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December 1, 2023

Talbot Spy

Nonpartisan Education-based News for Talbot County Community

Point of View Letters to Editor

Letter to Editor: Coast Guard Commander on Eastern Shore Protection

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In February the Coast Guard boat stations along the Eastern Shore was publicized and a 60-day comment period was opened in the Federal Register to hear from concerned citizens. Over the last week, we have seen an increase in comments regarding this plan to consolidate resources in Oxford to Annapolis and St. Inigoes. Given our enduring ties to the Eastern Shore, I wanted to address some of the comments we have heard from the community thus far.

The Coast Guard is committed to protecting the Eastern Shore and serving its residents and visitors. We are committed to taking a methodical, fact-based approach before making any decisions that also considers the needs and opinions of the community. We have completed several studies, engaged the local community, and will continue to do so.

I would like to immediately dispel any belief that this resource decision means the Coast Guard is leaving the Eastern Shore. We will be there. Our Coast Guardsmen at Station Annapolis will be present in the waters surrounding Oxford, up the Choptank and Tred Avon Rivers. We will continue educating mariners on the water about boating safety. We will be standing by during the major marine events that draw in participants from around the country. We are listening for those in distress, and we stand ready to launch alongside our many nearby port partners.

As a waterside community you all know that even the closest resource is not as reliable as maintaining personal safety equipment like lifejackets, distress signals, fire extinguishers, and marine radios when recreating on the water. Please make sure you, your family and friends have the right equipment before heading out to enjoy the Bay.

Sincerely,
Joseph B. Loring, CAPT, USCG
Commander, Sector Maryland-NCR

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Talbot Council, Congressmen Join Opposition to Coast Guard Closure

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The county council voted unanimously Tuesday evening to send a letter opposing the proposed closure of the U.S. Coast Guard station in Oxford. Maryland’s two U.S. senators and First District Congressman Andy Harris also are opposing the closure.

The letters from the county council and the congressmen were among 102 comments received by the Coast Guard, with many of those writing in opposition to the closure of the Oxford station.

The station is among five being considered for closure, according to a notice in the Federal Register seeking comment. The notice was published in mid-February, but only recently came to the public’s attention, just days before a midnight Tuesday deadline for comments.

A 2017 GAO report said the Coast Guard, in 2013, had identified 18 stations that could be permanently closed without negatively affecting the agency’s 2-hour response standard for search and rescue missions. In its Federal Register notice, the Coast Guard said it was planning to close five stations.

According to the report, the FY2015 operating cost for the Oxford station was a little more than $1 million. Crews there responded to 117 search and rescue missions between 2010 and 2016, about 17 annually. Of those 117 missions, eight were during winter months.

The Talbot County Council, in its submitted comment, said, “Station Oxford is necessary to provide security of the public health and safety and emergency assistance.”

The council, in a letter signed by Council President Corey Pack, wrote, in part:

“.. (T)he closing of Station Oxford would be detrimental to the safety of boaters on the Eastern Shore. Station Oxford plays a pivotal role in the safety of boaters along the waterways from northern Tilghman Island to the Little Choptank River on the eastern side of the Chesapeake Bay, and also over to Chesapeake Beach and south to Calvert Cliffs on the western side.

“Station Oxford provides timely response to any emergency on the water and plays a critical role in educating the public on boater safety. If Station Oxford is closed, the next closest station to most of the areas Station Oxford serves is Station Annapolis. This is a major concern.

Map Data © 2020 Google

“Station Annapolis is 32 nautical miles from Oxford, 25 nautical miles from St. Michaels, 45 nautical miles from Solomons, 80 nautical miles from Crisfield, and 48 nautical miles from Cambridge. In addition to the distance, Station Annapolis requires the responding crew to travel across the entire Chesapeake Bay, which can be treacherous at times and require slower boat speeds, resulting in an increased response time.

“A response time of greater than an hour is concerning. It is even more concerning when you consider that hypothermia can set in within 45 minutes. Talbot County has more licensed watermen than any other jurisdiction in Maryland, many of whom work in one fishery or another nearly year round, and the loss of a nearby USCG station in Oxford will mean that their lives will be in greater peril.

