Central Atlantic Offshore Wind Sale Proposal

offshore wind lease sites - Central Atlantic | credit: BOEM

On December 11, 2023, the Department of the Interior (DOI) announced the proposal of an offshore wind lease sale in the Central Atlantic.

The Department has held four recent offshore wind lease auctions, which have brought in almost $5.5 billion in high bids, including a record-breaking sale offshore New York and New Jersey and the first-ever sales offshore the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts.

BOEM has also advanced the process to explore additional opportunities for offshore wind energy development in the U.S., including in the Gulf of Maine and offshore Oregon. The agency has taken steps to evolve its approach to offshore wind to drive towards union-built projects and a domestic-based supply chain.

The proposed lease sale includes one area offshore the States of Delaware and Maryland, and one area offshore the Commonwealth of Virginia. Lease Area A-2 consists of 101,443 acres and is approximately 26.4 nautical miles (nm) from Delaware Bay. Lease Area C-1 consists of 176,505 acres and is approximately 35 nm from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.

BOEM is seeking public comments on which, if any, of the two lease areas should be offered in a lease sale next year. These areas have the potential to power over 2.2 million homes with clean energy. BOEM partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science to develop a comprehensive, ecosystem-based ocean planning model that assisted in the selection of the final WEAs.

In July 2023, BOEM announced three Central Atlantic Wind Energy Areas (WEAs), while indicating that WEA B-1 still needed more study. The December sale notice does not include WEA B-1, which is located approximately 23.5 nm offshore Ocean City, MD. BOEM has removed that WEA from this proposed lease sale due to the significant costs and mitigation that would be required. However, WEA B-1 may be considered as part of a potential second lease sale in the Central Atlantic, which could occur as soon as 2025.  

The Proposed Sale Notice, which will publish in the Federal Register, initiates a 60-day public comment period and contains information about the areas available for leasing, certain lease provisions and conditions, auction details, criteria for evaluating competing bids and procedures for lease award, appeals and lease execution.

BOEM is seeking feedback on several lease stipulations that would reaffirm its commitment to create good-paying jobs and engage with ocean users and other stakeholders.

Some of these potential stipulations include:

Providing bidding credits to bidders that commit to supporting workforce training programs for the offshore wind industry, developing a domestic supply chain for the offshore wind industry or a combination of both. 

Providing bidding credits to bidders that establish and contribute to a fisheries compensatory mitigation fund or contribute to an existing fund to mitigate potential negative impacts from offshore wind development in the Central Atlantic to commercial and for-hire recreational fisheries. 

In addition, BOEM is preparing a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate the potential environmental impacts from lease issuance within the Central Atlantic WEAs. The publication of the draft EA is forthcoming and will be available for review and public comment, according to BOEM.

More information on the Central Atlantic PSN can be found at BOEM’s website at www.boem.gov.

Mid Atlantic Beaches and Coastal Travel Destinations

The Mid Atlantic coast has a wide range of beaches, resort towns, and waterfront experiences, with most destinations offering year round activities.

Recreation along the Mid Atlantic coast includes swimming, surfing, walking, running, hiking, sea shell collecting, sports, flying kites, fishing, birdwatching, photography, painting, and other pastimes.

New Jersey

Waterfront experiences can be found all along the New Jersey coast. Public access to beaches is good in the state.

A few of the most popular beachfront destinations include Sandy Hook (Gateway National Recreation Area), Asbury Park Beach, Ocean Grove, Belmar, Manasaquan, Seaside Heights, Island Beach State Park, Atlantic City, Ocean City, 

On the southern tip of New Jersey, Cape May is a popular travel destination. The area is popular with birdwatchers, especially Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, and Cape May Point State Park.

Delaware

Delaware's Atlantic Coast extends from Lewes down to the Maryland state line. The area includes a mix of beaches and coastal communities.

Maryland

Ocean City, Maryland is primarily a tourist resort, with a population that swells from less than 10,000 winter residents to over 2 million in the summer months.

The Ocean City Inlet did not exist until 1933, when the Chesapeake Potomac Hurricane tore thru the narrow island, separating Ocean City from Assateague Island.

The inlet was eventually stabilized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, enabling the town to become a popular fishing port.

