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Volume 1, Issue
5 |
March
2009 | |
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You
Are Now... IN THE
ZONE
IN THE
ZONE is a service from the Maryland Department
of Natural Resources' (MD DNR) Chesapeake & Coastal Program (CCP) that delivers timely information, tools
and resources to those living and working in Maryland's
coastal
zone. |
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SAVE THE DATE: BUILDING "COAST-SMART" COMMUNITIES:
HOW WILL MARYLAND ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE?
CCP
Will Host An Interactive Summit for Coastal Leaders on
April 27 in Annapolis, MD
On April 27,
2009, the MD DNR's Chesapeake & Coastal Program will
host an interactive summit, "Building Coast-Smart
Communities: How Will Maryland Adapt to Climate
Change?", as an integral part of the implementation of
Maryland's Climate Action Plan. This high-level,
half-day event brings together hundreds of coastal
leaders and diverse stakeholders to participate in an
innovative simulation of real-life, local discussions
around change adaptation. Participants will work
through a set of actions that communities can take to
protect its people, infrastructure, and investments from
the impacts of climate change.
Maryland needs
"Coast-Smart" communities that are ready, adaptive, and
resilient to sea level rise and storm surge.
Today's choices will shape tomorrow's
vulnerabilities. We can meet the challenges of
climate change by coming together and showing
leadership.
For more information, please
visit the event website at: http://maryland.coastsmart.org/.
If you have questions about the event, send an email to
info@coastsmart.org or call Gwen
Shaughnessy with the Chesapeake & Coastal Program at
410.260.8743.
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MARYLAND
INVITED BY NOAA TO PARTICIPATE IN A NATIONAL SYSTEM OF
MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
The National Marine
Protected Areas Center at NOAA recently invited Maryland
to participate in a national system of Marine Protected
Areas. Over the past couple of years,
the Chesapeake & Coastal Program has
coordinated the state's participation in this national
system. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are valuable
tools for conserving the nation's natural and cultural
marine resources as part of an ecosystem approach to
management. The United States has many types of MPAs for
many purposes, including conservation of natural
heritage, cultural heritage and sustainable production.
In response to NOAA's
invitation, the Chesapeake & Coastal Program worked
on behalf of the MD DNR with the Maryland
Historical Trust at the Maryland Department of Planning,
the United States Navy, and St. Mary's County to
nominate the U-1105 Black Panther Historic Shipwreck
Preserve on the Potomac River to the national system of
Marine Protected Areas. Click
here to
be redirected to the Maryland Historical Trust's website
dedicated to the historic shipwreck
preserve.
Following nomination of this site to the national
system on February 13, 2009, a Federal Register notice was issued
announcing National MPA System site nominations.
If you are interested in public comment on this specific
nomination you may respond to the Federal Register notice.
To find out more about this and future MPA
nominations in Maryland, contact Catherine
McCall with the Chesapeake & Coastal
Program at
410.260.8737. |
 CHESAPEAKE & ATLANTIC
COASTAL BAYS 2010 TRUST FUND RECIPIENTS
ANNOUNCED
Watershed Assistance
Collaborative Established to Advance Watershed
Protection and Restoration Activities in
Maryland
Governor Martin O'Malley
has announced the first recipients of the Chesapeake
& Atlantic Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund. Established
in November 2007, the Trust Fund was created to provide
a dedicated source of funding to accelerate Bay
restoration by focusing financial resources on the most
effective nonpoint source pollution control
projects. Click
here to
view the full press release.
Communities
interested in undertaking comprehensive watershed
restoration projects like those funded by the 2010 Trust
Fund are encouraged to take advantage of the services
offered by the newly established Watershed Assistance
Collaborative (WAC). The Collaborative was
developed
to connect local communities to the financial and
technical resources they need to undertake comprehensive
watershed restoration projects in Maryland. The
Collaborative will offer the tools, resources, and
outreach needed to undertake nonpoint-source pollution
implementation and restoration efforts.
The
Collaborative represents the joining of inter-agency
capacity that will greatly assist local governments with
coordination and resources needed for advancing
implementation projects. Click here to view the letter of support signed by the
Collaborative's partners.
