Mattawoman Creek Maryland's Most Polluted?

Hey, Maryland and Virginia Sierra Club Members, not to mention any friends I have at American Rivers! Here's the skinny right from the horse's (That'd be the Sierra Club) mouth:

Dear Members of the Maryland Sierra Club,

Spring and summer are in the air! As temperatures reached in the 90's this weekend I'm sure all of us thought about our favorite spot by the water. Everyone has that special creek where the water is refreshing and the swimming and fishing are perfect. Unfortunately, one of those gems that is a favorite to many Maryland residents is in jeopardy.

Mattawoman Creek, one of the most productive tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay is in danger. Charles County officials have requested permits to construct a four lane, 6.5 mile highway, the Cross County Connector - extension, that would plow across the full width of the sensitive Mattawoman Creek watershed.

Where do things stand?

Before the highway can be built, Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) must decide by June 1st whether or not to issue a permit. According to the Southern Maryland Newspaper, MDE has "indicated that they are prepared to deny the permit." (http://www.somdnews.com/stories/04222009/indytop94347_32253.shtml)

Mattawoman Creek is so threatened by this road, that it has been recognized by American Rivers as the FOURTH MOST ENDANGERED RIVER IN THE COUNTRY!

WE as a state can stand up for Mattawoman Creek and urge MDE to deny a permit to build the Cross County Connector. If Maryland is for cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay, let's be sure not to pollute one of the remaining healthy tributaries.

ACT NOW: Please, email Secretary Shari Wilson today at stwilson@mde.state.md.us (or call 410-537-3084) and share this message (in your own words is best):

Subject: Deny wetland permits for the Cross County Connector extension. Save Mattawoman Creek.

"Please deny permits for the proposed Cross County Connector extension in Charles County which threatens the Mattawoman Creek. The Mattawoman Creek is the healthiest fish nursery in the Chesapeake Bay because it is protected by surrounding forests and wetlands. This highway proposal would destroy the Mattawoman Creek by increasing traffic, development, and pavement in its watershed. Finally, if transportation is really needed, let's build smarter, with public transportation like a light rail link to Waldorf.

"Your name

Your address (especially town and zip code!)

Be sure to give your town and zip code when writing!

The Secretary needs to understand both the breadth of concern (if you are nonlocal) and the depth of local opposition (if you are local).

So that we can keep track of the amount of pressure MDE is getting on this issue, PLEASE LET US KNOW WHEN YOU CALL OR EMAIL MDE. Hopefully, come June 1st we'll all have something to celebrate! Please see below opportunities to join us at Mattawoman Creek for a canoe trip, hike, or invasive plant removal to see with your own eyes just how wonderful a place it is. Hope to see you at the creek!

Alana Wase
Conservation Program Coordinator

***Want to do more?
Visit this site: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.mattawoman07apr07,0,3072403.story , print out the newspaper article and mail in a copy to Governor O'Malley (Office of the Governor, State House, 100 State Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401) with the same message, urging that Maryland deliver its promise on cleaning up the Bay and therefore, DENYING a permit to destroy non-tidal wetlands.

***Want to see the Mattawoman Creek for yourself? Join us at one of these upcoming outings: Mattawoman Creek Canoe/Kayak Trip Saturday May 2nd at 9am to attend, you MUST RSVP for more details visit: http://www.maryland.sierraclub.org/events/e103.asp

Chapman Forest Invasive Removal Sunday May 3rd at 10am http://maryland.sierraclub.org/action/p0005.asp#Calender

Mattawoman Wildland Family Walk Saturday May 16th at 1pm, you MUST RSVP for more details visit: http://www.maryland.sierraclub.org/events/e100.asp

***For more information about the Mattawoman Watershed: http://mattawomanwatershedsociety.org

What is Maryland without Blue Crabs?

According to a WalletPop blog report, Blue Crabs are disappearing from Maryland.

Seems like the estimated population has dropped some 70% in the past twenty years. I'm with all the commenters though who wonder exactly how a census on crabs his done. Do we wrangle a potful and ask'em "Hey guys, tell us where your buddies are and how many you have, and we'll set you free!" According to the DNR "The survey is based upon a scientifically peer-reviewed design, and provides precise estimates each year of the number of crabs over-wintering in the Bay." Sers'ly? How do you KNOW it's precise?