The access to productive fishing grounds brought not only commercial fishing but recreational fishing, mostly boats that fish offshore for tuna, sharks, billfish, and bottom fish.

Assateague Island is a pristine coastal island located south of Ocean City, Maryland. At Assateague National Sea Shore, visitors will find drive on access for oversand vehicles, beautiful sand, and shallow water suitable for swimming, surfing, skin boarding, and wading. Right behind the beach is a sheltered bay where visitors can explore, wade, fish, enjoy watersports, or go birdwatching.

Virginia

The coast of Virginia includes all the state's barrier islands as well as the shoreline from Virginia Beach to the North Carolina border. Assateague Island is known for its lighthouse, wild ponies, waterfowl, deer, sandy beaches, fishing, and hiking trails.

The Virginia portion of Assateague Island is occupied by Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and Assateague National Seashore. Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge covers over 14,000 acres of beach, dunes, marsh, and forest habitat. Explorers can tour the visitors center, then make the short drive to the seashore and hike the many trails.

The refuge and beaches of Assateague Island are very important the economy of Chincoteague Island and Virginia overall. Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most popular national wildlife refuges, according to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Farther south, across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, are the seven cities of Hampton Roads Virginia. Beach access is plentiful along Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

North Carolina

From the Outer Banks to the Crystal Coast, North Carolina has some of the nations most popular beaches.

Along the coast are some of the Mid Atlantic's most important estuaries, including Albemarle Sound and Pamlico Sound, fed by the Roanoke, Neuse, and Cape Fear rivers.

Nautical Christmas Events - Things To Do

Montauk Lighthouse | credit USCG

The Mid Atlantic Region is known for its nautical events. This post focuses on nautical theme Christmas and winter holiday things to do in the area.


New York

Christmas with Santa 2019 at the Montauk Lighthouse

Santa Claus himself will be at the Montauk Point Lighthouse on Sunday, December 1st, 2019 from - 11:00 AM - 03:00 PM. Families will enjoy caroling, pony rides, and more.


New Jersey

West Cape May (WCM) Community Christmas Parade

Always the first Saturday in December, The West Cape May (WCM) Community Christmas Parade sets the stage for the areas holiday season. Now in its 54th year, the parade steps off at 5:00pm sharp from the WCM Volunteer Firehouse and marches South on Broadway, winds East on Perry, and onto Carpenter Lane in the City of Cape May. The Parade reschedules to December 8th in the event of inclement weather.


Maryland

Baltimore Inner Harbor Boat Parade

An annual parade of lighted boats is scheduled to occur in the Northwest and Inner Harbors at Baltimore, MD on December 7, 2019, between 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. The holiday season boat parade consists of 30 sail and power vessels (19-60 feet in length). Vessels will gather in the Northwest Harbor near Canton at Anchorage Marina, proceed to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, and conduct two counter-clockwise loops before returning to the starting area. Participants will be supported by sponsor-provided watercraft. Additional event information is available at www.anchoragemarina.com.

Middle River Boat Parade

An annual holiday season boat parade is scheduled to occur in the Middle River on November 30, 2019, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Approximately 100 sail and power vessels (15 to 60 feet in length) will operate along the Middle River and its tributaries, near Baltimore County, MD. Participants will be supported by sponsor-provided safety vessels.

Ocean City MD Winterfest of Lights

This year's Ocean City MD Winterfest of Lights runs November 21 - December 31, 2019. On display will be more than one million holiday lights and hundreds of animated light displays throughout Northside Park. Relax and sip hot chocolate in the heated Winterfest Village pavilion, take a photo with Santa, and board the Winterfest Express to tour fairy tale themed exhibits. The one-mile journey takes visitors through 58 acres of lights and features a 50-foot Christmas tree.

Christmas in St. Michaels

Christmas in St. Michaels is held annually the second weekend in December in historic St. Michaels, Maryland. Ticketed and free events include the Tour of Homes, Holiday Gala, Breakfast with Santa, and the Christmas Parade along Talbot Street, the largest holiday parade on the Eastern Shore.


