Volume 4, Issue 6 

July/August 2012

Deadline for Proposals is September 28, 2012 

Click thumbnail to view RFP.

The Chesapeake Bay Trust and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources invite local governments and non-profit organizations to submit requests for assistance available through the Watershed Assistance Grant Program. The funding partners welcome requests for technical planning and design assistance associated with protection and restoration projects that lead to improved water quality in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the Maryland Coastal Bays. The purpose of this assistance is to help grantees accomplish the earliest phases of restoration projects.

The deadline for proposals is Friday, September 28, at 5:00 pm. Click here or on the thumbnail to view the Request for Proposals.

ACCELERATING BAY RESTORATION THROUGH NEW TECHNOLOGIES

Maryland's Innovative Technology Fund Announces Three New Research and Development Projects

Continuing its dedication to identifying new technologies that reduce nutrients and sediment from nonpoint sources, Maryland has selected three companies to receive funding through its Innovative Technology Fund.  The Innovative Technology Fund is a partnership between Maryland DNR, the University of Maryland (Maryland's Industrial Partnership, or MIPS), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

To better understand how to increase oyster survivability for aquaculture enterprises, the Innovative Technology Fund will be supporting Shore Thing Shellfish, LLC, in partnership with the Oyster Hatchery Program at Morgan State, to develop in-situ setting techniques. If successful, this technology would increase survivability of spat thus increasing the number of oysters providing filter benefits. This technology also has the potential to be less costly than traditional setting methods.

AHPharma's radiant heat flooring system during installation. Photo credit: James McNaughton.

The Innovative Technology Fund will be funding Dr. Andrew Ristvey from the Wye Research Center and currently working with Smart Slope, LLC to investigate alternative substrate blends for green roof media that could reduce urban stormwater loads. Field and lab tests will evaluate the chemical and physical components of the media. This data will quantify total nitrogen and phosphorus removal and provide information on plant survivability.

And finally, the Innovative Technology Fund will be supporting AHPharma, LLC and Dr. Jeannine Harter-Dennis from the University of Maryland - Eastern Shore to investigate poutry house flooring technologies to reduce agricultural ammonia emissions. The purpose of this study is to determine if the combination of radiant heating floor and a poultry litter furnace has a positive effect on litter moisture, ammonia house emissions, and live performance of broiler chicks.

For more information on the Innovative Technology Fund visit the website or contact Sarah Lane with the Chesapeake & Coastal Service at 410-260-8788 or slane@dnr.state.md.us.

CORSICA RIVER TARGETED WATERSHED RESTORATION INITIATIVE

2006-2011 Corsica Progress Report Now Available 

 

A report entitled Corsica River Targeted Initiative Progress Report: 2005-2011 has recently been released that showcases the restoration work completed over the past 6 years as well as future strategies to be implemented in the watershed.  

  

The Corsica River is a tidal tributary on Maryland's Eastern Shore that slowly winds through the farmland and forests of rural Queen Anne's County and the Town of Centreville; it then enters the Chester River and into the Chesapeake Bay. The Corsica River Targeted Watershed Initiative began in 2005 as a State-wide focused approach to restore this tidal tributary and eventually remove it from the EPA's 303d list for impairments. Partners involved in the initiative include federal, State, and local agencies, conservation organizations, universities, research institutions and local watersheds. The Corsica River Initiative is nationally recognized for its Watershed Plan and restoration effort that continues to receive attention, both for its outstanding contributions in research, monitoring and implementation, as well as leveraged funding from many sources.

  

This comprehensive effort involves monitoring, research, implementation of water quality and habitat enhancement projects as well as outreach to the community. The restoration activities in the Corsica watershed have been substantial on farm land, suburban residential areas, and in the Town of Centreville by utilizing Best Management Practices (BMPs) and educating citizens on the importance of water quality, nutrient management, and natural resources. 

 

Students planting at Centreville Middle School. Photo credit: Carrie Decker.

