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M ay 12, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson what we have been calling for, and litigat- Important Bay Improvements At Risk
released an Executive Order, signed ing to achieve. EPA action is especially critical now, as real
that day by President Obama, declar- indications of a Bay fighting for improve-
ing the Chesapeake Bay a national treasure But EPA must go further. It must dramat- ment are apparent. We have long believed
and directing federal agencies to do everything ically strengthen the air section by pro- that when oysters and underwater grasses
within their power to put good science to work posing new strategies to reduce airborne start to do better, that will be an indication
to restore the Bay. pollution. And it must support a commit- of a possible systemic Bay improvement.
ment to accomplish the set of proposals There are now early signs that the distribu-
Many of you have told EPA in letters, cards, through either a binding court-sanc- tion of underwater grasses is increasing.
and at a town hall meeting, that it is time to tioned settlement of CBF’s lawsuit or a Furthermore, oysters appear to be develop-
act. Your voices have given us tremendous new legislative mandate. ing a tolerance to the two parasites, MSX
momentum and we are hearing encourag- and Dermo. Their numbers are increasing,
ing words from EPA. And EPA need not wait for a lengthy review and the general population appears health-
process to begin reducing other sources of ier. Restoration efforts may finally be start-
Specifically, on September 10th, EPA re- pollution. It can still object to a Virginia per- ing to take hold.
leased a draft report outlining what it will do mit for the giant pharmaceutical company
(http://executiveorder.chesapeakebay.net). Merck, which will add more pollution to an What You Can Do
Unlike past documents that focused on already impaired Virginia waterway, We urge you to visit http://executiveorder.
chesapeakebay.net and make your views on
the draft reports known.
6 Destination Chesapeake
On the North Branch Susquehanna, a boom in natural gas
drilling poses risks to water quality.
10 Water-Wise
Green frogs in the Chesapeake region seem resistant to a
fungal disease sweeping the globe.
.
20 Bad Water and Human Health
A new CBF report explores threats from water pollution.
23 Strength in Numbers
Scaled-up oyster reefs are becoming the model for
restoration efforts.
6 20 25 30
Departments
5 MAILBOX 24 PROFILE 28 DRIFTWOOD
An announcement of legal action against A leader in the creation of an enforceable Bay bits and pieces.
the Sparrows Point steel plant prompts pollution limit system for the Bay found
responses from CBF members. her inspiration on a Virginia river. 30 LAST LOOK
On a tiny outpost in the Chesapeake,
13 CAMPAIGNS 26 OUR GIVING COMMUNITY the women of the Smith Island
Updates on CBF’s Biggest Fight For Clean A living shoreline memorializes Kennedy Crabmeat Co-Op celebrate their deep
Water This Nation Has Ever Seen. Fitzgerald, a new skiff aids Hampton faith and the renewed bounty of the Bay.
Roads programs, and a key benefactor
16 BAY BRIEFS seeds CBF’s litigation successes.
PHOTO CREDITS THIS PAGE: UPPER RIGHT, ISTOCKPHOTO; LEFT TO
CBF activities in the Bay states and the RIGHT, ENDLESS MOUNTAIN VISITORS BUREAU, PETER TANGO, JEFF
District of Columbia. ALLENBY, TOM PELTON/CBF STAFF
3
ISTOCKPHOTO
Give
& AT THE OFFICE
Save the Bay is published quarterly and provided free of
charge to CBF members by the Chesapeake Bay
Foundation, 6 Herndon Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21403.
Save
Loren Barnett Appel, Director of Creative Services
© Chesapeake Bay Foundation 2009
E-mail: STBeditor@cbf.org
888/SAVEBAY • cbf.org
Editor’s Note
THE BAY It’s one thing to say that our waterways are polluted and
that fish and crabs are suffering. Now, news that the Bay’s
degraded condition can cause dangerous illnesses in
humans is summarized in CBF’s latest report, Bad Water
This fall, thousands of workers will designate 2009: The Impact on Human Health in the Chesapeake Bay
Region (page 20).
contributions to CBF through employee
payroll deductions. It’s easy, efficient, It’s time to demand that the federal government and EPA
commit the necessary resources, here and now, to heal the
and a great way to support CBF’s Bay and its rivers and streams. We must care for our water
as if our lives depended on it—because they do.
programs throughout the year.
Action on Sparrows Point carcinogens in the soil and toxic metals, petroleum
by-products, and solvents in groundwater.
NIKKI DAVIS
At a press conference in May, CBF announced its intent to sue the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), and the
current and former owners of the Sparrows Point steel plant for their failure to address
pollution at the site. Despite a 1997 court order directing that on- and off-site hazardous
waste be cleaned up, dangerous contaminants like benzene and chromium continue to
seep into surrounding waters. Following the announcement, CBF members weighed in.