“The Eastern Shore is also known for waterfowl hunting during the winter months. Hunters routinely take out large groups on guided boat hunts during the winter. If a guided tour experienced an emergency on the water, the response time would be crucial to the group’s survival. Relying on a boat from Annapolis, in poor winter weather, could easily result in tragedy.”

Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, both Democrats, and Rep. Andy Harris, a Republican, also urged the Coast Guard to take the Oxford station off the chopping block.

They wrote, in part:

“Station Oxford is the only U.S. Coast Guard site in the Eastern Shore of Maryland, a region that consists of nine counties and makes up more than a third of the total land area of the State. We fear that the loss of the facility in Oxford would drastically increase emergency response times with the effect of undermining the region’s safety and security.

“The Eastern Shore is a vast geographic region that includes the waterways of the Chesapeake Bay, Choptank River, and Little Choptank River. Economically, the area and its waterways form one of the most critical seafood harvesting grounds in the state. In its large geographic jurisdiction are the active Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant as well as the Cove Point Liquefied Natural Gas export facility, two key national security assets. Moreover, these waters are part of the Intracoastal Waterway that vessels use for transit along the length of the East Coast of the continental United States. Thousands of watermen work and travel along the waterways, even in cold water and inclement weather. The individuals who work in this and other industries on the water will at times require assistance in a time of emergency.

“Station Oxford is all the more essential for meeting the unique security and safety needs of the Eastern Shore given that it is the only U.S. Coast Guard facility in this extensive region. Manned by approximately 20 U.S. Coast Guard personnel, Station Oxford provides critical emergency response in a timely manner that is not likely to be maintained if it were to close. Indeed, many of the public safety agencies in the area simply do not have the boats and other resources necessary for responding to emergencies on the waterways. There is no alternative facility that can meet the needs of the Eastern Shore. …

“Two other government agencies share the site with the U.S. Coast Guard: (1) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Service’s (NCCOS) Cooperative Oxford Laboratory and (2) Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This cohabitation of three agencies on one site has created longstanding partnerships while also allowing for greater utilization of the unique resources of the U.S. Coast Guard by state and local entities. Yet while both NOAA and DNR also provide important functions, they cannot be a substitute for Station Oxford, whose public servants stand ready to respond to emergencies 24/7 all year round. Their commitment to serving the needs of the Eastern Shore was only underscored when, during the 35-day federal government shutdown of 2018-2019, the men and women of Station Oxford continued to work even as they went unpaid and the NOAA and DNR facilities were vacant.”

The other stations being considered for closure and consolidation with neighboring stations are Fishers Island, N.Y., Salem, N.J., Shark River, N.J., and Roosevelt Inlet, Lewes, Del.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Let’s Keep the Oxford Coast Guard Station by Kristen Greenaway

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On behalf of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, St. Michaels, MD, I submit in opposition to USCG-2020-0042 titled “Consolidation of Redundant Coast Guard Boat Stations,” which proposes to consolidate and shut down U.S. Coast Guard Station Oxford, located in Oxford, MD (“Station Oxford”). CBMM appreciates the opportunity to submit comments in opposition to USCG-2020-0042, and implores that you consider the impact that USCG-2020-0042 would have on the Eastern Shore.

CBMM believes the closure decision would be detrimental to all Eastern Shore residents, and the safety of CBMM’s own on-the-water programming. A nearby Coast Guard station means greater safety on the water. Since CBMM operates vessels with thousands of museum guests and K-12 school children on field trips on waters near this Coast Guard station, safety is diminished if Oxford Station is closed, and the next nearest station has a longer run to reach us.

Currently, the next closest station is Annapolis. When CBMM operates on the Miles River, the Annapolis and Oxford stations are roughly equidistant. But response times from Annapolis are much slower if the Bay crossing is dangerous.

When CBMM is operating on the Choptank, such as during the Oxford log canoe races or the Cambridge skipjack race, the Coast Guard in Annapolis will have a much longer response time. We have often seen Station Oxford visibly present for the Oxford regatta, and we appreciate them–and we have repeatedly said so to the young Coasties. Their visible presence tempers the behavior of other boaters.

CBMM appreciates your consideration of this opposition to the consolidation of Station Oxford. CBMM hopes that the very serious issue of boater safety–for people of all ages–will cause you to reconsider the consolidation of Oxford Station. Closure of Oxford Station would be extremely detrimental to the health and safety of the entire marine community on the Eastern Shore, and particularly the public programming offered by CBMM, which is essential to CBMM’s mission.

