According to the Wicomico Environmental Trust, a publicly owned local forest is in danger of being clear cut to make way for the dumping of dredge spoils from the Wicomico River. Citizens of Wicomico County need to make their voices heard in opposition to this action.

The forest is part of a 350-acre
parcel purchased by the county using state funds from Program Open
Space. The forest contains numerous species typical in our native mixed
forests: pine, yes, but also oak, dogwood, beech, holly, sweet gum,
magnolia, and many other plant species, and deer, woodpeckers,
raccoons, turtles, voles, skunks, and hawks. This forest should be left
alone for the benefit of humans and other living things. It is absorbing
carbon, producing oxygen, and filtering rainwater into the aquifer.

But right now a bulldozer sits in this forest. It is there because
Wicomico County and the Army Corps of Engineers are testing this
site as a place to dump mud from the next phase of a Corps project
dredging the Wicomico River. The bulldozer is there to clear a path for
the core driller, and the core driller is there to check the soil and the
aquifer level before clear-cutting the forest to create a dump site for the
dredge spoils begins.

WET encourages all concerned citizens to contact officials of Wicomico County to express their opposition to the clear cutting of this forest.

John Redden, Acting Director of Public Works, 410-548-4810
Gary Mackes, Director of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, 410-548-4900, ext. 106
Jim Grindle, Public Works civil engineer, 410-548-4810

If you are not satisfied with what they tell you, you can call your county
council member or Rick Pollitt, the County Executive (410-548-4800).

Tell them to build the dredge spoils dump facility on a field instead of
cutting the forest.

The Centre at Salisbury, in partnership with Delmarva Recycling, will be hosting an e-recycling event on Saturday, November 15th, from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM. The collection site will be located in the parking area behind Regal Cinemas near Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Suggestions on what to e-recycle: Computers (CPU), Monitors (Screens), Keyboards, Televisions, Microwaves, Toasters, Radios, Stereos, Household Fans, Household Appliances, Cell Phones, Cameras, Hair Dryers, Typewriters, Irons, Ironing Boards, Movie Projectors, Bicycles, Lawnmowers, Electronic Toys.

I ran across this video on YouTube. It is a short film promoting Wicomico County as the enchanting hub of the Delmarva Peninsula, which offers a unique blend of history, recreation, relaxation and fascination.

A partnership between several Maryland tourism and natural resource groups has resulted in a new web site called Wilds of Worcester. WoW offers information on outdoor activities including kayaking, birding and exploration away from the usual beach scene in Ocean City. Visitors can also find information on camping, hiking, boating and biking. Check out the Wilds of Worcester and add some adventure to your next visit to Worcester County, MD.

TOWNSEND, Del. – Autumn’s vibrant foliage, the pristine waters and lush landscape of Blackbird Creek Reserve will be showcased 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25 at the Blackbird Creek Fall Festival. The festival is being held at the Blackbird Creek Reserve – located at 801 Blackbird Landing Road near Townsend – one of the most beautiful and ecologically valuable areas in Delaware.

The Worcester County Public Works Department’s Recycling Division, in conjunction with Maryland Environmental Services and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), will conduct Household Hazardous Waste, and E-Cycling (electronics recycling) Collection Day on Saturday, November 1, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Ocean Pines Public Works Department, located by the South Station Fire House in Ocean Pines.

Gather up those old or unusable cans of pesticides, pool chemicals, gas and other fuels, oil-base paints, thinners and everyday hazardous wastes accumulating in and around the home and bring them to the recycling center for safe disposal. Electronic items, such as computers, monitors, keyboards, printers, radios, televisions and VCR’s, will be collected and later recycled.

Because household hazardous waste and electronics don’t break down readily, recycling those items saves much-needed landfill space. Furthermore, many of the items contain poisonous materials that could seep out of the landfill and contaminate surrounding soil and groundwater. Proper disposal of these items is among many simple tasks we can practice to further protect our environment and ultimately our own health.

This event is open to Worcester County residents only. A representative from MDE will be on-site checking vehicle registration. Clean Venture of Baltimore will be responsible for the safe dispose of all hazardous waste collected. The electronics will be shipped to an electronics recycler for dismantling. For more information, contact Worcester County Recycling Coordinator Ron Taylor at (410) 632-3177.

