President’s Message IFE The Best of Times, L ASHINGTON the Worst of Times W ULLER FOR M ETER P CBF President Will Baker

First the bad news: quality improvements through dramatic And now for the good news: In 1995, CBF led a campaign to reduce reductions in pollution (see page 14). Every once in a while, CBF scores a victo- modestly the catch of female blue crabs ry that is more special than all others. because we and others foresaw a looming Just as CBF was dismissed as a fear monger Such is the case with our five-year effort to crisis on the Bay. Sadly, our recommenda- in 1995, so too are calls for fundamental secure federal funding for Bay restoration tions and lobbying efforts were not suc- pollution reduction being largely ignored in the recently re-authorized federal Farm cessful. In fact, we were pretty well brand- today. Unless governments accelerate their Bill. Eighty million dollars each year of ed as “Chicken Littles.” efforts, conditions may soon be far worse. new funding will be available to the Bay Any water contact could be unhealthy. All watershed states. We believe that when Emotions ran so high that some of our staff fish and shellfish consumption could be the funds are matched by the states, as received death threats, and a CBF educa- banned for human health concerns. required, this will result in the reduction tion center building was torched. Drinking water from surface and ground- of some 40 million pounds of nitrogen water sources could be contaminated. The each year. We pushed on, believing that early action value of waterfront property could plum- could prevent a crisis situation from devel- met, with disastrous results to the property With reductions from other sources of oping. We forecast that only more extreme tax base. One can only imagine what meas- nitrogen (such as sewage) that will soon be measures would be able to reverse the ures might be forced upon citizens if such realized, the goal to reduce nitrogen flows decline if the blue crab population began conditions occurred. by 110 million pounds is not nearly as to crash. That time may now be here. remote as it once seemed. We can eventu- We cannot afford to let the iconic blue crab ally expect total annual reductions to In 2007 dollars, the dockside value of the go the way of the oyster. The blue crab har- approach 70 million pounds. fishery has plummeted from over $250 vest is the economic backbone of entire com- million annually to $125 million annually. munities such as Smith and Tangier Islands, We offer our most sincere thanks to But more than the economic value, the and watermen and their families will be the Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), abundance of the blue crab is a metaphor hardest hit by new catch limits. People in the who led the effort, and to all of the repre- for our rich environmental, cultural, and seafood industry will suffer while the har- sentatives and senators who partnered with even historic heritage. vests are curtailed, even with the disaster him on this initiative. We can think of no relief that federal officials are pursuing. Congressional action that has been as sig- The immediacy of the problem has caught nificant for the Bay, ever. the attention of Governors Kaine and Why we humans wait for a crisis before tak- O’Malley. The best scientific minds are ing action is a question for psychologists, History may record that with this vote, the telling the governors that a minimum 34 but it has surely played itself out on the began a new chapter of percent catch reduction of female crabs is Chesapeake Bay. Even with precise science long-term, systemic, improvement. Good necessary to avert a further decline. CBF and available technology, elected officials news for blue crabs and all of us who accepts this reality, and many commercial have not flexed the political muscle to value them. watermen now agree that something must reduce pollution faster than population be done. growth has increased it.

The problem is, of course, far bigger than We ignore warning signs at our peril. In the blue crab, which is just the canary in 1995 we were told the blue crab would William C. Baker the coal mine. While harvest reductions never crash in the (foreseeable) future. will result in more crabs in the Bay, a long- Sometimes, the (unforeseeable) future gets term sustainable fishery will require water here quicker than we would like.

2 Summer 2008 G cbf.org Contents

Summer 2008 Vol. 34 G No. 2

6 Destination Chesapeake: With a brand-new baseball stadium on its banks, the Anacostia River has new visibility in the nation’s capital— and new hopes for reversing decades of neglect. 10 Moving On Up Brown pelicans, lured north by warming conditions, are settling on the Chesapeake, and the gawky fliers and their chicks are flourishing. 14 The Crab Crisis Recent actions to manage the blue crab fishery raise the question: Can we save the declining stock before it crashes? 22 Bringing Back Grasses Underwater grasses provide essential habitat for Bay creatures. Here’s a guide to these important aquatic plants. 24 Buy Fresh, Buy Local Consumers who want a closer connection to their food are turning to local farmers, and the trend could preserve rural lands and clean water. 10

6 14 22 24 Departments 5 MAILBOX 13 PROFILE 26 OUR GIVING COMMUNITY Students express their enthusiasm Ten years ago, farmer Ann Bowers took CBF recognizes friends and supporters. about CBF’s field education experiences. steps to preserve the land near her creek, and became a pioneer. 28 DRIFTWOOD 15 REFLECTIONS Events, tips for greener living, and Bay As he contemplates his 21st annual 20 CAMPAIGNS bits and pieces. Patuxent wade-in, former New federal legislation funnels millions of Senator Bernie Fowler assesses dollars towards clean water practices; a 30 LAST LOOK its impact. new CBF campaign spotlights a familiar There's plenty of room in the environ- Bay champion; federal legislators get a look mentalists’ tent. Recent successes show 16 BAY BRIEFS at the benefits promised by the No Child that reaching out to diverse groups can CBF activities in the Bay states and the Left Inside Act. reap big dividends. District of Columbia.

PHOTOS THIS PAGE: UPPER RIGHT, IAN PLANT; LEFT TO RIGHT, NIKKI DAVIS: DAVE HARP; ANN SIEGAL; GETTY IMAGES 3 MAGES I ETTY G A Watershed 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. Moment Summer 2008 Volume 34 • Number 2 Carol Denny, Editor Loren Barnett Appel, Director of Creative Services Jennifer Cassou, Art Director Terry Coker Peterson, Graphic Designer © Chesapeake Bay Foundation 2008 E-mail: [email protected] 888/SAVEBAY • cbf.org

Editor’s Note In the nation’s capital, CBF has scored a home run for the Bay. Driven by your e-mails, letters, and phone calls to legis- lators, a five-year CBF campaign has secured hundreds of millions in new federal funding for clean water programs through the 2008 Farm Bill. Learn more about this triumph— one that every CBF member can celebrate—on page 21. On the water, the work goes on. Just a few miles from the U.S. Capitol, the restoration of a once-forgotten urban river, the Anacostia, gains momentum as the new Nationals Park debuts on its banks (page 6). It could be another capital comeback—and in the meantime, we’ll keep slugging.

CBF EXPECTS 2008 TO BE —Carol Denny Environmental Awareness Statement A CRITICAL YEAR The Chesapeake Bay Foundation saved the following for environmental progress in the Chesapeake watershed. resources in the production of this publication: With the support of nearly 200,000 members, we’ll let our 11 tons Trees elected officials know that the time for “the politics of post- 233,086 gallons Wastewater ponement” is over. The time for pollution reduction is now. 506 million BTUs Total Energy 29,329 pounds Solid Waste Please join us in the fight to restore the Bay 75,763 pounds Greenhouse Gases

and its rivers and . Environmental impact estimates were made using the Environmental Defense Paper Calculator. Use the envelope enclosed in this issue to help us leave a www.papercalculator.org legacy of clean water for our children.

The inks used for this publication are based on linseed oil, a renewable vegetable oil derived from flax and known for low toxicity.

2008 TRUSTEES HONORARY TRUSTEES CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION Myrtha L. Allen Charles W. Moorman, IV Louisa C. Duemling Donald F. Boesch, Ph.D. W. Tayloe Murphy, Jr. C. A. Porter Hopkins 2008 OFFICERS EX OFFICIO TRUSTEES John T. Casteen, III Donald H. Patterson, Jr. Burks B. Lapham D. Keith Campbell Governor Martin O’Malley Richard L. Franyo Marie W. Ridder T. Gaylon Layfield, III Chairman Governor Timothy M. Kaine G. Waddy Garrett Alexis G. Sant H.F. Lenfest James E. Rogers Governor Edward G. Rendell Alan R. Griffith Truman T. Semans M. Lee Marston Vice Chairman Mayor Adrian M. Fenty Carolyn Groobey Simon Sidamon-Eristoff Charles McC. Mathias Susan S. Phillips Joanne S. Berkley Michael J. Hanley Jennifer Stanley H. Turney McKnight Secretary Bay Care Chapter R. Holton Thomas H. Stoner Godfrey A. Rockefeller Arnold I. Richman Hal C. B. Clagett Jennifer B. Horton Michael Watson Russell C. Scott Treasurer Clagett Trustee Robert A. Kinsley John R. Whitmore Edmund A. Stanley, Jr. William C. Baker Peter Gnoffo Harry T. Lester Anthony A. Williams Aileen Bowdoin Train President York Chapter Wayne A. Mills Alan L. Wurtzel

4 Summer 2008 l cbf.org Mailbox

Students from Clarksville, Maryland, took to canoes to learn about the Bay and its creatures.

Each year, more than 40,000 students get in TAFF touch with the Bay and its rivers through /CBF S OLPER Z

CBF’s field education experiences. Here’s what OM T they said made their trips so special.

Seventh grade, Clarksville Middle School in Clarksville, Maryland, at the Philip Merrill Center in Annapolis: Western Branch High School in Chesapeake, Virginia, on the “I put my hands in the bottom. There were leaves. It didn’t smell good. Elizabeth River near Portsmouth: It smelled like rotten eggs, but it had a neat texture.” “We had fun today, “It’s easier to learn if you can actually see it and do it. especially when that You get to actually apply what you learned in real life.” eel jumped out and chased Keilin all over “I like the fishing…It’s hands-on. You actually get to do it. You don’t read.” the place.”

