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November 28, 2020

The Talbot Spy

The nonprofit e-newspaper for the Talbot County Community

Ecosystem Eco Notes

Thanksgiving Interactive Kids Trail at Pickering 

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Pickering Creek Audubon Center will debut its Thanksgiving Kids Interactive Trail on Wednesday November 25.  The trail circles the Pickering Creek pond and features eleven stops that encourage kids and families to explore nature through short fun activities.  The trail is self guided and starts at the Center’s main parking lot. At the stops it asks kids to do interactive activities like: “Hop like a rabbit down the trail, if you see a Hawk or Eagle overhead freeze until it passes.”  Each location asks students to engage a different sense as they explore nature around them.

“This is a great way to explore the fall season as a family while engaging kids and giving adults a chance to stretch their legs a walk off some of the Thanksgiving Feast,” says Pickering Creek Director Mark Scallion.  The trail will be in place from Wednesday November 25th through Sunday December 6th.  Keep an eye on the weather and remember boots if it has been rainy!

After enjoying the kids interactive trail, further explorations lie beyond, with over four miles of trails and several beautiful vistas over Pickering Creek and the Center’s expansive wetlands, Pickering Creek has miles of trails for exploration and enjoyment.

Pickering Creek’s Trails are open daily from 7am to 5pm during the winter months.  Guests are asked to carry masks and wear them when passing each other on trails, restrooms are not available at this time, so plan accordingly.  For all our guidelines please check:   https://pickering.audubon.org/visit/planning-visit 

ShoreRivers Seeking Riverkeeper for the Chester

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ShoreRivers seeks a Chester Riverkeeper to act as the lead advocate for the Chester River in our efforts to achieve healthy waterways across Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The Riverkeeper is the primary voice for the river and works through the core strategies of advocacy, enforcement, outreach, restoration, education, and water quality monitoring. The ideal candidate will be a driven, energetic, outgoing individual who is enthusiastic about the environment and the communities we serve.

The Chester Riverkeeper reports to the Director of Riverkeeper Programs and works primarily out of the Chestertown office. This is a full-time position; the employee must be flexible to work evenings and weekends and to travel when necessary. The applicant must be willing to live in the communities we serve. ShoreRivers offers a competitive benefits package and a salary range, based on experience.

Full job description is available at shorerivers.org/news//join-the-shorerivers-team-seeking-chester-riverkeeper.

Zoning Change Denied for Eastern Shore Salmon Farm

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A Norwegian company’s plans to bring land-based salmon farming to Maryland’s Eastern Shore hit a snag Thursday night when one of the sites it had chosen for raising the commercially valuable fish failed to gain needed local approval.

The Dorchester County Board of Appeals denied AquaCon Maryland LLC a special zoning exception that would have allowed it to build a massive indoor hatchery and fish grow-out facility on a defunct golf course bordering the Choptank River.

The board’s decision came at the end of a 3.5-hour meeting where neighboring residents and others suggested the industrial-scale aquaculture operation would be unsuitable in the still largely rural area just west of Cambridge. Some also voiced concerns that its wastewater discharges, though treated to a high level, might hurt the Choptank River’s water quality, undermining recent signs of improvement.

“Is there a better location?” Choptank Riverkeeper Matt Pluta asked at one point.

The 114-acre site, formerly home to the Cambridge Country Club, is one of four locations AquaCon has selected for its planned facilities on the Shore, each expected to produce up to 15,000 metric tons of salmon annually.

AquaCon had previously declared its plans to build a facility on the outskirts of Federalsburg, a small town in Caroline County on a tributary of the Nanticoke River. The other two sites are in Cambridge and Denton, also in Caroline County, company representatives told the board.

Ryan Showalter, an Easton lawyer representing AquaCon, said it is pursuing multiple sites at the same time with the intent to start construction next year on whichever one first receives regulatory approvals. AquaCon is one of several mostly European companies rushing to build land-based salmon farms in the United States that use new developments in recirculating aquaculture technology.

Showalter touted the economic benefits for largely rural Dorchester County, noting that the company plans to invest $300 million in each facility and that each would create 150 jobs, a number of them high-paying profession and technical positions.

“When constructed, this will be an industry-changing, world-leading facility,” he said.

Bob Rauch, the company’s Easton-based engineering consultant, stressed that each would be an “all-green” facility. Unlike most open-water salmon farming operations in Europe, these fish would be raised indoors in tanks, with nearly all of the water recirculated and filtered to remove waste. They would not be fed antibiotics or be at risk of escape into the wild, two issues with pen-reared fish.

