Assateague Coastal Trust

Assateague Coastal Trust

SHAKE OFF THOSE WINTER BLAHS BY PLANNING TO ATTEND ACT’S ANNUAL SPRING FLING DINNER AND AUCTION ON MARCH 6TH!

Tom Horton

February 1, 2010 - Please join Assateague Coastal Trust for an evening of fine dining, light jazz, awesome silent auction, and good conversation with noted author and environmental activist Tom Horton.

ACT's 2010 Spring Fling will be held Saturday, March 6 at the Golden Sands in Ocean City, MD. Enjoy an open bar cocktail hour at 5:30pm, listening to the smooth jazz sounds of the Stephen Decatur Jazz Band while you look over our extensive silent auction and place your bids. Then dine at 6:30pm on a sumptuous dinner of Eastern Shore delights to be followed by an enlightening and entertaining discussion by noted Chesapeake Bay author and activist Tom Horton.

Tom Horton is a native of Maryland's Eastern Shore, longtime environmental writer and columnist for the Baltimore Sun, author of several books about Chesapeake Bay, and writer on nature and environment for numerous magazines, including National Geographic, New York Times, Audubon, Smithsonian and Rolling Stone.

Horton lives in Salisbury and teaches Environmental Studies and English Literature at Salisbury University. In recent years he has circumnavigated the Delmarva Peninsula twice, once by kayak (28 days), once by bicycle (8 days).

Currently he is working with an independent and unofficial group of longtime bay scientists and former political leaders to urge federal and state governments to take a tougher, more comprehensive approach to restoring the Chesapeake Bay. This group does not think even the current federal and state approaches will get us to the 2025 deadlines. His talk with us on March 6 promises to be lively and hard hitting.

The silent auction will feature a wide array of packages including wine lots, jewelry, original art, fishing trips, and more!

Be sure to purchase a raffle ticket for our Chesapeake Light Craft Mill Creek - 16 tandem kayak, complete with vests, paddles and car top carrier. We will only sell a limited number of $20 raffle tickets for this beautiful, hand-built wooden boat - she’s lovingly crafted and absolutely seaworthy. The kayak will be displayed at the Spring Fling and again at the ACT Native Plant Sale in May. More information and photos about this boat, will be available on our website soon.

And ACT will once again tempt you to part with a few dollars to win a chance for an authentic Smith Island Cake.

We look forward to seeing all our friends and supporters at this year’s Spring Fling so reserve your seats now. The deadline for reservations is Monday, March 1st. Dinner tickets are $45 each. You may make a reservation by calling Kim Fehrer at 410-629-1538 or purchase by credit card on-line here.

Thank you for your commitment to ACT’s mission of preservation and protection of our coastal bays watershed and we look forward to spending an enjoyable evening with you on March 6.

PERDUE’S HUDSON FARM FACILITY POLLUTION UPDATE
Assateague Coastkeeper Outlines Major Gains in Initial Efforts to Minimize Pollution After Lawsuit Notice Filed in December. (See the news article below)

Hudson Farm Aerial View

Hudson Farm Aerial View

Ocean City, MD. - January 12, 2010 - The

Alliance reported today that it has filed a Public Information Act (PIA) request to compel the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to produce all records about its dealing with the Perdue's Hudson Farm, a chicken factory farm located in Berlin, MD., known to be polluting Maryland waterways and endangering human health.

At the same time, Assateague

Kathy Phillips, said that her organization already has achieved "important victories for water quality" in that the Perdue Hudson Farm manure pile (purportedly consisting of human waste) was largely cleaned up in the wake of a MDE inspector's visit prompted by the December 17, 2009 notice of intent to file suit for violations of the Clean Water Act at the Eastern Shore facility, an 80,000-bird Concentrated Animal Feed Operation (CAFO) owned by Alan Hudson, a contract grower for Perdue Farms. Husdson Farm pollution site

Husdson Farm pollution site

Phillips pointed to these important developments spurred by the filing of the Notice of Intent (NOI):

• The trenches extending from the manure pile to a ditch leading directly to a waterway were filled in to block further pollution.