Worcester County has released a new publication titled Rain Gardens in Maryland’s Coastal Plain.

Rain gardens, are depressions in the ground that are strategically placed to capture runoff from impervious surfaces like rooftops, driveways, sidewalks, and even lawns. A strategically placed rain garden can intercept the runoff, allow the water to infiltrate into the soil, and filter out pollutants like oils, fertilizers, and pesticides before entering the bays.

The brochure suggests ideas regarding the construction and plant selection for a rain garden that will maximize the effect on water runoff from properties in Maryland’s coastal plains. The publication is available for free at the Worcester County Department of Comprehensive Planning office in Snow Hill, MD. An electronic version is available online.

Wicomico County Executive Richard M. Pollitt, Jr., announced that county
residents will have an opportunity to dispose of hazardous household waste at no charge
on Saturday, September 20th at the Newland Park Landfill. The hours for “Household
Hazardous Waste Collection Day” are 8:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. The event is open to residents of Wicomico County and participants should bring a valid proof of residence such as a driver’s license. The Landfill will be accepting the following:
Gasoline
Gas/Oil mixes
Fuels
Acids
Cleaners
Solvents
Automotive Fluids
Bleach
Ammonia
Batteries (all types)
Household Smoke Detectors
Asbestos
Pool Chemicals
Dark Room Chemicals
Household & Lawn & Garden Pesticides
Insecticides & Herbicides
Compressed Gas Propane Cylinders (30 gallon and under)
Painting Products
Oil Based Paint
Paint Thinner
Turpentine
Wood Preservatives
Wood Stripping Chemicals

Landfill officials noted that solidified latex paint may be disposed of with trash. It can be
solidified by adding dirt, mulch, kitty litter or a comparable substance.

The Landfill will not be accepting the following:
Business, Industrial or Commercial Farm Waste
Explosives
Ammunition (handled by Fire Marshall)
Medical Waste
Radioactive Material

Landfill officials suggest that participants pre-arrange large loads. They also said that empty fuel containers will be returned upon request and that staff will help unload vehicles.

The Lower Shore Land Trust is holding their 1st Annual Native Plant Sale at the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art in Salisbury on Saturday, May 10th from 9:00-12:00. According to the LSLT:

Gardening with native plants provides food for wildlife, benefits the environment and looks great!

The native plants included in the sale offer garden options for areas of dry shade and butterfly gardens as well as plants that grow well in the full sun of a Delmarva summer. Native plants create a habitat for wildlife, are adapted to the local climate, and require less water than non-native species.

In conjunction with the plant sale, the Ward Museum will be offering a Paint-a-Pot activity for children from 10:00 AM to noon. Pots can be decorated for a fee of $2 to $5 which includes soil and seeds. The Ward Museum is also offering free admission to the museum with the purchase of a native plant from the LSLT sale.

I will be celebrating Earth Day by including a stop at the recycling center during a trip this afternoon. Our house already has quite a number of CFL bulbs installed, which is something I try to add each time an old incandescent bulb burns out. Monoblogue is lamenting his purchase of CFLs today. I am surprised that he is even admitting to ownership of an energy saving product. Earth Day is probably not given a prominent place on his calendar.

According to the EPA, this will be the 39th Earth Day in history. The EPA offers links to many tips to protect the evironment and your health. Earth Day would be a great time to begin a recycling habit in your household. The easiest item to recycle is newspaper, and you will be amazed how quickly the stack will grow. You can also include magazines in your paper recycling pile. So Happy Earth Day to all, and to all a good recycle.

That the original healthy population of oysters could filter the entire volume of the Chesapeake Bay in less than one week. The remaining bay oysters now take more than a year to filter the 19 trillion gallons of bay water.

In the past, the Salisbury Riverfest has been a rather nondescript festival without an obvious target audience. This year, the Environmental Affairs Committee of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce has done a better job of communicating the mission of the Riverfest. According to the C of C web site, the Riverfest’s purpose is bringing people together to celebrate and learn about the Wicomico River. Since the Environmental Affairs Committee is responsible for the event, we can infer that event should also promote the health of the Wicomico River and the surrounding habitat.