Solar panels would be placed on the rooftop of the massive 27.5-acre buildings to help offset the facilities’ energy needs. The solid waste produced by raising 3 million fish a year would be converted to energy-generating biogas via anaerobic digestion.

Showalter acknowledged that the size of the building — the largest on the Shore — was daunting. But he said the company pledged to plant a thick buffer of trees around it that in about 12 years should have grown tall enough to hide it from view from the road or neighboring properties.

Several of those attending the meeting praised the company’s efforts to minimize environmental impacts, but they voiced concerns about the wastewater it would generate. The facility would use 70,000–80,000 gallons of groundwater daily and pump an equivalent amount of pretreated wastewater to Cambridge’s sewage treatment plant.

The proposed Dorchester facility would also have withdrawn up to 2.3 million gallons of water daily from the Choptank and discharged the same amount back into the river. That water would cycle through tanks where the salmon would be held just before being harvested so they can be purged of naturally occurring microbes that can give their flesh an unappetizing musty odor and taste.

Rauch said the Choptank water would be treated before being returned to the river, with the discharge meeting the state’s limits for nitrogen and phosphorus.

Tom Fisher, a professor at the Horn Point laboratory of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, which is next door to the proposed country club site, expressed some concerns about the potential impact on the lower Choptank. The river is suffering from excess nutrients from agricultural runoff and wastewater, but Fisher said it has shown water quality improvements recently in the wake of an upgrade of the treatment plant in Cambridge.

While the added wastewater coming from the municipal plant and the aquaculture facility’s direct discharge to the river would be treated to reduce nutrient levels, Fisher said he was concerned that the Choptank’s recovery might be undermined by the amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus remaining in those additional discharges.

“Even if there’s a tiny concentration of something in that water, it’s going to contribute to the impairment,” warned Fred Pomeroy of Dorchester Citizens for Planned Growth.

Pomeroy suggested the company focus first on developing its site in Cambridge, which has industrial land in need of redevelopment. Showalter, the company lawyer, said the city site isn’t suitable at this time because it doesn’t have access to the Choptank for purge water. The company is working on a way to eliminate the musty odor in the fish without needing river water, but that’s not ready yet.

Alan Girard of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation questioned how the facility would manage the stormwater runoff coming off the 27.5-acre rooftop. Rauch said the company has at least at least three different approaches in mind, including possibly using the old golf course’s irrigation system to cycle the runoff back into the ground. That portion of the property borders the river, though, where land use is strictly controlled by the state’s Critical Area law, and company representatives said they were still working out how to meet those requirements.

County appeals board members voiced some doubts about the stormwater and the municipal treatment plant’s ability to handle the aquaculture facility’s wastewater, even though company representatives said it had ample capacity to do so.

In the end, though, the appeals board decision seemed influenced most heavily by nearby residents’ complaints about the impacts on their quality of life of such an operation.

“It’s quiet, it’s peaceful, and that’s the way we’d like to keep it,” said David Rineholt, who said he and his wife Kathleen had built a home next to the old country club 25 years ago.

The site is accessed by a narrow two-lane road, which company representatives acknowledged might need some upgrading to handle 30-35 trucks per week. Otherwise, they said, the traffic generated by the 150-person workforce would be roughly equivalent to what the country club had experienced.

“It will tax traffic,” said board member Charles Dayton, Jr., a sentiment echoed by the rest of the board.

He and a couple of other board members seemed to suggest they might reach a different conclusion if presented with additional information and studies to address concerns raised at the meeting.

Afterward, though, AquaCon representatives indicated they wouldn’t try to win the board over but instead focus on getting regulatory approvals to go forward in Federalsburg and Denton.

“We have other sites,” said Showalter. “We redirect.”

By Timothy B. Wheeler

2021 Trapping Areas Open for Bids at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge will offer furbearer trapping rights on a sealed bid basis for the 2021 season.

Fifteen trapping units will be available.  An individual may bid on one or more units, but only two units will be awarded to any bidder.  The successful bidder must personally trap the unit; subleasing is prohibited. Bid invitations, maps, and other details are available by calling Matt Whitbeck, wildlife biologist, at 410-221-2034. Inspection of the units will be allowed from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., December 1-3 and 7-10, 2020, with a scouting permit.

Bids must be received at the refuge office by 5:00 pm on December 16, 2020. Due to concerns related to Covid-19, there will not be a public bid opening this year. Refuge staff will open the bids and successful bidders will be notified by mail. The Refuge must receive full payment on or before December 30, 2020 for successful bidders to receive their permit.

