earth day cleanup april 11th march 2015 bishopville ... 03_15.pdf · terrapin survey volunteers...

7/28/2015 Maryland Coastal Bays Program Newsletter

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Earth Day Cleanup April 11th

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Join the Maryland Coastal Bays Program and the Ocean City Surf Clubto clean up Ocean City at 10 a.m. on Saturday April 11th . We will bemeeting volunteers at the 3rd street gazebo next to Town Hall (101 3rdStreet, Ocean City MD) to assign clean up areas and hand out gloves,trash bags, and t-shirts.

Thanks to our volunteers!

With help from our community volunteers and Maryland Conservation

March 2015

Bishopville Restoration

WBOC Story

Check out MCBP's Project coordinator AmandaPoskatis discussing the Bishopville restorationproject byclicking here.

Coastal Steward participates in

Selma to Montgomery



Corps crews we removed bagworms from 6,500 Atlantic White Cedartrees this winter. This would not have been possible without ourvolunteers!

Gunpowder MCC crew working in the rain!

New Islands

Coastal Steward Lester Franklin of Salisburywas one of only seventy students chosen toparticipate in the Selma to Montgomery.

USA Today states "Lester Franklin, whomarched from Selma to Montgomery, walkedwith flowers stuck in his three-inch beard,describing the scene for a radio program backin Maryland.When the Capitol came into sight, the crowdbroke into cheers again. Strangers linked armsand sang, "We Shall Overcome." Some of themunknowingly lined up with people such asTeddi Harshaw who walked from St. Jude tothe capitol in 1965 with the Rev. Martin LutherKing Jr."

USA Today's article and video is

Herp Search May 9

Save the Date! Join the Maryland Coastal BaysProgram for a herptile (reptile and amphibian)search on Saturday, May 9th. This spring



An Army Corps of Engineering project is building new islands inMaryland's coastal bays for the first time since the storm of 1933 createdthe Ocean City Inlet. Islands such as these are important nesting habitatfor waterbirds such as common and royal terns and black skimmers.To read more about the new islands from Rachael Pacella ofDelmarvaNow click here. Pictured above the newest island, Collier. Photo taken from shore atCaptain's Hill thoroughfare.

MCBP Chimes In On Offshore Drilling

In January the Department of the Interior proposed opening up the Mid-

time activity is great way to participate incitizen science while enjoying good companyand the great outdoors. More information willbe included in the next newsletter. Please emailJen Rafter at [email protected] if youare interested in participating. Pictured above, expert Jim Rapp handles aharmless plain-bellied water snake.

Terrapin Survey Volunteers Needed

The Maryland Coastal Bays are home tonorthern diamondback terrapins, a turtle specieswhose population status is not well understood.Evidence of the variety of threats facingterrapins suggests that our iconic Marylandterrapin might be in trouble. With the help ofcitizen scientists, the Maryland Coastal BaysProgram aims to create a source of informationon local terrapin habits to aide scientists in theconservation of this significant and majesticspecies.

We are looking for volunteers to assist with acitizen science survey from Tuesday, May26th through Saturday, May 30th. Participate one or several days.

All volunteers are welcome. Boats are needed.There are options for kayak and bound/shore surveys as well. If you would liketo participate in the Diamondback TerrapinSurvey in the coastal bays please email JenniferRafter at [email protected] or call410-213-2297 x 109.

Huffington Post Article Highlights



Atlantic and South east to oil drilling. Three central elements of theCoastal Bays Comprehensive Conservation and Management Planinclude addressing the impacts of climate change, encouraging tourism,and protecting biodiversity. Oil drilling could have a dramatic effect oneach of these. The Delaware, Maryland and Virginia coastal area is a delicate system,critical to tourism, regional biodiversity, and the fish and shellfishindustries. Tourism alone in Worcester Count is a $2 billion/yr boon forMaryland's economy. This far exceeds any estimated revenue potentiallycoming to the State of Maryland from the proposed offshore leases in theAtlantic. As seen in the gulf, the risk to this revenue posed by offshoredrilling is great. A third of Maryland's Chincoteague Bay lies in Virginia (a primary oilcompany target) where an inlet opens the entire bay to ocean waters. Oilspills, trash from offshore drill platforms, and releases of fracking wastewill not respect state boundary lines. All summer long wind drives oceancurrents run south to north. Moreover, Assateague Island and the barrier islands of Virginia's EasternShore represent the largest swath of undeveloped coastal wilderness onthe East Coast. The Atlantic Geological and Geophysical (G&G) ActivitiesProgrammatic Environmental Impact Statement estimates 138,000whales and dolphins could be impacted by seismic testing in the Atlanticand some killed. There are more than a dozen species of dolphins,whales, and seals off the Ocean City coast. Commercial and recreationalfishing in Mid-Atlantic is also a $3.5 billion dollar industry. If seismictesting in our local waters has similar effects to fisheries as thosewitnessed around the globe, it would be a serious blow to this revenue. According to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the entireAtlantic would only provide 16 months of oil and 36 months of gas. Oiland gas development in new areas would require seismic surveys,drilling operations, oil transport tankers, and the installation of platforms,pipelines, and other infrastructure. With so many alternatives it's hard tounderstand why the feds are still pursuing carbon-heavy industries. Development of offshore wind on the East Coast could generate up to140 gigawatts of power over the next 20 years, which is enough to powerover 115 million households.Offshore wind would create about 91,000more jobs than offshore drilling. For the reasons stated above, the Maryland Coastal Bays Program hasrequested the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic planning areas beremoved from BOEM's 2011-2022 Draft Proposed Plan.