KELLY DONALDSON/CBF STAFF “When you learn about it in books, Tenth grade biology class, it’s a lot different SciTech School in than when you see

Harrisburg, , at it up close and TAFF Memorial Lake State Park: personal.” /CBF S

“I have a little sister, and I ORAN want her to be able to canoe M

and have the same experience NDREA I’ve had, so that she’ll have A the same appreciation for things living in the water!”  Get in touch with Save the Bay! Talk to us online “I’ve never canoed in my life. If not for today, I probably never would’ve E-mail the editor at [email protected]. gotten in a canoe. I think that if they did this in all schools that people would really learn something.” Write us a letter Save the Bay Editor, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, “The insect identification was definitely the best thing. Normally (in class), 6 Herndon Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21403 we’d either be reading our textbooks or watching a movie. That’s boring. Give us a call This was really fun and it made you curious.” 888/SAVE-BAY or 888/728-3229

5 Destination Chesapeake Anacostia: A Comeback Story

By Alex MacLennan Photos by Nikki Davis

ntil recently, the Anacostia was a forgotten residents to the river, and providing river—an odd status for a waterway that runs hands-on opportunities to clean it up. U On opening night at the new stadium, through the center of the nation’s capital. For the story was not only about baseball, decades, it lay neglected, choked by pollution and trash. but also about the recovery of an urban river at the heart of Washington, D.C. With the debut of Washington’s new front park, and many other Nationals Park Stadium on its shores, “green” developments in the District, are Doug Siglin, CBF’s Federal Affairs however, the Anacostia is poised for a bringing new attention to this Bay tribu- Director, says, “The Anacostia was once a comeback. The stadium’s planned water- tary. Conservation groups are connecting central focus of life in Washington, D.C.,

Anacostia River at a Glance I LENGTH: 6.8 miles within Washington, D.C. I WATERSHED: 176 square miles I POPULATION: Over 800,000 I : Include Northwest Branch, Northeast Branch, , Paint Branch, Little Paint Branch, Indian Creek, Beaverdam Creek, Brier Ditch, Lower Beaverdam Creek, and Watts Branch I RESTORATION GROUPS: Include Anacostia Watershed Society, Earth Conservation Corps, Friends of Sligo Creek, Friends of Little Paint Branch For more information, visit the Anacostia Watershed Restoration Partnership at anacostia.net.

6 Summer 2008 G cbf.org and should be again.” He believes that sewage and stormwater treatment sys- and Lanham), and trash racks on sewer revival is beginning to happen, and tems, causing—in the heaviest down- pumps screen debris from stormwater points to CBF’s many successful efforts to pours—overflows of raw sewage directly before it reaches the river. Montgomery improve the health of the river. Says into the waterway. County has also placed grates in storm Siglin, “Grants that CBF provided over sewers to trap and collect the trash from the past few years helped to start a green Jim Connolly, Executive Director of the the road. “College Park, Greenbelt, roof movement here, and now the D.C. Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS), Berwyn Heights, and New Carrolton region is a national leader in the installa- says, “D.C.’s sewage and stormwater sys- pooled their money and bought a regen- tion of green roofs on public and private tem is severely overtaxed and out of date, erative air vacuum sweeper—a vacuum buildings.” Green roofs (rooftop basins and no one wants to fund the infrastruc- cleaner that sucks up trash, sediment, with several inches of soil and a layer of ture work needed to clean it up.” heavy metals, oil, and grease [from plants) absorb rainfall, reducing the Encouraging green roofs is only one step: roads],” Connolly adds. “AWS’s goal is to amount of stormwater runoff and air Costs to repair and upgrade D.C.’s storm see every street in the watershed swept by contaminants. He notes, “They are an and wastewater infrastructure are esti- one of these machines.” important piece of the puzzle for clean- mated at $3 billion. Connolly and others ing the Anacostia and the Bay.” want the federal government to help D.C. Still, the Anacostia remains heavily pol- residents to pay the bill. luted. Addressing its condition is the mis- Two-thirds of the Anacostia’s watershed is sion of Earth Conservation Corps (ECC), in suburban Maryland, reaching into Connolly and Siglin are also talking trash. which provides hands-on environmental Prince Georges and Montgomery coun- Although trash “isn’t the biggest issue for education, job training, and community ties. A shallow river in a geographically water quality, it is the one thing everyone service projects for young people in flat area surrounded by dense urban com- in the watershed understands,” Connolly Washington, D.C. The ECC focuses on munities, the river flushes slowly, so con- points out. “Once you start picking up restoring the Anacostia and enriching the taminants from upstream are not natural- trash, you also care about the other stuff.” spirits of D.C. youth, and nearly 300 ly removed. When torrents of rainwater ECC participants have dedicated hun- sluice off buildings and roads across the Several trash traps are already in place in dreds of thousands of hours to clean up area, they can overload D.C.’s antiquated Prince Georges County (near Chillum “their” Anacostia.

Certified as a “green” stadium, the new Nationals Park in southeast Washington is one of many positive developments along the Anacostia River. The Bay continues to suffer from pollution, but green roofs like the one at the new Department of Transportation headquarters, below, are reducing nitrogen runoff to the river. TAFF /CBF S ENNAN L AC M LEX A

7 Though urbanized, the Anacostia still holds gems of natural beauty.

“Rivers don’t change very rapidly,” says Naturalist and Paddling Instructor Byron Bradley, shown at Bladensburg Waterfront Park. He says his stretch of the Anacostia is in better shape than it was ten years ago. LLC ,

Northwest Branch Valley Park 0 Accessing the Anacostia

P h a c i n n t a r B k Northwest Branch Stream Anacostia River Park

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e I a s i D index.shtm t L r ve Sli B a go r e a B 301/495-2595 (Montgomery Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens C n r r c e h e e p k p County Department of Parks) www.nps.gov/keaq Lake U Artemesia 202/426-6905 Sligo Creek Neighborhood Park National Arboretum COLUMBIA www.mcparkandplanning.org/parks/ www.usna.usda.gov OF MARYLAND Northeast Branch index.shtm 202/245-2726 Bladensburg 301/495-2595 (Montgomery DISTRICT Waterfront Park County Department of Parks) Kingman Island Lower Beaver National Anacostia www.anacostiawaterfront.net Arboretum River Park Dam Creek Kenilworth Kingman Island Aquatic Gardens www.pgparks.com/places/nature/ Nationals Stadium artemesia.html www.washington.nationals.mlb.com/ Nationals Watts Branch P o 301/927-2163 was/ballpark/index.jsp t Stadium o er m iv a R 202/675-NATS (6287) c a ti os R ac Bladensburg Waterfront Park i VIRGINIA v n e A

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www.pgparks.com/places/nature/ bladensburg.html 0 4 M 301/779-0371

8 Summer 2008 ● cbf.org Other local efforts are also bearing fruit. The the Anacostia links paddlers to many Volunteers at the Anacostia Watershed Society’s Anacostia is an EPA “Targeted Watershed,” inspiring spots. 14th Annual Earth Day Clean-Up, above right, and eligible for protection and restoration collected dumpsters full of waterborne trash grants. Mayors Anthony Williams and Newly revitalized Bladensburg Waterfront from the river, much of it plastic containers like Adrian Fenty have both initiated important Park also makes the most of its perch on a those shown at left. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, below, is a hidden oasis in the District. programs—the District’s proposed plan for scenic stretch of the river, offering fishing, a the Anacostia includes a public park on picnic area, a boat ramp, and historical dis- Kingman Island (now being restored, and plays. During the summer, free pontoon already in use for the ECC’s educational boat tours offer a glimpse of a lush river programs), miles of waterfront , and habitat that is mere seconds away from the environmentally sensitive construction. Baltimore-Washington Parkway, rail corri- D.C. has also promised that all public dors, and busy thoroughfares like buildings constructed or renovated by the Kenilworth Avenue/Route 201. District’s Office of Property Management will be required, where feasible, to include Byron Bradley, a paddling instructor and park green roofs. naturalist at Bladensburg, has worked on the Anacostia for more than ten years. He laugh- Though the Anacostia is extremely urban- ingly calls himself a “river rat,” and says that ized, it still holds many gems of natural today’s Anacostia is a beautiful place com- beauty. In the upper watershed, 38-acre pared to 1995. “The water’s cleaner now,” he Lake Artemesia connects people to miles points out. “There’s more wildlife and more of hiking trails and the expansive people are out paddling and fishing.” Anacostia Tributary System. Flowering azaleas and evergreens at the Despite the promise of the recovering river, National Arboretum make it easy to forget the Anacostia remains far from saved. But the that the 446-acre oasis lies near the center good work of volunteers, community groups, of Washington, D.C. Kenilworth Aquatic builders, and local governments has begun to Gardens, a hidden park of ponds, frogs, make a difference in the river’s health. From and marshes, comes to life in the summer the suburbs to where it rolls into the Potomac months. The Kingfisher Canoe Trail along River, the Anacostia is “forgotten” no more.

9 Moving On Up Pelicans are at Home on the Bay

By Julie Dunlap Photos by Ian Plant omostBayresidents,the brownpelican’s outsizedbeakisjust T another comical traitofthis popularbutgawky bird.Two decades of banding pelican chicks, however, havegiven Dave Brinker,an ecologistfor Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources, a different perspective. “They’re not dainty,” he says of thealmost- Canada geese-sizedyoung he handles.“That big bill has a longand effective nail at thetip.”