Trapping for muskrat, nutria, raccoon, fox, skunk, and opossum will begin on January 1, 2021, and end on March 15, 2021, unless extensions have been made by both the state and the refuge.

Trapping on Blackwater NWR is a management activity designed to control the population levels of furbearers as well as provide an economic benefit to local trappers.  Uncontrolled muskrat and nutria populations can seriously damage marsh vegetation, which is vital to waterfowl, other migratory birds, and the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, protects over 29,000 acres of rich tidal marsh, mixed hardwoods and pine forest, managed freshwater wetlands and cropland for a diversity of wildlife.  To learn more, visit our website at www.fws.gov/refuge/blackwater or follow us on Facebook @BlackwaterNWR. 

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov. 

Oyster Farming in Maryland Might Get Harder

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DNR to propose rule that could reduce areas for aquaculture leasing

The Hogan administration is moving to block Maryland oyster farmers from leasing spots in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries where there’s still a smattering of wild oysters — a step that aquaculture advocates warn will stifle the state’s small but growing industry.

The Department of Natural Resources has announced that it plans to propose a regulation that would enable it to deny a lease application wherever it finds even a very low density of wild oysters on the bottom or when “physical, biological and economic conditions” warrant reserving the area for the public fishery.

The move comes in response to complaints from watermen, who contend that their livelihoods are threatened by having any more potentially productive oystering areas leased to private shellfish cultivation.

“We’ve given up enough bottom already,” Queen Anne’s County waterman Troy Wilkins said at a recent virtual meeting of the DNR Oyster Advisory Commission.

Watermen have long chafed over the state’s move a decade ago to greatly expand its oyster sanctuaries, which put some reefs off-limits to wild harvest. They also have repeatedly protested aquaculture lease applications, citing potential conflicts with crabbing or wild oyster harvests.

DNR officials say they want to establish a process for creating or expanding Public Shellfish Fishery Areas, which are reserved exclusively for wild harvest.

“There are occasions — and they’re rare — when a lease application comes forward, and there are populations of oysters [there that] the fishery has been working on or could be working on,” said Chris Judy, director of the DNR shellfish program.

But oyster farmers contend that the DNR has already been withholding approval or forcing changes to some lease applications when watermen or others object. The rule will only make it easier, they say, for watermen to block them from leasing good spots for cultivating shellfish.

“This is basically a big land grab to the detriment of aquaculture,” said Tal Petty, owner of Hollywood Oyster Co. in St. Mary’s County, where he raises bivalves in cages in a creek off the Patuxent River.

There are already 180,000 acres of the Bay and its tributaries that since 2009 have been officially designated as Public Shellfish Fishery Areas. There are another 110,000 acres that are unclassified but still open to wild harvest.

In comparison, about 325 leases encompassing about 6,500 acres have been issued over the past decade, according to the DNR. A few are used for raising clams or scallops, but the vast majority is for farming oysters. There are about 100 applications pending with the DNR seeking to lease another 2,000 acres. Protests have been filed against awarding about 15 of those pending leases.

Petty, a board member of the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association, said the rule would severely limit the state’s aquaculture industry, which has grown since 2010 and produced about 60,000 bushels of oysters in 2019, according to DNR figures. The wild harvest during the 2018-2019 season was 145,000 bushels, though it nearly doubled in the most recent season ending in March.

“The tragedy is that Maryland is about to significantly reduce the leasable area for aquaculture, using nonscientific methods and measures,” Petty said.

Oyster density debate

DNR officials say they’re not expecting to create vast new areas off-limits to aquaculture but want to correct a regulatory imbalance. Under current rules, oyster farmers may petition to declassify a Public Shellfish Fishery Area so that it can be leased, but there is no comparable procedure for creating new or expanding one.

Judy said the DNR was considering denying a lease application if a survey it conducts finds as few as 5 wild oysters per square meter on the bottom. But watermen have insisted that the threshold for denying a lease be set even lower, to block a lease for a site if there is even one oyster per square meter on the bottom.

Some watermen who use power dredges or patent tongs to harvest oysters contend they can get their limit of 10 to 24 bushels per day, depending on the number of license holders on a boat, even if there are fewer than 5 oysters per square meter on the bottom.

“If you give me 2 or 3 oysters a meter, I’ll put a deck-load on my skipjack,” said Russell Dize, a skipjack captain from Tilghman. Skipjacks, which use sail or motor power to haul dredges, are allowed to harvest up to 100 bushels a day.