I used to live (was born in the Dundalk area) close to Sparrows It’s so refreshing that CBF has been suing lately...when gobs of
Point and have suffered numerous “mysterious illnesses” since the money are involved, people do not do the right thing without
age of five…I am so relieved that action is being taken to alleviate being compelled by law.
the exposure to local residents of industrial toxins...I can’t thank —ANNE AMBLER (Silver Spring, Maryland)
you enough! This is way overdue!
—MARY JANE OELKE (White Marsh, Maryland) I cannot see how any argument, e.g., the “economic consequences
of enforcement” rants and threats, can compare to the looming
Great news! Benzene is just the tip of the iceberg. What about… absolute ruin of the value of the Bay, its natural production of
mercury, lead, arsenic, possibly cadmium, selenium, and silver? seafood, and health consequences.
What about PCBs and various sludges from the old coke ovens? —BOB GILBERT (Rockville, Maryland)
The landfill is loaded with a toxic brew that makes the Love
Canal look like child’s play. Learn more about Sparrows Point on page 13 and at
—LARRY EISENHART (Hunt Valley, Maryland) cbf.org/sparrowspoint.
I fully support this action—thank you for helping to clean and Get in touch with Save the Bay!
secure the Bay, a much needed and beneficial natural resource. Talk to us online
—DIANE HARDER (Laurel, Maryland) E-mail the editor at stbeditor@cbf.org.
Thank you for your stewardship. This should serve to put others Write us a letter
Save the Bay Editor, Chesapeake Bay Foundation,
on notice, especially in Virginia where I live…I am confident that
6 Herndon Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21403
the monies are going to good use, especially for the Bay.
—WILLIAM F. KELLY (Kilmarnock, Virginia) Give us a call
888/SAVE-BAY or 888/728-3229
5
Destination Chesapeake
North Branch
Susquehanna
AS GAS WELLS PROLIFERATE, WATER
I
n northern Pennsylvania, at the edge passionate outdoorsmen. The coldwater of tainted water used to release the gas
of the Chesapeake watershed, a race brooks in the state’s northern tier are prime from the ground.
to extract natural gas from one of the attractions for visitors, who spend nearly
largest deposits in the country is $2.5 billion in the region each year. Questions on the effects of the drilling are
causing heartburn among anglers, surfacing in Bradford, Tioga, and Susque-
sportsmen, and water-quality advocates. As big drilling companies from across the hanna counties in northeastern Pennsyl-
nation position themselves to tap into a vania, which were among the state’s leaders
The effects of the drilling could blight what major energy source, some residents are in the number of drilling permits issued in
one conservationist calls “some of the last, uneasy about the environmental impact of 2008. Waterways there are particularly vul-
best places we have in Pennsylvania”—pris- the process. Their concerns focus on the nerable to the changes, and drain directly
tine streams and deep forests that once sus- erosion and sediment created as wells are into the North Branch of the Susquehanna
tained American Indian tribes and still attract built and the disposal of millions of gallons River, the Bay’s largest tributary.
2005.
The Marcellus Shale formation (shaded area on larger map) extends over a large part of the mid-Atlantic region, including parts of the
Chesapeake Bay watershed (in green). In recent months, drilling has boomed in Bradford and Susquehanna counties in Pennsylvania,
along the North Branch of the Susquehanna River (inset). Well sites are shown in red.
“ The pipelines, the truck traffic, the actual disposal of CBF’s Concerns on Natural
Gas Drilling
the wastewater—everything has an impact downstream.
”
—DEB NARDONE, COLD WATER RESOURCE SPECIALIST ■ Stormwater and sediment runoff from
drilling and related construction
A major worry in the largely undeveloped edge and could provide input. That’s what ■ Tens of millions of gallons of fresh
region is the amount of land being dis- the county conservation districts were creat- water withdrawn from local streams
turbed by drilling and its related activities. ed for, to make sure things are done right.” ■ Inadequate facilities and regulations
Extensive forested areas are being cleared for contaminated “frac water”
for drilling pads, pipelines, and roads to CBF Pennsylvania Executive Director Matt ■ Permits “fast-tracked” without local
the well sites, which could accelerate ero- Ehrhart concurred, pointing out that the technical review
sion and pour tons of sediment into near- abrupt change in the permitting structure,
by streams. “There are two or three hun- with no public notice or discussion, sets a ■ Potential drinking water contamination
dred wells in the county already, and a lot dangerous precedent for environmental pro-
of infrastructure going up right now. We’ll tection. “Without technical review of plans, the pipelines, the truck traffic, the actual
see frenzied activity this year,” predicted DEP is relying solely on the drillers’ paid disposal of the wastewater—everything has
Mike Lovegreen, District Manager of the consultants to ensure that streams are not an impact downstream. We’re talking about
Bradford County Conservation District. polluted by sediment,” explained Ehrhart. [protecting] true wilderness areas, pristine
streams where our members hunt and fish.”
