Last year brought disturbing news about the number of birds declining in North America, dropping almost 30% over the last 50 years. Much of the data behind this science came from ordinary people who spent their spare time observing birds. This same data, however, has helped shape and measure the results from successful conservation efforts that offer hope for the future. We know conservation efforts work, and future efforts will require getting even more people involved in citizen science.

Nature enthusiasts, including bird watchers, have contributed much to what we now know about birds. Individual birders keep checklists, whether on a bird walk or simply observing birds at their backyard feeders. When aggregated, these individual checklists help wildlife biologists study bird behavior and trends in population levels, helping to identify where conservation efforts can have the greatest impact.

Starting this year, Maryland will kick off a 5-year effort to document where birds breed throughout the state. It is called the Breeding Bird Atlas and has been conducted twice before. The first was carried out from 1983-1987, and the second from 2002-2006. Birders at all skill levels will take to the field to observe birds, trying to determine if they are breeding in specific locations. Their observations will be fed into a database to see how birds are faring on the Eastern Shore and throughout Maryland.

If you would like to help out, or just find out more, contact me at the Talbot County Bird Club (talbotbirdclub@gmail.com). Participating in the Breeding Bird Atlas is a great way to learn more about birds, enjoy the outdoors, and stay positive about the future by contributing to conservation efforts.

Ron Ketter
Talbot County Breeding Bird Atlas Coordinator

The recently-announced agreement between the Maryland Department of the Environment and Exelon Corporation regarding the Conowingo Dam is a baby step in the right direction, but does not do enough to protect the Chesapeake Bay or Sassafras River. At a time when we need innovative, comprehensive solutions to major environmental threats, these two parties have instead elected for a feel-good deal that only requires Exelon to pay for 3% of what they need to contribute to adequately address the problem. Exelon is trying to get off with minimal investment, making this less of a deal and more of a steal.

It’s undeniable that the sediment, trash, and debris at the dam is generated by our northern neighbors, New York and Pennsylvania, and not by the dam itself. We need to hold these states accountable for reducing their pollution as well. However, Exelon is the only entity that profits from the water flowing through the dam. No one should be allowed to profit from a public natural resource without having to contribute to the protection and restoration of that resource. It is inexcusable that Maryland watermen, boaters, homeowners, and taxpayers have to suffer the consequences of this trash and pollution flowing down the Susquehanna and are then expected to pay for the cleanup.

The Sassafras River is only 11 miles from the mouth of the Susquehanna, so we are one of the first areas to feel the effects every time the Conowingo flood gates are opened and trash, sediment, and other pollutants are allowed to flow free. There should not be tractor tires, 55 gallon drums with Pennsylvania addresses, or nurdles (pre-production industrial plastic pellets) washing up on our Sassafras shores, especially when Exelon has the opportunity to prevent them from entering the Bay, but instead balks.

The updated 401 Water Quality Certification for the dam called for Exelon to pay $127 million per year for the 50-year term to begin to address this problem. Now Exelon is trying to claim that $4 million a year, or about 3% of what is needed, is a monumental victory. It’s not. The deal was brokered behind closed doors exclusively between the Maryland Department of the Environment and Exelon, so the only thing that is monumental here is the lack of transparency and enforcement opportunity.

The final affront is that the meager amount Exelon is proposing to pay would go into the state’s Clean Water Fund, which can be raided and reallocated at any point by the governor or legislature for other purposes, so the money might not even be used to address the issue at hand.

None of this is to say that Conowingo or Exelon is the bad guy. For many years, until it reached the end of its effective lifespan, the dam was the most effective best management practice in the entire Bay and trapped tons of sediment and debris. But past success is no excuse for current complacency. Exelon prides itself on being innovative, sustainable, and groundbreaking, so any settlement that is reached should reflect those values in a tangible, enforceable manner that benefits the health of our waterways. Exelon needs to step up and contribute their fair share for meaningful change because Marylanders deserve a healthy Bay and a clean Sassafras River. A problem this big needs accountability at all levels.