Watermen also complain that letting oyster farmers lease areas that already have some wild oysters effectively gives them a windfall, allowing them to make some quick money harvesting and selling those bivalves. But oyster farmers point out that they’re required by state regulations to plant and cultivate far more oysters in the leased area, which requires substantial investment up front in gear and supplies. It takes at least two to three years before they realize any income from raising those planted oysters large enough to harvest.

Two DNR advisory panels dominated by watermen and their supporters have voted to endorse the watermen’s position that leases should be denied if there is even one wild oyster per square meter on the bottom. An aquaculture advisory commission urged the department to set the lease denial threshold much higher, at 25 oysters per square meter.

“It appears to be a one-sided proposal to increase the oyster harvest at the expense of restoration and aquaculture efforts that are helping to bring Maryland’s oysters back,” said Allison Colden, a fisheries scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Though outvoted, several members of the DNR Oyster Advisory Commission argued that the DNR should hold off on the rule and include it as part of a broader effort by the commission to forge a consensus among watermen, oyster farmers and environmentalists over how the state’s oysters ought to be managed.

Tom Miller, director of the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, questioned the scientific basis for the rule. Miller, a fisheries scientist, said it’s the DNR’s purview to decide where to allow commercial harvest, but he said research shows that oyster populations need to be much denser than even 5 oysters per square meter to be likely to reproduce successfully and sustain themselves.

Ann Swanson, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, pointed out that experts working to restore the Bay’s severely diminished oyster habitat only consider a reef capable of sustaining itself when it has at least 50 oysters per square meter of varying ages and sizes covering at least 30% of its surface.

Long history of friction

The friction between watermen and oyster farmers in Maryland has a long history.

“Watermen have wanted all of the Bay bottom from the time the first lease law was passed in 1830,” said Don Webster, a Maryland Sea Grant aquaculture specialist and advocate for the industry.

Watermen, who once wielded considerable political clout, succeeded in getting laws passed that from the early 1900s until the early 2000s severely restricted leasing. All a waterman had to do to block a lease then was to swear that he had harvested oysters there sometime in the previous five years.

That changed in 2010, with the passage of a new law that made large areas available for leasing. The Bay’s oyster population had been decimated by then by diseases, overharvesting and habitat loss. A study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimated that there were only 36,000 acres of productive oyster habitat left in Maryland’s portion of the Bay.

State lawmakers decided it was time to encourage aquaculture to take harvest pressure off the struggling oyster population, and they also expanded Maryland’s network of oyster sanctuaries, which now cover about 250,000 acres. Watermen have since complained that the expansion took away many productive harvest areas. Though some may have once brimmed with oysters, a review of DNR data show that only about 10% of the state’s overall wild harvest came from those new sanctuaries in the year before they were set aside.

At the same time it moved to boost aquaculture and enlarge sanctuaries, the DNR also established Public Shellfish Fishery Areas that would be reserved for wild harvest. Those areas encompassed three-quarters of the remaining productive oyster habitat, according to a DNR report.

While harvests have rebounded some in the past decade, they remain well below their historic level, and watermen have pressed to get at least some of the sanctuaries reopened. The DNR in the Hogan administration attempted to do that but was blocked by the legislature amid an outcry from environmentalists.

Oyster farmers say the DNR has been conferring for a year or two with watermen and advocates for waterfront property owners to address their complaints about aquaculture. Meanwhile, they say they have had a harder time getting leases when watermen or property owners object.

JD Blackwell sorts through baby oysters at his aquaculture operation on the Potomac River is St. Mary’s County. Photo by Dave Harp

“DNR has decided to kill oyster aquaculture,” contended JD Blackwell, an oyster farmer who leases sites in St. Mary’s County. “The excitement that existed in 2011 and 2012 to give birth to a new industry is gone. Oyster aquaculture will wither and die from this point forward. Opportunity missed.”

Critics of the rule also say it’s self-defeating for watermen, because a growing number of them are getting into aquaculture to supplement or replace wild harvests.

One of those is Rachel Dean, a Calvert County waterwoman. She applied more than three years ago to lease 26 acres in the Patuxent River to raise oysters on the bottom. At least one waterman and a homeowner objected, she recalled. And when the DNR sampled the bottom there, it found “at least some” oysters on half of the proposed lease site, with an overall density of about 2 bivalves per square meter, according to a 2019 DNR memo.