Until March of 2009, the state’s county At the current rate of drilling, more than
conservation districts—the environmental 30 million gallons of water could be drawn CBF is fighting to protect the region’s natu-
overseers who provide the “boots on the for gas wells this year in Bradford and ral resources against the effects of the
ground,” according to CBF’s Royer—were Susquehanna counties alone. The huge drilling. In August, it challenged three per-
responsible for approving erosion and sed- withdrawals have led members of conser- mits issued to drilling and pipeline con-
iment permits for gas well construction. vation groups like Pennsylvania Trout struction companies in Tioga County.
But a sudden decision by DEP excluded Unlimited to question whether local “These permits were issued without techni-
the county conservation districts from the resources can withstand the pressure. As cal review and an analysis of the damage
permitting process. Instead, the depart- part of the permitting process, DEP caused by construction and post-construc-
ment instituted a new fast track permitting requires drillers to specify the sources and tion runoff. That violates both the federal
option that allows drillers to obtain per- location for the fresh water they use; the Clean Water Act and Pennsylvania law,” said
mits without any technical review of plans. Susquehanna River Basin Commission CBF’s Royer. The Pennsylvania Environmen-
The unexpected action raised suspicions (SRBC) also regulates the process. tal Hearing Board will rule on the case.
that in the rush to drill, local environmen-
tal oversight was being brushed aside. “The SRBC and DEP have done a pretty To learn more, visit cbf.org/MarcellusShale.
good job of overseeing where the with-
“This is the biggest impact of land in drawals are being taken,” said Deb Carol Denny, editor of Save the
Bradford county since it was clear-cut for Nardone, a Cold Water Resource Specialist Bay magazine, is a native of
timber in the 1800s,” said Lovegreen. “The who works with the Pennsylvania Council Pennsylvania. She last wrote
DEP decision is something we’d like to see of Trout Unlimited. “But the new roads built for Save the Bay on Maryland’s
reversed, because we have the local knowl- to get to the well pads, the stream crossings,
Mattawoman Creek.
9
W AT E R - W I S E
T H E N O R T H E R N G R E E N F R O G , AT H O M E I N T H E B O G
BY CAROL DENNY
TWAN LEENDERS
O
n a warm evening, on any first wild animals they encounter, a memo-
one of thousands of streams rable introduction to the wonders of the
and ponds dotting the Chesa- natural world.
peake landscape, you’ll hear
its distinctive call—a cacoph- Once their remarkable metamorphosis from
onous twang that sounds like a loose banjo tadpole to mature frog is complete, frogs
string. The northern green frog, one of the breathe with their lungs on land, using the
region’s most common amphibians, is mak- muscles in their throats. Underwater, they
ing itself at home. breathe only through their skin, which con-
tains a dense web of blood vessels that carry
And that’s a good thing, because frogs are a oxygen to the rest of the body. Lacking
prime indicator species, exceptionally sensitive scales, they rely on a coating of mucus to
to changes in their environment. With their keep their skin moist.
thin, porous skin, they’re particularly suscepti-
ble to toxins in water and air. When they dis- “Green frogs are a good species to monitor
appear from an area, it can be an early warning to see trends and declines,” says J.D.
sign of dangers in the larger ecosystem. Kleopfer, a Wildlife Diversity Biologist with
the Virginia Department of Game and
Pollution is not their only threat. Frogs are Inland Fisheries, “but they’re cyclical in
also endangered by the ongoing loss of wet- nature. People often call me and say, ‘Last
lands and forests. If their natural breeding year I heard lots of frogs in my yard, and
grounds are disturbed or eliminated, the this year, I don’t hear any at all.’ I explain
frogs will find it harder to survive. that they’re changeable; this could be a
boom year because of a wet spring, and
Rana clamitans melanota, the northern green next year it will change. You have to look at
frog common to the Bay region, is a medi- long-term data to see any trends.” This year,
um-sized frog about two to four inches he notes, “frogs got off to a really good start
long. It lives only in freshwater, mostly in because of the wet weather. There’s proba-
shallow ponds, ditches, and grassy swales. bly some localized decline, but we don’t
Its most distinctive feature is a pair of ridges have any information yet.”
along its back. It’s one of the most active of
all native frogs, and known to make enor- Biologists are keeping a close watch on
mous leaps. For many youngsters, the big- frogs these days, looking for signs of a ram-
eyed, slightly slimy creature is one of the pant fungal infection called chytridiomyco-
BILL PORTLOCK/CBF STAFF
sis (chytrid for short) which has devastated seen massive die-offs like those happening Federation and the American Association
frog populations around the globe. out west or in Central and South America. of Zoos and Aquariums, recruited volun-
National Geographic magazine quoted Aus- Our frog population might not be teers to collect data on frogs in their region.
