The Maryland League of Conservation Voters (MDLCV) Education Fund released its Vision 2025: 2018 Issue Guide on June 6, 2018. The guide details issues that will be important to the environmental community during the 2019 Session and beyond. From the guide’s introduction:
Maryland League of Conservation Voters Education Fund is dedicated to building the effectiveness of the environmental community by maximizing participation of conservation-minded individuals in public policy decisions. We are proud to present this guide to help Marylanders understand the issues facing our state over the next four years. …
Whoever is governor will oversee an administration that will determine our role as citizens of a global community, as well as the future of our citizens’ health, safety, and quality of life. The goals we reach in 2025 will be set in motion by the decisions our public servants make in the upcoming legislative session.
The guide provides a broad outline of issues that MDLCV and other participating environmental groups view as priorities in order to meet their Vision 2025 goals. These issues and goals include:
Setting the stage for 100% clean energy
Making Maryland a leader in clean, renewable energy
Ensuring the completion of the first large-scale Off-shore Wind farm on the East Coast
Building a clean energy workforce
Moving towards a clean transportation system, including improved public transit and electric vehicle infrastructure
Fishable, swimmable, drinkable state waters, and a healthier Bay Watershed
Improved bay ecosystem, including oyster sanctuaries and marine life
Smarter development policies that protect forests and open space
Reduced run-off from septics and agriculture
Conowingo Dam solution involving a federal and multi-state partnership
Accelerated progress in meeting targets to protect the health of the Chesapeake Bay
Improved health outcomes in all communities through reduced environmental degradation
Improved health in communities of color
Cleaner communities with reduced trash
Higher quality of life through sustainable development
Aggressive enforcement of environmental regulations through professionally led, well-staffed, appropriately funded state agencies.
Restored funding to enforcement agencies
Improved metrics on enforcement outcomes
Reduced recidivism of pollution violators
Renewed emphasis on protection of sensitive species, including oysters
An educated, energized, engaged electorate, reflecting the diversity of Maryland’s population
Public financing of elections
Improved voter access
Strengthened voter education
The guide also includes critical dates for the 2018 election and voter registration information. It does not include specific political endorsements.
Noxious weeds threaten the productive land of farmers and can cause unsightly and unwanted problems in the lawns and gardens of homeowners. As a result of the region experiencing so much rain this Spring, Palmer Amaranth and other noxious weeds are multiplying at an incredible rate.
As a service to County residents, the Cecil County Department of Public Works (DPW), in cooperation with the Maryland Department of Agriculture, operates the weed control program to assist farmers, developers, right-of-way owners, federal, state, and local agencies and other landowners in controlling noxious weeds and certain other invasive species.
According to the Agriculture Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, Thistles, Johnsongrass and Shatter Cane, also known as Wild Cane, have been deemed noxious weeds and are required to be controlled by the county. The state code also defines Rosa Multiflora, or multiflora rose, as a nuisance on land used for agricultural production.
“Noxious and invasive weeds are everyone’s concern. The problem is big and getting bigger,” explained Penhollow. “This year the Thistle is overrunning a lot of areas and I haven’t even made it out of the southern end of the county yet.”
State law requires anyone owning or managing land within the State of Maryland, including public entities, to eradicate or control these noxious weeds on that land. Mowing, cultivating or treating with an approved herbicide are practices that have been approved by the state.
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The County weed control program, managed by the Roads Division, provides spot and boom spraying of approved herbicides on a fee-for-service basis.
Landowners who opt to utilize the County’s weed control services are billed an hourly rate for labor plus the cost of the herbicides used. Failure to pay for services rendered can result in a lien being placed against the property by the County Finance Department.
Current rates:
Farm Land: $55 per hour
Non-Farm Land: $100 per hour
CRP/CREP Sites: $125 per hour
Aquatic Weeds: $150 per hour
Invasive Specie: $100 per hour
Helper: $25 per hour
Minimum Charge: $100
The Weed Control Coordinator provides inspection and noxious weed control services throughout Cecil County from April through November.
A Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) press release (2018-06-05) announced the release of Reinvest Maryland 2.0. The report is an update of the original Reinvest Maryland and provides a toolkit for assisting local governments in infill, redevelopment and revitalization projects. The report also includes studies that are applicable in urban, suburban, and rural areas. From the press release:
The Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission (Commission) and the Department of Planning (Planning) today released Reinvest Maryland 2.0, a report that provides resources for all levels of government to work together, strengthen collaborative efforts to support revitalization and reinvestment, and engage stakeholders in supporting Maryland’s communities to improve the quality of life.
