Chesapeake Bay Foundation Blog

Speak Up for the Bay Tomorrow Night

Elected and appointed officials in Richmond and Washington, D.C. are making decisions about Bay restoration right now! They need to hear from you.

Please join CBF tomorrow evening for a Chesapeake Bay Town Hall meeting in Arlington, VA. Find out about progress on Bay restoration efforts—including the President’s Executive Order and upcoming legislation in the House and Senate.

Whether you have specific questions you’d like to get answered or simply want to hear the latest updates directly from the movers-and-shakers involved, your participation will help make the point that you want promises turned into actions! For more information and to RSVP, click here.

Guest Speaker:
Congressman Jim Moran, Virginia District 8

Panel Speakers:   
Chuck Fox, EPA Senior Advisor on the Chesapeake Bay
Senator Mary Margaret Whipple, Virginia District 31
Dr. Roger Mann, Director of Research and Advisory Services, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Roy Hoagland, Vice President, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

For more information and to RSVP, click here.

CBF's Will Baker on WYPR Thursday

Tune into Baltimore public radio station WYPR 88.1 FM Thursday (September 17th) at noon to hear CBF President Will Baker on the Dan Rodricks show. Will will be Mr. Rodrick’s guest and will discuss the draft Executive Order reports issued last week. Those reports outline the federal government’s new leadership for the Chesapeake and the kinds of strategies federal agencies proposed to take.

Listen Thursday or catch the podcast, then share your thoughts with us here.

In the meantime, read Will's press statement and find out more about the reports.

Got a Story?

This in from the Wildlife Promise blog --

"The EPA is collecting public testimony from citizens like you about the effects that global warming is having on you, your family and your community, and they really want to hear from you-- wildlife and nature enthusiasts-- who see firsthand how climate change is effecting your garden, your backyard, your parks and the natural world you live in."

The message isn't just for wildlife enthusiasts -- personalize your message to reflect your concern for the Chesapeake Bay, its critters, and its ecosystems.

New Chesapeake Fund: "Investing in Healthy Waters"

A partnership of Forest Trends, Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), and World Resources Institute, the new Chesapeake Fund offers individuals and business a new way to calculate their nitrogen footprint and reduce their impact.

The Chesapeake Fund website includes CBF's Nitrogen Calculator, tips on reducing your nitrogen footprint, and a way to offset your impact by purchasing nitrogen "credits." The Chesapeake Fund will use the money raised by the purchase of these credits - $10 per credit - for on-the-ground restoration projects in areas targeted for optimal results.

CBF on WYPR Today at Noon

Today at noon (until 1:00) on Midday with Dan Rodericks on WYPR radio, former Baltimore Sun editorial writer Karen Hostler will be interviewing CBF Litigation Director Jon Mueller and Senior Scientist Beth McGee and at least one representative from the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) on the Sparrows Point steel mill, which has been discharging toxic chemicals into the air and water for years. Author and former Baltimore Sun reporter Mark Reutter, who has written extensively about Sparrows Point, will be on the show as well.

On Friday, May 29, 2009, CBF and Baltimore Harbor Harborkeeper notified EPA, MDE, and the current and former owners of the Sparrows Point steel plant of our intention to sue them in federal court to force a clean-up of pollution flowing from the plant site, to conduct an adequate assessment of risks to human health and the nearby ecology, and to address other violations of the law.

Clean Water for a Change

The original title of this post was "Miles to Go Before I Sleep." That's virtual miles, via Google Maps, but it's still exhausting. I've been mapping the Chesapeake Bay watershed for hours, and I'm still not finished.

We asked members to send us bottles of water from their local river or stream and tell us about the quality of their waterways. We'll be taking the bottles with us to the Chesapeake Executive Council meeting tomorrow, May 12, to show our region's leaders that we all deserve "Clean Water for a Change." Check our website for more info.

I'm mapping out the locations of the hundreds of bottles and comments we've received.

We've heard from folks all over the watershed, from as far west as Monterey, VA, up to Stephen Foster Lake in northern PA and down to the mouth of the Bay at Norfolk, VA. Here are a few excerpts. Check out the rest on our map. And follow us on Twitter (#ecmeeting) as we follow the Executive Council meeting from Mount Vernon Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

I live on the Patapsco River in Anne Arundel County between Rock and Bodkin Points. Slag, coal and coke from Sparrows Point routinely wash up on our shores, as does trash from upstream. And that's just the pollutants we CAN see! 

I live on the Chesapeake and every day, I walk on the beach. I see the debris along the tide line...everything from construction materials to landscaping fabric...devastating to our ecosystem and something must be done to control this human carelessness!

The Piankatank River is free from industrial pollution but there are many irresponsible boaters. Gas spills, harmful cleaners, and not following "no wake" regulations has taken a toll on the health of this river.

When I first moved here, 16 years ago, there were native Brook trout in Beaver Creek. Now the developers are here & the Trout, along with the farms, are gone. Beaver Creek makes its now-degraded contribution the the Chesapeake.

We live in Glebe Heights between Mayo and Edgewater in Anne Arundel Co.  We love to swim in the South River but we are afraid most of the time due to the fact that every time our dog has gotten in the water he has ended up at the Vet w/ a severe skin condition.

The Shamokin Creek is polluted with acid mine drainage.  There are over 60 discharges throughout the watershed, with each discharge having unique properties.  Iron, manganese, aluminum, sulphur and low pH are found in unacceptable levels.

Share your waterway story and I'll add it to the map.