tralian researcher Lee Berger as saying the immune, but it’s tolerating chytrid. We’re Citizens listened for frog calls several times
outbreak and resulting loss represented not sure why. It seems to be species-spe- a week during breeding season, which runs
“the most spectacular loss of vertebrate cific, particularly devastating for moun- from early spring to late August, and sub-
biodiversity due to disease in recorded his- tain-type frogs. It might be because they’re mitted their findings for evaluation.
tory.” It reported that chytrid is now found more susceptible to exposure to ultraviolet
on all continents where frogs live, in 43 light. There are a lot of questions that have “It would be a sad world without that loose
different countries and 36 U.S. states. to be answered.” banjo string sound,” said CBF Senior
However, frogs in the Chesapeake region, Naturalist John Page Williams. “Our
including the northern green, seem to be Frogs and amphibians all over the globe responsibility is to be good stewards of this
unaffected. are increasingly stressed by water pollu- planet, so that we can protect not only
tion, climate change, and disease. northern green frogs, but ourselves.”
“Almost everywhere we test in Virginia, Scientists are sharing information to moni-
we find positive signs for chytrid,” tor the health of their populations world- Learn how to make your backyard invit-
Kleopfer says. “We think it might be part wide. Recently, Frogwatch USA, a project ing for green frogs and other wildlife. Visit
of natural fungal fauna, but we have not managed by the National Wildlife cbf.org/wildlife.
13
13
Campaigns
GARRIE ROUSE
It’s Dead The Mattaponi River, endangered by a proposed
reservoir project, has been spared after a
come to an end. The Newport News, Virginia, the permit, ordering Newport News to pro- loss alone would have represented the single
City Council delivered the coup de grace in vide additional justification for the reservoir. largest permitted loss of wetlands in the
September with a unanimous vote to kill the These decisions sealed the reservoir’s fate. Mid-Atlantic region in the history of the
controversial project after city waterworks offi- Newport News officials opted to abandon Clean Water Act.
cials recommended that all work be terminated. the project and pursue alternative sources of
water to supply the city’s future needs. “We are very gratified that Newport News
The city’s decision to kill the reservoir finally abandoned the reservoir project,”
stemmed directly from a lawsuit brought by The formal end to the King William reser- said CBF Virginia Executive Director Ann
CBF, the Alliance to Save the Mattaponi, the voir is a great victory for CBF members, Jennings. “This is a profound victory not
Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, the trustees, staff, supporters, and thousands of only for CBF and the other partners, but to
Mattaponi Tribe, and the Southern citizens across Virginia who for years vigor- the many legislators, scientists, federal
Environmental Law Center. The lawsuit ously opposed the environmentally destruc- employees, and citizens who passionately,
challenged the federal permit issued to tive project. If built, the reservoir would persistently fought to protect their homes,
Newport News for the reservoir, and in a have destroyed more than 430 acres of pris- the Mattaponi River, and the Chesapeake
major victory for the environment, a U.S. tine nontidal wetlands, threatened Virginia’s Bay. CBF thanks them for their steadfast
District Court ruled last March that the per- American shad population, and flooded support and their efforts to fight for what
mit was arbitrary, capricious, and invalid. American Indian cultural sites. The wetland was right.”
15
Bay Briefs
PENNSYLVANIA
President Obama mandated that EPA and stormwater pollution which results from
certain other federal agencies submit reports sprawl. Baker said EPA could refuse to issue
on ways to restore the Bay. The reports will federal permits in areas where this pollution
be used to develop a Bay restoration strategy, violates established federal guidelines.
scheduled for draft release on November 9.
To hear Will Baker’s remarks, go to
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), cbf.org/TownHall.
Environment Maryland, and other groups
organized the town hall meeting to demon- Alternative to Highway Project Urged
strate public support for an aggressive EPA
approach. Charles County leaders have proposed a six-
mile, $60 million, four-lane highway that Streams and wetlands around Mattawoman Creek
“If the Bay is going to be saved, the federal would cut through pristine forests, destroy are threatened by Charles County’s plan to build a
government has got to be willing to draw a productive wetlands, do nothing to reduce six-mile highway through the heart of the region.
line in the sand,” CBF President William C. local traffic congestion, and provide no assis- Opponents have offered alternatives that would
Baker told the standing-room-only crowd. tance to residents who commute to nearby shift growth closer to existing development.
Washington, D.C.