The report examines redevelopment in Maryland and identifies tools, case studies and best practices that support redevelopment and revitalization in existing communities. …
Reinvest Maryland 2.0 addresses all aspects of the redevelopment process, including: Promoting Reinvestment; Regulatory Reform; and Financing Tools and Programs. It also includes a set of Policy Recommendations.
The Commission and its workgroups collaborated closely with Planning, which staffs the commission, as well as other state agencies, to: identify best practices in Maryland communities; identify, review and refine the recommendations; and communicate with local officials and practitioners to identify and share the most effective planning tools and resources.
The extensive research provided insight into the best ways to create vibrant places with a range of housing, employment and transportation options in Maryland, as well as identifying strategies to overcome the challenges that communities face with redevelopment. “We must continue to provide technical assistance and resources that support reinvestment initiatives in Maryland’s great communities,” said Commission Chairman Susan Summers. “Reinvest Maryland 2.0 outlines recommendations to help us grow smarter and improve quality of life.”
Planning will build upon this work with the Reinvest Maryland website, as a onestop source of redevelopment information in Maryland, and solicit additional case studies and information from local communities and practitioners to support the educational efforts of the Commission’s workgroups.
“This has been a great team effort and the new Reinvest Maryland 2.0 website provides an interactive experience for Maryland’s stakeholders,” said Secretary of Planning Robert McCord.
Special Secretary of Smart Growth Wendi Peters noted, “With Governor Hogan’s leadership, we are continuing to assist communities and change Maryland for the better.”
The report includes a series of policy recommendations broken down into several categories. The categories include:
Establishing a Vision for Reinvestment
Creating and Better Funding Innovative, Effective Reinvestment Programs
Identifying and Addressing Regulations and Policies that may Impede Reinvestment
Deploying Targeted Financial Tools
Promoting Equitable Development
Encouraging Excellence in Community Design and Preservation
Using Metrics to Gauge Success and Drive Reinvestment
Accelerating Transit-Oriented Development
In addition to the basic report and case studies, MDP has created an interactive website that provides further information on case studies, contacts for technical assistance, and a toolbox that allows users to navigate and connect with more than 100 state and federal redevelopment and infill programs.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) has released its midpoint assessment on the health and restoration efforts of the Chesapeake Bay. The assessment finds that the health of the Bay has generally improved and that most Bay watershed states, including Maryland and Virginia, are working towards meeting their 2025 nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment reduction goals under the Bay’s Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). However, the assessment finds that all states have more work to do and that Pennsylvania in particular is falling short of its targets.
“Water quality is improving. The dead zone is getting smaller, scientists have documented record Bay grass acreage again this year, and the Bay’s oyster population is improving. But the recovery is fragile,” said CBF President William C. Baker. “The midpoint assessment was designed so that course corrections can be made along the way, not to provide excuses for delay. Rest assured, we will use all the advocacy and litigation tools at our disposal to ensure the commitments are met.”
The Blueprint, implemented in 2010, is unlike past state/federal voluntary agreements. It includes pollution limits, state-specific plans to achieve those limits, two-year milestones to evaluate progress, and consequences for failure. In it, the states also committed to implementation of 60 percent of the practices necessary for Bay restoration by 2017 and finishing the job by 2025. CBF’s midpoint assessment examines whether the states achieved the 60 percent goal, and whether they have implemented the programs and policies that were committed to.
[Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia] have exceeded their goals reducing nitrogen and phosphorus pollution from sewage treatment plants, a major reason for the success in Maryland and Virginia. That progress makes up for shortfalls in other pollution-reduction efforts, but will not be sufficient to achieve 2025 goals. All the states fell short in implementing practices to reduce nitrogen pollution from agriculture, urban runoff, and septic systems.
“At the end of the first half, it’s clear that Maryland and Virginia are carrying the team and mostly by tackling wastewater. As the clock counts down to 2025, we know the second half is going to be tougher,” Baker said. “Unless the states and their federal partners expand their playbooks and push harder, the Bay and its rivers and streams may never be saved.”
Watershed wide, the states achieved the 60 percent goal for phosphorus and sediment. The region fell far short of meeting its nitrogen goal, largely as a result of shortfalls in Pennsylvania’s efforts to reduce pollution from agriculture.
