Assateague Coastal Trust
HOME ABOUT US NEWS ISSUES CALENDAR CONTACT US JOIN US
COASTKEEPER COAST KIDS NEWSLETTER ACT GIFT SHOP
Donate Now
News
NATIVE PLANT FESTIVAL TO FEATURE HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
Green Zebra Tomato March 1, 2010 - ACT’s 11th annual Native and Heirloom Plants Festival will be held May 1 at historic Golden Quarter Farm, Berlin, MD. For the first time the Festival will include a selection of heirloom tomatoes locally grown by Provident Organic Farm. "Gardeners will be bringing something to their tables on plates in addition to in vases," said Ron Pilling, ACT Board member and Festival originator.

"Heirloom tomatoes simply taste better and are better for you," said organic farmer Jay Martin who will provide tomato seedlings for the Festival. "Grocery store tomatoes are bred to have thicker skins for shipping, delayed ripening (green tomatoes ship better) and uniformity of color. What gets lost in the shuffle is flavor and nutrition."

The "Heirloom Tomato Package" will consist of 2 each of 3 interesting varieties: Green Zebra, Cherokee Purple and Brandywine. The cost for a package of 6 plants is $10.00. "Green Zebras have a sweet taste with a sharp finish," Martin said, while Cherokee Purple and Brandywines are a more typically deep red fruit (red-purple, in the case of the Cherokee - which is derived from a traditional Native American species).

A wide selection of flowering plants will also be available, including 11 new varieties never before offered in the ACT sales. "We encourage folks to grow natïve plants in their gardens," Pilling said. "They require less fertilizer, insecticide and herbicide and are well adapted to our local climate. Plus, native plants provide food and habitat to animal life."

In addition, packages like the Butterfly, Bird and Bee and the Heirloom Tomato package offer discounted prices.

You can now view all of the varieties of plants in full color on our website and take advantage of our new, easy to use, secure on-line ordering form.

MAJOR LAWSUIT FILED TO PROTECT MARYLAND WATERWAYS
Hudson Farm Aerial View
With Perdue Factory Farm Failing to Respond, Assateague Coastkeeper and Waterkeeper Alliance Sue Hudson Farm and Perdue for Violating Clean Water Act


OCEAN CITY, MD - March 2, 2010 - Assateague and Alliance announced today that it has filed a lawsuit in the federal District Court of Maryland, against Alan and Kristin Hudson Farm - a Perdue-contract chicken factory farm in Berlin, MD - and Perdue Farms, Inc., for illegal discharges of harmful pollution into the Franklin Branch of the Pocomoke River, which empties into the Chesapeake Bay.

The filing of the litigation follows a failure by Hudson Farm and Perdue to correct the violations during the 60-day period after a notice of intent to sue was filed on December 17, 2009.

"Hudson Farm and Perdue had the opportunity to stop the pollution that puts state residents and the waterways of Maryland at great risk," said Assateague Coastkeeper Kathy Phillips. "Unfortunately, they chose to ignore this reasonable approach and instead Perdue sought to create the false impression that our concerns were unfounded." She added, "Illegal pollution is illegal pollution and that is what we are dealing with in this situation. Since Perdue has not seen fit to respond to our notice, we had no choice but to respond to their recalcitrance with this next step in the legal process."

WATERKEEPERS® PETITION EPA TO PROTECT MARYLAND WATERWAYS
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.
Donate Button
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 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

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.


GET THE DIRT OUT PROGRAM HAS SUCCUSSFUL SUMMER
Drilling Truck September 15, 2009 - Assateague Coastal Trust announced today that it's GET THE DIRT OUT (GTDO) citizen monitoring program has resulted in several enforcement actions as a result of construction activities that were contributing to sediment pollution of our coastal watershed.

"The most exciting result to date," commented GTDO Program Coordinator Steve Farr of Assateague Coastal Trust," was an $11,500 fine levied as a result of a sediment pollution violation. Our Assateague responded to a citizen monitor's report of a well drilling project that was discharging sediment laden slurry onto a nearby creek bank in Bishopville last March and immediately notified Worcester County officials and Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). Both agencies inspected the job site and quickly shut down the polluting discharge."

MDE inspectors filed reports that resulted in MDE issuing the substantial fine against Somerset Well Drilling Co. of Princess Anne, MD. At this time, MDE and the polluter are still resolving the final settlement of the violations and the fine.

