On January 24, I had the opportunity to attend the Queen Anne’s County Commissioners meeting and provide comments on a petition to change current zoning ordinances to allow for the construction of a 156,000-square foot, four-story high storage facility within the Critical Area on Kent Island. My testimony was among 64 comments provided by community members and environmental organizations opposing this project, and we anxiously await the County Commissioners’ verdict at their upcoming meeting on February 14. Granting this variance request will compromise the County’s vision to “Remain a rural, agricultural, and maritime County that restores, enhances, protects, conserves, and stewards its valuable land, air, and water resources” as stated in its Comprehensive Plan.

This is, without question, the wrong location for a project of this scale and impact. The parcel in question is on the banks of the Chester River—in the sensitive Critical Area—and currently zoned for limited development. The developer purchased this land with full knowledge of the building limitations on this parcel, and now is requesting a variance in order to get around the current restrictions. Purchasing land with the intention of applying for a variance is an unfortunate trend in our Eastern Shore counties that puts unnecessary and irreparable strain on our natural resources—in this case, forest land, wetlands, and our Chester River.

Legal representation for the developers asserted at the hearing that this zoning change is allowed under Critical Area law, which is true. The developer has effectively worked within the system to pursue this business venture. However, the County Commissioners are also under no obligation to grant this variance. I wonder what the Critical Area of Kent Island would look like if every acre of growth allocation was approved? How much wetland habitat and woodland buffer would remain to beautify our shores, attract birds and fish, and protect our shorelines from sea level rise and erosion? A storage facility— four stories high on the banks of the river— is not the best use of our land or our Critical Area.

By the end of 2022 it became clear that nutrient reductions required under the Chesapeake Bay’sTotal Maximum Daily Load requirements would not be met by 2025—a huge disappointment for clean water advocates after a 30-year effort. To reverse this trend in Eastern Shore watersheds, it is not enough for counties to rely on the state’s minimum requirements; they must lean on their own comprehensive plans for guidance.

Last May, Queen Anne’s County adopted PlanQAC2022, an update to its Comprehensive Plan that, in its own words, “strengthens the County’s long-standing guiding principles, growth management, and supports creating sustainable communities consistent with the County’s vision.” Part of that support for sustainable communities included setting goals for infrastructure that will “protect our waterways (and) conserve our natural resources.” Now, less than a year later, the commissioners are facing a test of those very goals.

Statewide, ShoreRivers recommends new development in Critical Areas, such as this, be restricted to construction for government and emergency services only—not for private business like a storage facility. In fact, we recently made this exact recommendation as part of a letter to newly elected Maryland Governor Wes Moore.

ShoreRivers supports planned, thoughtful growth that fits with our rural landscape, small communities, and abundant water resources in our Eastern Shore counties. In this case we ask that the developer be held accountable to the limits of the current zoning of this land, and urge the commissioners to deny this request at their upcoming vote on February 14. I urge you to make your voice heard too: comments can be submitted ahead of the meeting to qaccommissionersandadministrator@qac.org. We hope you’ll join us in standing up for responsible development and healthy waterways in Queen Anne’s County.

Annie Richards
Chester Riverkeeper, ShoreRivers

ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education.

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ShoreRivers is currently accepting applications for its Easton-based Elizabeth Brown Memorial Summer Internship.

The selected intern will gain experience in a variety of activities including restoration, water quality monitoring, outreach, enforcement, and education. They will also be trained in scientific water quality monitoring equipment and protocols, complete a Maryland boater safety certification, become familiar with handling a boat, and gain many other skills and professional experiences. The internship runs for a minimum of 10 weeks between May and August, and provides a $5,000 stipend.

Programmatic work for this internship, supported by the Elizabeth Brown Memorial Fund at ShoreRivers, will be conducted primarily in the Choptank, Miles, and Wye river watersheds, with some travel throughout the entire ShoreRivers region.

“As an intern at ShoreRivers, I got to do a little bit of everything. I helped with tree plantings, spoke with and worked alongside community volunteers, assisted with bacteria and water quality monitoring, hosted education programs, and even testified at a county commissioners meeting. There are very few other internships out there that would allow so many different experiences in one summer,” said 2022 intern Maegan White. “Interning at ShoreRivers has given me clarity and excitement to start my environmental career after graduation. I feel prepared and confident in the field, have hands-on experience, and found a new love for the area and community I have lived in for the past four years. Thanks to the incredible experiences I had with this internship, I now view Chesapeake as my home.”