“The Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint beats out all previous failed attempts because it has teeth. But if EPA remains unwilling to impose consequences on states that are lagging, the potential for sanctions will be no more than empty threats. At the very least EPA needs to exert its authority in Pennsylvania, while also putting Maryland and Virginia on notice. Pollution from rural and urban runoff must be addressed now, not pushed down the road yet again,” Baker said.
As the next step in the Blueprint, the Bay jurisdictions are starting to work on plans that will describe actions to take between now and 2025—the deadline for full implementation. In addition, a separate plan will be developed to address mitigating the additional pollution coming across the Conowingo Dam and, starting in 2022, the jurisdictions will factor in the additional pollution reduction needed to offset climate change.
“While we are seeing some positive trends, we will not have a clean Bay unless we also address the additional pollution due to the lost capacity at Conowingo Dam and the effects of climate change,” said Chante Coleman, Director of the Choose Clean Water Coalition. “The current clean-up goals do not take the impact of Conowingo and climate change into account, which is why the coalition will continue working with our members, like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, to ensure that the plans developed to address these challenges are sufficient to do the job to restore the rivers and streams that flow to the Bay.”
These plans must be detailed and comprehensive, with attention given to addressing existing shortfalls. Local engagement will be key to successful implementation. Developing local pollution-reduction goals and ensuring robust outreach efforts involving the full array of local, regional, and federal stakeholders will be critical.
The new plans must also account for, and offset, new sources of pollution as required by the federal Clean Water Act. Additional sources include more septic systems, forest or farmland converting to developed land with more impervious surfaces, increased vehicle emissions, and livestock and poultry industry growth.
The assessment also looked at the progress being made in each Bay state. A summary of Maryland’s progress was included in the press release:
Maryland Practices
Maryland achieved its overall mid-point 2017 goals for phosphorus and sediment, but still fell short on its nitrogen-reduction goal. Significant reductions from wastewater produced overall progress. But nitrogen and phosphorus pollution from urban and suburban areas continued to increase, as did nitrogen from septic systems. Nitrogen reductions from agriculture also were off-track.
“Thanks to Marylanders who paid for upgrades at nearly 60 major sewage plants, the state is on track to meet its commitments to clean up the Bay. But this progress masks problems,” said CBF Maryland Executive Director Alison Prost. Polluted runoff from cities and suburbs is increasing. We also are making insufficient headway in reducing pollution from rural areas. Further, much of our progress could be at risk if we don’t account for continued sprawl growth, forest loss from development, increased vehicle emissions, and an expanding poultry industry.”
Maryland Programs
While seeing success in reducing pollution from wastewater treatment plants, Maryland is significantly behind in reducing polluted runoff from urban and suburban areas. None of the state’s most populated counties or Baltimore City has met goals for reducing this type of pollution. The goals are established in regulatory permits. To get back on track, Maryland must strengthen the next round of permits and Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs), adhere to deadlines and requirements in approving individual jurisdictions’ Financial Assurance Plans, and reduce forest loss from development.
To improve progress in agriculture, Maryland should focus its cost-share investment dollars in targeted areas, and restrict such dollars for new or expanding poultry operations. Maryland also needs to better account and plan for pollution increases from sprawl growth in rural areas and an expanding poultry industry.
Learn more about the Bay’s current health and restoration efforts, and the remaining work for Maryland and its local governments at the 2018 MACo Summer Conference. The Conference will be held August 15-18 at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland. This year’s theme is “Water, Water Everywhere.”
The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) will be holding two workshops on how to manage and control the Asian Tiger Mosquito. This species of mosquito is considered the primary pest mosquito in the State and represents a public health threat as it is a vector for Zika virus and other contagions. The workshops are open to local government officials and other interested groups and there is no cost to attend. However, interested participants must RSVP as space is limited.
Mosquito Control staff from the Maryland Department of Agriculture will present two workshops (Annapolis & College Park) covering the Asian tiger mosquito, our imported container-breeding mosquito. This mosquito is the number-one pest species statewide, and is very difficult to control due to its habits and habitats.
Workshop will include: general mosquito life cycle; microscope samples; mosquito habitat and habits; in-depth exploration of containers used by Asian tiger mosquitoes & much more. There will be time at the end for questions.