Besides dodging defensive jabs by the nests ever recorded in Maryland on Tizzard dence of brown pelicans nesting on the chicks, Brinker and his banding team suf- Island in . That discovery Chesapeake Bay. Many attribute the fer through biting insects, boot-sucking made national news, celebrated as evi- species’ recently expanded range to the mud, and stifling summer heat to reach dence that the once-endangered bird was warming climate, which offers a longer nesting colonies. “It’s fun,” he says, “but recovering from the egg-thinning effects of season for the young to become self-suffi- you have to really want to do it.” DDT. “It was cool!” Brinker remembers. cient. It takes a long time to raise a peli- can chick, Brinker explains. Young birds Brinker began his banding study in 1987, Neither American Indian refuse heaps nor must be nine weeks old to fly, then must when he found the first brown pelican early explorers’ journals contain any evi- develop the skills and muscle strength to

10 Summer 2008 ● cbf.org Once stalked by plume hunters and poisoned by DDT and other pesticides, brown pelicans have recovered and expanded beyond their historic range. They now nest on Maryland islands in the Bay, and scientists predict colonies may soon appear in New Jersey.

catch enough fish for survival. Until the cannot carry away its catch in the pouch. nest—more than some Florida popula- latter half of the twentieth century, he Instead, it squeezes out the water and tions, which average less than one chick says, the Bay’s frost-free period was too swallows its meal before taking off again. per nest. Ecologist Paul Spitzer, who has short to accomplish that. “They’re not the most elegant birds,” says studied the relationships between Bay birds Plant, “but they get the job done.” and menhaden, speculates that the South Now, up to 2,500 pelican pairs nest on Point Marsh colony’s success may stem Chesapeake islands. The fastest population Plant photographed scores of pelicans on from the surrounding waters, which are growth came in the 1990s, when storms South Point Marsh Island for his new book, rich with menhaden and too shallow for destroyed nesting habitat in the Carolinas. Chesapeake: Bay of Light (Mountain Trail purse-seine fishing. Brinker, too, attributes Displaced birds ventured north, says Press, 2007). Traveling by sea kayak, he got reproductive success to a healthy food sup- Brinker, where “they found the Bay. They close enough to their bustling colony to ply, but cautions, “If the forage they feed on found the menhaden.” hear hundreds of nestlings hissing and is to decline significantly, we’d see declines clacking their bills. Pelican parents feed in pelicans.” From as high as 70 feet up, brown peli- their chicks by coughing up partly digested cans can spot menhaden and similar silversides, and the growing birds need as The birds face other threats, especially in schooling fish below the surface. Nature many as three to five menhaden a day. the long term. Plant and Brinker fear that photographer Ian Plant describes their “They look prehistoric,” says Plant of the rising sea levels could erode the beaches at feeding dive as a full-speed, twisting downy white young. South Point Marsh and other nesting plunge. Air sacs under the skin cushion areas. “Warming will expose more area to the impact, and the capacious throat All that effort seems to be paying off for the occupy, but the associated sea level rise pouch scoops up almost three gallons of Chesapeake’s pelicans. Bay pairs raise, on will take the small islands they need to water and fish. Contrary to myth, the bird average, one and a half to two chicks per breed,” says Brinker.

11 Birds So Grand Description: The brown pelican,or Pelecanus occidentalis, is alarge, dark, water bird withalong, heavy bill and sto- ried throat pouch. Mature adults have white heads withabrown streak atthe back. Size: The average brown pelican weighs abouteight pounds and has a six- to seven-foot wingspan. It is lighterand moreslender than NorthAmerica’sother pelican species, the white pelican, but still impressively large. Where to find them: Checkpiers, pilings, and sandbarson Bay shores and tidal rivers forperching birds. Flocks areeasy to spot in the air, flying in lines close to the water,or circling high on thermals. Bay- nesting pelicans migrate to Florida and theCaribbean in winter. Nests: Pelicans prefer to nest onpredator- free islands in dense colonies, on the ground orinlow trees. Females typically lay three chalky white eggs, beginning in April.Both parents incubate and care for young until August or September.

A wonderful bird is thePelican, His bill canhold morethanhisbelican. He can take in his beak Food enough for a week; ButI’m damnedifIsee how the helican. —DIXON LANIER MERRITT (often incorrectly attributed to Ogden Nash)

A once-robust colony on Fisherman’s Island, tored closely for changes in population where four of Virginia’s first nests were found or movements. “Because of their position in 1987, is already shrinking. Pam Denmon, on the food chain, they’re a good indica- a biologist at the Eastern Shore of Virginia tor of the health of the Bay,” Brinker National Wildlife Refuge, says raccoons are explains. Photographer Plant sees anoth- the likely culprits, but points to dangers from er value. “I think people want to protect creatures that can be tougher to manage than wildlife that they grow emotionally the masked bandits: human sightseers. attached to,” he says, and charismatic Prominent signs in the refuge warn that the wildlife help people feel connected to the Brown pelican chicks at South Point Marsh, area is closed to visitors during nesting sea- whole ecosystem. With their ungainly above, await a meal from their parents. As they son. “If people cause the pelican parents to bodies and dramatic dives, says Plant, mature, the birds acquire a darker color. fly,” explains Denmon, “gulls would go for “Pelicans fill the bill.” the eggs in a minute.” To protect island-nest- ing birds, she says, “One of the best things JulieDunlap writes oftenaboutBay wildlife you can do is keep your distance.” and is at work onachildren’s bookabout geese. Ian Plant photographs nature and Some view pelicans as an indicator wildlifethroughoutthe mid-Atlantic. species, an animal that should be moni-

12 Summer 2008 ● cbf.org Profile

“The growth of trees, clean air, clear One in a Million: water—you can’t beat it.”

The same year, the Bowers enrolled an America’s First CREP Farmer additional 12.7 acres of cropland under the By Alice Christman Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) of which CREP is an offshoot. This area was t Cunningham Acres, her farm in At the time, Bowers recalled, she was looking planted with warm season grasses, creating A Washington County, Maryland, Ann for a way to simplify farm operations. Her a playground for wildlife. “You should see Bowers looks out over a small Bay tributary husband was ill, and the farm’s wet and this place in the summer,” Bowers called . It’s a place she’s swampy conditions added to her challenges. remarked. “There are so many birds, and fished her entire life, and the water runs lots of deer.” clear enough to see the bottom. A 300- “Ann was the first to enroll in the pro- year-old osage orange tree flowers nearby, a gram—the timing was perfect,” says Bowers now resides on Cunningham sure sign that spring has come to the 150- Cashell. On December 1, 1997, the Acres by herself; her husband passed acre farm that has been in her family for Bowers signed with the Farm Service away three years ago. “My farming opera- half a century. Agency, and their CREP contract began. tion is a relatively small one compared to They enrolled a 16.7-acre waterside par- many farms across this nation,” she said The farm is a simple operation supporting cel so vulnerable that every heavy rainfall recently in a speech to an audience of leg- some cattle, a few sheep, and cropland for brought flooding and ongoing fence islators marking the tenth anniversary of asparagus and strawberries. This keeps repair. Now this area is a small forest of theCREPprogram.Butherrecognitionas life pretty basic for Bowers, who also hardwood, walnut, oak, and ash, which a pioneer is well-deserved. Starting with works part-time as an x-ray technician. absorbs and filters water before it enters that one acre, CREP has brought the But this self-sufficient woman is also a Conococheague Creek. country one million acres closer to clean- pioneer. Ten years ago, she and her hus- er water, better air quality, and more green band were the first farmers to enroll in the “It was the right time to do it. The program spaces. It all started with Bowers—truly Conservation Reserve Enhancement has been very good to us,” says Bowers. one in a million. Program (CREP). LOREN BARNETT APPEL/CBF STAFF

CREP is a voluntary land retirement pro- Maryland farm owner Ann Bowers was the first gram for farmers that protects environmen- to enroll in CREP, a national program designed tally sensitive areas. By reimbursing farmers to protect environmentally sensitive areas. who take such land out of cultivation, it Now ten years old, the program has grown to cover one million acres. decreases erosion and agricultural runoff— which means better water quality in rivers, streams, and the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) helped to launch the pro- gram in 1997, and has worked closely with CREP to help farmers across the region become better environmental stewards. “It’s one of a number of environmental protec- tion programs that CBF is involved in that’s really making an on-the-ground difference in water quality,” says Rob Schnabel, CBF’s Maryland Restoration Scientist.

Now a nationwide program, CREP recent- ly celebrated the enrollment of its mil- lionth acre. But when Ann Bowers first heard about the program in 1997 from Colleen Cashell, the County Executive Director for the Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency, it was unknown.

13 spawning grounds, and complete closure of

ARP Virginia’s winter dredge fishery, a critical H source of cold-weather income for water- AVE D men’s communities like Tangier Island, Mathews, Gloucester, and Hampton, will hit bank accounts hard.

Scientists tell us that, in the short term, the tighter catch limits are essential. During these tough times, we must find ways to help the watermen and their communities in both Maryland and Virginia survive eco- nomically. The culture of the waterman is, like the blue crab, a Chesapeake icon.

Reducing commercial and recreational har- vest pressure is only a short-term solution. While harvests must be kept at sustainable levels, there is no question that the under- lying, fundamental problem is poor water quality. Oxygen-depleted dead zones, fueled by nitrogen pollution, make nearly half of the Bay’s deeper waters unhealthy for crabs (and fish) for three to six months each year, depending on weather and rainfall.