I know, I'm being overly sarcastic and cynical. I'm just in that sort of mood. Check out these exerpts from the DNR report and you'll understand why I'm irked:

"Despite the low 2007 harvest and a persistently low crab population, the 2007 exploitation rate substantially exceeded the target removal rate. A bay-wide target removal rate has been set at 46%. In 2007 crabbers removed approximately 60% of the available crabs."

"In 2007, reproduction was extremely poor, placing the resource and the fishery in an increasingly perilous position. When the abundance of these adult crabs is low, the population and the fishery are heavily dependent upon annual reproduction."

And yet, said Fisheries reaction to such news seems to be a knee-jerk "Wow, the crab are on their way out, we'd better scoop'em all up before they're gone!" sort of attitude.

From the DNR page it sounds like they have a good plan in place for limiting harvesting, especially of female crabs...except that they make no mention of how they intend to ENFORCE these limitations.

Well, heres hoping I can check the DNR website this year and see some results! But all the crab-harvesting restrictions in the world won't help if we can't curb habitat loss and pollution!

Learn more about the Bay and Blue Crabs.

Just for locals! Catoctin Group of the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club Catoctin Group invites you this Saturday to join us at the Waste Not! Expo & ZeroWaste Festival.
Communities across the country are successfully recycling and choosing alternatives to landfills and incinerators. Frederick & Carroll counties face a $527 million dollar incinerator which could pollute the air we breathe with toxins and discourage recycling. San Francisco has reached 70% recycling of all waste. Join us at this exciting event to learn how Frederick and Carroll counties can do it too.
Waste Not! Expo
Saturday March 28th 9:00-2:00pm
9:30 a.m. - 2:15 p.m.
Frederick High School Auditorium
650 Carroll Pkwy Frederick, MD 21701
www.wastenotfrederick.org/index.html
Speakers: Eric Lombardi - Executive Director of Eco-Cycle, Inc. Brenda Platt - The Institute for Local Self-Reliance Rod Muir - Sierra Club National Waste Diversion Campaigner
Vendors & Information Tables, Music, Kids activities, Child care available for 2 years and over
Sponsors: Catoctin Group/Sierra Club, e-End USA, Reliable Recycling, Cafe Nola, Standard Solar, Jason and Pouv Judd, Maryland Heartland Sustainable Living Fair, ArrowBio, Frederick Magazine, Lolo Productions

Letter of Thanks to Senators Mikulski and Cardin

I just felt the need to express my thanks to Senators Mikulski, Cardin, and all the others who respond in a personal way to all the emails and petitions I'm sure they are bombarded with every day. Form letters they may be, but each one expresses the Senators' thoughts on the subject at hand, explains their personal stance, and cites which legislature they oppose or support. Letters like these let us know that our elected representatives really are listening to what we are saying, and have our interests in mind. And if they don't agree with us, it explains why. So kudos to you, Senators.

And let this be a lesson to you Mr. Roscoe Bartlett of District 6, and the NEVER ENDING slew of identical form letters that say NOTHING other than a basic brush off of 'sorry I can't answer your email, I get tons of email everyday' and 'I can only help you if you live in my district'. Well I DO live in your district, Mr. Bartlett, as you would know if whoever screens your mail ever bothered to actually read it, although if I have any say in the matter it won't be your district for any longer than necessary. I've gotten better form letters from the President of the United States, whom I well know did not read my letter! It is disgraceful and unacceptable behavior to ignore the voice of your constituents in this way. For shame, Mr. Bartlett. For shame.

Save energy, but drill for oil!

Congressman Roscoe Bartlette of Maryland's 6th District isn't making much sense lately. His policy for saving energy while promoting drilling in ANWR seems a little wishywashy to me. Check it out.

Congressman Bartlett to address energy issues at SMART Green Showcase

Congressman Bartlett will talk with homeowners and small business owners on strategies to save money and reduce energy consumption at the SMART Green Showcase on July 18th at 8:00am at the Francis Scott Key Holiday Inn, Frederick, Maryland. For more information about this speech and other energy information go to www.house.gov/bartlett


Congressman Bartlett's ANWR Solution

Government solutions to our energy problems must provide immediate relief and meet future needs. Band-aid fixes would not be fair to our children.