Communities
needing help applying for the grant program or
interested in other assistance undertaking comprehensive
watershed restoration projects with the MD
DNR and its partners should contact Carrie
Decker
at 410-260-8723.
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NEW
VENTURE CAPITAL FINANCING AVAILABLE FOR MARYLAND STATE
STARTUPS WITH INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
ADDRESSING AIR & WATER QUALITY IN THE
CHESAPEAKE BAY AREA
The Maryland
Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) at the
University of Maryland announces the launch of the
Chesapeake Bay Seed Capital Fund. The fund,
supported by the Maryland Department of Natural
Resources and administered by Mtech, will invest
$250,000 annually over a three-year period into
Maryland-based startup companies with innovative
technologies that may help improve water quality in the
Chesapeake Bay. Fund recipients are jointly selected by
Mtech and MD DNR.
The Chesapeake
Bay Capital Seed Fund is a strategic initiative
announced by Governor Martin O'Malley on November 20,
2008 as part of the Chesapeake Executive Council ( click here
to view the press release). The goal of the fund is to
accelerate the flow of capital to innovative ventures
creating sustainable solutions to restoring the
Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.
For more
information please contact Jenn Raulin
with the Chesapeake & Coastal
Program at
410.260.8745. |
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LOCAL
GOVERNMENT RESTORATION INITIATIVE GRANTS: NOW ACCEPTING
APPLICATIONS
The National Association of Counties is now
accepting applications for Coastal Counties Restoration
Initiative (CCRI) grants. The initiative provides
financial assistance on a competitive basis to
innovative, high quality county-led or -supported
ecosystem restoration projects. Now in its third year,
CCRI will provide $350,000 in new grants to improve
stream, river, estuarine and other important marine
habitats. Grant applications that are
community-based in nature and focused on working in
partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) will be given special
consideration. This year's grants will range from
$50,000 - $100,000, based upon the project's
demonstrated need. The deadline for applications
is April 6, 2009. For more information contact Carrie
Clingan at 202.942.4246. Click here
to be redirected to the CCRI
website. |
 REGIONAL ECOSYSTEM BASED
MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE COMING TO BALTIMORE IN
MARCH
A regional ecosystem
based management (EBM) conference, Ecosystem Based Management:
The Chesapeake and Other Systems, is being held
on March 22-25, 2009 at the Baltimore Marriott Hotel and
Conference Center. The goal of the conference is
to identify EBM currently in place across the basin and
opportunities for expanded EBM in the
future.
There are 28 sessions now scheduled and
more importantly, participation by local-state/Federal
officials, NGO representatives, K12 educators, advocacy
staffs, and policy makers is being sought, with
subsidized travel and accommodation. EBM can only
be implemented if officials and staffs from towns,
counties and municipalities where land decisions are
made are engaged.
Please click here
to be redirected to the website for conference details,
call for abstracts, registration, and travel subsidy
information. |
 SUSTAINABILITY ROUNDTABLE AT
CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE, MARCH
23
Members of the
academic, business, environmental, government, and local
communities are invited to Chesapeake College for a
Sustainability Roundtable. The event
will include invited speakers, panel discussions, and
the opportunity to build connections with other
participants.
The goal of this roundtable
is to create strategies for collaboration in support of
sustainability and green technologies. It will
also form the basis for agreements that will contribute
to the development of a community that is ready to rise
to the opportunity offered by the new green
economy.
The webpage for information and
registration for the sessions and for the lunch is:
www.chesapeake.edu/sustainability. Attendance at
the morning information session is free. If you
wish to stay for lunch at 1:15 p.m., the cost is
$20.
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 Please feel free to contact us
with any comments, questions or ideas for future IN THE ZONE e-mails.
Sincerely,
Your Chesapeake & Coastal Program
Team
Maryland Department of
Natural Resources |
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A publication of the
Maryland Coastal Zone Management Program pursuant to National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award
No.NA08NOS4190469. This publication is funded (in part) by a
grant/cooperative agreement from the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The views expressed herein
are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the
views of NOAA or any of its
sub-agencies.
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