The memo, signed by the DNR’s Chris Judy, proposed roughly halving the size of the lease to exclude what it called a “functional oyster bar.” Dean said the reduction would diminish the viability of the site for raising oysters, so they resisted it. The application remains on hold, and Dean said the department has not responded when she has asked whether it was formally denying the application.

Neither Judy nor Karl Roscher, head of the DNR’s aquaculture division, responded to requests for interviews or information.

“We’ve got to find a balance,” Dean said, between oyster farming and the wild fishery. “If this regulation goes through,” she added, “there will be no more bottom leases.”

By Timothy B. Wheeler

Be Inspired by ShoreRivers Wild & Scenic Film Festival

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ShoreRivers will host the 11th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Friday, November 20, starting at 7 PM. Things will look a bit different this year, with hundreds of passionate environmental advocates gathering virtually to enjoy a carefully curated slate of international, award-winning films through an online platform. General admission tickets are FREE this year, but additional paid ticket levels include exciting raffle chances. If you are unable to attend the live event, the films will be available to all registrants On Demand from November 21-25, so register now at shorerivers.org/events.

A Living River is a feature film that follows the Hudson Riverkeeper and other scientists dedicated to protecting the biologically diverse Hudson River.

ShoreRivers joins over 250 organizations across the country to showcase a suite of captivating films that inform and inspire a deep connection to the environment. The diverse film lineup is rooted in both environmental activism and an enduring love of nature. All across the world, fantastic stories of conservation and hope go largely unnoticed, and events like this capture these unique stories and spread them far and wide. Listen to them, remember them, and leave with a renewed hope and sense of wonder.

Especially exciting this year is the addition of exclusive interviews from some of the filmmakers themselves. Gain an inside look into the minds of the filmmakers, what they learned, and what motivated and inspired them to pursue these fascinating projects. We are also offering three ticket levels that include a raffle entry. Cool prizes include ShoreRivers swag, beautiful oyster necklaces from A Happy Place in downtown Easton, and special gear from the Wild & Scenic National Sponsors Klean Kanteen and Peak Design. Prizes are valued at over $400.

This year’s incredible new offerings include A Living River, a feature film that follows the Hudson Riverkeeper and other scientists dedicated to protecting the biologically diverse Hudson River. Despite its polluted reputation, the Hudson River is teeming with life. Environmental organizations use lessons learned from the river’s past as a bustling commercial fishery to its present as an ecosystem in recovery as a pathway to protect its future.

Also showing will be Sounds of Survival, a beautiful film about the mystery, excitement, and adventure deep in the Honduran rainforests. Here is a delightful portrait of the process of scientific discovery and an inspiring example of the power of sound as a conservation tool.

This event is made possible by the leadership generosity of event sponsors: Truist Bank, Ecoprint, Gunther McClary Real Estate, Gillespie Precast, KELLY Integral Solutions LLC, Wye Gardens LLC, ThinkMakeBuild, and other community sponsors.

The Guardian Elephant Warriors tells the story of the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, the first ever community-owned and run elephant sanctuary in Africa.

Proceeds from the evening benefit the important advocacy, education, and restoration initiatives of ShoreRivers that result in pollution reduction year after year. Throughout the year, ShoreRivers’ remarkable Riverkeepers speak for the rivers at local, state, and regional levels to ensure representatives are informed with the latest science, trends, and recommendations. Outstanding education programs prepare2,600 9th graders in four counties and 2,100 elementary school students in two counties to become the next generation of environmental stewards. And the organization has installed restoration works on the large and small scales through thousand-acre farm projects as well as individual River-Friendly Yard upgrades.

Although this is a different experience from years past, ShoreRivers hopes you will join this thrilling cinematic journey as the organization’s mission for clean water remains steadfast. This will be an evening full of laughter and excitement, leaving viewers with the desire to make a positive difference for our beautiful rivers. The last few months have been difficult, and ShoreRivers is excited to have the chance to once more connect with communities.

For more information, contact Connor Liu at cliu@shorerivers.org. Visit shorerivers.org/events to register or become a sponsor.

ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education.

shorerivers.org

Hogan Signs Regional Compact to Promote Offshore Wind — But Md. Projects Move Slowly

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The headline news is that the governors of Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia signed a compact on Thursday to collaborate and advance offshore wind projects and to promote the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast as hubs for the industry.

In reality, it’s another twist in the tortured debate over bringing wind turbines to Maryland’s waters.

The announcement by Maryland Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) of his pact with Virginia Gov. Ralph S. Northam (D) and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) was pure Hogan, on-brand with his oft-repeated message of bipartisanship and collaboration.