Virginia

Holiday Parade at the Beach - Virginia Beach

On Saturday, December 7, at 5:30pm, the Cox Communications Holiday Parade at the Beach will include giant balloons, marching bands, lighted floats, equestrian units, fire trucks, performing dance groups, motorcycles, and Santa. The parade travels north on Atlantic Avenue from 15th Street to 25th Street. The reviewing stand is located at 25th Street and Atlantic Avenue.

Related Information

Christmas In New England

Baltimore Inner Harbor

Hampton Roads Christmas Holiday Events 2019

Things To Do In Ocean City MD

Chesapeake Bay Foundation State of the Bay Report

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's (CBF) biennial State of the Bay Report score decreased one point to 33, equivalent to a D+.

The lower score for 2018 was due mainly to increased pollution and poor water clarity caused by record regional rainfall.

"The good news is that scientists are pointing to evidence of the Bay's increased resiliency and ability to withstand, and recover from, these severe weather events. And this resiliency is a direct result of the pollution reductions achieved to date. In addition, we did see increases in scores for dissolved oxygen and Bay grasses since 2016, but the recovery is still fragile," said CBF's Director of Science and Agricultural Policy Beth McGee.

Established in 1998, CBF's State of the Bay Report is a comprehensive measure of the Bay's health. CBF scientists compile and examine the best available data and information for 13 indicators in three categories: pollution, habitat, and fisheries. CBF scientists assign each indicator an index score from 1-100. Taken together, these indicators offer an overall assessment of Bay health.

Dissolved oxygen and bay grasses improved. In the pollution category, toxics were unchanged, while water clarity, and nitrogen and phosphorus pollution were worse. In the habitat category, scores for bay grasses and resource lands improved, and buffers and wetlands remained the same. In the fisheries category, scores for oysters, crabs, and rockfish remained the same, while the score for shad declined.

This year's score is still far short of the goal to reach 40 by 2025 and ultimately a 70, which would represent a saved Bay. The unspoiled Bay ecosystem described by Captain John Smith in the 1600s, with its extensive forests and wetlands, clear water, abundant fish and oysters, and lush growths of submerged vegetation serves as the theoretical benchmark and would rate a 100 on CBF's scale.

The Clean Water Blueprint requires the Bay jurisdictions to decrease pollution to local creeks, rivers, and the Bay. State and local governments have committed to achieve specific, measurable reductions. The states agreed to have the 60 percent of the needed programs and practices in place by 2017, and to complete the job by 2025.

Of the primary Bay states, Virginia and Maryland were close to meeting the 2017 goals but need to accelerate pollution reduction from agriculture and urban/suburban runoff. Pennsylvania continues to be far short of its goals, mostly as a result of falling behind in addressing pollution from agriculture.

The full Chesapeake Bay Foundation 2018 State of the Bay Report can be accessed at: http://www.cbf.org/document-library/cbf-reports/2018-state-of-the-bay-report.pdf

source: Chesapeake Bay Foundation

2018 Clean Diesel Grants

In November, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced funding for three clean diesel projects totaling $4.7 million. The grants are part of an effort to reduce air pollution from aging diesel engines in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The funding will go to the Maryland Environmental Service (MES), the Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association (MARAMA), and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (WashCOG).

EPA’s Clean Diesel Program provides support for projects that protect human health and improve air quality by reducing harmful emissions from diesel engines.

This program includes grants and rebates funded under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA). DERA funding has supported nearly 25,000 cleaner buses across the country for America’s schoolchildren.

Cumulatively, this funding will result in overall lifetime emissions reductions of more than 1,013 tons of ozone-forming oxides of nitrogen (NOx): 58.7 tons of particulate matter (PM); more than 240 tons of carbon monoxide (CO): 724 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2); and, will save more than 91,000 gallons of fuel.

Clean Diesel Grants:

Maryland Environmental Service (MES)

EPA will provide $2.5 million to the port of Baltimore to assist MES in its efforts to reduce diesel emissions and exposure at the port. This project will replace or repower cargo handling equipment and drayage trucks, as well as marine engines on the pleasure vessel, The Spirit of Baltimore, which will improve air quality by reducing harmful emissions by 37 tons of PM, 398 tons of NOx, 165 tons of CO, and 724 tons of CO2, as well as saving 64,450 gallons of fuel.

Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association (MARAMA)

The agency will provide MARAMA with more than $1.3 million to provide incentives to dray truck owners serving the ports and railyards of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, Delaware for voluntary early replacement of 40 drayage trucks with older (1997 – 2006) engines. Replacement trucks will have model year 2013 or newer engines with the latest particulate and NOx reducing technology. This initiative will reduce emissions by 197 tons of NOx, 11.5 tons of PM, 75 tons of CO, as well as air toxics in areas that are not currently attaining federal health-based air quality standards.

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (WashCOG)

EPA will provide WashCOG with $882,000 to partially fund the re-powering of four diesel propulsion engines and four auxiliary engines on two marine passenger vessels. These vessels are currently operating on the Potomac River in Washington, DC and surrounding communities in Maryland and Virginia. The retrofits will result in reductions of 418 tons of NOx, and 10 tons of PM.

For more information about the DERA program, visit www.epa.gov/cleandiesel.

source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival 2017

This year's Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival will be held May 20th & 21st, 2017 at Sandy Point State Park near Annapolis, Maryland. The net proceeds from this show will go to help local charities.

2017 Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival Festival Lineup:

Saturday

The Mavericks
The Fabulous Thunderbirds
Walter Trout
Samantha Fish
Toronzo Cannon
Frank Bang and the Cook County Kings
Sweet Leda

Sunday:

Jonny Lang
Robert Randolph and the
Family Band
Ana Popovic
The William Bell Band
Mississippi Blues Child Mr. Sipp
The Apocalypse Blues Revue
Swamp Candy


Tickets are on sale now at www.bayblues.org.

Labor Day Weekend Things To Do - Mid Atlantic

The list of things to do during Labor Day Weekend 2015 is a long one. This list includes a few of the many festivals, shows, and other events that will be held in the Mid Atlantic region.

New Jersey

West Cape May Tomato Festival
Wilbraham Park
Perry Street
West Cape May, NJ 08204

The West Cape May Tomato Festival celebrates the Jersey fresh tomato and the end of the summer season.


Delaware

Season Finale Fireworks Celebration with Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra
Saturday, Sep. 5, 2015
Time: 7:00 P.M.
The Freeman Stage at Bayside
31750 Lake View Drive
The Freeman Stage at Bayside
Selbyville, DE
Price: Free

Celebrate Labor Day and America with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, in an evening of the great American Classics of Jazz, Swing and Orchestral Favorites. The event includes a post-concert fireworks display.


Maryland

At Baltimore MD, visitors can enjoy landmarks, historic sites, parks, boat tours and other attractions. Places to see include the Inner Harbor, Fells Point, North Point, Fort McHenry, tall ships, and many others.

Annapolis First Sunday Arts Festival
September 6, 2015
Calvert and West Streets
Annapolis, Maryland

The Annapolis First Sunday Arts Festival is a free arts and craft show featuring around 100 local and regional artists, crafts vendors, live music, dance, street performers, food, and more. The arts festival is held the first Sunday of each month May to October on Calvert and West Streets in Historic Annapolis, Maryland.


National Hard Crab Derby
September 3, 4, 5, 6, 2015
Somers Cove Marina
Crisfield, MD

The National Hard Crab Derby in Crisfield features exhibits, food, games, contests, and other attractions.

Crisfield Maryland Boat Docking Contest
September 6, 2015
Somers Cove Marina
Crisfield, MD

The Crisfield Maryland Boat Docking Contest features watermen from around the Chesapeake Bay competing for cash prizes.

Deal Island Skipjack Races and Festival
September 5-7, 2015
Deal Island Harbor
10319 Richard Webster Road
Deal Island, MD 21821

The Deal Island skipjack sailboat races are a local tradition.


Washington, D.C.

DC Blues Festival
September 5, 2015
12:00 pm - 7:00 pm   
Washington, D.C.

The 27th annual, free D.C. Blues festival will be held Sept. 5 at the Carter Barron Amphitheater. Performers at the Blues Festival will include Jackson and Oziel, The Mojo Priests, Full Power Blues, James Armstrong, and Sharrie Williams.

National Book Festival
September 5, 2015
10:00 am - 10:00 pm
Washington Convention Center   
Washington, D.C.