MCBP & Coastal Stewards Check it out! Maryland Coastal Bays Program& Coastal Stewards get a shout-out inHuffington Post, thanks to Marianne Krasney."Representing the Maryland Coastal BaysProgram, Carrie Samis shared her work withCoastal Stewards -- youth, primarily fromcommunities of color -- who plant nativegrasses to recreate "soft shorelines" that absorbrun-off and protect beaches. Because these andothers assembled in Annapolis care for natureand community, my Cornell Universitycolleague Keith Tidball and I call them 'civicecology stewards.' And we call their actions'civic ecology practices.' ... Brandeis Universitysociologist Carmen Sirianni sees civic ecologypractices as part of a larger civic renewalmovement. He noted that the coalitions ofstewardship organizations working together onwatershed and other restoration projects buildparticipants' civic capacity to engage inadditional civic actions. And through formingpartnerships with larger non-profits andgovernment agencies, these efforts caninfluence local and sometimes regional or evennational environmental policy."To read the article click here.

Volunteers needed for marsh bird survey

One of our partners needs your help!Assateague National Seashore is looking forvolunteers to survey secretive marsh birds (railsand bitterns) in tidal marshes. For moreinformation click here.

Recent Articles

Turtle Species Thrive in Maryland

Water, Water Everywhere, and Not a Drop to...

Spring Migration Signals Arrivals & Departures



Our Working Forests

I was recently asked to sit on the Citizens Advisory Committee for theMaryland Coastal Bay program. I really had to think about it for a while.Now that I'm "a bit" older and have begun to wean myself of the variousorganizational duties I've taken on over the years I just wasn't sure Ineeded to take on anything new. I've always tried to carry the verypositive message in regards to the interdependence between our forests, ahealthy forest economy, and healthy watersheds. After all of these years,the message is the same, yet the audience changes so the need to spreadthis message never goes away. In fact, it's more important than ever asthe general public become more and more removed from what makes ourrural landscape so special. So here I find myself in the early morningafter my first Coastal Bay CAC Citizens Advisory Committee meetinggiving it one more try!

As I have been beating around forests here on the Eastern Shore for quitesome time now, it always amazes me when I get off the beaten path inthe back portion of a working farm, the "lower forty", the wonderful (andsometimes neglected, not so wonderful) forests I find. As the name"lower forty" implies, much of this forestland is on land that may havenot been suitable for agriculture or development. Often, it is somewhatlower and wetter than the developed land that surrounds it, yet it stillsupports such a valuable part of our landscape: Our working forests.While considered lower value land by many, measured by all of thebenefits our forests provide they truly are the most valuable part of ourlandscape by so many measures that go far beyond dollars and cents.They work 24/7 providing clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat, andjust a great place to get out and "away from it all". Of course, a well-managed forest, while providing all of these benefits, also can provide anincome from harvested products that help pay for the cost of ownership...and then some.

A well-managed forest that can maximize all of these attributes takessome planning: From planning harvests to planning to do little ofanything to protect or enhance wildlife habitat or water quality. A goodSustainable Forestry Management Plan is something all forestlandowners should pursue, one that is tailored to their own specific goalsand objectives. If you have some neglected forestland on your property,call your local DNR County Forester, or go online and seek out a localforestry consultant that can help you with your forestry needs. After all,like the faded bumper sticker on my old Jeep Pick-up exclaims, "AHealthy Forest is no Accident!", and the less faded sticker I have on mynewer Ford Escape simply says, "Trees are the Answer", and that theytruly are for the myriad of environmental issues facing our Coastal Bayecology, and resource based economy.

Visit MCBP at These Events!

3rd Friday - Flora & Fauna!

April 17, 2015

5 pm - 8 pm

Downtown Salisbury, MD

www.3rdfridaysby.com

Earth Day at the Salisbury Zoo

April 25, 2015

10 am - 4 pm

Salisbury, MD

www.salisburyzoo.org/maryland-salisbury-zoo-

events-news

45th Ward World Championship Wildfowl Carving

Competition and Art Festival

April 24-26, 2015

Roland E. Powell Convention Center

Ocean City, MD

www.wardmuseum.org/SpecialEvents/Calendar

20th Annual Delmarva Birding Weekend

April 23-26, 2015

Various Locations

delmarva-

almanac.com/birding/index.php/contrib/birdinghome/

Tree Planting at Nassawango

Join the National Aquarium Conservation Team(ACT!) and plant Atlantic white cedar seedlingsat Nassawango Creek Preserve in Salisbury,MD. This tree species is considered rare in thestate of Maryland. By helping to plant theseseedlings, you are helping to restoreNassawango Creek Preserve to its original stateas a cedar swamp! Pre-registration is requiredat www.aqua.org/conservationevents.Volunteers must be 10 years old to participate,and any volunteers under the age of 18 must beaccompanied by a participating adult. Pleasecontact [email protected] with any questions.



Larry Walton is a consultant with Vision Forestry, l.l.c. He is also a

member of MCBP's Citizen Advisory Committee.

Paddleboard Raffle to Benefit MCBP



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Maryland Coastal Bays Program | 8219 Stephen Decatur Highway | Berlin | MD | 21811

earth day cleanup april 11th march 2015 bishopville ... 03_15.pdf · terrapin survey volunteers...

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