“Maryland has been leading the charge when it comes to real, bipartisan, common sense solutions and we are proud to continue setting an example for the nation of bold environmental leadership,” Hogan said in his statement. “Joining this multi-state partnership to expand offshore wind development will further our strong record of supporting responsible energy projects that provide jobs, clean air benefits, and energy independence.”

Creation of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Regional Transformative Partnership for Offshore Wind Energy Resources (SMART-POWER) provides a framework for the three states to cooperatively promote, develop and expand offshore wind by removing regulatory burdens and providing economic incentives for the industry and related construction and supply operations.

It’s a nod to the potential of offshore wind energy at a time when states are scrambling for economic rejuvenation and job growth and are feeling intense pressure to address climate change.

“Harnessing the power of offshore wind is key to meeting the urgency of the climate crisis and achieving 100% clean energy by 2050,” Northam said.

The governors cited a U.S. Department of Energy study estimating that Atlantic Coast offshore wind projects could support up to 86,000 jobs, $57 billion in investments, and provide up to $25 billion in economic output by 2030. Virginia leaders in particular have aggressively promoted offshore wind in recent years, and the state’s largest power company, Dominion Energy, signaled this year that it plans to put more resources into developing its clean energy portfolio.

In a statement, the Sierra Club hailed the agreement.

“This partnership between Mid-Atlantic States is only the start of unlocking the region’s massive potential for clean affordable offshore wind energy,” said David Smedick, the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal senior campaign representative. “The region must move quickly to attract investment in this burgeoning industry and help ensure we bring clean energy and family-sustaining, union jobs to Maryland.”

But Hogan’s own record and rhetoric on two long-proposed offshore wind projects off the coast of Ocean City have been decidedly mixed — and some environmental groups have grumbled for years that he and his administration could be doing more to promote offshore wind. A year ago, when the Maryland Department of Environment issued a detailed draft proposal about how the state would reduce greenhouse emissions, environmentalists and their allies in the General Assembly argued that offshore wind notably received short shrift — a contention that state Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles pushed back on.

Maryland has two offshore wind projects under review by the U.S. Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The Skipjack Wind Farm Project, to be built by Ørsted Offshore North American, is set to be located 19.5 miles off the coast of the northern part of Ocean City and adjoining Delaware beach towns.

Also under consideration is the MarWin Wind Farm project, which would be situated roughly 17 miles off the Ocean City coast, proposed by U.S. Wind.

Both projects were enabled by the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013, which was heavily promoted by then-Gov. Martin J. O’Malley (D) and passed by the Democratic supermajorities in the General Assembly after a years-long legislative fight. But after receiving approval from the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) in 2017, the wind projects have proceeded at a sluggish pace — and amid increasing vocal opposition from political and business leaders in Ocean City, Maryland’s No. 1 tourist town.

Ocean City hired Bruce C. Bereano — arguably the most enthusiastic Hogan supporter in the Annapolis lobbying corps — to try to derail the proposals or push them farther offshore, and hired Timothy F. Maloney, a former state lawmaker and close Hogan friend, for some legal work related to the wind turbines, even though Maloney had no prior experience arguing cases before the PSC.

In the past year, Ørsted has had to fend off a challenge in the PSC after the company announced that it would be using larger turbines than it had originally said it would — to meet changing standards in the industry. The PSC, whose commissioners all have been appointed by Hogan, could have simply noted the change but instead initiated a lengthy hearing process to gauge community opinion — a process endorsed by the Hogan-controlled Maryland Energy Administration.

In August, the PSC signed off on Ørsted’s bigger turbines, at the MEA’s recommendation. But the PSC proceeding may have delayed the project’s completion by almost a year.

Without knowing how long the federal regulatory process will take — and the outcome of the presidential election could make a difference — both Ørsted and U.S. Wind said they hope to turn the turbines on in 2023, which seems like an optimistic estimate.

Both Ørsted and U.S. Wind issued statements Thursday that applauded the three-state wind energy compact.

Brady Walker, Ørsted’s Mid-Atlantic manager, hailed the governors’ “forward-thinking approach,” and said the company is “excited to engage with their effort to grow this new American industry.”

Salvo Vitale, the U.S. Wind country manager, said the agreement will be good for both Maryland and the region.

“We believe this strategic multi-state partnership will be critical leverage right now as many regions compete to attract the larger economic development that comes with the full offshore wind manufacturing supply-chain,” he said. “Locally based supply chain options will bring cost savings to Maryland rate-payers as we expand offshore wind development. We stand ready to be a creative and dynamic partner, with global expertise, as we work together to meet Maryland’s renewable energy goals, while creating high-quality jobs and driving significant local investment in the Baltimore area and across Maryland.”