Applicants should be a rising college junior or senior, or recent college graduate. Degrees in biology, environmental science, or related fields are encouraged. To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to Ann Frock, Office Manager, at afrock@shorerivers.org by February 17. Interviews will be conducted by Zoom in February and March and an intern will be selected and notified no later than March 15.

Applicants are encouraged to visit shorerivers.org prior to applying to learn more about the organization’s programs.

ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education.

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Did you know there’s an enormous, ancient, endangered fish swimming throughout the Chesapeake Bay? If not, the third- and fourth-grade students at Choptank Elementary School have a lot to tell you!

Over the winter, students gathered with school staff and community partners to install a mural celebrating this fish—the Atlantic sturgeon—as the culmination of a yearlong project led by ShoreRivers as part of its Sturgeon Discovery Program.

Crystal Owens, the third-grade science and social studies teacher at Choptank Elementary, was the brains behind this project, combining the needs of the school beautification committee with a desire to amplify student voice.

“My hope is that our students and community are more aware of the amazing wildlife we have living right next to us,” Owens said. “Through our partnership with Shore Rivers, students are learning to educate their community and promote healthy living environments for animals and people alike.”

Nationally-renowned local artist Shelton Hawkins led the design and installation of the mural, compiling students’ own works of art into a large, flowing piece that now decorates the school hallways and gives everyone who walks by a lesson on what the Atlantic sturgeon looks like.

“I think it’s really cool that we took the students’ actual drawings and put them together inside our own little fish river … [I] loved the way it turned out,” Hawkins, who has primarily installed murals on basketball courts. “Seeing the kids’ [smiling] faces was the best part.”

The ShoreRivers Sturgeon Discovery program is a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience that is a part of every third-grade class in Dorchester and Talbot counties. The program was designed to support students in investigating local environmental issues like water quality, pollution and runoff, and endangered species, all through the lens of the Atlantic sturgeon. Healthy, fishable, swimmable waterways will not be possible without the next generation of clean water enthusiasts, so ShoreRivers strives to encourage in students an appreciation for our environment and a dedication to making a difference.

“Even third graders can do their part to foster healthy habitats and show support for our local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay,” said Owens of the stewardship her students demonstrate.

This project was made possible with funding from the Dorchester Center for the Arts and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Bay Watershed Education and Training program. Special thanks go to Principal Laretha Payton, Crystal Owens, Shelton Hawkins, Devon Beck, Sam Peterson, and the faculty of Choptank Elementary School for their dedication to student learning, voice, and stewardship.

ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education.

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ShoreRivers is pleased to announce three new members of its Governing Board: Bruce Abel, Maura Bollinger, and Ron Rothman. As a grassroots nonprofit organization, the hard work and support of board members is imperative to the organization’s efforts for healthier rivers on the Eastern Shore. ShoreRivers extends deep gratitude for the wise counsel, encouragement, and vision of these exceptional community members.

Bruce Abel began his term on the ShoreRivers’ Board this summer, and is a dedicated advocate for the organization, having previously served on the Miles-Wye Advisory Board. He retired as the Sr. Vice President and COO of C.R. Daniels, Inc., and has worked with the American Lyme Disease Association and Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. Both he and his wife are active ShoreRivers volunteers, with a particular interest in oyster restoration and the Wye River.

Maura Bollinger is not new to ShoreRivers, having already served as an active volunteer and member of the organization’s Miles-Wye Watershed Advisory Board. Now retired, her professional career began as a telecommunications lawyer before a move overseas shifted her focus to policy work around media competition and free speech.  Around 10 years ago, she and her husband moved to the Eastern Shore and began volunteering for ShoreRivers in myriad ways, from participating in Marylanders Grow Oysters to surveying submerged aquatic vegetation and everything in between.

Ron Rothman, who serves on ShoreRivers’ Choptank Advisory Board, is also an active volunteer in his retirement from a career in nonprofits and development. He spent time working for organizations in fields ranging from healthcare, to research institutes, to the arts, and he’s currently active on a number of non-profit boards, both locally and in Pennsylvania. Ron and his wife have spent 40 years enjoying the rivers and creeks of the Eastern Shore.

These three voices will bring a wealth of expertise to ShoreRivers, strengthening the organization’s robust science-based advocacy, restoration, and education efforts. See the full list of Board of Directors and Watershed Advisory Board members at ShoreRivers.org/leadership.

ShoreRivers also celebrates Bob Ingersoll, whose board term ends this year after decades of service. A river enthusiast and dedicated volunteer, Bob is always happy to share his knowledge of the river as well as his skills as a handyman. From mending oyster cages, to hanging cabinets in offices, to driving the boat for water quality testing, he exemplifies a can-do attitude and positive energy.

