has known that nitrogen and phosphorus pollution are responsible for the dead zones, fish kills, and harmful algal blooms that annually plague the Chesapeake Bay. Under the Clean Water Act, and as the result of numerous court cases, a scientific limit, or TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load), has been set.

State governments then developed plans designed to ensure that all pollution control measures needed to fully restore the Bay and its tidal rivers are in place by 2025, with at least 60 percent of the actions completed by 2017. Science set the limits, and the states designed individual plans to achieve the goals.

Opponents of the pollution limits claim that EPA is overstepping its authority, and wants the process to start all over again.

source: press release from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation,  Defenders of Wildlife, Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation & Penn Future

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and its partners are calling on the federal government to conduct a comprehensive scientific analysis of  the cumulative impacts of natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation in the six Bay states, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, and Virginia.

The first action was to file a legal petition, under the National Environmental Policy Act, calling for that comprehensive analysis, called a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, of the risks and cumulative impacts of the extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus shale formation in the Chesapeake Bay states. Once the analysis is complete the petition calls on the government to make appropriate decisions about the need for new regulatory action.

The petition was signed by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Shenandoah Valley Network, The Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, and Friends of the Upper Delaware River.

CBF also sent a letter to President Obama in support of the legal petition, signed more than 120 businesses, organizations, elected officials, and individuals who are extremely concerned about the unknown consequences and cumulative impacts of natural gas extraction from the Marcellus shale formation on the environment, drinking water and human health, and America’s treasured lands such as our national parks, wilderness areas, and wildlife refuges. Signatories to the letter include Audubon Pennsylvania, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture), the Mid-Atlantic Council Trout Unlimited, The Garden Club of America, and American Rivers.

While natural gas in the Marcellus shale offers an abundant source of domestically-produced energy that can create jobs and provide income, the history of resource extraction in this country is littered with long-lasting environmental degradation and risks to human health.

Drilling is already causing damage, to both human health and the environment. There has been contamination of drinking water wells, gas bubbling up into the Susquehanna River, spills of fracking water and diesel fuel, fires, blowouts, and explosions.

“The law is clear that the federal government is required to undertake a comprehensive study if activities like Marcellus drilling are likely to affect the environment through the release of hazardous substances, result in significant cumulative adverse impacts on local air quality, or significantly affect important resources including wetlands, aquifer recharge zones, or fish or wildlife habitat,” said CBF attorney Amy McDonnell. “It is good science and good business to get the facts and that is what we are seeking. Nothing less than human health is also at stake.”

In many of the Bay states, most notably in Pennsylvania, natural gas wells are being permitted at breakneck speed with scant regard to the cumulative damage that is occurring, or support for the affected communities. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the state issued over 1,900 permits for Marcellus shale drilling in 2009. In 2010 it issued over 3,300 more. And, in the first two months of 2011, Pennsylvania issued an additional 590 permits. If that pace continues, Pennsylvania will approve over 3,500 new permits this year alone.

A preliminary report from the Academy of Natural Sciences tested water, and looked for sensitive insects and salamanders in areas with no wells, few wells, and high numbers of wells. It found that as the number of wells in an area increased, water quality deteriorated, and the number of insects and salamanders decreased by 25 percent. In a press statement Dr. David Velinsky of the Academy of Natural Sciences said, “This suggests there is indeed a threshold at which drilling—regardless of how it is practiced—will have a significant impact on an ecosystem.”

“With 35 national parks within or near the Marcellus Shale formation, including nine in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the threats to our national treasures are great,” said Cinda Waldbuesser, senior program manager for NPCA’s Pennsylvania field office.  “The economic benefits of natural gas development must not compromise the long-term benefits of protecting water quality and preserving our national parks, which are already economic generators for local communities.”

The Executive Order issued by President Obama in 2009 says, “Restoration of the health of the Chesapeake Bay will require a renewed commitment to controlling pollution from all sources as well as protecting and restoring habitat and living resources, conserving lands, and improving management of natural resources, all of which contribute to improved water quality and ecosystem health. The Federal Government should lead this effort.”

