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

Philadelphia Named Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership City

Officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), William Penn Foundation, National Audubon Society, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation recently dedicated Philadelphia as an Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership city.

The special designation is part of the USFWS Urban Wildlife Conservation Program, which has provided more than $1.1 million since 2013 to partnerships across the nation to connect city residents with nature.

With this designation, Audubon Pennsylvania will receive $49,000 this year to support the partnership through the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program, which is administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and supported by the Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Fed Ex and Bank of America. This builds upon a $30,000 grant to support the partnership in 2014, which was from the same program.

The funding will support efforts in Southwest Philadelphia to create neighborhood green spaces and parks, provide environmental education programs in schools, improve access and transportation to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, connect the refuge to the Circuit trail network and provide jobs to young people throughout the year.

Other partners are contributing technical and financial support, including the school district of Philadelphia, Eastwick Friends and Neighbors Coalition, Friends of Heinz Refuge, City Lights, Student Conservation Association, TreePhilly, City of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, and many others.

The William Penn Foundation also awarded a $146,000 grant to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge to support their environmental education efforts, further bolstering the partnership. This funding will support low-cost and free kayak tours to residents living adjacent to the refuge in Eastwick and Kingsessing. The tours, which will be operating in cooperation with L.L. Bean, will educate residents about the Tinicum Marsh, one of the largest fresh-water tidal marshes in the Delaware River watershed.

Philadelphia is one of 17 urban wildlife refuge partnerships across the country.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Things To Do - October

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is hosting a series of special programs and events for the month of October. All programs are open to the public.

Fossil Trail Hike
October 11, 2015 10am – 12pm
Pocono Environmental Education Center
Celebrate National Fossil Day* with a 1.3 mile hike.

Archaeology Day
October 17, 2015, 10am – 3pm
Smithfield Beach
This Archaeology Day** celebration includes presentations and hands-on activities throughout the day.

Lecture Series
October 17, 2015, 7pm – 8pm
Bushkill Meeting Center
A subject-matter expert will discuss the park’s rich cultural history.

EcoZone! Discovery Room
October 18 and 31, 2015, 1 pm – 4pm
Pocono Environmental Education Center
Participants can explore the indoor discovery room, and enjoy hands-on exhibits on natural history, sustainability and the local environment. Fee is $2.00 per person. Call PEEC at (570) 828-2319 for more information.

Van Campen Day
October 18, 2015, Begins at noon
Van Campen Inn
The event includes tours of the eighteenth-century Van Campen Inn presented by costumed guides, music provided by the Colonial Musketeers Fife and Drum Corps, colonial crafts, re-enacted encampment, and hikes to Fort Shapanack, the slave cemetery, and Shapanack cemetery. For more information call the Walpack Historical Society at (973) 948-4903.

Octivities at Millbrook Village
October 24, 2015, 3pm – 8pm
Millbrook Village
Learn about nineteenth-century traditions during Octivities at Millbrook Village. After sunset, there will be lantern strolls of the village and spooky storytelling around the campfire.

* National Fossil Day is a celebration organized by the National Park Service to promote public awareness and stewardship of fossils, as well as to foster a greater appreciation of their scientific and educational values.

** International Archaeology Day is a celebration of archaeology and the thrill of discovery. Every October the AIA and archaeological organizations across the United States, Canada, and abroad present archaeological programs and activities for people of all ages and interests.

source: NPS

Winter Recreation Ideas

With an incredible range of weather, geography, and culture, the Mid Atlantic region offers plenty of winter recreation.

The following list includes a few recreational activities that can be found throughout the Mid Atlantic states:

Cross-country Skiing - Showshoeing

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge in New York contains 7.5 miles of ungroomed ski trails and 2.5 miles of ungroomed snowshoe trails.

In Pennsylvania, Erie National Wildlife Refuge offers 4.5 miles of trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking.

In West Virginia, Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge has 31 miles of ungroomed refuge trails plus 18 miles of trails groomed by adjacent White Grass Ski Touring Center. For information, call: 304-866-3858.

Snowshoe enthusiasts can explore Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge by taking a Snowshoe Discovery Tour from adjacent White Grass Ski Touring Center. Information: 304-866-4114.