• The manure pile photographed on Dec. 9. 2009 has been removed, and there is no longer a pile of waste material in this location

• There seems to be a new, tarp-covered pile on site further removed from the drainage ditch.

• As a result of these steps, the pollution problem has been mitigated somewhat for the time being. While the group no longer is finding fecal coliform levels at 100-200 times levels permitted by the Environmental Protection Administration for treated human sewage (Class A Biosolids), the bacteria levels detected at the Perdue operation are still high enough to be problematic in terms of water quality.

The PIA was filed as a result of contradictory statements attributed to MDE about the extent of sampling and testing, the results of such sampling and testing, and whether or not the pile was removed from the Perdue facility or simply relocated on the Hudson Farm to a different location without a connection to a waterway.

WATERKEEPERS® PETITION EPA TO PROTECT MARYLAND WATERWAYS
Assateague COASTKEEPER asks EPA to help protect and improve our water through enforcement of our environmental laws.

Assateague COASTKEEPER asks EPA to help protect and improve our water through enforcement of our environmental laws.

Baltimore, MD - December 7, 2009 -

Chesapeake of Maryland and Waterkeeper Alliance (collectively "Waterkeepers") today filed a detailed, 58 page legal document (petition) seeking major changes in the way Maryland operates and enforces the Clean Water Act in order to better protect the Chesapeake Bay.

The petition asks the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to withdraw Maryland's delegated authority to administer the Clean Water Act's (CWA) pollution permitting program for dischargers in the state. Under the CWA, EPA retains ultimate authority to monitor and control point source discharges of pollutants across the nation through its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program; the Agency typically delegates this authority to the states for implementation.

In the petition, filed on behalf of the Waterkeepers by the University of Maryland Environmental Law Clinic, Waterkeepers request that the EPA evaluate the systematic failure of Maryland's Department of the Environment to properly and effectively administer and enforce the CWA's NPDES permitting program.

Organizations represented in the petition include: Anacostia Riverkeeper, Assateague

, Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper, Chester Riverkeeper, Choptank Riverkeeper, Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper, Patuxent Riverkeeper, Potomac Riverkeeper, Sassafras Riverkeeper, Severn Riverkeeper, South Riverkeeper, West/Rhode Riverkeeper, and Waterkeeper Alliance.

"If you want to see proof of the failure of Maryland to enforce the CWA within its borders, look no further than the spiraling health of the Chesapeake Bay," said Michele Merkel, Waterkeepers Chesapeake regional Coordinator "Over the last twelve years, MDE has failed to properly administer the CWA in countless ways as evidenced by the many examples in our petition. The Agency has been unable to draft and approve robust NPDES permits and has failed to comprehensibly enforce the program. By submitting this petition, we hope to encourage all parties to come together and find ways to improve the program and, ultimately, provide all Maryland citizens with cleaner, healthier waterways."

PLEASE SUPPORT ACT'S ANNUAL GIVING CAMPAIGN
November marks the start of ACT's annual giving campaign and we need your support. Assateague Coastal Trust is the only group in our watershed, and one of the very few on the Eastern Shore with a mission, a commitment and a track record of not only telling it like it is, but making it like it should be.

Here are just a few examples from the past year:

1. ACT's direct advocacy and leadership role in mobilizing the public pushed the Worcester County government to enact a new zoning code that significantly improves water quality protection (and we're still pushing).

2. Through our "Get the Dirt Out" project, ACT not only identified construction sites polluting our waters, but got the County and State to actually enforce their laws with stop work orders and fines.

3. In a long overdue victory for open government, ACT's complaint to the State Attorney General's office produced an official rebuke to the Worcester County Commissioners for "consolidating" (i.e., gutting) the county's environmental planning and compliance departments behind closed doors.

4. Together with other Waterkeeper programs in Maryland, ACT successfully sued the Maryland Department of Agriculture to force MDA to make 'nutrient management plans' accessible to the public (i.e., letting us know where the chicken waste goes so we can make sure it doesn't get into the water).