Kristen Greenaway is the president of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Coast Guard Proposes Closing Oxford Station

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The U.S. Coast Guard station in Oxford is one of five being considered for closure and consolidation with other sites.

The potential closure was listed earlier this year in a Federal Register notice, where comments may be submitted online until midnight Tuesday, April 14.

The proposal has drawn opposition from Oxford officials and business owners and area boaters.

The Commissioners of Oxford, in a comment submitted by Town Administrator Cheryl Lewis, wrote “the closing of Station Oxford would be detrimental to the safety of Oxford residents and visitors. Station Oxford plays a pivotal role in the safety of boaters along the waterways from northern Tilghman Island to the Little Choptank River on the eastern side of the Chesapeake Bay, and also over to Chesapeake Beach and south to Calvert Cliffs on the western side.

“Many jurisdictions within this area do not have fire or police departments with boats capable of responding to an emergency on the water, leaving Station Oxford and the Department of Natural Resources, which is oftentimes otherwise occupied with enforcement activities. The jurisdictions with fire departments that do have boats capable of responding to emergencies lack the manpower to operate the boats 24 hours a day and also lack the qualified personnel to make water rescues.

“Station Oxford provides timely response to any emergency on the water. If Station Oxford is closed, the next closest station is Station Annapolis. This is a major concern. Not only is Station Annapolis 32 nautical miles from Oxford, it also requires the travel across the entire Chesapeake Bay, which can be treacherous at times and require slower boat speeds, increasing the response time.

“Even more alarming is the distance from Station Annapolis to other local jurisdictions that Station Oxford covers, including Tilghman Island, Cambridge, Solomons Island, Poplar Island, and Dorchester County. Some of these locations are close to two hours away from Station Annapolis in response time.

“A nearly two-hour response time is concerning when you consider that hypothermia can set in within 45 minutes. While boating during the winter on cold water does not occur everywhere, the Eastern Shore is known for waterfowl hunting during the winter months. Hunters routinely take out large groups on guided boat hunts during the winter. If a guided tour experienced an emergency on the water, the response time would be crucial to the group’s survival. Relying on a boat from Annapolis, in poor winter weather, could easily result in tragedy.

“During peak boating season, 518 commercial boat slips in Oxford, and 35 boat slips that Town owns, are rented. Oxford is a waterman’s town with numerous water dependent marine and recreational boating businesses, including harbor or maritime facilities, marinas, boatyards, waterman operations, fishing charters, yacht charters, paddle boarding, tour boat operators, and aquaculture operations. Station Oxford is also essential in ensuring the safety of commercial crabbers and fishers, through educating them and enforcing the laws and regulations that protect them.

“In addition to the marine and recreational businesses, the Tred Avon Yacht Club, located in Oxford, sponsors regattas throughout the year that bring visitors to the area. These events include occasional regional events such as the annual US Sailing Junior Olympics Sailing Festival and the club’s largest annual regatta, the Oxford Regatta, that includes racing for PHRF, Log Canoes, Stars, Comets, Snipes, Penguins, Optis, Lasers and Club 420’s. In addition to the numerous boats that participate in these events, they also draw large crowds of spectator boats to the Tred Avon River. During these events, and events in neighboring jurisdictions, such as the Ironman events in Cambridge, Station Oxford monitors boat traffic, educates spectators, and provides emergency response.

“Although emergency response is the largest benefit Station Oxford brings to the community, it contributes much more. Station Oxford plays a significant role in educating the public on boater safety. We strongly feel that without the education aspect that Station Oxford offers, the risk to our marine community will greatly increase. The crew at Station Oxford focuses on maritime safety and protecting the local communities. The crew spends a lot of time during prime boating season educating boaters by boarding their boat to accomplish that mission.

“As an example, over Memorial Day weekend in 2019, Station Oxford conducted 44 recreational boater safety boardings to promote the message of boating safety. The Coast Guard is the only agency that provides the necessary boater education. The Department of Natural Resources does not have the time to board boats for the sole purpose of providing boater safety education. We believe that the education Station Oxford provides directly correlates to the limited number of emergencies on the water. Without the education, the number of accidents and emergencies on the water will likely increase and there will not be a local Coast Guard to respond.