Perhaps more troubling for crabs than poor The Crab Crisis: water quality is the loss of underwater eel- grass beds in the lower Bay. These beds serve as essential nursery habitat for baby No Simple Solutions crabs, but they stand now at a tiny fraction of their former abundance. Declining water By John Page Williams, CBF Senior Naturalist clarity, resulting from algae blooms fueled by nitrogen pollution, is the primary cause. hrough all of the Bay’s problems of the past half-century, one The eelgrass decline also appears to be par- tially driven by global climate change. This great fishery has endured: the iconic blue crab. Even here, grass is a cool water species, at the southern there have been danger signs for the past 20 years, while our end of its range. Exceptionally warm weath- T er in the summer of 2005 dealt the already- insatiable appetite for crabs has grown and water quality and underwater grass habitat have declined. Those danger signs have been pollution-depleted lower Bay beds a crush- ing blow from which they are only now serious enough to draw management action by both Virginia and beginning to recover. Maryland. New harvest restrictions raise a classic human question: Can we learn to manage this invaluable natural resource before we crash it? The long term answer is pollution reduc- tion. The time to accelerate efforts to This question came into sharp focus this can be a deadly combination; fishery scien- improve water quality is overdue and the spring, when the 2007-08 winter survey tists fear crab stocks will collapse without crab industry is paying for our delay. It results revealed both a Bay crab stock near drastic measures. won’t get any easier, or less expensive. the lowest point ever recorded, and espe- Blue crabs represent the Chesapeake’s last cially low numbers of sooks (mature What drastic measures? Start with an great fishery. With all of our 21st century females). Crabbers are harvesting 60 per- immediate 34 percent reduction in the har- technology and all of our supposed intelli- cent of all legal-sized crabs—well above the vest of females, proposed by scientists and gence, are we smart enough—and do we established target of 46 percent, and even agreed to by the states of Virginia and care enough—to save them? above the “overfishing” threshold of 52 Maryland. Reaching that target means plac- percent set by fishery managers in the late ing heavy burdens on already-hard-pressed To learn more about crab harvest regulations, ‘80s. Recreational harvests, though smaller, watermen and crab-picking houses. Severe visit www.mrc.virginia.gov (Virginia Marine are still significant, but neither Virginia nor restrictions on harvest by Maryland crab Resources Commission), and www.dnr.state.md. Maryland has a solid assessment tool to potters during the fall “sook run,” when us/fisheries (Maryland Department of Natural measure them. Overfishing on a small stock mature females head down the Bay to their Resources)

14 Summer 2008 G cbf.org ARP H

AVE Reflections A Warrior Wades In D By Carol Denny

ernie Fowler describes his life as a young man on Broomes BIsland, along Maryland’s , as one filled with unimaginable wealth—the wealth of clean water everywhere.

He fished and crabbed in a Bay so crystal-clear that he could wade in to his chest and still see his toes. He labored on the water with his uncles and neighbors to harvest a bounty of seafood. “Dixie Buck, an extraordinary crabber, could catch 25 dozen soft shell crabs a day, going out on both tides,” he recalls, his eyes alight. “Two oystermen and a culler could take 30 or 40 bushels hand-tonging in a day. The Warren Denton oyster house in town was one of the most productive in the Bay area.”

When you have those kinds of memories, the charismatic Fowler explains, you act on them. And he did. Serving as a Maryland state senator from 1983 to 1994, Fowler was an early and unabashed environmentalist, heralding the need to stop the degredation of his river. In the ’70s, he joined a suit by Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties that eventually forced the state and the EPA to live up to the standards set by the Clean Water Act. He continues to serve as a member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission. And for the past 20 years, he’s conducted an annual ritual that repeats his call to arms.

Fowler’s tradition began on the second Sunday of June in 1988, when he and Bay poet Tom Wisner decided to wade into the Patuxent in sneakers to show how the health of the river had declined since their boyhood. Both remembered how they could once look through five feet of water and see down to their feet. “We said, ‘By golly, we ought to do that Bernie Fowler’s wade-in on the Patuxent River is in its twenty-first year. Of the river’s sometime.’ And so we did,” Fowler explains. “It was our decline, he says, “Shame on us for allowing this to happen.” call, a way to say, ‘We’re losing the river! Do something!’”

Their wade-in measured the clarity of the Patuxent in the simplest for that effort. Nobody kept their word. Had that happened, the possible way—how far one could see to the bottom—and it got story would be more illuminating than it is. people’s attention, more each year. Sometimes their score was 40 inches or more; lately, it’s been closer to 20 inches. The results “I’m as determined as ever to never lose my love for the river. It’s tracked with official reports on the health of the river, and soon, a part of me. But one thing I have lost, and that’s patience. My there were wade-ins on other Bay tributaries. patience is beginning to wear thin. I don’t think the desire is great enough, the concern deep enough. The magnitude of the problem “It’s a simple, folksy way to explain the problems,” Fowler says. “Unless hasn’t awakened those in charge. And voices like mine aren’t we did this wade-in, a lot of people wouldn’t know about the river.” gonna be around to tell the stories.

Fowler has waged a long battle against pollution that flows into the “The longer we wait, the tougher it’ll be,” he says of the task fac- river, particularly from point sources like wastewater treatment ing the region. “It’s doable, that’s what’s so frustrating.” plants. He speaks plainly of his dismay over the state’s failure to use the Patuxent—the biggest river completely in the state of But Fowler will keep wading in. “We can’t allow the loss of hope, Maryland—as a prototype for the eventual clean-up of the entire Bay. courage, or determination. We’ve talked long enough. Do some- thing. Don’t take maybe for an answer. “It was a labor of love for me, and a lot of time,” he says of his years of activism. “I would do the same again, but there’s no bonus “Nobody has a right to quit.” 15 Bay Briefs PENNSYLVANIA

Stream Monitoring Shows hope will help end the controversy,” said Restoration Success The Fair Share plan would allow the state to meet its Matthew Ehrhart, CBF Pennsylvania Executive Director. “It will enable Nearly a decade obligations under the Pennsylvania to meet our Chesapeake after CBF identi- Clean Water Act. 2000 Agreement obligations, improve Indian Run fied a troubled and Valley statewide water quality, secure vital funds Creek Lancaster County ✫ for all county conservation districts, and stream as a provide for future economic development.” demonstration site for water quality erant organisms there increased ten-fold, improvement measures, evidence shows indicating a major improvement to stream In the first year of the seven-year plan, that the project is working. According to health and water quality. $100 million would go to help wastewater data gathered by CBF field staff and ana- plants finance required improvements; $50 lyzed by the Stroud Water Research David Wise, CBF’s Pennsylvania million to direct cost-share aid to farmers Watershed Restoration Manager, oversees to install conservation practices (including KELLY DONALDSON/CBF STAFF the monitoring project and has a personal $35 million for REAP farm tax credits and connection to the work being done. “I $15 million in cost-share grants); $10 mil- spent many summer days slopping in lion to county conservation districts to Indian Run, catching minnows and cray- expand technical assistance to farmers; and fish. I caught my first trout here, standing $10 million to restore cuts to the shoulder to shoulder on opening day with Department of Agriculture farm programs. all the other kids. To come back now and The proposal would also reform the state’s work with the local landowners to improve nutrient credit trading program. the stream is a joy and a privilege.” “Pennsylvanians will be the first to benefit Since 1997, CBF has helped more than 4,400 from making investments to meet our landowners install forested buffers on 2,000 Chesapeake Bay obligations,” stated miles of stream banks. Learn about buffer proj- Ehrhart, “because it will be our streams ects at cbf.org/CREP. and rivers that will be cleaner.”

CBF and Coalition Partners For more information on how CBF is working Propose Plan forWater Quality to protect Pennsylvania rivers and streams, visit CBF Buffer Specialist Ashley Spotts, at left, sam- Improvements cbf.org/Pennsylvania or call 717/234-5550. ples the water in Indian Run. Ongoing monitoring shows that water quality there improved after The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and four the addition of forest buffers and streambank state-wide groups have proposed a solu- At the State Capitol Rotunda, CBF Pennsylvania fencing upstream. tion for a problem that has occupied front Executive Director Matt Ehrhart and Fair Share pages for months: how to allocate coalition partners proposed a funding plan to Center, restoring trees and shrubs along Pennsylvania resources for clean water meet the state’s Chesapeake Bay Tributary Indian Run and Valley Creek and fencing fairly and effectively. Strategy requirements. Shown left to right are Ehrhart, Robert Fisher of the Pennsylvania livestock out of the streams has made the Builders Association, and John Brosious of the water markedly cleaner. The “Pennsylvania Fair Share for Clean Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association. Water Plan,” created by CBF and the Researchers measured the types and num- Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities bers of small organisms in streams (aquat- Association, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, ic insects and other invertebrates) to Pennsylvania Builders Association, and determine the health of the water. They Pennsylvania Association of Conservation found increased populations of insects Districts, would invest $890 million over that cannot survive in polluted water, seven years in wastewater treatment plant indicating that streams are cleaner. upgrades and agricultural conservation, and reduce the financial burden on One Indian Creek monitoring site, in ratepayers and farms. Springville, is just downstream of three adjoining buffer projects. Between 2000 “Together, these five groups have put and 2007, the number of pollution-intol- together a responsible funding plan that we

16 Summer 2008 ● cbf.org LANCASTER FARMING Bay Briefs MARYLAND

Session 2008: Despite budget-cutting O’Malley announced the Partnership for AGood Year fortheBay measures enacted by the Children on Earth Day, April 22. The coali- 2008 General Assembly, tion of state, local, private, and non-profit Maryland’s 2008 General Assembly session major Bay-saving partners aims to connect students to approved some of the most positive legisla- nature, and to develop a plan for environ- tion for the Chesapeake Bay in decades, bills survived. mental literacy. CBF will focus on the with landmark environmental protection development of that literacy plan, said Tom and restoration measures voted into law. Ackerman, CBF’s Director of Teacher emissions by an average 25 percent by 2020 Education and Student Leadership. AVIS