ACT BOARD DRAFTS STATEMENT ON THE USE OF OFFSHORE WIND FARMS FOR CLEAN ENERGY
Wind Turbines

Wind Turbines

On December 9, 2009 the Board of Directors of ACT approved a current Position Statement in support of the use of off shore wind farms as a means to generate cleaner, more sustainable, energy sources for the coastal watershed.

A committee of scientists and engineers sitting on the ACT Board of Directors spent the past year researching this issue and addressing concerns from Board members regarding the environmental impacts from off-shore wind farms. Several workshops were held and the result of the project is an official Position of Support by the ACT Board of Directors.

COASTKEEPER FILES NOTICE TO SUE POULTRY INDUSTRY!
Assateague Coastkeeper and Waterkeeper Alliance, on December 17, 2009 filed a Notice of Intent to sue Perdue Farms, Inc. and Hudson Farm (a Perdue poultry grower located near Berlin, MD) for Clean Water Act violations for discharging polluted runoff from a manure pile to open waters of the State. Read more about it here.

MARYLAND OPEN MEETINGS COMPLIANCE BOARD RULES IN FAVOR OF ACT'S COMPLAINT AGAINST WORCESTER COUNTY
October 29, 2009 - Assateague Coastal Trust’s complaint filed earlier this summer with the Maryland Open Meetings Compliance Board, through the state Attorney General’s office, was filed to formally complain regarding actions taken by the Worcester County Commissioners on May 26, 2009 in closed session to consolidate three departments of Worcester County Government. Gavel

Gavel

ACT argued that the May 26th closed session meeting was in violation of the Maryland Open Meetings Act, and that the scope of the meeting and the decisions made therein fell outside any privilege or exclusion afforded to discussions regarding personnel matters, or matters of an administrative nature.

ACT had asked that the Compliance Board issue an opinion and finding, and today’s ruling (see the full document) finds Worcester County was in violation of the Open Meetings Act on all counts.

In the ruling announced today ACT was also pleased to see the Open Meetings Act Compliance Board upheld our contention that the County's attempt to cure their violation of the Open Meetings Act by voting in public to consolidate the departments at a later Commissioner meeting did not ‘cure’ the defect and does nothing to assure the public, or ACT, that governmental policymaking is being made in a transparent manner. The Open Meetings Act Compliance Board ruled the subsequent vote did not ‘cure’ the violation.

Assateague Coastal Trust is not at all surprised by the finding. In our minds, the County had clearly violated the Open Meetings Act and acted in a manner that was irresponsible to the public, the citizens of Worcester County. It is unfortunate that our elected officials felt they did not have to be accountable to the law and worse, they did not understand their actions behind closed doors should have been conducted in the light of sunshine.

There are no articles available at this time for the Delmarva Youth and Family Magazine.

June 20, 2008 -- County Sets Deadline For Comprehensive Rezoning
By Cara Dahl, Staff Writer

August 15, 2008 -- New Showell Homes' Water Quality Impact Debated
By Cara Dahl, Staff Writer

May 22, 2009 -- State Waterkeepers and Assateague Coastkeeper, MDE Settle Runoff Lawsuit
By Cara Dahl, Staff Writer

May 29, 2009 -- County's Department Merge Calls For Layoffs
By Cara Dahl, Staff Writer

June 16, 2009 -- ACT Files Challenge To County Closed Meeting
By Cara Dahl, Staff Writer

September 15, 2009 - Get the Dirt Out reports successful summer monitoring program

Baltimore Sun

June 9, 2009 -- Water Hazard
By Tim Wheeler

June 10, 2009 -- Heads Roll in a Planning Department, Protections Fall
By Tom Pelton, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

There are no articles available at this time for the Shore Progress.

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The Assateague

is an on-the-water advocate who patrols and protects the Maryland and northern Virginia eastern shore coastal bays, including the St. Martins River, Assawoman Bay, Isle of Wight Bay, Sinepuxent Bay, Newport Bay, and Chincoteague Bay, standing up to polluters and guaranteeing everyone's right to clean water.