Zack Kelleher
ShoreRivers
Sassafras RIVERKEEPER

On Thursday, November 21 at 7 p.m., the Talbot County Democratic Forum’s Environmental Committee will host a workshop about federal and state carbon pricing at Democratic Headquarters, 26 W. Dover St. in Easton. Hope Clark, the Citizens’ Climate Lobby liaison for Representative Andy Harris, will present about the bipartisan federal bill, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. Frances Stewart, chapter leader for Climate Reality Montgomery County and member of the Climate XChange, will present about a Maryland state carbon pricing bill. A tree will be planted for each person attending the event.

As impeachment proceedings ratchet up the partisan tension in Washington, there’s still hope that progress can be made on the pressing problems of the day. It appears Republicans and Democrats are coming together on one issue that seemed intractable not long ago: climate change.

In the Senate, Republican Senator Mike Braun of Indiana is teaming up with Delaware Democrat Chris Coons to form the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus. Republicans, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have joined them along with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sen. Angus King (I-ME), Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO).

The Senate group complements the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus in the House that was established in 2016. It became a judgment-free zone where members of both parties could come together for serious discussions about solving climate change. Today, there are myriad bipartisan climate bills in the House, thanks in no small part to the collaborative atmosphere the caucus created.

A bipartisan approach to solving climate change is essential, because passing legislation requires buy-in from both sides of the aisle. Regardless of which party controls the Senate and White House, political winds shift, and policies with broad support will withstand those shifts.

Republicans and Democrats are seeking common ground on climate change because public opinion has reached a tipping point that cannot be ignored. A CBS News poll last month found two-thirds of Americans view climate change as a crisis or serious problem, and a majority want immediate action.

Overwhelming majorities of younger GOP voters regard climate change as a serious threat, too: 77 percent of them said so in a survey by Ipsos and Newsy this fall.

It’s not just polling motivating Congress — it’s citizens. Volunteers with Citizens’ Climate Lobby are carrying a clear message to their representatives: “Make climate a bridge issue, not a wedge issue.” CCL volunteers have held 1,131 meetings with congressional offices so far this year to bring the parties together on climate change.

Now that we have Republicans and Democrats talking to each other about climate solutions, what major climate legislation will they support together?

A price on carbon offers promising common ground. Thousands of U.S. economists support carbon pricing as an effective tool to reduce emissions quickly. Newsweek recently surveyed 300 multinational corporations and found that 95% favor mandatory carbon pricing. And according to Luntz Global, carbon pricing that includes a revenue return to Americans, has four to one support among all voters.

This year, four carbon pricing bills have been introduced with bipartisan sponsorship.

Of the four, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 763) has attracted the most support, with 69 House members now signed on, including Republican Francis Rooney of Florida. This legislation would initiate a fee of $15 per metric ton of carbon, rising by $10 per ton each year. All revenue would be paid out equally to every household. In 10 years, a family of four would receive an annual “carbon dividend” of about $3,500. Resources for the Future estimates this policy would reduce carbon emissions 47% by 2030. The bill targets 90% reductions by 2050.

Here on the Eastern Shore, support for this legislation has been expressed with 96 constituent letters, and endorsements from Double Diamond Construction, the Chester River Friends Meeting, the O.L.P. Foundation, and Washington College. That support, here and throughout the country, sends a signal to Republican lawmakers that backing H.R. 763 can be a politically astute move.

Despite the current hyper-partisan atmosphere, elected officials are realizing that climate change is one area where differences must be set aside for the good of our nation and the world. Not only are they realizing it, but they’re starting to act on it.

Mark Reynolds is executive director of Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Hope Clark is the group leader of the Chestertown chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

1st District of Maryland Representative, Andy Harris, recently was one of 11 members of congress to vote against House Bill H.R. 3224. This bill would increase women veterans’ access to Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical care, such as the availability of gender-specific primary care services, PTSD counseling, expanded healthcare for newborns, and more.

The vote was 399 YEA and 11 NAYS. Harris voted NAY. Happy Veterans Day, Ladies. 

This vote is way too extremist for me and does not represent the way I think we should be treating our Veterans. I bet I am not alone. Perhaps it’s time we considered another Republican or Democrat to represent our interests. 

For more information on this Bill visit: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/3224

Chris Koch
Easton

In 2012, I had the privilege of touring eastern Turkey including its city of Bitlis from where my mother’s family had emigrated in 1905 because of Turkish persecution of Armenians. My grandfather was born in Bitlis, and I wanted to walk the streets he had walked as a child. 