Earth Day: Beyond Good Intentions

It's Earth Day! I don't know what it's doing in your neck of the woods, but here in Annapolis we've got April showers. Great for growing things, but if you watched the PBS documentary "Poisoned Waters" last night, you'll know it's also the cloud that holds the silver lining for the Chesapeake Bay. Why? Stormwater.

If you missed "Poisoned Waters" last night, you can view it online at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/poisonedwaters/ or check your local PBS listings for a rerunning of the show. There's been a lot of discussion going on about the recent CNN story about the Bay and why, after all the funding seemingly dedicated to its cleanup, there are still so many problems. Frontline's Hedrick Smith does a great job of connecting the dots among the multitude of issues that affect the Bay's ecosystem.

The show closes with the following comment by Smith:

"Success is possible, but the lesson driven home to me again and again is that the key is public engagement."

But how do we get the public engaged? That's the million dollar question. For one thing, we need to "frame (the issues) in ways that correspond to what (the public) really care about," says Chris Miller, Piedmont Environmental Council, on "Poisoned Waters," such as traffic, taxes, quality of life.

A discussion on the Chesapeake Watershed Network yesterday broached the same topic. How do we get people informed and engaged to take action? One member brought to the group's attention a recent study, sponsored by the Herring Run Watershed Association and the Jones Falls Watershed Association, entitled "Upstream, Downstream: From Good Intentions to Cleaner Waters."

Most people want to make a difference. But how do we get people to make the connection between their personal day-to-day activities and the quality of their streams, rivers, and the Bay? How do we bridge the gap between good intentions and helpful actions?

So, that's my question for Earth Day. What are your ideas?

Science or Politics?

Despite all of the scientific evidence that non-native oysters may cause more harm to our Chesapeake Bay oyster population, the Virginia Senate is proposing a resolution to support the Asian oyster introduction.

Should decisions like this be driven by science or politics?

Those who agree that non-native oysters should not be introduced to the Chesapeake Bay include

U.S. Department of the Interior,

National Oceanographic and Atmosheric Administration (NOAA),

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),

Chesapeake Bay Program Science and Technology Advisory Committee,

Chesapeake Bay Program Citizen's Advisory Committee,

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, 

Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the

Virginia Institute of Marince Science.

Supporters of the proposal want to introduce sterile Asian oysters into the Bay to build up the oyster fishery. Although the Asian oyster grows quickly and resists diseases affecting the Chesapeake oyster, the science highlights considerable uncertainty on its success. Instead, cultivation of native oysters on sanctuary reefs and in commercial aquaculture operations should be supported. CBF Senior Scientist Bill Goldsborough has said that “the scientific community is generally positive about the prospects for native oyster restoration,” citing numerous successful projects Virginia and Maryland. (see links below)

What else does the science say? It confirms that the Asian oyster

• is more vulnerable to predators than the Chesapeake oyster,
• has a greater sensitivity to the Bay’s low dissolved oxygen levels, and
• poses a risk of local extinction for Chesapeake species oysters by disrupting its reproduction, competing for space, and serving as a host for disease (yes, the local oysters are susceptible to new diseases introduced by the non-native oyster).

In addition, it is likely that introduction of sterile oysters will inevitably result in a reproductive population, and that they will spread beyond the boarders of the Chesapeake Bay to disrupt other oyster fisheries.

If you live in Virginia and want to stop the introduction of the Asian oyster, you can help by sending your senator an e-mail urging him or her to vote "NO" when Senate Joint Resolution 411 comes up for a vote.

Successful native oyster aquaculture projects include:

 a partnership of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and Bevans Oyster Company in Virginia's Yeocomico River;

oyster reefs in the Eastern Bay of Maryland, near Kent Island and;  

oyster restoration efforts in Virginia's Piankatank River and Lynnhaven River (the last is a pdf); 

Tune in to CBF's Will Baker on WAMU Radio Noon Today

Tomorrow, December 9, marks the 25th anniversary of a comprehensive effort to save the Chesapeake Bay. Tune in to WAMU 88.5 FM today at noon and join Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) President Will Baker and Washington, D.C. radio host Kojo Nnamdi for a look back at 25 years of working to save the Bay; what's been accomplished and what the future may hold.

Take this opportunity to call in with your questions. WAMU's talk show call-in number is 800-433-8850.

If you're concerned about the lack of progress in cleaning up the Bay and believe the Environmental Protection Agency should uphold the Clean Water Act, please sign our petition and encourage your friends and family to sign it, as well.

For an interesting look at the Bay -- past, present, and future -- check out CBF's interactive map.

Oysters Sound So Good

Came across two good audio pieces on Virginia oysters.

WMRA newswoman Nancy King reports "there is a glimmer of hope for the beleaguered bivalves." Interesting piece on what some VA oystermen are doing with oyster aquaculture.

Virginia Public Radio's With Good Reason serves up a tasty program about the reason to be optimistic for Chesapeake Bay oysters to make a comeback. "Chefs, oystermen, conservationists, oyster-lovers, and poets Nikki Giovanni (Virginia Tech) and Tim Seibles (Old Dominion University) all weigh-in about the legend and allure of Crassotrea virginica."

You can weigh in on the comeback of the Chesapeake oyster by responding to CBF's Action Alert urging the Army Corps of Engineers to support alternative 8A of the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on native vs. non-native oyster introduction in the Bay. Alternative 8A supports restoration and aquaculture of the native Chesapeake Bay oyster. You can find out more about the draft EIS on CBF's website.