D and 90 percent by 2050. The 90 percent tar-

IKKI get was amended to a “goal,” but the bill was Maryland’s state education standards cur- N opposed by labor unions and heavy indus- rently include learning about the environ- try, who said it would cost jobs and create ment, but the requirements are sometimes economic hardships for employers. uncoordinated and often neglected by class- room teachers under pressure to teach math “Our shorelines are better protected, the and reading skills, Ackerman said. There are Bay Trust Fund can now be put to work many excellent programs around the state, reducing nitrogen pollution, and we have but they don’t reach every student, and the new tools to reduce energy use, and help students that do get environmental experi- clean our air and waters,” said Coble. “We ences might not have more than one before State legislators completed an ambitious applaud the governor and our legislators they graduate. environmental agenda in the 2008 session. for recognizing that our precious natural resources do not wait for budgets and pro- CBF is simultaneously leading a national The ambitious environmental agenda legis- grams; they respond to action.” effort for increased outdoor and environ- lation proposed at the start of the session mental education called No Child Left included revising the Critical Area Act, set- For details on the results of the 2008 ses- Inside (see page 21). ting allocations for the Chesapeake and sion, go to cbf.org/Maryland Atlantic Coastal Bay 2010 Trust Fund (for- “Our goal is to ensure that all kids to get a merly known as the Green Fund), passing comprehensive environmental education,” three energy efficiency bills, and approving Listenin Ackerman said. the Global Warming Solutions Act. CBF and Maryland’s natural its partners were successful in encouraging wonders, from theBay For more information on supporting envi- legislators to pass five of those six bills, plus to the mountains, are ronmental education in Maryland, go to three others that will directly improve the thesubjects ofanew www.MDNCLI.org. series ofpodcasts from health of the Bay. ALEX MACLENNAN/CBF STAFF WYPR 88.1FM.CBF and thestationarecol- “We are very pleased with the results of laboratingon “Natural Maryland,”amonthly this session,” said Kim Coble, CBF’s audio project featuring people and places uniquetothestate. Gotowww.wypr.orgto Maryland Executive Director. “Passing five subscribe. big bills is a major accomplishment in a year when the legislature was focused on tightening the budget.” Environmental Educationa The state’s budget constraints dealt a blow Priority, O’Malley Says to the 2010 Trust Fund, which was cut to $25 million for fiscal year 2008-09—half of The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the $50 million set aside for the fund dur- taking a leading role in a new statewide Governor Martin O’Malley recently announced an executive order to develop a plan to make state ing a special session in November. CBF suc- effort to ensure that students graduating students environmentally literate. At left is Rep. ceeded in fending off more severe cuts, and from high school are environmentally liter- John Sarbanes (D-MD), who has championed the will work for full restoration of funding. ate. The effort, dubbed the Maryland No cause at the federal level. Child Left Inside Coalition, supports The bill that failed to pass was the Global Governor Martin O’Malley’s recently For more information on how CBF is working to Warming Solutions Act, which called for announced Maryland Partnership for protect Maryland waters, visit cbf.org/Maryland Maryland to reduce annual green house gas Children in Nature executive order. or call 410/268-8816.

17 Bay Briefs DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CBF DemandsDeadlines for Without a stated schedule for Earthjustice, and the National Wildlife BluePlainsUpgrades Federation to pass the Clean Water upgrades, a CBF brief states, Restoration Act, which would protect these CBF continues to work all fronts to ensure Blue Plains’ permit for natural resources. Both the House an expedited upgrade of nitrogen removal pollution is invalid. Transportation and Infrastructure Com- technology for the largest single source of mittee and the Senate Environment and nitrogen pollution in the Bay watershed, Public Works Committee have recently the Blue Plains sewage treatment plant in held hearings on the legislation. Washington, D.C. lenges to the permit and pursue a more DC WASA cooperative regional approach to reducing Restoring the scope of the Clean Water Act Blue Plains’ nitrogen pollution. Siglin is especially important for the Chesapeake argued that WASA should be a national Bay watershed because the Bay receives all leader and “voluntarily do better than the of its fresh water from a network of hun- minimum required by law.” This, said dreds of thousands of streams and wetlands. Siglin, would “create an example for the Before they reach large tributaries like the nation, appropriate for the world’s largest Potomac, the Susquehanna, and the James, advance wastewater treatment plant locat- these headwater streams and wetlands play ed in the capital city of the United States.” an important role in improving water quali- ty by filtering runoff of sediment, nitrogen For more information, go to cbf.org/news. and phosphorus pollution, and other con- taminants. Unless Congress reverses the StrongerFederal Protection current situation, these resources could be Sought for Upstream Waters the targets of unregulated pollution.

Recent Supreme Court decisions and subse- Urge your elected officials to support the The District’s Blue Plains sewage treatment plant quent federal regulations have weakened the Clean Water Restoration Act. Send an e-mail is the largest source of nitrogen pollution in the Clean Water Act by limiting federal agencies’ to them via CBF’s Action Network at cbf.org. watershed. authority to regulate pollution discharges to some wetlands and small streams. A new For more information on federal funding for The Blue Plains plant, operated by D.C.’s effort by CBF and partners seeks to reverse the Bay and other Washington issues, visit Water and Sewer Authority (WASA), these changes and restore the Act’s authority cbf.org/dc or call 202/544-2232. dumps an average of 6.3 million pounds of to include these waterways. nitrogen pollution into the Wetlands filter pollutants naturally before they each year. In 2003, the EPA, Bay states, and CBF is working with a coalition of environ- reach the Bay, but several Supreme Court deci- the District determined that WASA had to mental advocacy groups including the sions have undermined their protection. The cut the 6.3 million pounds to 4.7 million Natural Resources Defense Council, Clean Water Restoration Act would strengthen pounds to help remove the Bay from EPA's federal safeguards on such areas. “dirty waters” list by 2010. EPA issued a OULE permit that met this reduction goal, but S lacked a schedule for achieving it. ATRICIA P WASA appealed the issuance of the permit. CBF did also, saying that the lack of a schedule violated D.C. and federal law.

CBF won its challenge in late March, and WASA lost. WASA appealed again, asking for a reconsideration of the March decision, but lost that appeal in April.

In a hearing on Capitol Hill, CBF Federal Affairs Director Doug Siglin called on Congress to encourage the WASA man- agement to stop continuing legal chal-

18 Summer 2008 ● cbf.org Bay Briefs VIRGINIA PhilipMorrisSettlement A CBF victory reduces polluted “CBF and our farm and conservation part- Announced ners, however, will continue to work with discharge into the James River the General Assembly for dedicated fund- After four years of legal wrangling, the from the Philip Morris tobacco ing,” Jennings added. “All acknowledge Commonwealth of Virginia and Philip processing plant. that dedicated funding is critical for farm- Morris USA (PM USA) have agreed to ers to plan and budget their resources, and reduce and cap pollution permitted in the for Virginia’s agricultural cost-share pro- James River. The action came as a result of gram to be successful.” a lawsuit filed by the Chesapeake Bay practices that will help restore streams and Foundation (CBF). rivers across the Commonwealth. For more information on how CBF is work- ing to protect Virginia rivers and streams, visit In a legal settlement agreed to by all parties Although the Assembly did not establish an cbf.org/Virginia or call 804/780-1392 and approved in April by a Chesterfield annual, dedicated source of money

County Circuit Court judge, the state will for the fund, as CBF and a partner- TAFF amend PM USA’s pollution permit to ship of farm and conservation reduce immediately the amount of nitro- groups had called for, legislators /CBF S gen and phosphorus pollution the compa- clearly recognized the importance ORTLOCK ny can release into the James from the of the issue and appropriated $20 P ILL company’s tobacco processing plant in million to the fund for fiscal year B Chesterfield County. 2009.

“The settlement is protective of the James “To continue the progress the River and the Chesapeake Bay, which was Commonwealth has made to clean the goal of our original legal challenge,” up our rivers and the Bay, Virginia said Ann F. Jennings, CBF Virginia must engage in a genuine, mean- Executive Director. “The amended permit ingful partnership with farmers,” is now consistent with the reduced pollu- said CBF Virginia Executive tion levels called for by the James River Director Ann Jennings. “Given the tributary strategy, the consensus plan to state’s limited resources this year, Governor Tim Kaine celebrated Earth Day 2008 by joining restore the river’s health. We congratulate the establishment of the Natural staff and students from CBF’s James River education Philip Morris and the Department of Resources Commitment Fund is a program aboard the Walter Ridder. In April, Kaine signed Environmental Quality (DEQ) for a timely, significant first step. legislation to reduce pollution in Virginia’s rivers and environmentally protective resolution of streams by preventing farm runoff. this matter.” TAFF “This agreement is evidence of PM USA’s ongoing efforts to reduce its environmental /CBF S impact in Virginia,” said Greg Cummings, ORAN M Senior Vice President, Manufacturing, for PM

USA. “We are pleased that we will be able to NDREA A reduce our phosphorus discharge into the James River even earlier than expected.” Farm Runoff Fund to Reduce Pollution

The Virginia General Assembly has taken a big step toward cleaning up runoff pollution plaguing Virginia rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. With limited resources in a tight budg- et year, the 2008 legislature created the Virginia Natural Resources Commitment This spring, farmers from the Shenandoah Valley traveled to CBF’s Port Isobel Education Center, near Fund, a special fund aimed at helping Tangier Island, to learn about Bay issues and share information on conservation practices. CBF Virginia farmers pay for the conservation Virginia Executive Director Ann Jennings, at left, talks with Tom Beyerly of Mt. Solon, Virginia.

19 Campaigns

releases, public appearances, and a web Mr. Smith Goes to Washington campaign, the Captain will make the case that voters must demand action to restore abundant fish, crab, and oyster popula- AVIS D tions, and to protect water quality for IKKI

N every American.

Smith’s name will not appear on any bal- lot, of course, but CBF is asking every- one who cares about clean water and a healthy Chesapeake Bay to “vote” for Smith by sending a message to the actu- al presidential candidates online at votethebay.org.

As CBF President Will Baker puts it, “In this critical time for America’s future, there must be a voice speaking on behalf A mock presidential bid by Captain John Smith is designed to encourage of the Bay—locally, in each Bay state, national support for Bay restoration. and nationally— something only the president is truly able to do.” he Chesapeake Bay Foundation has unveiled Smith once wrote of the Chesapeake, T a new public campaign to engage both the “Heaven and earth never agreed better to For more information on CBF’s federal cam- public and the presidential candidates in the frame a place for man’s habitation.” He’ll paign, go to votethebay.org. fight to save the Bay. That campaign intro- take that passion for the Bay to the voting CBF does not endorse candidates. CBF is running a duces Captain John Smith as a “candidate” public this year. At his campaign kick-off fictional candidate, Captain John Smith, to elevate for presidential office. event on June 16, and through press the Bay and clean water in the presidential election.