A recent example of the initiative's efforts to protect and restore the tidal tributary, a wildlife and water quality enhancement project was planned and designed by DNR staff and the Queen Anne County Extension Office.  A bio-retention area, native meadow, and 30 trees were planted on approximately 1.5 acres at Centreville Middle School, pictured left. Additionally, fifty feet of impervious surface was removed and a natural swale created to improve water quality and remove nutrients from parking lot runoff. One hundred and thirty 6th grade students helped to plant the trees, native meadow plants and grasses over two days in May, not only learning about nutrient abatement and water quality, but also gaining an opportunity to reduce their school's environmental impact. The school project will provide a continued learning environment as the students maintain the space and use the meadow for plant and wildlife identification lessons.

 

For more information on the Corsica River Targeted Watershed Restoration or the progress report, contact Carrie Decker with the Chesapeake & Coastal Service at 410-260-8723 or cdecker@dnr.state.md.us.

 

 

 

MARYLAND IS AWARDED A NEW NOAA COASTAL FELLOW

Project to Focus on Incorporating Sea Level Rise into Water Quality Goals

MD's new Coastal Fellow, Nicole Carlozo.

NOAA's Coastal Services Center selected Maryland's Chesapeake & Coastal Service as one of the state coastal programs that will receive a Coastal Fellow from 2012-2013. The Fellow's project will be "Integrating Water Quality and Coastal Resources into Marine Spatial Planning in the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays" and will help CCS and the state of Maryland identify high priority aquaculture and coastal restoration areas that align with TMDL water quality goals.After a week-long fellow-matching workshop held at NOAA CSC in Charleston, SC, Maryland's Coastal Program was determined to be the best fit for Nicole Carlozo.

Nicole holds a B.A. in both Biology and in English from St. Mary's College and a Master of Environmental Management from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University.

If you are interested in learning more about Nicole's project, please contact Sarah Lane at 410-260-8788 or Catherine McCall at 410-260-8737. 

CCS BIDS FAREWELL AND GOOD LUCK TO CHELSIE PAPIEZ

Coastal Planner and Former NOAA Fellow Heads West

Chelsie (left) with CCS teammates, Sarah Lane and Catherine McCall (L to R) at 2011 Coast Day at Assateague State Park.

This summer, CCS bid farewell to Chelsie Papiez who left Maryland return to her roots in the Pacific Northwest and begin a new adventure on the west coast. 

Chelsie started out as a NOAA Coastal Fellow awarded to CCS in 2009. Chelsie's fellowship project, titled, "Coastal Land Conservation in Maryland: Targeting Tools and Techniques for Sea Level Rise Adaptation and Response", helped CCS and the State of Maryland identify high priority coastal habitats threatened by sea level rise and climate change and direct management and restoration activities to protect their long-term viability.

During her fellowship, Chelsie proved to be a valuable contributor and team member to the coastal program and was hired as a coastal planner to implement the results and products from her project. Among her many contributions were: the creation of a 'New Wetland Areas' GIS layer for the Coastal Atlas based on Maryland's SLAMM study (Sea-Level Affecting Marsh Migration) to provide insight into potential future wetland migration zones; the development of a draft checklist entitled "Maryland's Criteria for Coastal Land Conservation in Response to Climate Change Impacts of Sea Level Rise" used to help evaluate the State's land aquisition opportunities; and conducted a number of presentations, trainings, and workshops on how to incorporate blue infrastructure (aquatic resources and habitat) and climate change impacts into land conservation decision-making.

Chelsie's professional drive and environmental ethic will be missed. The collaborative nature of her work advanced CCS' and the Departments' efforts towards ensuring land conservation is focused in areas that improve the resiliency of coastal habitats to the potential impacts of sea level rise. Click here to learn more about Chelsie's work and CCS's ongoing efforts to ensure coastal habitats are protected in the face of climate change.