Notably, neither company said Thursday’s announcement would improve the prospects for their projects in Maryland’s waters.

By Josh Kurtz

Hands-On Outdoor Fall Fun this Thanksgiving

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Pickering Creek Audubon Center’s EcoCamp Fall Adventures, an off-shoot of the successful summer EcoCamp, is now available for use over the Thanksgiving holiday and beyond. Adventure kits include all the supplies you’ll need to explore, create, and learn in nature, with both indoor and outdoor activities designed to deepen you and your student’s understanding of science while strengthening their connection with the natural world.

The EcoCamp Fall Adventure kit is a great way for your family to come together this Thanksgiving. Hit the trails at Pickering Creek and use the included activity guide and supplies to discover all that the outdoors have to offer. Work together to complete a Fall scavenger hunt, search under fallen logs for hidden insects, and learn what you can do at home to help local wildlife and habitats. It’s the perfect way to keep busy over the holiday weekend while school is on break, while spending time together as a family and learning about nature!

If you are travelling for Thanksgiving or don’t live near the Center, EcoCamp Fall Adventures flexible formatting allows families to adapt to their own schedules and locations, any nearby nature space will work, including your backyard or local greenspace.  The wide range of activities included helps each family engage with nature on their terms. It’s a great way for kids, parents and grandparents to have fun in this November while connecting with the natural world. This program is designed to get kids outdoors for discovery in your own backyard, with adventures in learning that inspire a life-long curiosity in nature and science.  Our fun, time-tested camp programs, adapted for your neighborhood, spark curiosity and sharpen thinking skills through experimentation, exploration, art, community science and sharing our findings.  

EcoCamp Fall Adventures activities are designed so that most campers can complete them on their own, however taking on the program as a family activity can be very rewarding and is welcome.

Your kit contains an EcoCamp drawstring bag to keep your camper’s exploration supplies together, plus a wood cookie necklace for their nature names and containers for scooping, collecting, and earth moving. Additional supplies might include outdoor equipment (i.e. bug nets, kids binoculars), experimental setups (i.e. pipettes, test tubes), and crafts (i.e. pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks).

Visit https://pickering.audubon.org/programs/ecocamp-adventures for more information and to register.  The registration deadline is November 15, pickup of kits will be November 20th.

Covid-19 Restrictions Led to Drop in Maryland’s Air Pollution

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In the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, as stay-at-home orders took effect and more commuters worked from home or lost their jobs, air pollution dropped markedly in Maryland, according to a recent report from the University of Maryland and the state’s Department of the Environment.

Levels of noxious pollutants were markedly lower: nitrogen oxide decreased around 15 percent, and carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide by 30 percent each from roughly mid-February to late May following plummets in traffic due to Gov. Larry Hogan’s stay-at-home orders, joblessness, an increase in telework and closed school buildings.

Traffic also decreased — registering between 50 and 80 percent fewer Vehicle Miles Travelled according to preliminary data — since the early weeks of the pandemic in Maryland, according to the study.

A pollutant called “black carbon” — tied largely to diesel fuel — decreased 30 percent during a two-month period, though data indicated that truck traffic decreased less than from other vehicles.

The state’s environment department, working closely with the University of Maryland, NASA and other government agencies and university researchers, used satellites, air samples from airplanes, roadside monitoring and traffic data to calculate the effects of the pandemic on the state’s air quality.  Much of the data was collected from mid- to late-March through late May.

Researchers took into account pollution decreases that would normally occur with changes in weather, established teleworking and commuting trends and other expected changes to determine what was likely a result of the pandemic.

The significant decreases in air pollution are not surprising, according to Maryland Secretary of the Environment Ben Grumbles, as traffic on I-95 alone was down 50 percent at the beginning of March.

Now, as COVID restrictions are gradually being lifted, the main issue is how this reduction in air pollution is maintained when today’s “stay-at-home” reality moves into the past.

Grumbles, in an interview late last month with Capital News Service, pinpointed two key measures to keep air pollution at a reasonable minimum: teleworking and wide support for zero emissions vehicles.

Making teleworking more common and a routine in people’s lives is a way to maintain at least part of this drop, according to Grumbles.

“(C)ommon sense efforts to expand telework policies could generate significant reductions in (greenhouse gas) emissions,” the researchers found.