Earth Day Attention for NCLI TAFF /CBF S ongressional leaders got a lively look at Dale Kildee (D-MI), Chairman of the Early ENNAN the benefits of environmental education Childhood, Elementary and Secondary L

C AC

during an Earth Day hearing on the No Education subcommittee. The proposed M LEX

Child Left Inside Act, held at Patuxent bill would amend the existing No Child A Research Refuge in Maryland on April 22. Left Behind law to expand and strengthen environmental learning standards in the Groups of schoolchildren crisscrossed the nation’s schools. It would fund new pro- refuge learning about water conservation, grams to support environmental educa- waste treatment, and habitat and wildlife tion, expanded teacher training, and state identification, and spoke with legislators environmental literacy plans. on hand for the hearing. Representative John Sarbanes (D-MD), who introduced CBF leads a coalition of more than 280 the No Child Left Inside act last fall, wel- organizations representing some 20 million comed numerous leaders, including Rep. Americans who back the bill.

At Patuxent Research Refuge, schoolchildren TAFF shared their discoveries with guests including

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (above). Members /CBF S of the Congressional panel included, from left, UCKMAN

lead committee staffer Lloyd Horwich, Rep. Dale B Kildee (D-MI), Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), and Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD). LIZABETH E

20 Summer 2008 G cbf.org Campaigns Federal Aid for Pollution Reduction n May, Congress voted to approve federal and representatives with calls, e-mails, Federal funding, state funding, and private cost- Ifunds for Bay restoration in the 2008 Farm letters, postcards, and visits to emphasize share for agricultural conservation will go a long Bill. CBF and partner organizations made a the need for more federal assistance for way toward helping meet the 2010 nitrogen strategic decision to invest in the bill, the Bay. “Thanks to their involvement, pollution reduction goals for the Chesapeake Bay believing it was a vehicle with the potential CHESSEA’s momentum carried into the to provide adequate pollution reduction House and Senate Agriculture Committees, dollars for the Bay. It presented an opportu- which had the responsibility to develop MAKING PROGRESS nity to help farmers clean up the Bay’s provisions of the new Farm Bill,” said Reaching the 2010 Nitrogen waterways and, in doing so, create a nation- Doug Siglin, CBF Federal Affairs Pollution Reduction Goals al model for conservation funding. Director, “and the House committee crafted a measure that included a new ✔AGRICULTURAL Our efforts succeeded. CBF estimates the program for the Chesapeake Bay water- CONSERVATION 2008 bill will provide an additional 88 mil- shed—the only such provision in PRACTICES lion dollars annually for regional conservation the nation.” Congressmen Van Hollen, 40 assumes state and for each of the next five years. This will more Holden, Hoyer, Scott, and Goodlatte, as individual matches than double the amount of federal technical well as Senators Mikulski, Cardin, Casey, and financial assistance for farmers currently Webb, and Warner, were instrumental in available. The funding could yield a reduction ensuring the inclusion of Chesapeake Bay REDUCTION POUND 110M GOAL ✔SEWAGE TREATMENT of up to 40 million additional pounds of specifics in the bill. After a strong effort both REDUCTION POUND 69+M PROGRESS 21 PLANT UPGRADES & nitrogen pollution annually, more than a third inside and outside Congress, the Chesapeake OTHER WASTEWATER of the region’s overall goal, when the dollars Bay elements stayed in the final language of 8+ ✔AIR are matched by state funds and private cost- the bill, and the legislation passed. share. “This may well be the turning point for the Bay that we have all been working “Much of the funding will be released only if ADDITIONAL towards,” said CBF President Will Baker. farmers agree to use it for environmentally 41 REDUCTIONS sound farming practices—i.e., to install NECESSARY TO The unprecedented federal commitment to buffers that prevent chemical and manure REACH GOAL clean water and a healthy Chesapeake Bay runoff, limit tilling, and minimize fertiliza- comes after a multi-year campaign. CBF tion,” commented The Free Lance-Star in a worked diligently with members of Congress, May 25 editorial. ESTIMATES IN MILLIONS OF POUNDS OF ANNUAL NITROGEN POLLUTION REDUCTION the Chesapeake Bay Commission, farmers, home builders, federal and state officials, and “Unlike the handouts authorized by the bill, many other partners to rally support for the this is the sort of environmental program a For more information on CBF and the Farm conservation funds contained in the bill. farm bill should support. Today, in this water- Bill go to cbf.org/farmbill. shed, the dire need for this funding can be The legislative process began last spring, when rationalized. Proving that fund- Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and ing for projects like the bay 22 members of the House proposed a bill cleanup is money well known as CHESSEA to protect water quality spent may be best in the Chesapeake region. Senator Barbara argument for kick- Mikulski (D-MD) and nine other senators pro- ing rich agricultur- posed similar legislation in the Senate. al interests off the gravy train In the following months, thousands of the next time CBF supporters deluged their senators around.” Bay-area farmers will get help implementing MAGES clean water measures, thanks to CBF’s campaign I

for conservation funding in the 2008 Farm Bill. ETTY G

21 UnderwaterRescue: Bay Grasses Get a Boost from Students By Carol Denny

owhere to run, nowhere to hide. That’s Nthe reality facing many of the Bay’s small- est aquatic creatures, who crave the lush

camouflage of the Chesapeake’s underwater riculum to explore grasses and related Bay grasses. Fish, blue crabs, shrimp, turtles, topics; classes range from elementary to and other wildlife need thickets of sub- high school level. merged vegetation to escape their predators and feed. As grass beds shrink, so do their “This project begins in the classroom, but chances for survival. takes [students] out of the classroom to get involved by planting what they grow,” Once, these grasses were considered little explains Ada Stambaugh, who leads Bay more than a nuisance for propellers. Now, Grasses classes at Harford Christian School. their important ecological role (removing “Our school has planted wild celery several excess nutrients from the water, while serv- years in a row along in Essex, ing as food and shelter for Bay wildlife) is Maryland, and we’ve seen the grass beds slow- appreciated, but perhaps too late. The ly take hold in the area where students have Chesapeake’s underwater vegetation is planted.” quickly disappearing, reduced to a tenth of its 1950 levels by water pollution, sediment Linn Griffiths, a teacher at C. Milton Wright runoff, and rising water temperatures. High School in Bel Air, Maryland, says Bay Grasses in Classes is a lesson that lingers. But grasses tend to have a low profile. “It’s “In AP Environmental Science, we continu- one of those habitats of the Bay that’s almost ally talk about the Bay and how almost invisible,” says Bill Portlock, CBF’s Senior every environmental issue affects it. Then Educator for the Bay. we have a chance to do something about it! Students often tell me, after they’ve gradu- Over the past ten years, however, the ated and come back to visit, that it’s one les- restoration of underwater grasses has taken son they will never forget.” root. Helping to replenish the beds are adult volunteers and students who raise grasses For the Bay, as well as for the students from seed. Through a partnership with involved, the rewards of the program are Maryland Department of Natural Resources, long-term. In Virginia, re-planting efforts in CBF’s Bay Grasses in Classes education pro- the Potomac, Mattaponi, South Anna, and gram has recruited almost 41,000 student Chickahominy rivers in recent years have gardeners to grow wild celery, redhead brought visible improvements. “The water grass, and water stargrass for planting. To quality’s improved, and the plants have date, they’ve contributed hundreds of thou- reproduced,” Portlock reports. And as the sands of young shoots to 16 shoreline sites. habitat came back, so did the wildlife. “In some places, we had to install mesh netting “We have a waiting list of teachers,” says to keep the grazers out,” he says. “It seemed CBF’s Christy Urban, who coordinates the like every fish and turtle around was in Bay Grasses in Classes program (currently there. For them, it was like having ice available only in Maryland). “It’s really pop- cream back on the menu when they hadn’t ular.” Instructors use a CBF-provided cur- had it in 30 years. They loved it.” 22 Summer 2008 GG cbf.org A Guide to Grasses Whether they’re called seaweed, sea grass, weeds, or submerged vegetation, underwater grasses are essential to the health of the Bay and its rivers and streams. Here are some of the most common varieties.

leaf tips may flat, long, ribbon- float on water yellow like leaves surface starlike flower leaves have long, visible teeth narrow on edges leaves

no midvein long, on leaves slender, ribbon-like leaves can central light be over 3 green stripe base of leaf feet long on leaf, can wraps be seen around stem when held to light

whorls of usually fleshy tubers all leaves grow leaf at each node five leaves at the base from base of creeping horizontal root (rhizomes) of roots

WATER STARGRASS/Heteranthera dubia EELGRASS/Zostera marina HYDRILLA/Hydrilla verticillata WILD CELERY/Vallisneria Americana Found in: freshwater tributaries Found in: middle and lower Bay Found: throughout region (invasive) Found in: freshwater tributaries, and upper Bay upper and mid-Bay Low salinity High salinity Low salinity Low to moderate salinity

fruits occur on whorls of leaves opposite or separate stalks 9-10 leaves whorled

stems densely branched

broad, oval- to-lance- shaped leaves

sheathing base of leaf ends leaves with teeth on abruptly edges (rough to the touch)

leaves alternate

white or reddish stem slender leaves with visible no true roots forked thread-like leaves leaves teeth

REDHEAD GRASS/Potamogeton perfoliatus WIDGEON GRASS/Ruppia maritima COONTAIL/Ceratophyllum demersum SPINY NAIAD/Najas minor Found in: freshwater tributaries, Found throughout the Bay Found in: freshwater tributaries Found in: freshwater tributaries, upper and middle Bay and upper Bay upper and mid-Bay Low to moderate salinity Moderate to high salinity Low salinity Low salinity

PHOTOS AT TOP FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: ANN SIEGAL, BILL PORTLOCK/CBF STAFF, CBF STAFF, CBF STAFF, BILL PORTLOCK/CBF STAFF GRASSES PHOTOS: LINDA M. HURLEY, U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE, EXCEPT REDHEAD GRASS AND WILD CELERY BY PETER BERGSTROM AND WIDGEON GRASS BY BOB STANKELIS GRASSES ILLUSTRATIONS: KAREN TEMURA 23 Eating Close to Home As the Local Food Movement Flowers, the Bay Benefits