Drilling in ANWR provides us with a great opportunity to take care of today’s demands and tomorrow’s needs. A new bill, H.R. 6107, would dedicate the entire federal share of revenues from leases, rents and royalties from ANWR to increase federal investments in energy efficiency, conservation, research and development and the production of cleaner domestic alternative and renewable energy sources. These revenues are estimated to be $3.5 billion to start, and eventually more than $200 billion would be dedicated to 18 renewable and alternative energy programs approved – but not funded – at zero cost to the taxpayers. Production from ANWR would also increase U.S. domestic oil production by 20%.

I have been to ANWR, and after careful observation and study, concluded that oil production in ANWR could be done in an environmentally responsible manner. H.R. 6107 would specifically limit the footprint of any oil and natural gas development to only 2000 acres of the 19 million-acre area, equivalent to a postage stamp on six football fields. It would require the most advanced, commercially-available technology and put in place the most strict environmental regulations and restrictions ever applied to a development project. I support H.R. 6107 because it guarantees my key requirements that federal energy policy promote a more secure energy future and prosperous economy for current and future generations of Americans.

Anyone else feeling slightly confused by this policy? How about a little betrayed? Sound hypocritical to anyone? "Homeowners, I'd like to help you conserve energy and save money, meanwhile I'm going to sign this bill to feed America's oil addiction and further pad the pockets of Big Oil Executives. Go me!"
As always, feel free to tell Senator Bartlette how you feel.

Save the Bay, and stop Aerial Gunning

Hello and welcome back. My lack of updates can only mean one thing: I'm back on dialup! It is amazing how easy highspeed makes my research. Anyhow, I'll get to the point!
Petitions are flying far and fast this time of year for some reason. Two of note, one perhaps of more interest to my fellow Marylanders (though it should be important to you all!) being a petition from Environment Maryland urging Governor O'Malley to live up to his campaign promise to protect the world's largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay. The other is a petition from Defenders of Wildlife that may help put a halt to the brutal practice of aerial gunning all together! Both very important goals.
For the Bay, unfortunately, Environment Maryland doesn't seem to have an online petition to sign, and perhaps the due date has passed (I can't find a date anywhere on the letter or envelope!) but there are many other actions you can take from their website to help protect the Bay, our countryside, even the entire country and the entire world. I urge you to check them out!
While their letter cites mostly land development along the Bay as the major threat, my personal vendetta is against the poultry factories. The Eastern Shore of the Free State is checkered with chicken farms and processing plants, and much of the waste from these facilities gets dumped straight into the Bay. The immediate result is probably a feast for blue crabs, but the chicken waste brings with it bacteria, including those that can cause flesh-eating diseases in humans. 40 some percent of the Bay becomes a 'dead zone' every year due to heavy runoff of agricultural and developmental pollutants, and more and more development grows every year. We must tell our government that we "Treasure the Chesapeake" as the license plate says, and we need to protect it!
My second petition would close a loophole in a previous Aerial Hunting law and stop the Alaskan, Wyoming, and Idaho governments from using this cruel practice to decimate their Grey Wolf population. As I've reported before, aerial gunning is the inhumane practice of chasing the animal to exhaustion with airplanes and sometimes helicopters and then shooting them, or shooting indiscriminately from the air. Not very sportsmanlike conduct if you ask me, and people do consider hunting to be a sport! Visit the Defenders of Wildlife website and sign the petition today! The goal is 40 thousand signatures by Labor Day, and we're already a third of the way there!
If nothing pressing comes up in the next week, I plan to recap my Wild Horse article. We're into roundup season now, and it is important to keep on top of things!

Get out, clean up, enjoy the day!