Maryland's First Lady Katie O'Malley joined Coast Kids event
ACT Coast Kid, holds an oyster reef structure that was recently placed in the St. Martins River. August 21, 2009 - On Friday, August 14th, Maryland's First Lady Katie O'Malley helped the Coast Kids to build oyster gardens. The oyster reef structures are made with concrete and oyster shells, and were deployed yesterday at the mouth of the St. Martin River. "I am honored to be here today and to join Assateague State Park, Coast Kids, Coastal Stewards and other Marylanders across the bay in their efforts to increase the bay’s oyster population," said First Lady Katie O’Malley. "We encourage our children to be inspired through the knowledge of discovering the ecological importance of oysters to our bay."

Oysters play an important role filtering the bay water as well as providing habitat for a large number of other aquatic species in and around an oyster reef. Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary John Griffin said: "Oysters are critical to the health of our ecosystem, and also have a significant impact on our economy and our culture. It’s wonderful to see these young people, "tomorrow’s stewards" taking part in our efforts to restore a healthy oyster population to Maryland’s waterways."

Please visit First Lady Katie O'Malley's website for more information regarding the oyster program by clicking here.

Maryland's Waterkeepers Continue To Make Headlines
Maryland Life Magazine Cover July 20, 2009 - s Chesapeake is a coalition of 16 independent waterkeeper programs whose goal is to protect and restore the Chesapeake and coastal bays and their tributaries. Kathy Phillips, ACT's very own Coastkeeper is one of those Waterkeepers. The following article, published in Maryland Life (August 2009), is an interview with Riverkeeper Fred Tutman, who protects the Patuxent River. Read the full article to find out how Fred works to protect the river, and how Kathy works to protect our local bodies of water (page 5 of the article); the Isle of Wight Bay, Assawoman Bay, Newport Bay, and Chincoteague Bay. To get involved as a citizen volunteer, visit our Get The Dirt Out website, to see how you can help.

Bill Clinton Addresses Waterkeepers at Annual Waterkeeper Conference - tells Assateague Coastkeeper and other Riverkeepers 'The thing I love about what you do, is that YOU DO.'
President Bill Clinton (L) and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. inspire the crowd at the 10th Waterkeepers Alliance conference Thursday. Clinton said the U.S. needs a new job source every five to eight years, and this one needs to be green. (Mingguo Sun/The Epoch Times) July 1, 2009 - By Charlotte Cuthbertson, Epoch Times Staff (Jun 25, 2009)

NEW YORK - President Bill Clinton drew standing ovations from the Alliance crowd in New York Thursday.

"The thing I love about what you do, is that you do," Clinton told the crowd. "You don't just talk about it."

The Waterkeeper Alliance has 189 programs on six continents around the world, and their mission is to champion for clean water and strong communities. This year's topic was on climate change and ways to mitigate its impact on waterways. Clinton said he has long had an interest in keeping waterways pristine.

"I grew up in this national park where we had the government protecting our national water. You could see the bottom of the lake when I was a boy working there at summer camp, 35 to 40 feet, clear-as-day." Another lake, close by his childhood home was terribly polluted, he said. "Where I learned to drive a boat and ski, and where we all fished, was one of the most polluted lakes in America. President Carter started trying to clean them up, and when I became governor of my home state, we finished the clean-up of the lake I grew up on."

ASSATEAGUE COASTAL TRUST FILES COMPLAINT WITH MARYLAND OPEN MEETINGS COMPLIANCE BOARD
June 26, 2009 - Assateague Coastal Trust (ACT) has announced today that it has filed a complaint with the Maryland Open Meetings Compliance Board, through the state Attorney General’s office. The seven page Complaint, with four sets of exhibits attached, 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. ACTs contends that this meeting was in violation of the Maryland Open Meetings Act, and that the scope of the meeting and the decisions made therein fall outside any privilege or exclusion afforded to discussions regarding personnel matters, or matters of an administrative nature.

10th Annual Plant Sale A Huge Success
Steve the Tree May 5, 2009 - ACT's 10th anniversary Native Plant Sale and Festival on May 2nd at Golden Quarter Farm in Berlin, was a huge success and turned out to be a fun day for everyone. With ACT's own Steve Farr, dressed as a tree waving to cars out on the roadway, the field 'parking lot' quickly filled and visitors were soon shopping for native plants, checking out the artisan crafts, or just walking the grounds of Golden Quarter Farm to enjoy the morning and look at the well established native trees and plants on the grounds. Click on "Read More" for photos.