In addition to the Governing Board, ShoreRivers appreciates open dialogue with dedicated community member volunteers through its four Watershed Advisory Boards. Volunteers for each Watershed Advisory Board support the organization’s mission as local, grassroots ambassadors. New advisory board members who care deeply about their river and their community and are ready to volunteer their time to work for cleaner waterways are always welcome. Please contact your local Riverkeeper if that sounds like you.

ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education.

shorerivers.org

As part of its efforts to protect and restore Eastern Shore waterways, ShoreRivers regularly works to identify and address all pollution sources, including nutrient pollution and harmful bacteria that can be introduced from recreational boaters’ waste. Boat discharge, especially in marinas, high boat traffic areas, and sheltered coves, can lead to pollution hotspots that pose serious health risks to humans and animals.

ShoreRivers’ pumpout boat—a convenient way to properly dispose of waste rather than discharging it into our waterways—recently wrapped another season on the Miles and Wye rivers assisting local boaters committed to more river-friendly boating practices. The 2022 season saw an impressive 20,155 gallons of waste pumped out of 460 tanks, bringing the boat’s lifetime total to 119,367 gallons kept out of our rivers since the program began in 2016.

The pumpout boat program operates with funding from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and in partnership with Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels. CBMM donates free dockage, storage, and use of their land-based pumpout station to offload the waste from the boat. The sewage then goes directly to the St. Michaels wastewater treatment plant. For more details on this free service, which is offered between May and November, visit shorerivers.org/programs/pumpout-boat.

In the Chester River, boaters have been required to pump their waste at official pumpout stations since 2021 after a multi-year effort by ShoreRivers resulted in the Maryland Department of Natural Resources designating the river as the second No Discharge Zone in the state’s Chesapeake watershed. For a list of marinas where pumpout stations can be found, visit shorerivers.org/programs/no-discharge-zone.

“We all want swimmable, fishable, boatable rivers,” said ShoreRivers’ Director of Riverkeeper Programs Matt Pluta. “It’s something we work hard for every day at ShoreRivers, and we’re grateful to all recreational boaters who have joined us in our efforts to improve local water quality.”

ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education.

shorerivers.org

Brennan Starkey, former Chair of the ShoreRivers’ Governing Board who oversaw the creation of the organization, was recognized earlier this month with the Mid-Shore Community Foundation’s J. McKenny Willis, Jr. Award.

This award, established in honor of Mr. Willis who devoted his time and personal resources to improving the quality of life in the Mid-Shore region, recognizes nonprofit organizations for providing outstanding service to the community and is presented to a volunteer who has been instrumental in the success of the organization.

As Chair of the ShoreRivers Board from 2017–2021, and of the Chester River Association before that, Starkey guided Chester River Association, Sassafras River Association, and Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy through what could have been a complicated merger process with clear and caring leadership that ensured the result—and the organization’s future—was successful.

“Brennan was one of the first volunteers I met when I began my career in Chestertown more than a decade ago, and he and his wife Pat had been dedicated to the cause for many years before that. It’s been a privilege to experience his steadfast commitment to our mission guide the merging of our three environmental organizations to achieve greater results for families, farmers, and all community members who enjoy our waterways,” says Isabel Hardesty, ShoreRivers Executive Director.

Today, ShoreRivers has become much more than the sum of its parts in terms of its people, its revenue, and its impact thanks to his exceptional governance. Operating a large-scale family farm on the shores of the Sassafras River is more than a full-time job, but Starkey was able to share his business expertise, compassion for the community, and deep-seated appreciation for the environment with his fellow volunteers and the three organization’s staff to ensure a respectful and effective transition.

In addition to Starkey, MSCF also presented members of the environmental community with special recognition awards for their achievements, including Chesapeake photographer Dave Harp and Elaine Tama& Marion Arnold of Plastic Free Easton.

Established in 1992, the Mid-Shore Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that connects private resources with public needs to enhance the quality of life throughout the Mid-Shore region of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties.

ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education.

shorerivers.org

The major pollutants in our waterways are nutrients and sediment: basically, fertilizer and soil. These substances are essential for our lands and catastrophic in our water. The way we care for our landscapes, both agricultural and residential, determines whether nutrients and sediment stay put to nourish plants or run off to pollute our rivers.  If you are a landscape professional working on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, you are now eligible for a full scholarship from ShoreRivers to become certified in practices that are healthy for our local waterways and the Bay.

The Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council’s Chesapeake Bay Landscaping Professional program provides training to create a community of certified landscaping professionals who will be better stormwater partners and environmental stewards. Thanks to grant funding from the France-Merrick and Robert F. Schumann Foundations, ShoreRivers is offering 12 level one scholarships for the program this winter, advancing the goals of our River-Friendly Yards program by building a network of trained, trusted professionals whom we can recommend to residents and engage as contractors for restoration and planting projects.

ShoreRivers has a vision of swimmable, fishable waterways for generations to come, and we believe community members and landscape professionals share this vision. If you employ landscape professionals for your home, please let them know about this great opportunity to become certified as better caretakers of our yards and our rivers.

Scholarships are available on a first come, first served basis for any landscape professional working on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. To apply, register at certified.cblpro.org/register and use the code SHORERIVERS for an upfront discount. Refunds for the remaining amount will be given after completion of the certification. Contact Darran White Tilghman, ShoreRivers Director of Community Engagement, with any questions at dtilghman@shorerivers.org

ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education.

shorerivers.org

On November 5, Fred Pomeroy was named the third recipient of the ShoreRivers Award for Environmental Stewardship during the organization’s Riverboat Rendezvous & Race. The award recognizes an individual or entity in the Chesapeake Bay watershed for their transformational accomplishments as a steward of the environment.

The founding President of Dorchester Citizens for Planned Growth, Pomeroy serves as a watchdog and protector for his community. He is a conservationist when it comes to farming and, in addition to working with ShoreRivers on a wetland project, he has implemented acres of buffers, additional wetlands, and quail habitat on his farmland.

“It’s our responsibility as citizens who want to leave a better world to the coming generations to forsake the easy path of cynicism and apathy. In doing so we need to broaden our coalitions by reaching out to underserved folks and those whose political persuasions are different from our own,” Pomeroy, a lifelong waterman, Century Farm owner, poet, former teacher, and courageous citizen activist, said while accepting his award. “[Let’s] resolve to keep speaking up for the environment with a glad heart and a generous spirit.”

Photo: Isabel Hardesty, Executive Director of ShoreRivers; Fred Pomeroy, winner of the ShoreRivers Award for Environmental Stewardship; and Matt Pluta, Choptank Riverkeeper and ShoreRivers’ Director of Riverkeeper Programs, are pictured at the organization’s inaugural Riverboat Rendezvous & Race on November 5. 

Pomeroy also brings a conservationist mindset to the water where he operates several acres of oyster leases near Stoney Cove in the Little Choptank River and from where he gets many of the oysters he’s donated for ShoreRivers’ events. He has also served as an advisor and mentor for ShoreRivers staff on major issues related to Chesapeake Bay fisheries, nutrient pollution, irresponsible development, and other threats that undermine a fundamental right to clean water.

“Fred’s ‘leave it for the next generation’ attitude inspires us all to work harder to ensure that generations to come are able to enjoy fishable, swimmable, boatable rivers on the Eastern Shore,” said Matt Pluta, ShoreRivers Director of Riverkeeper Programs, who presented the award. “He’s an invaluable asset to our region, and someone I’m proud to call a mentor, and a friend.”

ShoreRivers—and the 250 supporters in attendance at the event—were proud to recognize Pomeroy, a true renaissance man and champion of the environment, with this year’s award. After the reception, attendees boarded two turn-of the-century paddlewheelers at the Choptank Riverboat Company and raced to a photo finish where expert helmsmen encouraged more than $44,000 in gifts to support the Riverkeeper program. Visit shorerivers.org to learn more.

ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education.

shorerivers.org

ShoreRivers’ Riverkeepers are calling for increased testing by the state after the results of a recently released study on PFAS contamination in U.S. surface waters showed concerning levels of the “forever chemical” in some Eastern Shore waterways. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are manmade chemicals that persist in the environment and can be highly toxic with continued exposure.

The study, conducted by Waterkeeper Alliance, assessed PFAS levels in 114 watersheds around the country, including 16 within the Chesapeake Bay region. Maryland had the highest total number of detections and the highest number of different PFAS compounds detected in waterways nationwide. La Trappe Creek, a tributary of the Choptank River, had the second highest number of detections in the state for three of the five most prevalent compounds.

“The results of this study clearly demonstrate the need to urgently increase monitoring for these chemicals in our rivers,” said Matt Pluta, ShoreRivers’ Choptank Riverkeeper and Director of Riverkeeper Programs. “Once we begin detecting PFAS in local waterways and on our land, it’s only a matter of time before we begin to detect them in the fish, crabs, oysters, and even venison that we eat.”