Chuck Fox, EPA Senior Advisor on the congestion?” said Kim Coble, Maryland
Chesapeake Bay, acknowledged to the audi- The Cross-County Connector would lead to Executive Director of CBF. “Instead, county
ence that “game-changing solutions” will be sprawling development throughout the leaders need to help people get to their jobs.
necessary to reverse decades of degradation Mattawoman Creek watershed. Currently, They need to support communities rather
in the Bay’s water quality. sprawl in Charles County consumes natural than promote sprawl.”
areas at one of the fastest rates in the state.
Audience members spoke ardently about the The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates In July, the Smarter Growth Alliance for
need for the federal government to lead the suburban development in Charles County will Charles County, which includes CBF and
clean-up fight. The public seemed especially destroy more than 10,000 acres of forest— 16 other environmental organizations,
concerned with sprawl development and nearly 33 times the size of the National Mall— released Trouble Ahead: Use Alternative
in the next 20 years. The proposed highway Routes, proposing an alternative to the
WILLIAM N. HATHAWAY
and the houses that it would serve would cut highway. The report also suggested the
through the heart of one of the cleanest, most county redirect its resources to enhance
productive areas of the Chesapeake Bay. existing neighborhoods and communities
and safeguard natural areas.
There’s a better, more popular alternative.
According to an independent survey con- Both the Army Corps of Engineers and
ducted in June, a substantial majority (73 Maryland Department of the Environment
percent) of Charles County voters support (MDE) have voiced numerous concerns and
commuter rail service connecting the coun- questions about the highway, and are review-
ty’s population centers—Waldorf and La ing permit applications. MDE has announced
Plata—to Washington, D.C., over the pro- it will make a decision on its permit by
posed highway. December.
“The public gets it. Money is tight and Rt. Learn more at cbf.org/mattawoman.
301 is clogged with traffic. Why spend pre-
Chuck Fox, EPA Senior Advisor on the cious resources on a highway that cuts For more information on how CBF is working to
Chesapeake Bay, spoke at a Town Hall meeting through one of the most productive fisheries protect Maryland waters, visit cbf.org/Maryland
in Annapolis on August 11. in the Bay region, and will do little to ease or call 410/268-8816.
17
Bay Briefs
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
are a keystone species and an effective natu- clean water in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
ral filter for pollution. The two representa-
tives have individually sponsored other Bay- Led by a steering committee that includes
friendly bills. Connolly’s Chesapeake Bay Doug Siglin, CBF Federal Affairs Director, the
Restoration Act would set a runoff standard new coalition is supported by the Keith
for all new “greenfield” projects on undevel- Campbell Foundation for the Environment,
oped land. Wittman’s Chesapeake Bay Town Creek Foundation, Prince Charitable
Accountability and Recovery Act would Trust, Summit Fund of D.C., and the
ensure that federal agencies use science- Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds.
based strategies when determining restora-
tion projects and goals. For more information on how CBF is working
Federal agencies are devising a coordinated at the federal level to protect and restore the Bay
strategy for the Bay in response to Two other new Virginia representatives, Tom and its tributaries, visit cbf.org/DC or call
President Obama’s Executive Order. Perriello (VA-5) and Glenn Nye (VA-2), 202/544-2232.
Power Plant Would Aggravate A proposed coal-fired power farmers on “Farmers to the Bay” trips to
Pollution; CBF Calls for EPA Action CBF’s Port Isobel Education Center and
plant would further degrade Tangier Island.
CBF is fighting a new coal-fired power plant regional air and water and
proposed for Surry County, because the pose human health risks. The Shenandoah effort is among 12 environ-
plant would worsen pollution in the James mental projects in Virginia and Washington,
River and the Chesapeake Bay. D.C., receiving a total of $6.1 million from
the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
According to figures released by the owner, Federal Funds Targeted to Improve and the Chesapeake Bay Program to reduce
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC), Streams in Shenandoah pollution to local streams, rivers, and the
the plant in Dendron would add 1.9 million Chesapeake Bay.
more pounds of nitrogen pollution and 118 CBF has joined a Shenandoah Valley effort to
more pounds of mercury pollution to the air ensure that federal funding for agricultural
above the Bay. conservation practices helps to reduce as CBF Backs New Runoff Rules
much polluted runoff as possible.
“This pollution will only worsen the well- CBF strongly supports new Virginia regula-
documented nitrogen and mercury prob- The Shenandoah Valley Clean Streams tions that, if approved, will greatly lower the
lems already plaguing the Bay,” said CBF Initiative targets high-density animal produc- amount of polluted runoff fouling state
Virginia Deputy Director Joe Tannery. “The tion farms in the Smith Creek watershed, streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay.
plant will also emit huge quantities of green- with the goal of reducing pollution suffi- ISTOCK
house gases that will exacerbate climate ciently to remove Smith Creek from EPA’s
change, already a growing threat to our impaired waters list.
region.”