And though there are several risk assessments underway, none is comprehensive or complete. The cumulative effects of pollution from Marcellus shale drilling activities currently underway or proposed in the future have not been assessed or factored in to any of the state plans to reduce pollution.

source: Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting three Clean Marina Roundtable workshops for marina and boatyard operators.

The roundtables will discuss Maryland’s Clean Marina Initiative, a voluntary program that promotes and celebrates efforts of marinas, boatyards and yacht clubs to reduce their pollution. Free copies of the Clean Marina Guidebook, award checklists and educational materials for boaters and staff will be provided. Participants will network with local Clean Marina managers and program staff to learn how they can meet award criteria.

“Although attending a workshop isn’t required to become a Clean Marina, it’s the best way for marina operators to learn about the program in a short amount of time,” said Donna Morrow, DNR’s Clean Marina Administrator. “By networking with other marina operators, participants will hear about practical ways to become a Clean Marina. Maryland’s waterways need everyone doing their part and the Clean Marina program is a tangible way for marinas to help.”

Dates and Locations:

January 11, Spring Cove Marina, Solomons
January 13, Port Annapolis Marina, Annapolis
January 20, Skipjack Cove Yachting Resort, Georgetown

All roundtables will run from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and there is no charge to attend. Weather permitting, a tour of the host facility will follow the roundtable discussion. In addition to helping reduce pollution and protect our waterways, Clean Marinas often enjoy discounted insurance rates, reduced clean up costs and improved relations within their community. All marine facilities are encourage to participate and seek the award.

Marine facilities of any size are encouraged to pursue the Maryland Clean Marina Award. To qualify, a facility must meet all permitting requirements and adopt a significant portion of recommendations from the Maryland Clean Marina Guidebook.

DNR staff and mentors offer assistance and site visits to marinas pursuing the award. They are re-certified every three years. To date, 143 facilities (roughly 23 percent of Maryland marinas) have achieved the designation.

Advanced registration is requested as space is limited. Marina managers 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. Information on the Maryland Clean Marina Initiative can be found at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/boating/cleanmarina/ or by contacting Donna Morrow at dmorrow@dnr.state.md.us or 410-260-8773.

source: MD DNR

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.

Expanded action and increased accountability by the federal government are the focus of a draft strategy for restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay required by President Obama’s Executive Order. To accelerate efforts and track progress, federal agencies are committing to meet milestones every two years, leading to all activities needed to restore the Chesapeake Bay and watershed being in place no later than 2025.

The draft strategy, released, 11/9/2009, contains a comprehensive package of federal initiatives to restore clean water, conserve treasured places, protect fish and wildlife, and adapt to the impacts of climate change. These objectives will be accomplished by empowering local efforts, making decisions based on science and forging a new era of federal leadership and accountability. Close collaboration of efforts with the six states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the District of Columbia will also be critical.

“President Obama has declared that the Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure and committed to a robust cleanup effort. Setting two-year benchmarks for progress will ensure that our actions are getting the results the President and the public expect,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “This is the broadest and most publicly accountable cleanup effort ever seen on the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. It’s time for a new era of decisive federal leadership, and new partnerships with state government, nonprofits, the private sector and residents who have all been working to create a cleaner Bay.”

Public comment on the draft strategy is important to the federal agencies and will shape the final strategy. The formal public comment period is from November 9, 2009 to January 8, 2010. The draft strategy can be accessed at http://executiveorder.chesapeakebay.net and the public can click on “provide comments” to formally submit feedback through www.regulations.gov. The draft strategy will evolve significantly through public comments, state consultations and agency revisions before the final strategy is published in May 2010.

To restore clean water, EPA will create a framework for performance and accountability to guide federal and state pollution control programs, and expand regulatory tools to reduce pollution from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations and urban and suburban runoff. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will intensively target voluntary conservation incentives at high priority areas. New emphasis is also placed on improving stormwater management on federal land and reducing polluted runoff from transportation infrastructure.