By Carol Denny

hen summer comes, consumers plenty of carbon dioxide, a major cause fy their interest in local, often organically —foodies and non-foodies alike— of global warming. raised, products. The FoodRoutes Network Wdelight in the prospect of fresh, has established a nationwide “Buy Fresh, ripe, local produce: luscious berries, One earth-friendly alternative is to pur- Buy Local” campaign to help buyers sup- sweet corn, and tangy tomatoes, vastly chase fresh produce and meats grown by port small farmers in their areas. The net- superior to their mushy winter work aims to reintroduce Americans cousins. But shoppers who visit to their food—the seeds it grows their local chain supermarkets in from, the farmers who produce it, hopes of finding them are often and the routes that carry it from the disappointed. fields to their tables. It even provides “Farm to College” resources for uni- Even during the height of the grow- versity students who want to ing season, the produce sections of encourage their school's food service many stores are likely to offer fruits to purchase from local farmers. and vegetables grown thousands of miles away. Those rock-hard FoodRoutes’ “Buy Fresh, Buy Local” California peaches and “Eurofresh” campaign is growing local chapters tomatoes leave a lot to be desired, Keeping Bay-area farmers throughout the Chesapeake region. both in terms of flavor and nutri- In Pennsylvania, the Chesapeake Bay tional value. They’re also a prime farming is important, because Foundation’s (CBF’s) Lamonte Garber example of “food miles,” a concept it preserves open spaces. volunteers with the Lancaster County that’s gaining more attention as group. “In addition to traditional Americans start to examine the outlets for local food, like farmers’ environmental costs of how gro- —MARCY DAMON, CBF Maryland Grassroots markets, we're working with restau- ceries reach our tables. Restoration Coordinator rants and institutional buyers to increase the amount of local food Recent studies estimate that the average nearby farmers. It’s a choice that’s gaining they offer their customers,” says Garber, fresh-food item grown in the continental popularity, particularly in the Bay region, CBF Agricultural Program Manager. “We see United States travels 1,300 miles before where a growing network of agricultural the interest in locally-grown breaking out in it reaches its final destination. Chances producers and established farmers’ markets places you wouldn't have imagined ten are it’s been genetically altered, or treat- makes it possible to “buy local.” years ago, and farmers are paying attention.” ed with a variety of chemicals, to survive the long journey to market. And the Consumers interested in eating close to CBF’s support for the local food movement tractor trailer that carries it releases home have a host of new resources to satis- is directly related to its effort to save the

24 Summer 2008 ● cbf.org Bay. It’s part of the organization’s larger serve the poor. Like other CSAs in the appreciated employee perk, the local lunch effort to preserve undeveloped lands that region, Clagett sells out quickly every is in its second season. “We’re trying to are essential for good water quality. spring, but interested individuals can walk the talk, and be a model for a new sample the experience by signing up for approach to eating,” Damon says. “Keeping Bay-area farmers farming is “work shares” (a week’s worth of produce “Enjoying these lunches together leads us important, because it preserves open in return for a four-hour volunteer stint at to consider how our food choices can affect spaces and rural areas around the water- the farm). the health of the Bay.” shed,” says Marcy Damon, CBF Maryland Grassroots Restoration Coordinator. “These CBF has taken the local food concept a step For a list of farmers’ markets and family lands are critical because they filter water further by sponsoring a weekly “local farms in your area, visit www.localharvest.org, naturally. They’re better for the Bay and its lunch” for staff at its Annapolis headquar- or go to www.buyfreshbuylocalcr.org and click rivers and streams than a development of ters featuring ingredients from nearby on “Information.” McMansions, which creates more paved sources, including Clagett Farm. The proj- surfaces and more runoff.” ect, which debuted last year as part of a To inquire about work shares of the harvest collaboration with the Johns Hopkins at CBF’s Clagett Farm, call 301/627-4662. Some shoppers go further than farmers’ School of , offers the oppor- markets in their quest for fresh, local food. tunity to purchase a meal composed of CBF’s Clagett Farm sells subscribers weekly They purchase produce directly from the local foods: not only produce, but also shares of its summer harvest. Volunteer laborers source by subscribing to Community breads, cheeses, and meats. Now a much- can also earn fresh produce. Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. By paying in advance, which provides the farmer with crucial seed money, sub- HATERGEE scribers receive weekly shipments of farm- C fresh produce during the growing season. UMANA

They also gain an additional dimension to S their consumer experience, one that has all but disappeared: the chance to make a personal connection between their food and the people who produce it.

“That’s what’s so special about CSAs,” says Rita Calvert, a local food activist in Maryland. “By connecting to farmers, you get a real understanding and appreciation for what they’re up against. And if you visit the farm itself, it’s an amazing experience.”

CBF’s Clagett Farm, a 285-acre working farm in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, has offered a CSA program for 16 years. Fully 60 percent of its crop goes to sub- scribers—250 this season—and the remainder goes directly to agencies that

25 Our Giving Community THELMA PETERSON Celebrating HisMemory, Justthe Way He’d Want It

utch Butt was a very likeable guy, with raised in Butt’s name. Bsome pretty fantastic friends. And when Because of his passion he died in 2006, his friends wanted to be for the outdoors and sure his zest for life would live on. Now, the Bay, the Butch Butt through the formation of the Butch Butt Memorial Foundation Memorial Foundation, his enthusiasm and donated the proceeds fellowship with friends will be celebrated to the Chesapeake Bay annually, and the Bay that Butch worked on, Foundation for its oyster lived on, and loved will be a better place. restoration efforts, espe- cially on the Eastern Friends of the late Butch Butt, including Eleanor Stanton, Bob Stanton, Butt was an avid proponent of Eastern Shore and Lynnhaven Bill Shepherd, and Lynne Shepherd, organized an event to commemo- Shore oysters. When he was a waterman, River, where Butch spent rate his love of the Bay and donated the proceeds to CBF. he lived on the Shore, and later, when he many hours. “Butch’s switched careers, he served up Bay delica- lifelong passion for the Bay and its living fun), his friends plan to continue the pri- cies as co-owner of the Lucky Star creatures will be remembered well vate annual fund-raiser. Restaurant in Virginia Beach. through this generous gift,” said Christy Everett, CBF Virginia Assistant Director for “Butch’s friends called him a ‘professional The September following Butt’s death, his Hampton Roads. friend,’” said Butt’s long-time pal Bob friends threw a party as a tribute; the theme Stanton. “If you can have friends who, once was a crab cake contest. Tickets were sold, Because the first Butch Butt Crab Cake you’re gone, do something like this for you— sponsors pitched in, and $17,500 was Cook-off was so successful (and so much there’s something to be said for that.”

DAVE COLA/CBF STAFF

Starbucks Coffee Northeast/Atlantic Division. “CBF’s Student Leadership Program is an educational SupportsStudent experience where youth have the opportu- nity to pair learning with action, which Leaders supports their local communities in a inspirational and meaningful way.” oung people with a passion Y for the outdoors thrive Students attest that the CBF summer when given the opportunity to experiences are life-changing. Many spend an extended period alumni choose to pursue environmental learning about the Bay. That’s what programs and careers as a result of partic- CBF’s Student Leadership Program, an ipating, and some return to work for CBF exciting, interdisciplinary approach to as interns and permanent staff. The trips developing environmental leaders, provides. leave a lasting impression, inspiring action and lifelong stewardship. Starbucks Foundation, whose mission is “to create opportunities for youth to learn, The Starbucks Foundation grant will support serve, and grow their natural potential to two five-day Student Leadership experiences reinvent the world,” recently invested in in Maryland and Virginia. CBF and Starbucks this program by making a generous “We learn so much on CBF’s student leadership are partnering on in-store promotions and trips—about environmental science, about our $50,000 grant to support CBF’s Student impact on the world around us, about our incred- volunteer activities; however, the foundation Leadership efforts. ibly diverse watershed, about relationships and grant is the first for CBF. working with people, about purpose and motiva- “For Starbucks, it’s a chance to invest in the tion and appreciation for the simple things in Visit cbf.org/SL to learn more about future of the Bay watershed,” said Jodi life, and most of all, about ourselves.” CBF’s Student Leadership Program, or Darlage, marketing specialist for Starbucks —Teresa Yeh (center), CBF student leader cbf.org/starbucks for details on our partnership.

26 Summer 2008 ● cbf.org Our Giving Community

CBF Tournament the other Save the Bay Classic sponsors who Sheds Light on “Greener Golf” share these goals.” Lex Birney, CEO of The Brick Companies, n May 8, CBF held the first annual the riverside. These buffers take up nutrient said, “As a CBF partner, it is our long-term OAkridge Save the Bay Classic, presented and chemical pollution that would other- commitment to increase awareness of envi- by The Brick Companies, at Queenstown wise run into the river or leach into shallow ronmental issues and engage people at every Harbor, a certified “green” golf course. groundwater. Course managers control level, including our employees, guests, ten- insects and plant diseases by using integrat- ants, members, and stakeholders.” “We wanted to find a way to talk with ed pest management, which helps them business leaders and reduce their use of He said that golfers can use the same kinds decision makers pesticides. The of environmentally friendly techniques that about protecting the course uses locally certified golf courses use as they work on Bay and developing manufactured fertil- their yards, build new homes, or operate the economy of our izer based on chick- their businesses. region in a sustain- en manure. And able way,” explains because the course “In order to have healthier streams and Kim Coble, CBF’s has large areas of rivers for our children, all of us—individ- Maryland Executive Director. “What bet- natural vegetation, fertilizer use is curtailed. uals, businesses, and governments equal- ter place than a golf course? But not just ly—must take action today,” Coble said. any golf course.” Coble noted that the Queenstown course, “CBF encourages land uses that improve with its careful management, has lowered water quality and habitat, and that in the CBF worked with title sponsor Akridge, a the nitrates and nitrogen in its groundwa- long run better their communities and are regional real estate developer known for its ter compared to the farm that preceded it. economically sound. Both Queenstown sustainable projects, and presenting spon- “When we redevelop property, we can Harbor and this tournament embody sor The Brick Companies, owner of make decisions that improve on the cur- these ideas.” Atlantic Golf, to host the tournament at rent conditions, and it’s our responsibility ROSANNE HALL/CBF STAFF Queenstown Harbor golf course. to do that,” Coble said.