College Park June 28, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. College Park City Hall (Upstairs Council Chamber) 4500 Knox Road, College Park, MD 20740
Annapolis July 10, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Maryland Department of Agriculture (Lower Level Conference Room) 50 Harry S Truman Pkwy, Annapolis, MD 21401
Space for both workshops is limited, so we ask that each attendee RSVP to Stormy Keyes (stormy.keyes@maryland.gov) by June 22 for the College Park workshop, or July 3 for the Annapolis workshop. Please include your name and affiliation.
A Carroll County Times article (2018-05-28) reported that Carroll County is updating its zoning code to specifically address breweries, distilleries, and wineries. With the recent rise in popularity of craft alcoholic beverages and other agritourism activities, counties have struggled to find the balance between keeping an area in productive agriculture versus allowing some related and subordinate activities that can keep a farm alive financially.
The article indicated the new zoning code will provide direct guidance to farm breweries, wineries, and distilleries on what the County requires of their operations. The code defines allowed activities, use of retail space, and the percentage of finished alcohol that can be imported from outside the farm. The County worked with farmers and alcohol producers when developing the ordinance. From the article:
“This is a coming trend,” said [Carroll County Director of Land and Resource Management Tom] Devilbiss last week. Farm breweries, wineries and distilleries are “in a lot of places and we wanted to make sure it was covered. It’s for everyone’s benefit … so that everything they’re doing is legal and covered in our code. …
Commissioner Richard Weaver, R-District 2, a former farmer and agriculture teacher, said he also recognizes the trend is growing and said the changes will give farmers and county staff alike a much easier way to conduct their business.
Hear a discussion on the future direction of Smart Growth in Maryland and receive an update on the new State Development Plan, A Better Maryland, at the 2018 MACo Summer Conference.
Smart Growth Next: How Do We Grow From Here?
Description
With Smart Growth turning 20 years old and a new State Development Plan – A Better Maryland – being drafted, now is the ideal time to consider the future of Smart Growth in Maryland. Panelists will reflect on the past successes and failures of Smart Growth, offer suggestions on modernizing the Smart Growth visions and policies, and provide an update on the status and elements of the State Development Plan.
Speakers
Wendi Peters, Special Secretary of Smart Growth, Maryland Office of Smart Growth
Gerrit Knaap, Executive Director, National Center for Smart Growth
Deborah Carpenter, Planning and Land Management Director, Garrett County
Moderator: To Be Determined
Date & Time: Friday, August 17, 2018; 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and the Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology have announced they will be holding a series of regional Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) workshops throughout June, 2018. The Phase III WIP will provide the framework for how states and local governments will achieve their final 2025 nutrient reduction targets under the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). The Phase III WIP will address accounting for growth, climate change, and the Conwingo Dam.
With Maryland moving closer to rolling out its Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan, representatives of state agencies overseeing Chesapeake Bay cleanup are making themselves available in person at regional workshops across the state in May and June to inform the dialogue and answer questions of local partners.
Maryland and surrounding states are involved in a large-scale cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay. Part of the strategy requires local partners to identify solutions that reduce pollution to the Bay, under the umbrella of the state’s Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). Under the TMDL, pollution control measures needed to fully restore the Bay and its tidal rivers are required to be in place by 2025.
Maryland is soon entering its third WIP phase. The first and second phases provided a roadmap on how to achieve water quality standards and specific local actions that can be taken to achieve a reduction in harmful nutrients to waterways. Phase III will detail actions intended to be implemented between this year and 2025 to meet Bay restoration goals.
As part of the state’s engagement strategy for Phase III WIP development, officials have set dates for five workshops at locations across the state, intended to inform participants about the WIP process, provide opportunities for questions and feedback, and promote interaction between local partners and state agencies overseeing cleanup. There is one workshop scheduled for each region of the state, including Western Maryland, Central Maryland, Southern Maryland, Southern Maryland, the upper Eastern Shore and the lower Eastern Shore.
The workshops are geared toward strengthening the working relationships between state and local government entities and the nonprofit community while Maryland’s WIP is implemented.
Each workshop schedule includes a general WIP overview, information on stormwater and wastewater, an update for agricultural implementers, details on funding resources, and open question and answer discussions. Presentations will be made by staff members of the Maryland Departments of Agriculture and Environment.
Those interested in learning more about Maryland’s strategy for the Phase III WIP are invited to attend any of the five regional workshops scheduled. All workshops are free and sponsored by the University of Maryland-affiliated Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology and funded by the Town Creek Foundation. …
Doors will open at 9:30 a.m. and the meeting runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch will be provided to participants.