“Maintaining healthy, sustainable farms and forests is an essential component to protecting and restoring the Chesapeake Bay,” said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “Our focus is on increasing economic viability, strengthening markets for local foods, improving water quality and protecting the natural landscape.”

The draft strategy contains numerous initiatives to conserve natural places, animal habitats and fish and wildlife. For example, the Department of the Interior will pursue development of a Chesapeake Treasured Landscapes Initiative to support state and local efforts to conserve and restore the environmental, historic, cultural and recreational value of many of the region’s wetlands, river corridors and open spaces. The department will look for opportunities to expand or create new units of the National Park System, National Wildlife Refuge System, National Wild and Scenic Rivers system and National Historic Trails system.

“Our proposed initiative will build upon the existing partnerships with states, local communities, conservation organizations and other stakeholders to undertake projects that will not only conserve the Chesapeake Bay but will lead to its restoration as one of the great natural wonders of our country,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “We have a big toolbox full of conservation actions and we plan to use it.”

One challenge to restoration is climate change, which scientists project will have a variety of impacts on the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed, including rising sea levels, warmer water and air temperatures, and stronger storms. NOAA and the U.S. Geological Survey are leading the development of the federal strategy for adapting to climate change impacts in the Bay.

“Science shows that Chesapeake Bay habitats and living resources are already being affected by climate change,” said Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator. “We need to adapt to climate change to ensure that the places and things we care about – like wetlands that serve as nurseries for fish and crabs and coastal communities that are vulnerable to sea level rise – can be addressed in our restoration efforts.”

NOAA and the Army Corps of Engineers will also lead a revitalized effort to recover native oyster reefs and establish self-sustaining native oyster reef sanctuaries in key tributaries by 2020.

The draft strategy emphasizes the need to empower local efforts because local governments, watershed organizations and residents have a great interest and ability to restore the environment. Federal agencies will expand technical assistance and resources, and support development of innovative technologies to reduce pollution and economic markets for ecosystem services. A Chesapeake Conservation Corps will be pursued to increase citizen stewardship, and public education will engage people in protecting local waterways.

Federal agencies have also developed a suite of accountability and transparency measures, led by ChesapeakeStat, an online tool that will identify restoration projects, funding and progress, and be publicly accessible. The draft strategy also calls for an annual plan for spending; reporting on environmental health and restoration progress, potentially through the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Bay Barometer; and an independent evaluation of federal efforts.

On May 12, President Obama issued Executive Order 13508 on Chesapeake Bay Restoration and Protection, the first-ever presidential directive on the Bay and the first environmental Executive Order by President Obama. The order established a Federal Leadership Committee, chaired by EPA, and with senior representatives from the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Homeland Security, Interior and Transportation. These agencies generated draft reports in September 2009 with recommendations for addressing issues such as water quality, public access, landscape conservation, climate change, scientific monitoring and the protection of living resources. These draft reports were integrated into the draft strategy, which must be finalized by May 12, 2010.

NOAA has awarded the Smithsonian Institution’s Environmental Research Center and several partner organizations $946,000 for the first year of an anticipated five-year, $5 million collaborative project to study the degradation of nearshore coastal habitats in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. Research will be used by environmental managers and local officials to better protect and restore these estuaries over the long-term, as well as plan for sea level rise and other consequences of climate change.

Invasive species, contaminants, excessive nutrients and sediment are just some of the many factors threatening sensitive wetlands and seagrass beds. An additional issue has been community efforts to “harden” shorelines by lining shores with bulkhead, rock, or rubble to try to protect adjoining lands against erosion and sea level rise. These structures can threaten the health of living shorelines, such as wetlands and marshes. This project will look at the combined effects of these multiple stresses on nearshore habitats and their dependent species.

“These habitats, which are nursery and feeding grounds for so many species, have typically been managed in a piecemeal, parcel-by-parcel fashion and are slipping away in areas of heavy development,” said Robert Magnien, Ph.D., and director of the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science’s Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research, which awarded the grant. “Developing scientific information that ties multiple species and their environment will be used to advance management approaches.”