“Ultimately, the closure of Station Oxford will cause an increase of emergencies and decreased response time, which is detrimental to the public health and safety.

“Aside from the safety Station Oxford provides on the water, it also provides security to the area where it is located. Station Oxford shares a campus with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”) at the end of South Morris Street called the “Cooperative Oxford Laboratory.” Unlike NOAA and DNR, Station Oxford is manned 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. During major weather events and similar emergencies, Station Oxford monitors the NOAA lab and DNR site and provides updates to the employees that work at both locations so that they may respond to the location if an emergency arises.

“During the 35-day government shutdown that started in December 2018, the crew at Station Oxford continued to operate their Station and kept a watch over the NOAA lab and DNR, which were both vacant during the shutdown. The loss of 24-hour security to NOAA or DNR would be detrimental.

“In addition to the safety aspects that Station Oxford provides, the 17 crew members at Station Oxford have become a part of the community. During the 35-day government shutdown, members of the local community banded together to provide the Station Oxford crew with food, gas cards, diapers, baby essentials, and funds to help them stay afloat financially. The crew has become a part of the community and the community members rely on the support they provide.

“The Town appreciates your consideration of this opposition to the consolidation of Station Oxford. The Town hopes that the very serious issue of boater safety will cause you to reconsider the consolidation of Station Oxford. We feel that a closure of Station Oxford would be extremely detrimental to the health and safety of the marine community on the Eastern Shore and strongly believe the closure of Station Oxford will have a negative impact to many jurisdictions but particularly to Oxford.”

Captain Tom Bixler, owner and operator of the Oxford Bellevue Ferry, the nation’s oldest privately operated ferry, had similar concerns. He wrote:

“The news of the Oxford Station being on the list for closure would be a terrible mistake and a hazard to the mid bay safety to the many recreational and commercial mariners who ply the waters daily. The current central location in this heavily utilized section of the bay lends great support to the overall safety of our area.

“While there are other assets available thru the Maryland DNR and local volunteer fire departments, they are not manned full time and of course it is well noted the volunteer departments are suffering from severe manpower shortages.

“All the well-known short comings contribute to the delayed response times, which may have catastrophic consequences. The distance to the Annapolis Boat Station is over 25 miles and the response times due to weather and crew availability can quickly become extended.”

Bixler has been a USCG 100 Ton Master for 48 years.

Sewell L. “Toby” Frey, a retired U.S. Air Force major who has been on active boater on the Choptank River for more than 65 years, said closing the Oxford station is not a viable option due to its location and the distance from other Coast Guard stations.

Frey noted the Choptank River is the largest river solely in Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay and Cambridge is Maryland’s second deep water port. The Choptank also is one of the major areas for oyster harvesting in the winter months, when emergencies require short response times.

The response times from the two closest Coast Guard stations to the Choptank River could range from 1.5 to 4 hours from Solomons and from 1 to 3 hours from Annapolis, depending on wind and weather conditions, Frey estimated.

Captain Brett M. Sause, an active yachtsman and a USCG Master Licensed Captain on the Chesapeake Bay, has been boating the Chesapeake for over 46 years.

“This news is both shocking and what I believe to be a hazard to the marine community of the Chesapeake Bay. The town of Oxford, first and foremost, love the Oxford USCG Station. Next, the Tred Avon River, as well as its immediate surrounding tributaries, are some of the most highly traveled and worked waters on the Bay and in North America.

“The need for emergency resources on the Bay is critical. The Maryland Dept of Natural Resources Police has limited crews and duty stations. There is often no crew on duty in the area you need them when an emergency may arise, due to the vast size of the Bay. This, of course, slows the response time to any emergency.

“So then the public must rely on the Volunteer Fire companies and the USCG. If we take away the Oxford Station, this makes a significant impact on the mariners of our Bay, which will include imports and exports on the Bay, the shipping industry, and also Maryland Watermen. An estimated 3,000 men and women brave the elements daily to catch their respective limits and sell to the markets. …

“The next closest station to Oxford would be Annapolis. The response time would be tremendous. A decision to remove the Oxford Station in great tragedy.”