The course, located on the shores of the “Lessening the human impact on the envi- , has been certified by the ronment is a ‘must,’ and our efforts should Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program be collective,” said John E. “Chip” Akridge, for Golf Courses, a program administered III, Chairman of Akridge. “In our business, by Audubon International (AI). This edu- we work with our investors, vendors, bro- cation and certification program helps kers, and building clients to share sustain- golf course managers to enhance the nat- able practices. We are pleased to stand with ural areas and wildlife habitats that golf CBF, nearly 200 tournament players, and courses provide, improve efficiency, and COURTESY OF QUEENSTOWN HARBOR minimize potentially harmful impacts of golf operations.

At Queenstown, the course captures 80 percent of the rainfall and stores it in ponds. This water is used to irrigate the course, conserving water and reducing runoff. Wide buffers of no-mow zones sur- round ponds and streams and run along CBF’s Akridge Save the Bay Classic brought together business leaders and decision makers from around the mid-Atlantic for a day of envi- ronmentally friendly golf and discussion at the Queenstown, Maryland course. Golfers Tom Evans, Susan Phillips (Event Co-Chair), and Ann and Doug Croker hit the links in support of the Bay.

27 Driftwood

Events Around the Watershed Washington, D.C. June 9-10: Global Katoomba Meeting, National Museum of Maryland Natural History, Washington, D.C., Monday 2PM-8PM, Tuesday June 21: Bands in the Sand, Annapolis, 5–10:30PM. Boatyard Bar & 8:30AM-6PM. Learn how ecosystem service payments and markets Grill presents an evening of cool music, food, and drink on the beach in carbon, water, and biodiversity could help reduce human at CBF’s Philip Merrill Environmental Center. Proceeds benefit the impact on the planet. CBF co-sponsors. Register: Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Tickets: cbf.org/bandsinthesand www.katoombagroup.org/chesapeake Virginia TAFF July 13: 2008 Watermen’s Heritage Celebration, Watermen's

CBF S Museum, Yorktown, 10AM–6PM. Water-related exhibits, arts and crafts, children’s activities, and more. 757/887-2641 July 31: Climate Change and the Chesapeake Bay, Nauticus, Norfolk, 7PM. This lecture by NOAA Administrator Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S. Navy (Ret.) is the second presentation in CBF’s environmental lecture series, Blue Planet Forum: Exploring the Bay and Beyond. Free. Limited seating. Register: 757/622-1964 or [email protected] September 5-7: Bay Days, downtown Hampton, Virginia. A festival of food, fun, Bay education, art, and music to celebrate the Enjoy good food and cool music at Bands in the Sand on June 21st. Chesapeake Bay. 757/727-1641

W A AVIS L D T K H E I Bay Dads N G IKKI T A N L K from our members In June, we take time to honor To get a rain barrel in place at his our fathers. This Annapolis home, CBF member small Bay dweller—who does Chuck Weikel had to jump over a both the mother’s and the few—well, barrels. His house, built father’s job—also deserves in 1859, is part of the capital’s a nod. The Chesapeake Historic District, and the refitted, 40- lined seahorse is a rarity gallon whiskey keg that collects rain- because the male of the water from his downspout required species both fertilizes and the approval of the city’s Historic carries the young. Preservation Committee. “They voted unanimously for it,” Weikel reports. Lined seahorses have knobby “They’re beginning to recognize the heads, equine snouts, and a importance of environmental action long, grasping tail, and can grow in support of historic preservation.” to six inches in length. In the Chesapeake, the species is listed He and his neighbors use the contents as “vulnerable” because its to water their planters and trees along habitat—eelgrass—is dis- the street, using an old milk jug. “It’s appearing. Those beds more convenient [than a hose],” he Chuck Weikel shows off his “historic” rain barrel. have been devastated by says. “And it’s a good option because pollution, and as a result, the you don’t have to look at a big white industri- To learn more about rain barrels and Bay’s seahorse population is struggling, too. al barrel. Everybody’s enthused about it, and other “green” landscaping techniques, go to there’s better awareness about how important cbf.org/landscaping and click on Resources. This Father’s Day, remember the seahors- rain barrels are for cleaning up the Bay. Using es—and fight for clean water to help keep rainwater as a source is a good thing.” Send your green ideas to [email protected]. them in the Bay!

28 Summer 2008 ● cbf.org Driftwood

Dig It!

Join CBF’s Gardeners for the Bay and demonstrate your support for clean water and a healthy environment. All that’s required is your pledge to avoid toxic chemicals, reduce runoff, and care for your garden and lawn naturally.

Register now and receive a free pair of gardening gloves! Go to cbf.org/gardeners.

Newsworthy: This Virginian-Pilot story (3/14/08) saluted the upbeat spirit of young adults who spent their spring break helping CBF rebuild oyster reefs in the Lynnhaven River. Students from Christopher Newport University in Newport News and Virginia Wesleyan College in Virginia Beach pitched in to plant oysters from CBF’s Gloucester aquaculture farm. “This is what I want to do—be a field biologist,” said Travis Deale of Richmond. “I can sleep in some other time.”

29 Last Look

Brad Heavner, at podium, spoke at a 2007 rally that delivered 6,000 petition signatures to Gov. O’Malley, urging him to support carbon dioxide emission caps.

The United Steelworkers effectively killed this year’s global warming bill because they didn’t trust us when we said it wouldn’t affect them. We need to spend more time with them. We should be working together with unions, not fighting them.

Too often, fishermen and environmentalists have not been sitting on the same side of the table. We are natural allies. We need to figure out how to come together for signif- icant joint initiatives.

This is not to say that everyone in the The Bay’s Big Tent world needs to get on board with every policy proposal. A guy like me doesn’t feel ENVIRONMENTAL MARYLAND By Brad Heavner right unless I’m pushing someone’s but- tons; I want to propose bold solutions nvironmentalists have held dozens of tribute dangerous mercury that makes fish that some people are not going to like. E press conferences in the past year, but unhealthy for pregnant women to eat. But we should continually reach out to perhaps the most successful was one in new constituencies. which business leaders did nearly all the Religious leaders have been another talking. They spoke on the economic increasingly important partner for environ- The health of the Chesapeake Bay is not benefits of Maryland’s proposed Global mental causes. When the rest of us run out just an environmental issue. It’s an econom- Warming Solutions Act: their angle, their of breath listing the scientific facts and fig- ic, cultural, and moral issue. voices, their arguments in favor of the ures about pollution or global warming, it’s legislation. great to have a voice of faith reminding Coalition development is the name of the everyone of our moral obligations: We are game. I encourage you to get further involved There were about 20 people behind that podium, most of them heads of small busi- nesses, many of them involved in planning When environmentalists, nurses, business the campaign from the very start. And they were extremely convincing. leaders, and pastors are all singing the same song, “ the song resonates more deeply. A similar thing happened a couple of years ago, when a key driving force behind one of the biggest recent policy victories for the the stewards of the natural world, and we with the Chesapeake Bay” Foundation and Chesapeake Bay came from a group not tra- must accept responsibility for our actions. share your thoughts on bringing new part- ditionally considered part of the environ- ners into the fold. mental community. Maryland nurses were Legislators are accustomed to having envi- a big part of the successful passage of the ronmental leaders push them to protect our Brad Heavner is State TAFF state’s Healthy Air Act, which will reduce resources—and that certainly means some- Director of Environment

nitrogen emissions from power plants in thing in itself—but when environmental- Maryland, a statewide, /CBF S

the state by 75 percent. In that campaign, ists, nurses, business leaders, and pastors citizen-based environ- PPEL A the dead zone in the Bay wasn’t the nurses’ are all singing the same song, the song res- mental advocacy or- ganization that works primary motivator, but there was plenty for onates more deeply. ARNETT them to like. In addition to limiting the to protect the Bay, B

improve energy poli- OREN nitrogen pollution that worsens the dead Still, the work to expand our environmen- L cies, and advance zone, the bill will reduce power plant emis- tal network to diverse constituencies is far environmental issues. sions that cause smog and soot and con- from done.

30 Summer 2008 G cbf.org What’s the best way to recycle this magazine? GIVE IT TO A FRIEND!

Recycling printed materials is a great way to reduce our consumption of natural resources. And when you recycle Save the Bay magazine by passing it along to a friend, you’re doing something else that’s good for the environment. You’re helping to spread the word about vital issues that affect the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams. Our national treasure is in critical condition. Raising awareness of the pressures fac- Share your copy of ing this fragile ecosystem, and working together to protect and restore it, will bring us Save the Bay. closer to our goal of a saved Bay. Start today! Please share this magazine with family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Bring your copy of Save the Bay along when you visit your doctor, dentist, auto mechanic, gym, or hair stylist, and add it to the publications in the waiting room.

L With your help, we’ll build our army of activists to demand pollution reduction and clean water for everyone. New members can join CBF by using the enclosed envelope, or by visiting cbf.org/join. Do it for Elijah.

Save the Bay Will we tell our children that we cared about the Bay —just not enough?

On the cover: A candidate who's all about the Bay: Captain John Smith is running for president. Photo by Nikki Davis.

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Chesapeake Bay Foundation Southern, MD Philip Merrill Environmental Center Permit No. 305 6 Herndon Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21403 410/268-8816