The Smithsonian Institution’s Environmental Research Center will lead a team of investigators from the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the University of Delaware, Pennsylvania State University, and the United States Geological Survey. Area coastal managers are also part of the research team and will provide input. Program managers from NOAA’s National Ocean Service will provide oversight.

The research supports President Obama’s Executive Order for Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration, which specifically calls for strengthening scientific support for decision-making to protect and restore living resources and water quality of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. It also relates to a major goal of the Mid-Atlantic Governor’s Agreement and multi-state Chesapeake Bay Agreement to preserve, protect and restore habitats and natural areas that are vital to the survival and diversity of the living resources of the Bay.

Agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Virginia Marine Resources Commission and the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office will utilize information resulting from this research. In a letter of support for the proposed research, Rich Batiuk of the EPA said that this program will “address critical issues related to habitat degradation, invasive species, and shoreline hardening. All of these ecosystem impacts are recognized in the Chesapeake 2000 agreement, and therefore are critical concerns to Chesapeake Bay Program partnership.”

“Developing the science for understanding the combined effects of shoreline hardening on water quality, underwater grasses, fish and shellfish will help support policy for accelerating Bay restoration,” stated Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary John Griffin. “Maryland is firmly committed to making management decisions based on sound science. This project will provide the practical information for driving wetland restoration and managing development in Maryland’s critical areas.”

The mid-Atlantic region is only one area where shoreline hardening is seen as an important issue. The results of this research can potentially be extrapolated to hardened shorelines in other coastal states.

The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center leads the nation in research on linkages of land and water ecosystems in the coastal zone and provides society with knowledge to meet critical environmental challenges in the 21st century.

source: NOAA press release

A new website will increase government transparency and expand public participation in President Obama’s Executive Order on Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration. The website will serve as the clearinghouse for all Executive Order information, including news, documents and events from the various federal agencies working on new approaches to cleaning up the nation’s largest estuary. The public can also provide feedback on the website and use online tools to track Executive Order activities.

The website address is http://executiveorder.chesapeakebay.net

“President Obama wants real action and real results in restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay. The best way to ensure that we meet those goals is to reach out and engage the Bay communities,” said U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, who chairs the Federal Leadership Committee overseeing development of the Executive Order. “Executiveorder.chesapeakebay.net is a way for everyone – from concerned parents, environmental advocates, and men and women who make their living on the Bay – to be part of the solution. The website will help promote transparency in our work and accountability to the 17 million residents of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.”

Through a blog format, a variety of content will be posted on the website in the weeks and months ahead, such as discussions of the key challenges facing the Chesapeake Bay, announcements of upcoming public meetings and events, and documents required by the Executive Order. On September 9, the draft reports on how federal agencies will address topics including water pollution, climate change and public access will be available to the public and published on the website. By November 9, these reports will be incorporated into a draft strategy for restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay, which also will be available online.

Input from the public is critically important to the federal agencies as the various reports and overall strategy are created. When the draft strategy is released on November 9, the formal public comment period will begin. But until then, feedback can be posted on the website under the Provide Feedback section. The federal agencies will receive any information that the public posts online.

The public is also encouraged to track Executive Order developments by utilizing the RSS feed, Twitter updates and Facebook page. Video and photos will be available on the YouTube and Flickr channels. Access to these tools can be found under the Stay Connected section at http://executiveorder.chesapeakebay.net

EXECUTIVE ORDER BACKGROUND

On May 12, 2009, President Obama signed an Executive Order that recognizes the Chesapeake Bay as a national treasure and calls on the federal government to lead a renewed effort to restore and protect the nation’s largest estuary and its watershed.

The Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration Executive Order established a Federal Leadership Committee that will oversee the development and coordination of reporting, data management and other activities by agencies involved in Bay restoration. The committee will be chaired by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and include senior representatives from the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Homeland Security, Interior, Transportation and others.