The 15th Anniversary National Book Festival will be held Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015, at the Washington Convention Center. Approximately 175 authors, illustrators, and poets will be attending the national book festival.


Virginia

2015 American Music Festival
September 4-6, 2015
Virginia Beach Boardwalk

The 2015 American Music Festival will showcase more than 30 bands. The festival will be held September 4-6, along the Virginia Beach Boardwalk.


West Virginia

River and Trail Outfitters Kayaking Tour
Saturday, September 6th, 2015
Harpers Ferry, WV

On Saturday evening, River and Trail Outfitters will hold a guided kayaking tour on the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers near Harpers Ferry. Enjoy paddling by the light of the setting sun and experience the serenity and wildlife of the river.

Mid Atlantic Superstar Beaches

Nineteen Mid Atlantic beaches have been named as superstar beaches by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

In June, 2014, NRDC announced the designation of 35 popular beaches across 14 states as superstars for consistently meeting water quality safety thresholds. Superstar beaches met national water quality benchmarks 98% of the time over the past five years.

Mid Atlantic Superstar Beaches:

New York

Long Beach City (Nassau County)

New Jersey

Washington (Margate-Atlantic County)
40th St. (Avalon-Cape May County)
40th St. (Sea Isle City-Cape May County)
Stone Harbor at 96th St. (Cape May County)
Upper Township at Webster Rd. (Cape May County)
Wildwood Crest at Orchid (Cape May County)
Broadway (Pt. Pleasant Beach-Ocean County)

Delaware

Dewey Beach-Swedes (Sussex County)
  
Maryland

Point Lookout State Park (St Mary's County)
Assateague State Park (Worcester County)

Virginia

Virginia Beach at 28th St.
Virginia Beach at 45th St.
Back Bay Beach (Virginia Beach)
Little Island Beach North (Virginia Beach)


North Carolina

Ocean Pier at Main St. and Sunset Blvd. (Brunswick County)
Beach at Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (Dare County)
Ocean Pier at Salisbury Street in Wrightsville Beach (New Hanover County) 
Ocean Pier at Ocean Blvd. and Crews Ave. in Topsail Beach (Pender County)          


Mid Atlantic State Beach Water Quality Rankings (out of 30 states)

Delaware 1st

New Jersey 3rd

Maryland 4th

North Carolina 5th

Virginia 6th

New York 24th


Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches collects and analyzes the latest water testing results from the EPA and state beach coordinators at nearly 3,500 beach testing locations nationwide.

The 24th annual report card examines the various causes of water pollution that plague America’s beaches and presents crucial, timely opportunities to keep pollution out of America’s beaches, lakes, and rivers.

source: Natural Resources Defense Council

Mid Atlantic Recreational Saltwater Fish Landings 2012

Saltwater fishing is one of the most popular pastimes in the Mid Atlantic region. According to Fisheries of the United States 2012 (NOAA Fisheries), Mid Atlantic anglers caught and released considerable amounts of saltwater fish during the 2012 fishing season.

North Carolina was the top Mid Atlantic top state in terms of fish harvested while New Jersey anglers caught and released the most fish.

State        Harvested (thousands)        Released (thousands)
New York     3593                15138
New Jersey     6033                23749
Delaware     495                2059
Maryland     4052                11904
Virginia     7851                13695
North Carolina     8473                18536

source: NOAA Fisheries

2013 Southern Maryland Blues Festival Bands Update

Chesapeake Bay Events recently announced that 14 year old Blues/Guitar prodigy "KINGFISH" has been added to the Sunday September 8th lineup of the 2013 Southern Maryland Blues Festival. Christone "Kingfish" Ingram will be a featured guest of the Daryl Davis Band.

Kingfish was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi which has gained much notoriety as the birthplace of the Blues. It’s reputation is well known the world over for spawning such notable legends as Muddy Waters, Pinetop Perkins, Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, Gospel and Soul singer Sam Cooke, Ike Turner, and many others. The legendary town of Clarksdale is located at the intersection of Highway 61 and Highway 49.

The Southern Maryland Blues Festival is a two day festival featuring 12 national, international and local bands. There will be Arts, Crafts, Kids Activities, a variety of food, beer and craft beer tasting by local hosted breweries, wine and wine tasting hosted by local wineries.