CBF is a founding member of the Virginia
CBF is calling upon the U.S. Environmental Waste Solutions Forum coalition, which is
Protection Agency (EPA) to become directly partnering with the Virginia Department of
involved in federal environmental impact Conservation and Recreation on the proj-
studies for the plant and for the U.S. Army ect. CBF’s role will be to work one-on-one
Corps of Engineers to hold additional public with farmers in the target area to imple-
hearings in heavily populated Hampton ment conservation practices that protect
Roads, where plant impacts would be felt by streams, as well as to host participating
the greatest number of people.
vation measures are the quick- fields. The state is expected to act on the
est, most cost-effective ways to proposed rules this fall.
meet Virginia’s future energy
needs. For more information on how CBF is working
to protect Virginia waters, visit cbf.org/Virginia
Learn more at cbf.org/surry. or call 804/780-1392.
19
Bay
Pollution
Disease
can
cause
Mounting Evidence Shows Human Health Threats
By Tom Pelton
PETER TANGO
Cyanobacteria blooms, above, release toxins that have been associated with vomiting, skin rashes, fevers, and disease.
21
BEST
IN
SHOW
If a picture is worth a thousand words, CBF’s second
Member Calendar.
ve
rn
Ri
SEVERN RIVER
ve
BRIDGE
r
Scaled-Up Reefs Aid Oyster Comeback Weems Creek
NAVAL ACADEMY
BRIDGE
attention for a different reason: as a focal reefs are contributing to their own sustain- Reefs planted by CBF and other groups are adding
point for oyster restoration. ability, in addition to providing habitat for to the critical mass of oysters in the Severn River.
aquatic life and filtering the river’s waters.
CBF’s, Maryland oyster restoration vessel,
the Patricia Campbell, planted 10 million The success to date in the Great Wicomico
oysters on four acres of river bottom in early echoes earlier work in Virginia’s Lynnhaven
August—the most this boat and crew have River near the Bay’s mouth, which may
ever planted at one time. The project, one of have been the first example of an ecosys-
dozens underway across the Bay by cooper- tem “response” in the form of widespread
ating agencies and organizations, was in oyster reproduction. For several years
many ways representative of the new direc- beginning in 1997, the Virginia Marine
tion of oyster restoration for the Chesapeake. Resources Commission (VMRC) built
“shellpile” reefs in the river, and CBF and
“Scale is key,” said CBF Senior Fisheries Lynnhaven Now populated the reefs with
SIGRUN ORTMANN
Scientist Bill Goldsborough, “and it’s going oysters grown by local citizens. The first
to take the collaboration of multiple part- system-wide spatset in many decades
ners, state, federal, and private, to scale up occurred in the river shortly thereafter.
oyster restoration enough to affect the
ecosystem, whether it’s an individual river The Piankatank River is shaping up to be the The Patricia Campbell, CBF’s oyster restoration
or the whole Bay.” next focal area for oyster restoration in vessel, recently planted more than 10 million
Virginia. For three years, CBF and The young oysters in the Severn River.
Partners who played a role in restoring the Nature Conservancy (TNC) have been
four-acre reef in the Severn include the rebuilding and planting VMRC sanctuary
Department of Natural Resources, the reefs in the river with support from the
Oyster Recovery Partnership, the Maryland National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-
Watermen’s Association, and the University istration. Now, the Corps is planning to apply
of Maryland Center for Environmental its considerable resources there as well.
Science. This fall, the Army Corps of Engi-
TOM ZOLPER/CBF STAFF
neers’ Baltimore District plans to bring in “We think a similar approach—a collabora-
barge loads of reef material to an adjoining tive effort to scale up reef-building—will
site and three others nearby, for a total of 30 bring real progress in the Piankatank in the
more acres of reefs. next few years,” said Mark Bryer, TNC’s
Chesapeake Program Director.
Stephan Abel, Executive Director of the On deck, millions of seed oysters attached to tons
Oyster Recovery Partnership, a non-profit Back on the Severn, divers have seen the eco- of oyster shell await delivery to the new reef.
that conducts oyster restoration efforts logical benefits that even the small-scale reefs
across the state, is enthusiastic about the built over the last dozen years in the river “Nature is the best guide. The Bay was once
Severn’s potential. “The Severn is one of the have created—vibrant underwater habitats lined with three-dimensional reefs that were
first rivers to really maximize resources in a for fish, mussels, and barnacles where none an integral part of the ecosystem. Recreating
concentrated area,” he says. “The model existed before. The Severn’s underwater the size and shape and pattern of reefs as
being applied here could have a dramatic topography—hills and valleys instead of a Nature built them over millennia is the chal-
impact going forward.” flat bottom—has also helped to create lenge of oyster restoration, and while that
higher, three-dimensional reefs. Scientists will take many years, it appears we are final-
Meanwhile, in Virginia, the same principles involved in oyster restoration on Virginia’s ly on the right track,” said Goldsborough.
are being applied. The Corps’ Norfolk Great Wicomico reported that taller reefs,
District constructed a network of reefs total- which keep the oysters higher in the water Learn more about oyster restoration at
ing 89 acres in the Great Wicomico River column, help oyster growth and survival. cbf.org/oysters.