These agencies will submit draft reports by September 9, 2009 that make recommendations to:

* Define the next generation of tools and actions to restore water quality in the Bay and describe the changes to be made to regulations, programs and policies to implement these actions.

* Target resources to better protect the Bay and its rivers, particularly in agricultural conservation practices.

* Strengthen storm water management practices for federal facilities and federal land within the Bay watershed and develop a best practices guide for reducing polluted runoff.

* Assess the impacts of climate change on the Bay and develop a strategy for adapting programs and infrastructure to these impacts.

* Expand public access to the Bay and its rivers from federal lands and conserve landscapes of the watershed.

* Expand environmental research, monitoring and observation to strengthen scientific support for decision-making on Bay restoration issues.

* Develop focused and coordinated habitat and research activities.

In preparing the reports, federal agencies will consult with the governments of the seven Bay jurisdictions – Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. By November 9, the Federal Leadership Committee will integrate these reports into a draft strategy for restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay. This draft strategy will be available for public comment and a final strategy will be completed by May 12, 2010.

Beginning in 2010, the Federal Leadership Committee will publish an annual Chesapeake Bay Action Plan that describes how federal funding will be put toward Bay restoration in the upcoming year. It will be accompanied by an Annual Progress Report that reviews current environmental conditions and assesses implementation of the strategy. An independent evaluator will also periodically report on progress toward meeting the goals of the Executive Order.

In response to recommendations of the majority of the members of Maryland’s Mute Swan Task Force, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will continue to reduce the Chesapeake Bay’s population of non-native mute swans.  Because of the State’s successful control efforts, there are far fewer mute swans in Maryland today than there were a few years ago; about 500 remain of a population that had reached nearly 4,000 a decade ago.

In the spring of 2009, DNR convened a group of environmentalists, scientists, animal advocates, and other stakeholders to revisit the Mute Swan Plan and develop a recommendation for how Maryland should proceed.  That group split over the issue of lethal control of adult mute swans and presented two contrasting reports. One report, from two animal rights members, advocated maintaining a population of mute swans in the Chesapeake Bay.  The report from the other 10 members, including scientists, conservationists, and State and Federal agency representatives, argued for the continued reduction of mute swans.  Both reports may be viewed at: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/MS2009_Report.html

“While the swans may be beautiful, they continue to pose a serious threat to the Chesapeake Bay and its native wildlife, and non-lethal controls have proven insufficient for reducing the population,” said DNR Secretary Griffin. “For these reasons, we are unfortunately compelled to continue Maryland’s mute swan control efforts, through both non-lethal and lethal means.”

“After reviewing the reports and considering the best advice of my staff and the scientific and environmental communities, I have found the case for continued controls ecologically crucial and in alignment with both the 2000 Chesapeake Bay Agreement invasive species control plans and Maryland State law,” the Secretary added.

Jonathan McKnight, the Maryland DNR Biologist who coordinated the Mute Swan Advisory Committee said, “There is a solid body of scientific literature demonstrating that this species — like the nutria, a marsh rodent from South America — causes harm to native species and the Chesapeake ecosystem.”

Environmentalists and conservation groups praised the decision, which the animal rights groups PETA and the Humane Society of the United States had lobbied against.

“We support the DNR in making this difficult decision”, said Kim Coble, Maryland Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. “It’s controversial, but it’s the right thing to do to protect important Chesapeake Bay resources.”

The Maryland Ornithological Society, which has supported mute swan control because of the tendency of mute swans to drive declining native birds from their nesting grounds, was also pleased.

“This was clearly the right call for the resource and I’m impressed that DNR moved quickly to make this decision,” said MOS President Dr. Wayne Bell. “Maryland has achieved an unparalleled 80 percent reduction in the population of this invasive species, so to stop now would have made little sense.”

