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Call for Oyster Moratorium Fails to Sway Watermen, Officials

gregmasters1 — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:53:41 +0000

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By GREG MASTERS

Capital News Service

ANNAPOLIS - The Chesapeake Bay's oyster population has plummeted since the late 1960s, when Willy Dean, a Maryland waterman since the age of 17, would go hand tonging with his father and "load the boat with oysters."

"The catch is way, way down from what it was back then," Dean said.

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A Chesapeake Bay Foundation boat places hatchery-produced seed oysters on a sanctuary reef. CNS Photo by Greg Masters.

Hurricane Irene Purges Chesapeake Bay's Dead Zones

aflynn — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:39:06 +0000

Deck:

Long-term Improvement Unlikely

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Hurricane Irene brought destruction to the mid-Atlantic region, but it also had a positive impact on the Chesapeake Bay, stirring the waters and allowing oxygen into the vast dead zone that stretches from Baltimore to Virginia.

By SARAH MEEHAN
Capital News Service
WASHINGTON - Hurricane Irene's high winds breathed a little life into the polluted Chesapeake Bay, bringing some short-term relief to wildlife by temporarily eliminating the estuary's vast dead zone, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Sewage Spill after Hurricane Irene Limits Shellfish Harvesting in Part of Chesapeake

gregmasters1 — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 19:56:27 +0000

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By GREG MASTERS
Capital News Service

ANNAPOLIS -- Most of Maryland's portion of the Chesapeake Bay will reopen to shellfish harvesting Sunday after a weeklong closure, but waters at the mouth of the Patapsco River will stay off limits due to a ruptured pipeline that continues to spew millions of gallons of waste into the river.

Bill to Stop Natural Gas Drilling Fails, Along with Other Environmental Legislation

mskerryd — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 02:35:37 +0000

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A bill that would have imposed a two-year moratorium on natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation while an environmental impact study was completed stalled in the Senate this legislative session after easily passing the House.

By Kerry Davis
Capital News Service

ANNAPOLIS -- A bill that would have imposed a two-year moratorium on natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation while an environmental impact study was completed stalled in the Senate this legislative session after easily passing the House.

It is unclear how heavily the bill's failure will actually affect drilling into the Marcellus Shale formation via hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," since a hold has already been unofficially placed on drilling there.

Cardin Law Makes Federal Government Pay Stormwater Fees

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 05:00:00 +0000

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By LAURA E. LEE
Capital News Service
Thursday, January 13, 2011

COLLEGE PARK - Local and state governments could see stormwater management fees from the federal government in "a matter of weeks," Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said Thursday about a new law he co-sponsored.

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Nancy Sutley, chair of the U.S. Council on Environmental Quality, talks to Maryland Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin Thursday about the effect water runoff has on the health of waterways like the Chesapeake Bay. Capital News Service Photo by Kerry Davis.

Watermen Afraid New Oyster Rules Will Hurt Their Harvest

rlorente — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 20:27:16 +0000

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By NICOLE DAO
Capital News Service
Friday, November 5, 2010

DEAL ISLAND - J.R. Gross, a veteran waterman, will drive two hours from his home on Monday to his boat in St. Jerome Creek to begin harvesting oysters off the shores of Southern Maryland.

Switching to Grazing Helps Farmers, Chesapeake Bay

rlorente — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 04:00:00 +0000

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By NICOLE DAO
Capital News Service
Friday, October 15, 2010

ANNAPOLIS - As a restoration scientist for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Rob Schnabel shuttles around Western Maryland in his hybrid car persuading farmers to switch to grazing -- which is healthier, eco-friendly and more profitable than confinement farming, where cows are kept in stalls and injected with antibiotics.

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Ron Holter feeds his cows at Holterholm Farms. CNS photo by Nicole Dao.

Md. Company Announces Atlantic Cable Project to Bring Wind Power Ashore

rlorente — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 04:00:00 +0000

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By LAURA L. THORNTON
Capital News Service

WASHINGTON - Developers unveiled a $5 billion undersea transmission cable project Tuesday that could link a Maryland wind farm planned off the Worchester County coast to the mainland electric grid upon completion in 2020.

O'Malley and Others Work to Save Nuclear Reactor Project

rlorente — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 04:00:00 +0000

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Nitrogen and Phosphorus 'Nutrients' Pollute Nation's Waterways

rlorente — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 21:19:32 +0000

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By LAURA L. THORNTON

Capital News Service

WASHINGTON - Nitrogen and phosphorus continue to pollute waterways across the nation, according to a briefing by the United States Geological Society Friday.

State, Scientists Work to Rebuild Oyster Population

ndao — Wed, 12 May 2010 21:05:14 +0000

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By JENNIFER HLAD
Capital News Service

CAMBRIDGE - Two years after Maryland and Virginia implemented major restrictions on crab harvesting, the Chesapeake Bay's crab population has more than doubled. Now state officials hope an oyster hatchery, combined with new oyster sanctuaries, can help bring that population back from the brink.

Scientists Warn of Smith Island's Demise, Residents Are Skeptical

charvey — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:56:06 +0000

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By Ben Giles
Maryland Newsline

SMITH ISLAND, Md. - Capt. Larry Laird ferries passengers and cargo to and from Smith Island twice a day, each time navigating the narrow channel that grants passage to his boat through the shallow Chesapeake Bay waters.

A wrong turn to the left or right, and he’ll run his vessel aground.