ACT Recognized by National Audubon Society

Kathy Phillips, front and center, displays award.

(photo: ACT Executive Director Kathy Phillips, front center, proudly shows off the plaque presented to ACT by the National Audubon Society during the Delmarva Birding Weekend April 23-26.)

May 5, 2009 - Assateague Coastal Trust was recognized on April 25 by the National Audubon’s Maryland-DC chapter for its land protection and preservation efforts which have helped the Coastal Bays watershed be recognized as an Important Birding Area (IBA) by the National Audubon Society.

National Audubon's Maryland-DC Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program is developing an inventory of sites critical for bird conservation in our state, as part of a global IBA Program coordinated by Birdlife International. Assateague Island is globally important for its breeding Piping Plovers, which represent 2% of this species' entire population.

POISONED WATERS on FRONTLINE

Poisoned Waters Did you miss seeing FRONTLINE's 'Poisoned Waters' on PBS April 21? Don't worry, you can watch the entire show online here.

This two hour documentary on the decline of the Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound, the two largest estuaries in the U.S., is a MUST SEE program.

Hedrick Smith presents a two-year-in-the making documentary about the Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound and why, 20 years later, the Clean Water Act is not working.

Waterkeeper Alliance and a number of Waterkeeper programs helped in the making of this documentary. And while this program focuses on the two largest estuaries in the U.S. – what it says can apply to any local watershed.

GROW BERLIN GREEN LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN AT SPRING CELEBRATION
image April 11 - Grow Berlin Green (GBG), launched the campaign to promote conservation and environmental protection in Berlin with an information booth, rain barrel raffle, and re-usable shopping bag giveaway at Saturday’s Spring Celebration event.

GBG’s booth offered general information about the campaign goals and plans, and educational materials about rain barrels, rain gardens and household conservation tips. Visitors to the booth could purchase chances to win a rain barrel to conserve water and curtail stormwater runoff, and received a free cloth shopping bag adorned with the GBG logo along with those of its partners, the Town of Berlin and its Main Street program.

“This is a great opportunity to introduce ourselves to the community and begin the process of educating citizens about the things we can do together to make our town a cleaner and greener place,” said GBG Program Director Steve Farr. Farr, who spent much of the day promenading up and down Main Street in a tree costume, indicated that this is but the first of many town events where the GBG campaign will work to spread its message of connecting the community through conservation.

(Pictured L to R: Steve The Tree, Berlin Mayor Gee Williams, Morgan The Starfish)


Jim Rapp, ACT President, Featured in Maryland Life Magazine
Jim Rapp Check out our very own Jim Rapp, ACT President and Director of DLITE, who received a nice writeup in the April edition of Maryland Life. Click here to view the online version of the article.

2009 Annual Dinner Highlights
Annual Dinner Group ACT 2009 SPRING FLING DINNER WAS A GREAT NIGHT FOR ALL!

On March 7, friends and members of Assateague Coastal Trust attended the 2009 Spring Fling Dinner in Ocean City, MD and thanks to the nice turnout and generous support from everyone, our annual dinner was a very successful spring fundraiser.

Click here to read more and browse the event pictures.

Assateague COASTKEEPER and WATERKEEPER Alliance Take Action on Stormwater Pollution & Poultry Air Pollution
WaterKeeper Alliance Logo

In two separate legal actions, Assateague Coastal Trust and the have joined Alliance to strengthen regulations and laws that will protect our water from construction site sediment pollution and airborne nitrogen pollution.

ACTION #1 Earthjustice vs. EPA

In a lawsuit filed January 15 against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a coalition of groups challenged a last minute Bush Administration rule that exempts factory farms from federal laws requiring them to alert government officials when they release unsafe levels of toxic emissions into the surrounding community.

The environmental law firm Earthjustice filed the suit on behalf of the groups, arguing that the exemption will harm people living and working near factory farms. Earthjustice is representing the Waterkeeper Alliance, Sierra Club, Environmental Integrity Project, The Humane Society of the United States, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future and Center for Food Safety.

Read more.

ACTION #2 MD Riverkeepers Take Action

On December 31, 2008, The University of Maryland Environmental Law Clinic on behalf of Assateague Coastal Trust/Assateague COASTKEEPER and twelve other Riverkeeper programs in Maryland filed a challenge to the state’s stormwater permitting process for construction projects that disturb one acre or more of land.