Mute swans are native to Europe and Asia.  Maryland’s population of mute swans originated when five birds escaped from captivity in Talbot County in 1962. Currently, about 500 mute swans remain in the Bay and its tributaries.  They are now established in all major tributaries to the Maryland portion of Chesapeake Bay. Mute swans have caused adverse ecological impacts by driving out nesting native waterfowl and the removal of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) during the summer, fall and spring when SAV are reproducing; and the destruction of SAV restoration and replanting sites.

Mute swans are one of six species identified in the Chesapeake Bay Agreement as priority invasive species that threaten the Chesapeake ecosystem.

A unified command is continuing clean up and recovery efforts to a pollution spill in Tony Tank Creek in Salisbury Maryland.

Salisbury University reported a mechanical failure in their generator system causing a loss of approximately 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel from a fuel tank.

Between 500 and 600 gallons of diesel fuel have been recovered from the creek since last night.

More than 1,000 feet of containment boom has been placed between the Camden Avenue Bridge and the Riverside Drive Bridge to contain the spill.

“This operation is a fine example of our partnership among federal, state and local agencies along with the private sector,” said Cmdr. Austin Gould, the acting sector commander of Coast Guard Sector Baltimore. “Together, we’re working to eliminate an environmental threat to the Chesapeake Bay.”

“The university appreciates these agencies’ support and leadership that have minimized the impact of this spill on the university, the community and our shared watershed,” said Dr. Tom Jones, provost at Salisbury University.

Wicomico County Emergency Management responded to a report of a strong fuel odor near Tony Tank Creek Wednesday night.

Wicomico County Emergency Management contacted the National Response Center reporting diesel fuel in the water about 8:42 p.m. Wednesday. NRC notified Coast Guard Sector Baltimore personnel of the spill. Investigators from Sector Baltimore arrived on scene about 12:50 a.m. Thursday. The Coast Guard confirmed Salisbury University as the source of the spill and had the spill secured by 1:15 a.m. The diesel fuel is believed to have leaked from a fuel tank on the roof of the Henson Science Hall on campus.Unified Command Continues Recovery Efforts in Salisbury

A unified command is continuing clean up and recovery efforts to a pollution spill in Tony Tank Creek in Salisbury Maryland.

Salisbury University reported a mechanical failure in their generator system causing a loss of approximately 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel from a fuel tank.

Between 500 and 600 gallons of diesel fuel have been recovered from the creek since last night. More than 1,000 feet of containment boom has been placed between the Camden Avenue Bridge and the Riverside Drive Bridge to contain the spill.

“This operation is a fine example of our partnership among federal, state and local agencies along with the private sector,” said Cmdr. Austin Gould, the acting sector commander of Coast Guard Sector Baltimore. “Together, we’re working to eliminate an environmental threat to the Chesapeake Bay.”

“The university appreciates these agencies’ support and leadership that have minimized the impact of this spill on the university, the community and our shared watershed,” said Dr. Tom Jones, provost at Salisbury University.

Wicomico County Emergency Management responded to a report of a strong fuel odor near Tony Tank Creek Wednesday night.

Wicomico County Emergency Management contacted the National Response Center reporting diesel fuel in the water about 8:42 p.m. Wednesday. NRC notified Coast Guard Sector Baltimore personnel of the spill. Investigators from Sector Baltimore arrived on scene about 12:50 a.m. Thursday. The Coast Guard confirmed Salisbury University as the source of the spill and had the spill secured by 1:15 a.m. The diesel fuel is believed to have leaked from a fuel tank on the roof of the Henson Science Hall on campus.

A unified command has been established with the Coast Guard and representatives from Salisbury University, Maryland Department of the Environment, Salisbury City Fire Department and Wicomico County Emergency Management.

To report further fuel sheen or wildlife affected by the spill, contact the Coast Guard Command Center at (410) 576-2525.

A unified command has been established with the Coast Guard and representatives from Salisbury University, Maryland Department of the Environment, Salisbury City Fire Department and Wicomico County Emergency Management.

To report further fuel sheen or wildlife affected by the spill, contact the Coast Guard Command Center at (410) 576-2525.

source: USCG press release