“This news is deeply shocking,” Jan Greer, a retired U.S. Marine Corps captain and a member of the Tred Avon Yacht Club, wrote. “Proposing the USCG Station Annapolis as an alternative for mariners in distress on the Eastern Bay, of which there are many thousands every day during the boating season, and virtually year-round for our watermen, is tantamount to having no Coast Guard assistance within reach at all in anything resembling adequate timeliness.

“As a member of Tred Avon Yacht Club, I hope to speak for the entirety of our membership when I mention the many hundreds of yachtsmen who are routinely involved in the regattas we host annually. I mention, as one example, the Star World Championship Regatta hosted by our club in October 2018, when we drew 72 boats and crews from all over the United States, many teams from South America, and more than quite a few from Europe.

“The conditions during several days of this championship regatta were less than favorable (read, “pretty nasty”), and the assistance in maintaining an orderly spectator presence, not to mention the availability of safety rescue from boats that capsized notwithstanding the efforts of their world-class sailors, by USCG Oxford Station personnel were to say the least invaluable. We are dependent upon these fine service members for our safety. I and my fellow townspeople sincerely hope you will appreciate the number of Eastern Shore citizens, far, far beyond th0se of us who live here in Oxford, who agree with this sentiment, and will seriously reconsider the closure of this valuable, lifesaving resource.”

Frederick Miller wrote:
“There is too much traffic on the Middle Eastern Bay and its tributaries and too distant to be serviced by the Annapolis station. With the volume of commercial fishing, crabbing and oystering and the recreational boating on the bay, rivers and creeks, the response time from the Annapolis station will not be adequate and could cost lives of those on the water.
“The recent canoeing accident involving Bobby Kennedy’s granddaughter is an example of the type of dangers the people on the water face. The USCG needs to have the resources to respond to these emergencies in a timely fashion.”
Angie Hengst, race director for the IRONMAN 70.3 Eagleman and IRONMAN Maryland, said those events rely on resources and support from Oxford Coast Guard personnel during the swim portion of both events.
“Our Eagleman event has upwards of 2500 participants and IRONMAN Maryland has close to 2300 participants. As you can imagine, having that many people in the water and keeping them safe requires many resources. While we have rescue boats, lifeguards and other swim safety personnel to monitor the swimmers, the Oxford Coast Guard monitor boat traffic and keep our swim course secure during the event. They will also provide any backup emergency response, if needed.
“The Station personnel report to our swim course and are in place by 6 am for each of our races. If this station was closed, personnel from stations over an hour to two hours away would need to arrive at this time to support our events. Additionally, the Oxford station is very familiar with our waters and courses and are able to provide the exact support needed to keep our event and participants safe. While I understand these events only happen twice a year, the number of participants is significant. … I believe that closing the Oxford Station could negatively impact our event and on behalf of IRONMAN would urge that its consolidation be reconsidered.”

In the notice, the Coast Guard wrote:

Many stations were established at a time when boats lacked engines and were powered by oars and paddles. With modern boat operating speeds and improved direction finding technology, many calls for Coast Guard assistance can be responded to by multiple units significantly faster than when these boat stations were first established.

The combination of significantly improved response times, along with an overall reduction in rescue calls due to boating safety improvements throughout the nation, has resulted in a number of boat stations becoming redundant.

This consolidation will result in a more robust response system by increasing staffing levels and capacity at select nearby boat stations. Such a consolidation creates synergy and more opportunities for boat operators to properly train instead of missing training opportunities while standing ready to respond to calls that do not come.

In October of 2017, the Government Accountability Office issued report GAO-18-9, titled “Actions Needed to Close Stations Identified as Overlapping and Unnecessarily Duplicative.” This GAO report recommended the consolidation of eighteen boat stations.

Due to environmental and operational factors, the Coast Guard is not considering all eighteen boat stations identified in the GAO report for consolidation. Instead, we anticipate consolidating five stations, with implementation notionally scheduled for fiscal year 2021.

These stations have been identified because there are other units nearby capable of responding to cases in these areas, and because these five stations respond to a low number of cases.

We do not anticipate any adverse effect on Coast Guard response capability. We expect an improvement to the proficiency of boat operators as well as a less complicated response system.

Station Oxford and Stations-Small Fishers Island, Shark River, Roosevelt Inlet, and Salem have been identified for consolidation with neighboring stations.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.