Coast Kids & Coastkeeper Take 2nd Place Trophy in Berlin Christmas Parade!
The Winning Float
The Coast Kids and the Assateague entered the first ever ACT parade float in the Berlin Christmas Parade on Thursday, December 4. The nighttime parade was aglow with hundreds of floats, marching bands and fire truck brigades. While our little truck and boat may have lacked some ‘wattage’, our Coast Kids and their parents lit up the night with enthusiasm and excitement.

Did you miss the Gerald Winegrad lecture? WATCH IT NOW!
Gerald W. WinegradAssateague Coastal Trust (ACT), the Assateague , Salisbury University Departments of Sociology and Environmental Studies hosted a special lecture by clean water advocate Gerald W. Winegrad, former Maryland State Senator and Professor at the University of Maryland, on Thursday, November 20th, at Salisbury University.

His lecture,  "What Needs To Be Done To Restore The Bay? The Inconvenient Truths of Bay Restoration" was attended by a standing room only crowd and was followed with a lively discussion by members of the audience on issues related to the decline of the Chesapeake Bay, including failure to implement or enforce smart growth policies, unenforceable agricultural and construction site "best management practices".

  • To view the lecture (approximately 1 hour) click here

  • To view the question/answer discussions (approximately 1 hour) click here


    • Assategue Coastal Trust wishes to acknowledge the volunteer services of Shelton F. Lankford, videographer, who donated considerable time and effort to record the lecture and produce these videos for our website.

    Gerald Winegrad's lecture can now also be viewed for a limited time on Wicomico County public access TV - PAC14. This show was also produced by Shelton F. Lankford. Please click here for this channels' programming schedule.

    Worcester County Comprehensive Plan-The Saga Continues
    First Nor'easter Cartoon courtesy of Marc Emond September 29, 2008

    Dear Chairman Bunting and members of the Planning Commission,

    I noted with interest, a recent editorial cartoon in the O.C. Today newspaper. The cartoon depicted the Worcester County 2006 Comprehensive Plan as a bottle that had washed up on a beach after a storm, with a note inside the bottle that said "Help".

    I'm glad to see the general public is now recognizing, just as Assateague Coastal Trust realized earlier this summer, that our award winning Comprehensive Plan is in trouble.

    ACT was very disturbed by Ed Tudor’s August 26, 2008 memo to the Commissioners, in which he gave them just the opportunity they were looking for to:

    • avoid having to deal with the E-1 down zoning component of the plan, which is necessary to control growth outside of the designated growth areas, as well as protect our water resources and also keep development out of flood prone areas;

    • drop the language that would require Environmental Site Design (ESD) implemented at the conceptual drawing phase of subdivisions in order to mimic natural hydrological run-off characteristics and minimize impact of land development on water resources;

    • ignore Nutrient budgets and trading which is needed to implement state required TMDL's (Total Maximum Daily Loads for nutrients into our waterways;

    • remove an Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance that would make development outside the designated growth areas pay for itself.

    County Comprehensive Plan Takes Another Debilitating Hit!
    Subdivision Bulldozers The nationally recognized Worcester County 2006 comprehensive plan took another debilitating hit during the August 7th Worcester County Planning Commission meeting. The commission, hog tied by outdated county zoning ordinances, approved a 46 lot subdivision bordering Shingle Landing Prong that will tie into another recently approved 126 lot subdivision adjacent to this waterway.

    These two new subdivisions are poster child examples of how Worcester County has failed its citizens miserably by not implementing the 2006 Comprehensive Plan in a timely manner, because both subdivisions will be on individual septic systems.


    Assateague Coastal Trust Receives Environmental Grant from SIMA
    Surf Board

    ALISO VIEJO, CALIF. (June 19, 2008)– The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) Environmental Fund announced today the 17 ocean-environmental organizations named as beneficiaries of the 19th Annual Waterman's Weekend, the surf industry's annual environmental fundraiser to be held August 21 – 22, 2008. The two-day event, comprised of the Waterman’s Classic Golf Tournament and Waterman’s Ball, will take place at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa in Dana Point, Calif.