Attendance is free but you must register in order to attend:
Tuesday, June 5, 2018 – Central Maryland
(Baltimore City & County, Carroll, Harford, Howard, Montgomery counties)
Overhills Mansion, 916 South Rolling Road, Catonsville, MD 21228
A Pew Research Center article (2018-05-22) provided an in-depth analysis of demographic, economic, social, and community similarities and differences between urban, suburban and rural communities. Links to each section of the analysis are included at the end of this article. From the Pew article:
Large demographic shifts are reshaping America. The country is growing in numbers, it’s becoming more racially and ethnically diverse and the population is aging. But according to a new analysis by Pew Research Center, these trends are playing out differently across community types.
Urban areas are at the leading edge of racial and ethnic change, with nonwhites now a clear majority of the population in urban counties while solid majorities in suburban and rural areas are white. Urban and suburban counties are gaining population due to an influx of immigrants in both types of counties, as well as domestic migration into suburban areas. In contrast, rural counties have made only minimal gains since 2000 as the number of people leaving for urban or suburban areas has outpaced the number moving in. And while the population is graying in all three types of communities, this is happening more rapidly in the suburbs than in urban and rural counties.
At the same time, urban and rural communities are becoming increasingly different from each other politically. Adults in urban counties, long aligned with the Democratic Party, have moved even more to the left in recent years, and today twice as many urban voters identify as Democrats or lean Democratic as affiliate with the Republican Party. For their part, rural adults have moved more firmly into the Republican camp. More than half (54%) of rural voters now identify with or lean to the GOP, while 38% are Democrats or lean Democratic.
Against this backdrop, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that many urban and rural residents feel misunderstood and looked down on by Americans living in other types of communities. About two-thirds or more in urban and rural areas say people in other types of communities don’t understand the problems people face in their communities. And majorities of urban and rural residents say people who don’t live in their type of community have a negative view of those who do. In contrast, most suburbanites say people who don’t live in the suburbs have a positive view of those who do.
A Maryland Matters article (2018-05-22) reported on the launch of the Climate Leadership Academy – a State-sponsored program to prepare governments, nonprofits, and the private sector for climate change. The article indicated that the Academy is the first of its kind in the nation and was created with input from a variety of governmental and nongovernmental agencies.
The Academy launched with a 3-day State of the Coast Conference meeting in Cambridge, Maryland on May 21-23. On the first day, invited stakeholders discussed the long-term visions and goals that the Academy should have. MACo Executive Director Michael Sanderson participated in that discussion.
From the article:
[Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources Mark] Belton and Maryland Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles were among the officials who designed the academy. According to the state, they worked with the Association of Climate Change Officers, the Maryland Department of Health, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, the Maryland Energy Administration, Maryland Sea Grant, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (which is based in Maryland), and the University of Maryland.
“Under Governor Larry Hogan’s strong and independent leadership, Maryland is well-equipped to lead the country in driving creative, innovative and successful strategies aimed at addressing anticipated climate change-related impacts on our businesses, citizens and communities,” Maryland Natural Resources Secretary Mark Belton said. “Through the Climate Leadership Academy, we will support locally-designed and led efforts and initiative by providing a forum for community leaders to build their own capacity, convene with their peers and partners, and share best practices and results.” …
“Ensuring secure, healthy and prosperous communities in the face of a changing climate will require us to deploy a force of leaders across organizations and occupations that have the capacity to successfully address climate related risks and opportunities, and weave them into the DNA of their decision-making,” Association of Climate Change Officers Executive Director Daniel Kreeger said. “We hope that other states will follow Maryland’s lead in taking bold steps to ensure an appropriate resource for their communities, as well as to shape policies that compel participation.”
The Maryland League of Conservation Voters (MDLCV) Education Fund released its Vision 2025: 2018 Issue Guide on June 6, 2018. The guide details issues that will be important to the environmental community during the 2019 Session and beyond. From the guide’s introduction:
Noxious weeds threaten the productive land of farmers and can cause unsightly and unwanted problems in the lawns and gardens of homeowners. As a result of the region experiencing so much rain this Spring, Palmer Amaranth and other noxious weeds are multiplying at an incredible rate.
The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and the Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology have announced they will be holding a series of regional Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) workshops throughout June, 2018. The Phase III WIP will provide the framework for how states and local governments will achieve their final 2025 nutrient reduction targets under the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). The Phase III WIP will address accounting for growth, climate change, and the Conwingo Dam.