The 2 day event is being held on September 7th and 8th at the Calvert County Fairgrounds in Barstow, Maryland. The festival will benefit the less fortunate of Southern Maryland through a contribution of ALL net proceeds to End Hunger in Calvert County.

For more information, visit: www.somdblues.org

Little Patuxent Restoration Grants

The Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund has awarded a $1 million grant to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for restoration projects in the Little Patuxent watershed.

The funding will go towards wetland and stream restoration projects at the Sunrise-Navy Dairy Farm in Gambrills. The project will include planting trees along 20 acres of stream to filter polluted runoff, clean and enhance wetlands, and restore nearly 7,000 linear feet of stream.

source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Maryland Outdoors Days

In 2013, Celebrate Maryland Outdoors Days events will provide families with opportunities to get outside amd enjoy the outdoors.

During the period, Maryland is encouraging organizations to post and promote their nature-inspired events.

The two-week statewide collection of activities kicks off in conjunction with National Get Outdoors Day on June 8 and culminates with the Great American Backyard Campout on June 22.

Visitors can choose from a wide variety of activities which support the Maryland Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights. These two weeks in June will highlight opportunities for bird-watching, archery, kayaking, fishing, gardening, camping, hiking and more.

The Great American Backyard Campout on June 22 encourages families to experience their natural world through camping.

Maryland State Parks with campgrounds are offering special campfire and s’mores programs. In addition, select parks are offering unique programs including Scales and Tales, guided hikes, campfire cooking, owl prowls and kayaking.

More information on Celebrate Maryland Outdoors Days is available at dnr.maryland.gov/cin/CMO

source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Southern Maryland Blues Festival

The 1st Southern Maryland Blues Festival will be held September 7th and 8th, 2013 at the Calvert County Fairgrounds in Prince Frederick, Maryland.

The festival will feature ten acts over the two days, local food vendors, wine, beer, a crafter village, kids’ activities, and more.

Tickets will go on sale June 15th, 2013. Net proceeds from the festival will go to End Hunger in Calvert County. End Hunger in Calvert County (EHCC) is a grassroots partnership of over 50 Calvert County businesses and community leaders

source: Chesapeake Bay Events

Harris Creek Oyster Sanctuary

During the 2012 season, Maryland initiated oyster plantings aimed at fulfilling the goals set by federal agencies to restore oyster habitat and populations in 20 Bay tributaries by 2025.

Workers deployed 634 million spat on shell in Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay, with most of those deployed into the Harris Creek oyster sanctuary.

The effort involved the Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP), the University of Maryland Horn Point Lab Hatchery (UMD HPL), along with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District

Nearly one third of the 360 acre goal in Harris Creek has been planted with enhanced substrate and spat on shell. In addition, portions of the Upper Bay were restocked with oysters after last year’s wide-scale mortality from excessive fresh water.

Harris Creek, a tributary of the Choptank River, is the first river targeted for large-scale, tributary-based oyster restoration. This area was chosen collaboratively by Maryland DNR, Army Corps Baltimore District and NOAA because of its high likelihood to succeed. Construction of the Harris Creek oyster sanctuary is funded primarily by Maryland DNR, the Army Corps and NOAA.

source: Oyster Recovery Partnership

Maryland River Herring Moratorium

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently announced a statewide moratorium on the harvest of river herring (blueback and alewife herring).

The moratorium follows a 93 percent drop in commercial river herring landings along the Atlantic Coast since 1985. The Maryland commercial harvest of river herring has been falling since the early 1970s when the yearly average was about 700,000 pounds. From 2005 to 2010 the average was just 35,200 pounds.

Maryland is one of several states that are taking action to restore river herring. River herring are managed cooperatively by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC).

For more information, visit dnr.state.md.us/fisheries.

source: MD DNR

2011 Waterfowl Festival in Easton Md

The 41st annual Waterfowl Festival takes place in the colonial town of Easton, Maryland. The historic buildings of Easton serve as venues for galleries and exhibits, while events and demonstrations are held at the surrounding ponds and scenic areas.