    The SIMA Environmental Fund aims to continue the record fundraising legacy and raise the amount of $500,000 at the 2008 Waterman's Weekend. All proceeds will be distributed in the form of SIMA Environmental Fund grants to the one new and 16 returning beneficiary groups. The 17 ocean-environmental organizations will dedicate those funds to programs that will address water quality and ocean pollution issues; defend beaches and surf breaks from development; or provide public education about ocean conservation.

    “The SIMA Environmental Fund is extremely proud to fund and support the positive environmental impact these 17 organizations are having on our industry’s most valuable asset – the ocean,” said Paul Naude, chairman of the SIMA Environmental Fund Board and CEO of Billabong USA. “The groups we have selected to benefit from this year’s Waterman’s Weekend cover a broad spectrum, from ocean educational programming for youth, to researchers collecting pollution data in our oceans. Each one of our beneficiaries is crucial for the protection of our ocean-environment, especially now in a time when we are battling to save some of our most precious playgrounds, such as Trestles or the North Shore. Now, more than ever, we are here to show our support and make our mark on the effort to preserve the oceans.”



    Coast Kids Joins No Child Left Inside Coalition
    Coast Kid participant ACT’s environmental education program, Coast Kids, has joined over 250 other organizations nationwide in support of the No Child Left Inside Coalition, organized by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The primary goal of NCLI is to build support for the No Child Left Inside Act, sponsored by Maryland U.S. Representative John Sarbanes to create federal funding and environmental curricula for schools. For more information about the NCLI coalition, go to www.nclicoalition.org

    NCLI Logo



    Critical Area Reform Bill - A Big Victory!
    Chesapeake Bay


    The 1984 Critical Area Act urgently needed updating to better protect the most fragile lands around the Chesapeake and Coastal Bays and make the program more predictable and easier to administer. In January, the Administration introduced a bill drafted with input from the home builders, local governments, environmentalists, industry representatives and others. The Assateague was an active participant in this process, on behalf of ACT’s members.

    The bill revises the Critical Area Act to
    • Provide full regulatory authority for the Critical Areas Commission so they don’t have to come back to the General Assembly
    • Provide more robust and equitable enforcement of the Act
    • Create consistent standards for development
    • Require updated and accurate maps of the Critical Area
    • Strengthen penalties for violations
    • Expand the buffer that protects waterways from development


    Foul Discharge Found in West Ocean City!
    The Assateague responded to a phone call tip on Thursday, July 3rd and discovered an illicit discharge to a wooded area of West Ocean City. Suspecting the discharge was untreated sewage, the Coastkeeper took water samples to a local lab for analysis.
    Click here to read more on this developing story.

    Environmental Groups Challenge MDA for Withholding Waste Management Plans
    NEW YORK – Nine environmental groups filed a lawsuit today against Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), charging the state agency with denying public access to documents detailing how waste and excess nutrients are disposed of by Maryland’s farms and agricultural facilities. Waterkeeper Alliance and eight of its Maryland member programs, Assateaugue Coastkeeper, Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper, Patuxent Riverkeeper, Potomac Riverkeeper, Severn Riverkeeper, South Riverkeeper, and West/Rhode Riverkeeper are appealing the agency’s denial of Waterkeeper Alliance’s FOIA requests ...

     
     

    Your Support Is Needed Today
    image
    This is an important time for Assateague Coastal Trust. With increasing environmental challenges in the coastal bays area, we are redoubling our efforts to fight for clean water, open space, and controlled growth. But we can only do this with your help.

    Please consider joining Assateague Coastal Trust as a member or a volunteer and help preserve our magnificent coastal resources.

    Coast Kids Program Introduces Critter Cards
    imageCoast Kids is pleased to announce the release of Critter Cards! These colorful playing cards were created by the Coast Kids program as a fun tool for learning about the feathered, squishy, crunchy, scaly critters that make the seaside and bayside so wonderful.

    Critter Cards, playfully designed and illustrated by M. Scott Oatman, are perfect for kids' favorite pairing games, as well as other standard card games. Fun facts on each of the cards will help kids get to know these charismatic critters a little more. Have fun, and get outside to experience the wonder!



    HOME   |    LINKS   |   ABOUT US   |   CONTACT US   |    JOIN US   |    SITE DIRECTORY

    Copyright © 2008 - 2009 Assateague Coastal Trust
    P.O. Box 731, Berlin, MD 21811
    Phone: (410) 629-1538
    Fax: (410) 629-1059
    Email Us at: mail at actforbays.org