Ice Fishing

In New York, anglers can enjoy ice fishing at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.

Outdoor Recreation

Along the Delaware River, Bulls Island Recreation Area is a popular destination for biking, hiking, boating, wildlife watching, and outdoor recreational activities. Bulls Island is a hot spot for birding during spring migration. The Bulls Island Recreation Area is approximately three miles north of Stockton, within Delaware Township.

source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Related Information

Things To Do - Mid Atlantic

Delaware River Bristol Borough Waterfront Project

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will partner with the Bucks County Riverfront Program to install 25 new day slips on the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Trenton, New Jersey.

The ADA-compliant project will include new educational signage, lighting, and breakwater structures to protect the facility. The project is part of a larger effort to improve the waterfront in Bristol Borough.

Funding for the project consists of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Boating Infrastructure (BIG) grant of nearly $1.5 million, matched with nearly $1 million in non-federal funding.

source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The Chesapeake Bay Environmental Controversy

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed includes more than 400,000 acres of land and thousands of miles of open bay, rivers and streams, making the Chesapeake Bay the largest estuary in North America.

The bay originates in Pennsylvania, as part of the Susquehanna River. It passes thru Maryland and Virginia, emptying into the Atlantic near Hampton Roads Virginia.

The estuary is an icon of North America and a vital component of the Mid Atlantic region. For centuries, men have fought over the Chesapeake Bay. During the last decade, several controversies have involved environmental issues.

Few people dispute the state of the bay. Silt, runoff, excessive nutrients and other pollution has led to massive degradation of the estuary. At issue is not what is wrong, but where the faults lie and how to correct them. Years of lawsuits, studies and media coverage have so far been ineffective at achieving Chesapeake Bay restoration.  

On May 25, 2011, A coalition of environmental groups announced that they have filed a motion in federal court to oppose the efforts of major national agricultural organizations to force an end to federal and state programs to reduce pollution and restore the Chesapeake Bay.

The coalition includes the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, Defenders of Wildlife, the Jefferson County Public Service District, the Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy, and the National Wildlife Federation.

Within days after the federal government announced scientific pollution limits and the states laid out specific plans to reduce pollution in local rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay, the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau went to federal court in Pennsylvania to stop those efforts.

They have since been joined by other national agricultural lobbying groups, including the Fertilizer Institute, the National Pork Producers Council, the National Corn Growers Association, the National Chicken Council, the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, and the National Turkey Federation.

"Just as the Bay is making progress in its long fight to survive, these big money industry lobbyists are trying to derail the process.  Why? A simple profit motive," said Chesapeake Bay Foundation President William C. Baker. "They want the rest of us to suffer dirty and dangerous water so they can maximize their corn, hog, and poultry profit."

For decades, science has known that nitrogen and phosphorus pollution are responsible for the dead zones, fish kills, and harmful algal blooms that annually plague the Chesapeake Bay. Under the Clean Water Act, and as the result of numerous court cases, a scientific limit, or TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load), has been set.

State governments then developed plans designed to ensure that all pollution control measures needed to fully restore the Bay and its tidal rivers are in place by 2025, with at least 60 percent of the actions completed by 2017. Science set the limits, and the states designed individual plans to achieve the goals.

"This lawsuit is a frivolous attack by polluters against the Chesapeake Bay’s rivers and streams, the source of drinking water for millions and an economic engine for the region." said the National Wildlife Federation’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Executive Director Tony Caliguiri. "In these economic times it’s appalling that taxpayer money is being spent to defend clean water in local communities against polluters.  Responsible local leaders are working hard to set pollution limits for their communities and polluters would rather sue rather than be accountable."

Opponents of the pollution limits claim that EPA is overstepping its authority, and wants the process to start all over again.

"The Farm Bureau’s lawsuit is just another attempt to delay federal action," said Brian Glass, senior attorney for Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture).  "This delay will harm the very people the Bureau purports to represent, endangering farms that need a fresh and clean water supply, and preventing farmers from getting the help they need to protect their own land and waters."

Note: Portions of this article originate from a joint press release published by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation,  Defenders of Wildlife, Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation & Penn Future