The Waterfowl Festival is America’s premiere wildlife art exposition featuring art work from more than 300 artists recognized world-wide. Hundreds of paintings, sculpture, carvings, photos, and fine crafts reflect the beauty of the natural world. Dealers offer antique and contemporary decoys.

The Festival offers fly fishing and retriever dog demonstrations – sure to entertain the experienced outdoor enthusiast, children and everyone in between, as well as DockDogs, an entertaining competition between dogs to see who can make the longest jump into a pool.

There are numerous hands-on activities for the entire family, especially for the little ones, such as nature arts and crafts activities and up close wildlife education.

Four world-class calling contests take place at the Festival attracting top callers from across the country and Canada. Contests: World Championship Goose Calling Contest® with $10,000 first prize, Mason-Dixon Regional Duck Calling Contest, World Champion Live Duck Calling Contest® and World Champion Live Goose Calling Contest™ – all with cash and gear prizes.

Attendees can checkout the latest gear, accessories and gadgets for hunting, fishing and marine sports at the Sportsman’s Pavilion.Great Eastern shore food and music add to the festivities.

The Waterfowl Festival is produced annually by Waterfowl Festival Inc., a not-for-profit organization dedicated to wildlife conservation, the promotion of wildlife art and the celebration of life on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

In its 41 years, the Festival has become a leader in the conservation of waterfowl and wildlife habitat. More than $5 million has been donated to projects throughout the Atlantic Flyway and in particular the Chesapeake Bay.

The Waterfowl Festival takes place November 11-13 in downtown Easton, Maryland, off Route 50. Festival hours are: Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Admission is $10 for all three days - children under 12 free.

For additional information or tickets online, visit www.waterfowlfestival.org or call 410/822-4567.

2011 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Assessment

A new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientific assessment of the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab stock has been released, setting higher abundance thresholds and crab population targets.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration assessment, the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab population indicates significantly more work needs to be done to fully rebuild the stock to sustainable levels.

The study concludes that although the stock has increased substantially in response to three years of rebuilding efforts by Virginia, Maryland and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, the stock was more depleted than originally believed and will take longer to rebuild than had been expected.

The assessment sets a new overfishing threshold as well as a new safe abundance level for female crabs. According to NOAA, the project took three years to complete and represents the best available science on the stock’s reproductive capabilities, lifespan, gender and size distributions.

Until now, fishery managers used an interim target of 200 million total adult crabs in the bay as the threshold of a healthy stock and considered overfishing to occur if 53 percent of adult (age 1+) crabs were harvested in a year. Regulations were established to meet these benchmarks, which were based on 2005 bay-wide crab assessment data.

The new stock assessment sets a new healthy-species abundance level of 215 million female crabs, with overfishing occurring if 34 percent of the female crabs are harvested in a year.

Put into context, this means that fishery managers have only come close to achieving this level of female abundance three times over the past 22 years, in 2010, 1993 and 1991.

These more stringent assessments of the stock’s health will allow fishery managers to set more precise female harvest limits in order to fully rebuild the stock. Virginia, Maryland and the PRFC remain committed to working together to rebuild the bay’s crab population to meet the new female population threshold and abundance target.

In September the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee will meet to consider the new assessment, examine data from the past two years and provide management recommendations to Maryland, Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission.

The bay-wide crab harvest in 2010 was in the 90 million-pound range, confirming that a healthy harvesting industry can coexist with regulations designed to rebuild a self-sustaining, healthy blue crab population.

Through a historic collaboration in 2008, Maryland, Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission took strong, coordinated action to reduce harvest pressure on female crabs by 34 percent. At that time, scientists deemed conservation measures necessary as blue crab suffered near historic lows in spawning stock.

Dr. Tom Miller, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, lead author of the stock assessment commented on the assessment, stating: "Overall, crabs in the bay are doing well. Implementing recommendations developed  in the stock assessment, like focusing fishing regulations on female  crabs, will help even more,"

The stock assessment can be viewed in its entirety at: http://hjort.cbl.umces.edu/crabs/Assessment.html

source: Virginia Marine Resources Commission/Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Susquehanna State Park Campground Opens

The Maryland Park Service (MPS) recently reopened the Susquehanna State Park campground, which had been closed for eight months while undergoing upgrades.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) partnered with the Maryland Department of General Services (DGS) to complete a variety of eco-friendly renovations.