Alas! If only I wasn't one of those people who works 7 days a week, I would love to spend my weekend helping other volunteers and Defenders of Wildlife clean up Big Meadows at Shenandoah National Park. The Big Meadows area of the park is home to hundreds of species of rare plant life. Plant life which is integral to the continued survival of many species of birds and other animals. Invasive species (non-native, highly adaptable plant life) such as Garlic Mustard and Oriental Bittersweet are choking out the native plants this ecosystem depends on, but Defenders and the National Park service have teamed up to help repair the damage, and they need volunteers to help with the dirty work!
Now come on, I know you all love the dirty work. Me, I spent all last week tirelessly weeding my herb garden and I have the ant bites and poison ivy to show for it! That said, if you live in the Shenandoah Natl. Park area and want to volunteer, I'd advise wearing long pants and substantial work gloves!
Clean up is this Saturday and Sunday (May 19th and 20th) at Big Meadows swamp in Shenandoah Natl. Park, Luray, VA. Volunteering includes orientation and a history lesson about the park, snacks and beverages, and all your weeding tools will be supplied. So instead of just cruising along Skyline Drive this weekend, why not jump in and get your hands dirty, helping to keep our favorite ('our' being us people from Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee!) National Park happy and healthy!
For more information visit Defenders online and fill out their survey.

The year in recap, Earth Day, Climate Crisis Action Day

If any of you have ever happened to stumble over to my other blog at Unwholy Babble-On you'll see that life around here has kinda gone to the fiery pit of Hades in a hand basket in the last week or so. But we're recovering. However, I've hardly had time to even think about this weeks Living Gaia post, or find submissions for specific issues, so this week we're going to have to let the little furry creatures fend for themselves a bit. First I want to make a list. These are all the charities and organizations I personally support:

World Wildlife Fund
Defenders of Wildlife
Front Range Equine Rescue
ASPCA
Beyond Pesticides

Those are just the ones I tune in to on a regular basis. As a full time supporter of WWF and Defenders I receive regular email and snailmail updates and action alerts, a great way to keep on top of issues that can develop quickly. Not only do these organizations help wildlife in need, they help to protect our own natural resources, and the integrity of our natural history. Imagine where America would be today if we'd let our national symbol, the Bald Eagle, go extinct? It would be a disgrace.

Speaking of symbolic animals...I said the furry critturs were on their own, but I didn't say anything about reptiles! As a Marylander I have to help spread the word and save Maryland's diamondback terrapins from overfishing! Here in the states we don't even EAT turtles (for the most part) so why are we destroying our national natural resources to export a food product that is nothing more than a delicacy? We're not saving any starving chinese children with diamondback terrapin export, folks. And everyone knows that the Terp is a nationally known symbol for Maryland! What will we call our University of Maryland teams if the diamondback terrapin disappears? The Maryland Common Box Turtles just doesn't have the same ring. If you are a Marylander, Gov. O'Malley is listening, so start talking! Give his office a call and explain to him why there needs to be a LEGAL BAN on terrapin fishing, not just a bunch of loophole filled DNF guidelines.

In other news: Don't forget about Climate Crisis Action Day in Washington, D.C. on March 20th! For the sake of wildlife and ourselves we need to tell Congress to step up and start making some real change, if we want to keep living on this planet.

The TeeShirtShoppe knows what they're talking about, man. I mean, do you really think they have Chocolate on Mars? Not to mention they don't have trees, or oceans or, I don't know, the proper amount of OXYGEN!

Also coming up, the Spring Equinox and Earth Day! Stay tuned for more information on what you can do to make this Earth Day a success. With pressing social and environmental issues as well as elections on the horizon we have a real opportunity to create change this year.

Wildlife Action Update: Defenders of Wildlife has collected almost 90 thousand of the 100 thousand 'actions' required to halt aerial gunning in Alaska. All you have to do is help is add your own thoughts to a form letter, sign and hit send. Its as simple as signing a petition, but it has that extra added individuality that helps make our voices really heard. We still need lots of Action to save our Rocky Mountain wolves, though! Jaguars and Polar Bears still need our help as well. There is also a boycott of ExxonMobile that you can sign and send, telling them you will not support them until they stop lobbying to open up some of our most precious wildlife refuges to drilling, invest in alternate energies, and take responsibility for the damage caused by the Exxon Valdez disaster. You can find all these 'Actions' at the Defenders Action Center.

As a final word I'd just like to say "welcome to spring!" I know we still have a week to go officially, but as today was the first day warm enough to open all the windows and air out the house, thats good enough for me!To me, Spring is when the new year REALLY begins. Lets make it a good one, helping wildlife, helping our planet, and helping each other :)



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