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November 20, 2009 - Nearly four years after the Worcester County Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2006 by the County Commissioners, its implementation has finally been voted upon...well, sort of.

While missing the mark on many aspects of the Comprehensive Plan, (these award winning concepts such as TDRs, Impact fees, alternative energy initiatives, and protection of flood plains from development were not implemented) the County's new zoning code and zoning map was approved on November 3, 2009.

With very few changes to the text of the Zoning Code, and one or two changes to the Comprehensive Zoning Maps - the Worcester County Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt the new zoning ordinance. Commissioner Cowger was the lone dissenting vote to approve the Zoning Maps.

Assateague Coastal Trust's efforts to strengthen the language in the code for protection of our waterways and our natural resources remained as suggested in our public comments and as amended by the Planning Commission and Staff.

Get the Dirt Out (GTDO) is a NEW project being implemented by local Waterkeeper programs, across the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays watersheds, to protect our waterways from damage caused by sediment-laden runoff from construction sites and land development. ACT is participating in this extremely important program and has created a website specifically for this purpose. To read more about this project or to help us by volunteering, click here to be automatically transferred to the GTDO website.

Grow Berlin Green (GBG) is a NEW 3 year campaign to encourage Berlin residents, businesses and government officials to connect the community to conservation. The campaign will be managed by a coalition of Assateague Coastal Trust (ACT), Lower Shore Land Trust and Maryland Coastal Bays Program, but it will be driven by community education, empowerment and action, said Steve Farr, development director for ACT and the project director of GBG. For more information on the Grow Berlin Green Project, click here to be automatically transferred to the GBG website.

Kids + Outdoor Adventure = Coast Kids! Join Coast Kids Today

Join Coast Kids Today

Join Today! Or Renew Your Membership!

Coast Kids: Whales and Tales at the Sarbanes Center

Saturday, February 13, 2010
10 AM to 11 AM

Not only ships have stranded on Assateague. Sometimes a whale is washed ashore. Why does this happen? Learn about the extraordinary behavior and biology of whales, and what kind of marine mammals you might be able to see from the beach. The Assateague State Park has some amazing whale bones to show you. We will meet at the Sarbanes Center. After the program you are welcome to join us on a beach walk on Assateague (weather permitting).

Coast Kids: Reptile Wrap-Up at the Pocomoke River State Park

Saturday, January 30, 2010
10 AM to 11 AM

Despite their bad reputation most snakes are completely harmless, and actually a very important part of the food web. Let’s see live and learn about snakes, turtles and other reptiles at the Pocomoke River State Park. If the weather is fine, you can join us after the program on a nature stroll. Winter is a good time for watching ducks, herons, and other birds that live near the water.

ACT's Spring Fling Dinner & Auction

Saturday, March 6th, 2010
Cocktails: 5:30pm
Dinner: 6:30pm
The Golden Sands
10900 Coastal Hwy
Ocean City, MD

Join us for an evening with Tom Horton, noted Chesapeake Bay author. There will be an auction, live music and more! Make your reservations today by purchasing on-line or by calling Kim Fehrer at 410-629-1538.

ACT's Native Plant Sale

Saturday, May 1st
9:00am - 2:00pm
Historic Golden Quarter Farm
11452 Assateague Road
Berlin, MD

* New plant varities this year!
* Organic heirloom vegetables too!
* Guided Nature Walks
* Artisan crafts for sale

Advance orders are encouraged, as popular plants sell out quickly. Plant varities and descriptions will be available on-line soon. Please also watch for our new on-line order form.

Jolly Roger Benefit the Bays

Sunday, August 15, 2010
10:00am to 6:00pm
Jolly Roger Amusement Park
Ocean City, MD

Assateague Coastal Cleanup & MD Coast Day

Saturday, September 18, 2010
Assateague National Seashore

2007 Annual Report

Click on the 2007 Annual Report Image to view it as an Adobe PDF file.

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