PFAS are a family of manmade chemicals used for decades to create things like water-repellant clothing, non-stick cookware, firefighting foam, textile treatments like Scotchgard, stain resistant fabrics, personal care products, and food contact materials like microwave popcorn bags and fast-food wrappers. They are biopersistent, meaning they remain in organisms indefinitely without breaking down, and are bioaccumulative, meaning that over time, they build up in ever increasing amounts in people, wildlife, aquatic life, and the environment.

PFAS can also enter wastewater treatment systems after being absorbed by humans who consume contaminated meat and fish and then discharged into waterways or applied to farm fields in the form of biosolids fertilizer. Continued exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse health effects including cancers and other diseases of the thyroid, liver, and kidney, and developmental issues in fetuses and infants.

Of the eight water samples that ShoreRivers collected for the study, PFAS were detected in five. In addition to La Trappe Creek, where the sample was collected at the point of discharge from the Trappe wastewater treatment plant, concerning levels of PFAS were also detected in Mill Creek on the Wye East River, Morgan Creek’s Urieville Lake on the Chester River, and Mill Creek in the Sassafras River watershed.

“The Eastern Shore has a number of wastewater spray irrigation permits and smaller wastewater treatment plants that are aging and failing to meet treatment standards,” Pluta said. “The PFAS results from La Trappe Creek at the point where the Town of Trappe’s wastewater treatment plant discharges underscore the need to upgrade and modernize the treatment technology at these older systems before contamination levels get worse.”

The study organized by Waterkeeper Alliance comes on the heels of an effort from the Maryland Department of the Environment to sample fish tissues for PFAS in 2020. The department reported that samples from the Eastern Shore showed no levels of concern, but issued its first-ever fish consumption advisory based on PFAS levels in Piscataway Creek in Prince George’s County, and a first of its kind wastewater discharge permit for the Naval Support Facility Indian Head requiring monitoring for PFAS in wastewater and biosolids.

To learn more about the report from Waterkeeper Alliance, a nonprofit focused on clean water that connects and mobilizes more than 300 local waterkeeper groups like ShoreRivers worldwide, and to read the study’s results in full, visit waterkeeper.org/pfas. ShoreRivers believes that more testing is needed to present a clearer picture of the presence of these chemicals and their effects on Eastern Shore waterways. To support those efforts, or to learn more about the work ShoreRivers is currently doing to monitor local rivers, visit shorerivers.org or contact your local riverkeeper.

ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education.

shorerivers.org

ShoreRivers is excited to announce that it will be launching a new program focused on supporting the next generation of agricultural land stewards on the Eastern Shore. Since 92% of land in Maryland is privately owned, it is crucial that landowners are engaged in conservation if we wish to see significant improvements in our landscape’s ecological function and in the health of our rivers. ShoreRivers will help rising stewards set conservation objectives concurrent with agronomic and profitability goals.

This new program, funded by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, is the brainchild of ShoreRivers staff members who are the stewards of long-held family farms in the region.

“In 2020, ShoreRivers’ Director of Community Engagement Darran White Tilghman and I gathered our families together for an afternoon to explore each of our family farms and talk about the beauty, the worries, and the opportunities that face us as the next generation of stewards for these farms,” said Laura Wood, ShoreRivers’ Ag & Outreach Coordinator. “The conversations sparked the idea for this program, as we knew we were not the only ones navigating the responsibilities of multigenerational land stewardship, and we wanted to connect with others to build a community of learning and support.”

In 2023, ShoreRivers will convene the first cohort of Next Generation Land Stewards—people who are new or upcoming agricultural landowners—to share resources and expertise, and create a network of peer support.

“Although we are only second-generation land owners, the Drummond family has been farming land in the Delmarva region since immigrating here from Europe. This farm was my father-in-law’s passion,” said Katie Drummond, ShoreRivers’ Restoration Designer. “Making this farm our home, preserving the land, and maintaining it in agricultural production ensures that his life’s work lives on through us and future generations.”

Workshops with expert partners, including the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and American Farmland Trust, will explore topics such as succession planning, equitable farm leases that include conservation, forest stewardship, government incentives, and land easements. This program will connect participants to existing efforts and resources—such as the Conservation ReserveProgram and the Natural Lands Project, among others—that will educate and empower the next generation of land stewards to feel confident as they navigate the decisions that will define our landscapes and waterways for years to come.

Whether you are the first generation on family land or the 15th, this program is for you. To learn more or join our first cohort of Next Generation Land Stewards who will help build this program, contact Laura Wood at lwood@shorerivers.org.

ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education.

shorerivers.org