To enhance the camper experience, MPS focused the renovation on the restroom and shower buildings. Energy-reducing green technologies in the renovated shower buildings include solar panels, on-demand hot water heaters, occupancy sensors, an insulated metal roof and clearstory windows.

Also incorporated into the design were low-flow faucets and dual flush toilets with an infrared beam powered by small solar panels. The park salvaged old fixtures to be re-used and all concrete and metal from the old building was recycled.

On the exterior, workers installed “pervious paving” which allows storm water to be filtered back into the surrounding area.  The renovations also provide ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessibility and include two new campsites with 30 amp electric hookups for campers with RVs.

A top Mid Atlantic camping destination, the Susquehanna State Park campground offers campers access to the Susquehanna River. It is downstream of the Conowingo Dam, an area renowned for fishing, boating, hunting and general outdoor recreation for the public.

Campers are invited to make reservations for the 61 campsites, 8 campsites with electric hook-ups, and 6 mini-cabins by visiting reservations.dnr.state.md.us or calling 1-888-432-2267. 

Northern Goshawk Killed in Maryland

The remains of a female Northern Goshawk were found on June 17 by a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Biologist in the Savage River State Forest, near Grantsville, Maryland.

Apparently the female was shot and killed, leaving three orphaned chicks in the nest to die. This was Maryland’s only known nesting goshawk, a State listed endangered species.

“Why someone would kill this amazing and beautiful animal is difficult to comprehend” said Jonathan McKnight, who manages DNR’s non-game wildlife programs.

The Northern Goshawk is a large, powerful and secretive forest raptor or bird of prey. Goshawks were driven out of Maryland in the early 1900s by extensive timber harvesting, but returned in 2001 because of improved forest habitat. This would have been Maryland’s first successful goshawk nest recorded since 2006.

The Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the responsible person(s).

The Natural Resources Police (NRP) are asking for the publics’ help in identifying the person or persons responsible for this crime. The investigation has determined that the hawk was shot between May 16 and June 17 in the Savage River State Forest near Westernport Road and McAndrews Hill Road.

If anyone has information about this crime or description of individuals or vehicles seen in the area, please call the Catch-a-poacher hotline at 800-635-6124. Callers may remain anonymous and are eligible for reward money.

2011 Mid Atlantic Free Fishing Days

Several Mid Atlantic States are offering free fishing days for 2011, including Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.

To celebrate National Fishing Week, June 4-12, Delaware's Division of Fish & Wildlife is inviting anglers to visit their favorite fishing spot during Delaware free fishing days.

On Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and 12, 2011, anyone may fish the state’s waters without a fishing license. Anglers are reminded that even though they don’t need a license on those two days, if they intend to fish June 11 or 12, they are still required to obtain a free Fisherman Identification Network (F.I.N.) number.

With the exception of this one weekend, resident and non-resident anglers between the ages of 16 and 64 fishing in any Delaware ponds, impoundments, streams, rivers, bays and ocean are required to purchase a fishing license.

The 2011 Delaware Fishing Guide includes complete details on licensing, the F.I.N. program and exemptions, is also available from the DNREC Dover office, licensing agents and on the Division of Fish & Wildlife website.

Maryland offers 3 free-fishing days for 2011; June 4, June 11 and July 4. No fishing license is required to fish Maryland waters on these days.

Maryland free fishing anglers must still adhere to minimum size and creel limits for the 62 species that are managed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

For fishing regulations and to download a copy of the 2011 Maryland Fishing Guide, visit dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/regulations/regindex.asp or any of the seven DNR Service Centers, dnr.maryland.gov/service/center.asp.

Anglers fishing on Maryland’s free-fishing days do not need to register with the National Saltwater Angler registry.

Virginia’s free fishing days occurred on June 3-5, 2011. During the 3 day period, anglers and their families enjoyed saltwater fishing without having to buy a saltwater license.

North Carolina anglers can fish for free in all public waters (including coastal waters) on July 4, 2011 from 12:01 a.m. until 11:59 p.m.

North Carolina residents and non-residents must still abide by other fishing regulations, such as length and daily possession limits, as well as bait and tackle restrictions.