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The town of Ewell, on Smith Island

Waterways thread through the land near Ewell, one of the three towns on Smith Island. Water has crept closer to the town as it erodes the island's shores. (Photo by Ben Giles)

Md Politicians Talk Bay Health With Environmental Officials

aflynn — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:59:39 +0000

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By MORGAN GIBSON
Capital News Service
Thursday, April 15, 2010

WASHINGTON - Maryland's "difficult" decisions to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay are beginning to pay off, the state's congressional delegation was told Thursday, but there's still a long way to go.

Kratovil Joins Maryland's Watermen in Oyster Restoration

rlorente — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 20:57:31 +0000

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By MORGAN GIBSON
Capital News Service
Friday, April 9, 2010

CAMBRIDGE - Rep. Frank Kratovil is diving into a key issue in his district, hoping to learn more about Chesapeake Bay oysters and efforts to save them.

Kratovil, D-Stevensville, went out on the Choptank River late Friday morning with some of Maryland's watermen and environmental scientists to watch how they study and restore oysters.

Bay Health Continues Poor; Slight Improvements Shown

aflynn — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 22:01:57 +0000

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By MORGAN GIBSON and JENNIFER HLAD
Capital News Service
Wednesday, April 7, 2010

ANNAPOLIS - Despite 25 years of restoration and protection efforts, the Chesapeake Bay's health is still bad and making only slight improvements, according to an assessment released Wednesday.

Environmentalists Call Obama's Offshore Plans 'Steps Backwards'

rlorente — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:08:56 +0000

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By MORGAN GIBSON
Capital News Service
Wednesday, March 31, 2010

WASHINGTON - Maryland environmental groups were outraged over President Obama's announcement Wednesday lifting the 20-year ban on offshore drilling, saying the move could have disastrous effects on the Chesapeake Bay.

Maryland Fishermen Ask for Relief from New Sea Scallop Regulations

rlorente — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:43:51 +0000

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By JENNIFER HLAD
Capital News Service
Tuesday, March 30, 2010

ANNAPOLIS - Maryland fishermen say new federal regulations on sea scallops benefit large fishing companies in New England -- and put small boats out of business.

Bill Would Increase Oyster Sanctuaries, Impose Temporary Moratorium

rlorente — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:00:03 +0000

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By JENNIFER HLAD
Capital News Service
Tuesday, March 23, 2010

ANNAPOLIS - A bill filed late in the House of Delegates would require the Department of Natural Resources to establish oyster sanctuaries in half of the viable habitat and create a more specific fishery management plan for oysters -- and place a moratorium on oyster harvesting until those goals are met.

Natural Resources Police, Legislators Crack Down on Oyster Poachers

rlorente — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:16:01 +0000

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By JENNIFER HLAD
Capital News Service
Friday, March 12, 2010

ANNAPOLIS - For 20 years, Roy Rafter made his living as a waterman, catching fish, crabs and oysters. Now, Rafter spends hours in a dark boat, working to catch poachers.

"It's kind of like fishing. Sometimes you catch them, sometimes you don't," said Rafter, a Natural Resources Police corporal, as he finished up a predawn patrol of the Chesapeake Bay Wednesday morning.

Watermen Want More Say in Oyster Management

rlorente — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:16:11 +0000

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By JENNIFER HLAD
Capital News Service
Tuesday, March 9, 2010

ANNAPOLIS - Watermen converged on the State House on Tuesday to voice their support for bills that would drastically diminish the Department of Natural Resources' ability to regulate oyster harvesting.

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Watermen oppose Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed Oyster Restoration and Aquaculture Development Plan. CNS Photo by Jennifer Hlad.

Perdue Says Chicken Farm Lawsuit Threat to Family Farms

rlorente — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:25:55 +0000

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By JENNIFER HLAD
Capital News Service
Friday, March 5, 2010

ANNAPOLIS - The chairman of Perdue Farms called a lawsuit against one of the company's contract farms "one of the largest threats to the family farm in the last 50 years," and asked Maryland's Eastern Shore delegation to help.

Farmers Can Burn Debris From Collapsed Chicken Houses

rlorente — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:47:14 +0000

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By JENNIFER HLAD
Capital News Service
Friday, February 26, 2010

ANNAPOLIS - About 40 Eastern Shore chicken houses collapsed under the weight of the recent snow, and now the Maryland Department of the Environment is giving farmers the option to burn the wood debris instead of hauling it to the landfill.

Bay Safe From Snow Runoff, But Rainstorms Loom

rlorente — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

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By MORGAN GIBSON
Capital News Service
Wednesday, February 17, 2010

WASHINGTON- "Snowpocalypse" removal methods won't hurt the Chesapeake Bay as they flow downstream, but spring showers are another matter, experts say.

The salt poured on snow-covered roads is not a problem for the brackish bay because it is a mixture of salt and fresh water. What hurts are the plastic bags, oil, animal manure, dirt and trash that flow into the Chesapeake every spring.

Bill Would Ban BPA in Children's Products

rlorente — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000

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By JENNIFER HLAD
Capital News Service
Tuesday, February 2, 2010

ANNAPOLIS - Child and family advocates, nurses, environmental organizations and business representatives Tuesday urged a Maryland House committee to support a bill banning a common chemical from infant and children's products.

The bill would prohibit the manufacture, sale or distribution of products containing bisphenol-A, for children younger than 4.

Bill Seeks to Suspend Fees for Aquaculture

rlorente — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:32:15 +0000

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By JENNIFER HLAD
Capital News Service
Thursday, January 28, 2010

ANNAPOLIS - Raymond Combs and his family have been trying to get permits to raise oysters for the last three years.

They started growing a few oysters in a tributary near their home in Hollywood and would eventually like to have at least a 5-acre aquaculture site. But their plan stalled when they learned that just applying for an aquaculture permit is $750, and the application and impact fees could total $90,000.