Riverfest 2007 combines the efforts of the Chamber of Commerce, Wicomico Tourism and Urban Salisbury to offer a more inviting schedule of events. Many local environmental groups, including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Wicomico Creekwatchers, Salisbury University Bioenvirons Club, Lower Eastern Shore Tributary Team, and Wicomico Environmental Trust (WET), will be on hand to share information and education about the local watershed.

New events for Riverfest 2007 include a ramblin’ raft race as well as kayak races. Visitors to the festival can take free rides on a Chesapeake Bay Foundation workboat and go onboard a tugboat or Coast Guard vessel. Other entertainment includes live music and a classic car show. Salisbury Riverfest 2007 will take place on Saturday, September 8, from 10:00 - 4:00.

The 1st Annual Delmarva Blue Crab Festival is scheduled to take place August 10th-12th in Milton, DE. The sponsors of the event include local print, radio and television media companies along with beverage suppliers and several recognizable business names. The festival will designate a portion of its proceeds for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The event organizers have provided a summary of the mission for the festival.

One goal of the Delmarva Blue Crab Festival is to ensure that there are plenty of blue crabs available, now and in the future, so that those of us who enjoy them can continue to do so.
The Delmarva Blue Crab Festival has chosen the Chesapeake Bay Foundation as a beneficiary of the event’s success. A portion of event proceeds will be donated to the foundation.
As one of the region’s foremost nonprofit environmental stewardship organizations, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, www.cbf.org, is uniquely positioned to show and tell us all what we can do to help improve bay and ocean water quality as we improve the environment overall.
A healthier environment means more and better natural resources such as blue crabs. We’re pleased to be affiliated with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and we’re happy to provide our added financial support to their efforts.

A new tradition for Delmarva could be created with the success of the 1st Annual Delmarva Blue Crab Festival. A full menu of entertainment has been scheduled to appear on three festival stages. Ticket options include an All You Can Eat menu of traditional Eastern Shore foods for $30(Adults) and $10(Kids 10&U). Basic event tickets are available for $7.50(Adults) and $3.50(Kids).

Senator Mikulski has been promoting the measures that she has supported in recent spending bills. The Senator has maintained her support for projects that will protect and restore some regions of the bay and Atlantic coast as well as the navigation channel of the upper Wicomico River. The Energy and Water Development 2008 spending bill includes $1.9 million for Assateague Island. The north end of the island is suffering excessive erosion as the jetties extending from Ocean City beaches block the normal flow of sand along the coast. The natural flow of sand would partially replenish the north end of Assateague if the Ocean City jetties did not exist. Recent Atlantic storms have accelerated the loss of sand in these areas.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced the Energy and Water Development 2008 spending bill, which passed the full committee, provides more than $70 million for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects in Maryland, and $19.6 million for Eastern Shore and Chesapeake Bay initiatives.

“The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure and is Maryland’s greatest natural resource. This is a federal investment in the lives and livelihoods that depend on the Bay,” said Senator Mikulski. “I will continue to fight to keep the Bay and Eastern Shore communities a priority in the federal checkbook.”

The spending in the bill also includes other projects on the Eastern Shore.

$2 million for the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Restoration Program, which will be used to initiate construction at the Ewell Wastewater Treatment Plant on Smith Island in Somerset County, and to continue the evaluation of the risks and benefits of introducing non-native Asian oysters into the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.

$1.9 million for Assateague Island in Worcester County for restoration efforts that will protect the northern end of the island and its fragile habitat.

$800,000 for the Wicomico River to dredge the upper river. This navigation project serves the Delmarva Peninsula with approximately eight facilities for grain exports and petroleum imports that are vital to the economic health of the region.

$600,000 for the Mid-Bay Island Study, which is examining the potential beneficial use of placing dredged material on James and Barren Islands in Dorchester County.

$120,000 for Goose Creek in Somerset County to begin engineering and design of a maintenance dredging project important to a seafood packing house and commercial fishing vessels.

The complete press release is available online.

What is Google doing with the estimated $11 billion that it will earn this year? Part of the earnings are going toward 9,212 solar panels that are being installed on top of the Mountain View, CA, Googleplex to provide about 30% of the peak electric demand of the campus. Pictures and video are available on the Solar Panel Project page.