23
Profile
Pushing to
N ancy Stoner grew up with water in the leadership of EPA to make the Chesapeake
As a child, Stoner thought this kind of pol- Stoner and others are working to create a she’s an ideal person to be working on this
lution was just the way the world was and precedent-setting, enforcable pollution new tactic.
that nobody could do anything about it. limit system for the Chesapeake watershed
After graduating from Yale Law School, that, if successful, could be replicated “She knows the legislative, regulatory, and
however, she started working as an attor- across the nation. Federal and state envi- litigation environment better than any other
ney in water pollution enforcement for the ronmental agencies would set a maximum Clean Water Act attorney in Washington,
U.S. Justice Department, where she learned amount of nitrogen and phosphorus pollu- D.C.,” said Chuck Fox, the EPA Adminis-
the strength of the federal Clean Water Act. tion allowed from jurisdictions. Sewage trator’s top advisor for Chesapeake Bay
treatment plants, livestock feeding opera- restoration. “She has immense respect
“I didn’t know I was going to be in environ- tions, or other businesses would either among decision makers, and her real source
mental work. I was interested in the subject have to make the reductions needed to of power is her knowledge.”
initially as a social cause, as a way of improv-
“
ing people’s lives,” Stoner reflected. “I’m
looking at ways people can have their lives
I’m looking at ways people can have their
lives enhanced through our natural resources.
”
enhanced through our natural resources.”
—NANCY STONER, NRDC
Stoner worked as Director of the Office of
Policy and Planning at the U.S. meet the limit themselves, or pay for pollu- Stoner’s skill may come from her mastery of
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tion reduction projects, such as planting law, but her motivation traces back to her
from 1996 to 1999. And over the last trees along streams on farms to filter runoff childhood fondness for fishing—and her
decade, she’s been at the Natural Resources before it contaminates the water. desire to expand employment opportunities
Defense Council (NRDC), where she’s now for people in industries dependent on clean
Co-Director of the advocacy group’s clean This pollution limit concept has already water, such as fishing, recreation, and tourism.
water program. One of her top goals today, been tried on a small scale, but Stoner envi-
working with allies at the Chesapeake Bay sions a broader system that would reward “I think this is a very good opportunity
Foundation (CBF), is to seize the opportu- clean businesses and reduce the overall cost right now, with a very favorable executive
nity of the Obama administration’s new of cleanup. Those who know Stoner say branch, to clean up the Bay,” Stoner said.
CBF STAFF
Students gather data on water quality in the field, then upload it to the FieldScope website to share with scientists and peers.
FieldScope extends the impact of CBF’s Using FieldScope, teachers and students Meanwhile, users beyond the education
award-winning field education experiences can view real-time data about water quali- community are recognizing the potential of
by making water-quality research the focus ty around the Chesapeake region by FieldScope to expand available informa-
of the project. “The truly innovative part is searching information posted by NOAA, as tion on the Bay. The Alliance for the
that students can measure water quality well as other student groups. With land Chesapeake Bay, for example, has already
right in their own area, then post their use data added by National Geographic, uploaded its data.
information to the website,” says students can make inferences and draw
Ackerman. “They share it with other stu- conclusions about the causes of poor water “We’ve always given students data and
dents and compare it to existing profes- quality. asked them to draw conclusions,” says
sional data.” Linda Peterson, Middle School Science
“Any student who can use Mapquest or Specialist for Fairfax County Public Schools.
National Geographic, a long-time partner Google Maps can access the powerful tools “FieldScope gives students real data in real
and supporter of CBF’s Chesapeake incorporated in FieldScope,” Ackerman time that they’re part of creating. They share
Classrooms program, approached CBF in notes, demonstrating on his computer. that data with a real audience. That’s doing
2007 to brainstorm the possibilities of With the click of a mouse, he shows how real science, and we know the best way to
combining GIS tools and the web to users can map and measure the flow path learn science is by doing it.”
engage students in learning about their of water from their home to the Bay. With
world. “We immediately recognized the another click, he creates a map of a specif- The National Geographic Chesapeake Bay
potential to fill a great need of our school- ic watershed. He explains that students can FieldScope project will be available to middle
system partners,” Ackerman explains. NGS easily graph their own data against infor- and high school teachers this fall. For more
and CBF reached out to a third founding mation provided by other student groups information, contact tackerman@cbf.org or visit
partner, National Oceanographic and At- or a nearby NOAA buoy. cbf.org/FieldScope.