In 1915, Ottoman Turks began a systematic elimination of Armenians, and when U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Robert Morgenthau protested to Talaat Pasha, one of the Empire’s three leaders, he said, “It is no use for you to argue…we have already disposed of three quarters of the Armenians; there are none at all left in Bitlis, Van, and Erzeroum.” Morgenthau then received a request from Talaat as recorded in his book, Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story, “I wish that you would get the American life insurance companies to send us a complete list of their Armenian policy holders. They are practically all dead now and have left no heirs to collect the money. It of course all escheats to the State. The Government is the beneficiary now. Will you do so?”

The Saroyans who arrived at Ellis Island driven by my great-grandmother Lucintak were among the lucky ones. Those relatives who remained disappeared amidst the blood that ran down the streets of Bitlis I walked on a hundred years later.  

For the past century, geopolitical politics and heavy lobbying by the Turkish government has prevented efforts begun by Ambassador Morgenthau to have the U.S. recognize the elimination of more than 1.5 million Armenians. It is historic, therefore, that the House of Representatives approved a resolution on 10/29 commemorating the Armenian genocide. Yet it is puzzling that while 405 representatives—including GOP leadership members Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Whip Steve Scalise, and Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Devin Nunes—all voted in favor of the resolution, our congressman, Rep. Andy Harris, was one of 11 toeing the Turkish line. Perhaps his next step will be to finally get the list of genocide victim policy holders to the Turkish government so that President Erdogan can begin collection.

Jeff McGuiness
St. Michaels, MD

This morning, with the passing of Congressman Elijah Cummings, the Cummings family, the Maryland Democratic family, and all the people of the great 7th Congressional District of Maryland are in our thoughts. 

The son of a sharecropper, Congressman Elijah Cummings dreamed of becoming a lawyer from a young age. When he was told he would never fulfill is dreams of becoming a lawyer because he was a slow learner and a poor speaker, Congressman Cummings persevered nonetheless. He died not just an accomplished lawyer, but as Chairman of one of the most powerful committees in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Talbot Democratic Party was honored with his presence last May at our annual Douglass-Tubman Dinner. The walls of the Armory shook with his impassioned rhetoric – he was an incredible orator. Congressman Cummings lived up to the high expectations fellow Marylanders Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. He was a worthy speaker to our incredibly lucky audience.

We have lost a man of valor and uncommon decency.  His light shines in our world today, casting aside any darker place. And while our hearts may be heavier today, Congressman Cummings would not want us to stop and rest – he never did. 

Congressman Cummings valiantly fought the good fight; we rededicate ourselves today, and in his memory, to carry on his mission as a standard bearer for justice, equity, and respect for all who walk this land. His mother’s final words to him were “Do not let them take our votes away from us.” We won’t.

Scott Kane, Chair
Talbot County Democratic Central Committee

I believe that our 1st District Representative in Congress is out of step with the voters in our district. He just voted against H.R. 2203, a bill that would have banned the cruel practice of tearing families apart at the border, a practice which then leads to our government keeping separated children in pens and cages. I cannot believe that members of the 1st District of Maryland are ok with keeping children in cages. This practice is a stain on our country’s compassionate image and our legacy as defenders of freedom everywhere. We must do better.

Harris’ cruel stance even goes against the position of recently resigned, Interim Director of the Department of Homeland Security, Kevin McAleenan. McAleenan stated recently when questioned by NBC News about the family separation policy:

“its just not worth it. Really, a better system, as I’ve said many times, would allow us to detain families together during fair and expeditious immigration proceedings and getting actual immigration results from the court,” Kevin McAleenan, Director, Department of Homeland Security

We need a non-partisan, comprehensive immigration system that is fair and expeditious. This cruel practice of caging children will not make the U.S. safer, in fact I think it will do the opposite as it potentially radicalizes a generation of immigrants against the U.S. who one day will remember how they were mistreated. This is not who we are. We must show compassion toward these families. We must do better.

Harris voted against a bill that would have banned family separations. He brings shame on us all.  For more info visit here.

Call Harris’ office and voice your opposition to separating families and keeping children in cages. 202-225-5311. Call your clergy and civic leaders. This is a non-partisan issue. It’s time we spoke out against this cruel practice. Be it Republican or Democrat, it’s time for new leadership in the 1st Congressional District.