There is no denying the decrease in greenhouse gas emissions was a direct effect of people staying at home and traveling less, so teleworking is “the wave of the future,” Grumbles said.

The pandemic has created a stronger argument in favor of more zero-emissions vehicles in Maryland.

Currently there are around 26,000 zero-emissions vehicles in Maryland, according to the Maryland Department of Environment website.

Maryland has a goal to reach 300,000 electric vehicles by 2025 to have a substantial impact on the environment, Grumbles said.

Maryland and other states signed on to adhere to these principles. Northeastern states also partnered to create an action plan and set specific goals for zero-emissions vehicles.

“This is an audacious and ambitious goal but it is an excellent goal. However, we need game-changers to help with this,” said Grumbles.

Air pollution is especially relevant in a pandemic where the virus is usually evident as a respiratory infection.

Public transportation and investment in this sector will be one way to achieve lower air pollution levels, according to Director of Environment Maryland Kate Breiman, who said people need to find a greener way to get around.

The Hogan administration has looked to invest in not just green cars, but more environmentally friendly buses and trucks. In July, Maryland and 15 other states signed an agreement to increase the number of zero-emissions vehicles on the roads, according to the director of the Maryland Department of Environment’s Air and Radiation Management Administration Tad Aburn.

A combination of long-term solutions is key to maintaining the reductions seen in 2020, Aburn said.

By Rachel Clair

Research Team Receives $1.4 Million to Predict How the Environment Impacts Human Behavior

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University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Horn Point Laboratory Professor Raleigh Hood and a group of researchers from 3 other institutions throughout the United States have been awarded a $1.4 million grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF).  The 4-year project will develop a coupled modeling system to represent and simulate the complex interrelationships between humans and the environment.  Solving human issues depends, to a great extent, on understanding the interdependence of humans and the environment.

We have a much greater understanding about how the environment responds to human decisions than about how humans respond to a changing environment and how these responses drive decision-making.  Human behaviors drive changes in transportation, land use, water quality, and ultimately living resources, such as fish habitat and seagrass growth.  To date, we do not have the ability to predict how human-induced changes in the environment feed back and impact humans.  “Computer simulation modeling is a powerful tool that allows us to predict how humans are impacting Chesapeake Bay water quality both now and far into the future,” shared Dr. Hood.

Coupled modeling allows us to predict the effect of two subjects on one another and an overall system.  This project will develop a coupled modeling system that is capable of representing and simulating the complex interrelationships among socio-economic activity, transportation, land use, land cover, and water quality with two-way feedbacks between humans and the environment.  “We currently have the computational tools we need to predict how human-induced nutrient pollution impacts water quality and living resources in Chesapeake Bay.  The revolutionary thing about this project is that it will develop new tools that allow us to predict how degraded water quality impacts human decisions and actions aimed at restoring Chesapeake Bay,” said Hood.

Horn Point Laboratory Professor Raleigh Hood

Hood and his team will use this modeling system to predict how socio-economic changes and policy decisions in the Chesapeake Bay watershed impact water quality. And, how changes in water quality, such as changes in the size of “dead zones”, in the Chesapeake Bay influence human behavior and decision-making.  These predictions will be based on examination of multiple plausible future scenarios that build on various realizations of land uses, including smart growth versus business as usual, in the context of climate change.  Examination of several scenarios will allow the team to determine how environmental degradation can potentially impact different communities and how they can drive different policies and actions for land use, transportation, and land cover.  All of the scenarios will be run in the context of climate change to account for impacts on future efforts to restore Chesapeake Bay.

Humans have impacted water quality and living resources across the country, what is learned in this project will be applicable to other regions.  Hood summarized the project by stating, “This effort will bring together academic scientists and managers to create new, state of the art computational tools that will help us restore Chesapeake Bay.”

The Horn Point Laboratory, located on more than 800 acres on the banks of the Choptank River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, has advanced society’s understanding of the world’s estuarine and ocean ecosystems. Horn Point scientists are widely respected for their interdisciplinary programs in oceanography, water quality, restoration of sea grasses, marshes and shellfish and for expertise in ecosystem modeling. With ongoing research programs spanning from the estuarine waters of the Chesapeake Bay to the open waters of the world’s oceans, Horn Point is a national leader in applying environmental research and discovery to solve society’s most pressing environmental problems.

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

A globally eminent research and graduate institution focused on advancing scientific knowledge of the environment, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science provides sound advice to help state and national leaders manage the environment and prepares future scientists to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. www.umces.edu