25
Our Giving Community
A Living Legacy
T his spring, CBF was proud to honor a young
person whose short life seems to have
inspired everyone he touched to love his Bay.
Kennedy M. Fitzgerald, 20, died in a fire in
2007 at the family home near Easton, Mary-
land, along with his sister, Maggie, and girl-
friend, Christine Maier. After the tragedy, the
family requested that donations in Kennedy’s
name be made to CBF. The outpouring of
memorial gifts was used to create a new living
shoreline at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Mu-
seum that will provide a habitat for wildlife.
Supported by additional funding from the
Chesapeake Bay Trust and the National Fish
For more on Kennedy Fitzgerald’s life and In June, relatives and friends of Kennedy Fitzgerald joined his parents, Peg and Matthew Fitzgerald
photos of the June event, visit cbf.org/fitzgerald. (above center), and CBF President Will Baker (in red) to plant a living shoreline in his honor.
27
Driftwood
with allowances for specific areas, which are then that it makes it easy to be one,” said Elaine.
used to guide pollution-reduction actions on the “I’m honored to be singled out in this way.”
ground. Sewage treatment plants, urban and subur- She was presented with the award at Bay
ban stormwater, and agricultural runoff are some of Fest ceremonies at the Philip Merrill Center
the sources regulated by a TMDL. on September 13.
Go Native
If your landscaping is ready for an
update, think outside the boxwood: Use
true native plants. You’ll be adding to the
natural diversity of your area and preserv-
ing the genetic heritage of local species.
Local wildlife will benefit, too—many of
our birds and insects (the zebra swallow-
tail butterfly, for example) require native
plant communities to survive.
29
TOM PELTON/CBF STAFF
A Chorus of Faith and Hope
Baskets of crabs surround the women of the Smith Island Crabmeat Co-Op, who share songs, laughter, and prayer as they work.
By Tom Pelton After restrictions on the crab harvest last year, a survey showed the crab population had risen 43 percent.
“
There are no cars, no real streets, no all around them. After years of
police sirens, no fast-food joints—no Some might see Tylerton decline, the population of blue crabs
chain businesses of any kind in this as dying, but the singers in the Chesapeake Bay rose by an
more than three-hundred-year-old estimated 43 percent this year com-
see hope all around them.
fishing community. There is only one
general store, one church, a post
office the size of a garden shed, a dozen
crabbing boats, and 36 houses, all surround-
ed by expanses of wetlands and water.
Tylerton women had been picking crabs
alone in their homes for generations. Then
in 1992, Maryland health officials decided
” pared to last, according to an annual
winter dredge survey. State biologists
say the resurgence of crabs has been fueled
by new limits on harvesting females. The
singers don’t see things that way. They see in
to crack down and seize their crab meat at the fertility of the crabs a higher power look-
Step off the docks and into a low-slung the docks because each picker didn’t have ing out for the survival of their tiny island
building and the silence ends. Six women an individual business license. and their way of life.
sit at a steel table in the Smith Island
Crabmeat Co-Op, singing hymns as they That bureaucratic storm could have sunk They sing, above the clatter of knives, that
pick the meat from blue crabs caught by them. But the women banded together and they will hold on: “Till the storm passes
their husbands and sons. “’Mid the crash of fought back. With state and federal assis- over, till the thunder sounds no more…
the thunder, precious Lord, hear my cry. tance, they built their own crab processing Hold me fast, let me stand, in the hollow
Keep me safe, till the storm passes by.” facility—fully licensed and inspected—and of thy hand. Keep me safe, till the storm
made it into a successful business. They passes by.”
Bushels of steamed blues surround them. sell tubs of crab meat with their Co-Op
Knives dance in their hands. The splitting logo to markets on the mainland. And their
and cracking of shells provides a syncopat- singing and picking also provide a daily rit- To listen to songs from the Smith
ed beat for their songs. ual of friendship for them—a comedy club, Island Crabmeat Co-Op, visit Tom
informal marriage counseling, and a prayer Pelton’s blog at cbf.org/crabchorus.
The sound of their chorus is timeless. It is session that reinforces their rock-like faith Tom Pelton is Senior Writer for the
tempting to imagine pickers on this island that the Chesapeake Bay will sustain them.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
On the cover: The waters of Virginia’s Thornton River rush through an autumn forest in the Blue Ridge Mountains on their way to the Bay.
Photo by Bill Portlock
A Saved Bay is
Worth the Fight