Seeking good governance,

Chris Koch
Easton

The basic problem is not the existence of short-term rentals — the basic problem is that they exist in residential neighborhoods.

Short Term Rentals in residential neighborhoods is a quality of life issue for its residents, not an economic one for Talbot County and a limited few.  

A quick web search shows that governments around the country are now getting a handle on this rental phenomenon and are changing regulations to help their full-time citizens and traditional lodging industry. A recent court ruling in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania said a Short-Term Rental is in fact a commercial use and should not be in a residential zone.

If the Talbot County Council wants to continue allowing Short Term Rentals in Residential zones, they must consider dividing STR’s into two classes of license.  One for a homeowner who would like to rent their principal residence (original intent for STR) and one for owners whose property is not their principal residence.

A Principal Residence STR, meaning that the owner lives in that home for more than half the year and pays income taxes to Talbot County, could be allowed to rent in any of Talbot’s residential zones.  After all they are a part of the community, they are neighbors and friends and if something should go awry, it would be handled quickly.

A second STR class owned as a second home or investment should have stricter regulations as this is now a commercial business and will reduce property values. These should not be allowed in neighborhoods like Bentley Hay, Rio Vista, Tunis Mills, Newcomb, Tilghman, Cordova or any of Talbots villages.

Lastly don’t think a licensed STR is only for vacationers, the only restriction in the law is that the lease must be for a minimum of 3 nights.  A business could obtain a STR license in any residential zone and rent to anyone for any reason.

Robert Haase
St. Michaels

On Saturday, June 8, 2019, Tom and I embarked on a journey that would take us to the University of MD Medical Center, Shock Trauma Unit. 

From realizing a small round red mark on the front of Tom’s left front ankle at around 1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., our lives changed immensely. At first look it appeared that Tom had somehow hit his lower shin on something while fishing that morning. As time passed, after about an hour or so, it was clear that wasn’t the case. After a quick trip to Your Doc’s In on Rte. 50, we then went to Easton Memorial Emergency Room. There it was discovered that Tom had contracted vibrio vulnificus disease, sometimes referred to as “waterman’s disease”. During the short time between 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Tom’s lower leg was fully engaged by the disease and as a result shortly after midnight, we were both transported via medivac to Univ. MD. Med. Center, Shock Trauma.  

We were met by a team of four infectious disease doctors ready to operate on Tom and five well skilled nurses who all knew exactly their roll in this operation and all went to work. During the hours between 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 9th Tom underwent surgery to remove the area of infection of his leg  Fortunately, the disease had not infected his muscle or bone and therefore surgery was less invasive than could have been.  On Tuesday, June 11th Tom had a further surgery by a soft tissue team in order to address any further cleaning of the affected area.  Tom was “asleep” from late Saturday night, June 8th until the evening of Wednesday, June 12th such a blessing as he did not have to experience the pain associated with this virus. 

For the next ten days Tom was treated for infection and problems related to vibrio e.g. kidney, liver, and heart issues all temporary and due to this virus. On Saturday, June 22nd Tom was transported to Encompass Rehabilitation Center in Salisbury to undergo physical and occupational therapies and was there until Monday, July 8th when I brought him home.

Wednesday July 10th a visit back to Univ. MD Med. Center Shock Trauma clinic, Tom had a dressing change that just turned everything around for us. He had had a port with an evacuation pump to help keep his wound clean, that was removed. Also, skin graft was scheduled for Friday, July 26th where skin from Tom’s thigh was taken to cover the wound.  All professionals are amazed by Tom’s recovery. There were several check ups at the Shock Trauma following skin graft procedure.

Wednesday September 3rd turned out to be our last visit to Univ. MD Med. Center Shock Trauma clinic.  Tom has been given permission to resume his life as usual with the understanding that his wounds will be covered while working outside and no sun exposure.  

The residual effect on Tom’s left eye, having developed an infection and a cataract, continue to be treated with a cataract operation planned in the future.

This account of our experience is sent to encourage anyone who experiences redness or rash following contact with brackish water to be sure to seek professional attention.

Tom And Marie Davis
Talbot County