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Category Archives: Nature
South River Federation
The South River Federation, Inc is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to restore, protect, preserve and celebrate the South River and its ecosystem. Behind this mission is growing movement to create a new mindset about the behavior and involvement of every individual who impacts the South River. The Federation is a growing, healthy, grass-roots nonprofit environmental organization with some 500 members, three staff and a board of directors comprised of dedicated community leaders. Full time staff includes the South RiverKeeper who monitors and documents the health of the South River via weekly bacteria testing and water quality sampling from May through September.
Posted in Chesapeake Bay, Community Groups, Nature, Water
Tagged Chesapeake Bay, river, riverkeeper
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Chesapeake Research Consortium
The Chesapeake Research Consortium, Inc. (CRC) is a non-profit corporation chartered by the State of Maryland. It is an association of six institutions, each with a long-standing involvement in research on problems affecting the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. The Chesapeake Research Consortium supports scientific and technical activities (including research) in the tidal Chesapeake Bay, its drainage basin and adjoining airshed, as well as adjacent offshore waters of the Middle Atlantic Bight. Recognizing that processes acting in Earth systems far from the Bay also affect it, its environment and resources, CRC may also support appropriate projects far beyond the traditional Bay boundaries.
Save Mill Creek
Save The Creek is an informal group of concerned citizens working towards understanding, restoring and maintaining the health of Mill Creek on the Magothy River in Arnold, Maryland. Mission: To act as stewards of the health of Mill Creek, restoring the creek to an ecologically functional water system that is enjoyed for both its beauty and recreational use.
Posted in Community Groups, Nature, Water
Tagged Magothy, magothy river, mill creek, water
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The American Discovery Trail
The American Discovery Trail (ADT) is a new breed of national trail — part city, part small town, part forest, part mountains, part desert — all in one trail. Its 6,800+ miles of continuous, multi-use trail stretches from Cape Henlopen State Park, Delaware, to Pt. Reyes National Seashore, California. It reaches across America, linking community to community in the first coast to coast, non-motorized trail. The ADT provides trail users the opportunity to journey into the heart of all that is uniquely American — its culture, heritage, landscape and spirit.
The ADT incorporates trails designed for hiking, bicycle and equestrian use. Because it connects five national scenic and 12 national historic trails, 34 national recreational trails, and many other local and regional trails — it is the backbone for the national trails system. It passes through metropolitan areas like San Francisco and Cincinnati, traces numerous pioneer trails, leads to 14 national parks and 16 national forests and visits more than 10,000 sites of historic, cultural and natural significance.
NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Chesapeake Bay Office is a division of the National Marine Fisheries’ Office of Habitat Conservation, which works to protect and restore coastal and marine habitat at the national level. The Office is also a key collaborator with NOAA’s North Atlantic Regional Team, which integrates NOAA’s program activities to address priorities at both the national and regional scale.
NOAA has been a partner in Chesapeake Bay Program restoration and protection efforts since the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1984.
Anne Arundel Waterway Restoration Alliance
The AAWRA is an alliance of communities, dredging officials, Chesapeake Bay associations and trusts, and boaters on navigable waters in Anne Arundel County supporting deeper tidal water channels, sediment reclamation, tidal habitats, and natural fisheries.
Posted in Anne Arundel County, Chesapeake Bay, Community Groups, Nature, Water
Tagged boating, Chesapeake Bay, water
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Chesapeake Bay Program
The Chesapeake Bay Program is a unique regional partnership that has led and directed the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay since 1983. The Chesapeake Bay Program partners include the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia; the District of Columbia; the Chesapeake Bay Commission, a tri-state legislative body; the Environmental Protection Agency, representing the federal government; and participating citizen advisory groups.
The Chesapeake Bay was the nation’s first estuary targeted by Congress for restoration and protection. Since the 1980s, Bay Program partners have signed several agreements to reduce pollution and restore the Bay.
Each Bay Program partner agrees to use its own resources to implement projects and activities that advance Bay restoration. The partnership defines its collective actions through formal, voluntary agreements.
Since its formation in the 1980s, the Bay Program has had numerous accomplishments in environmental restoration, science and modeling, and establishing numeric indicators to track progress toward environmental goals.
Posted in Chesapeake Bay, Nature, Water
Tagged Chesapeake Bay, environment, environmental protection agency, pollution, science
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Maryland Critical Area Commission
The Critical Area Act, passed in 1984, was significant and far-reaching, and marked the first time that the State and local governments jointly addressed the impacts of land development on habitat and aquatic resources. The law identified the “Critical Area” as all land within 1,000 feet of the Mean High Water Line of tidal waters or the landward edge of tidal wetlands and all waters of and lands under the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The law created a statewide Critical Area Commission to oversee the development and implementation of local land use programs directed towards the Critical Area.
The Commission developed criteria that were used by local jurisdictions to develop individual Critical Area programs and amend local comprehensive plans, zoning ordinances, and subdivision regulations. The programs that have subsequently been adopted by local governments are specific and comprehensive. They are designed to address the unique characteristics and needs of each county and municipality and together they represent a comprehensive land use strategy for preserving and protecting Maryland’s most important natural resource, the Chesapeake Bay.
Posted in Chesapeake Bay, Government, Nature, Water
Tagged Chesapeake Bay, critical area, development, zoning
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Severn River Peregrine Falcons
Dan Haas is a a musician, a singer and an avid birder. His site tells a story about a trio of Peregrine Falcons on the Severn River and the musician who spent a lot of time watching them.
Scenic Rivers Land Trust
The Scenic Rivers Land Trust works with landowners and other partners to preserve natural and scenic areas in Anne Arundel County. This work is accomplished though landowner education and holding and facilitating land protection agreements. The as the organization is unique in the Severn, South, Patuxent, Rhode and West River watersheds able to accept small private conservation easements as well as large parcels. A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust that permanently protects property through the property deed. The owner determines the amount and type of development that can take place in the future within the conservation easement deed.
The Scenic Rivers Land Trust is a private, non-profit, non-governmental body chartered in 1988 for the purpose of protecting land through voluntary methods such as conservation easements and educating landholders on issues of conservation and stewardship. The Scenic Rivers Land Trust can accept conservation easements within Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Our focus is the Severn, South, Patuxent, Rhode, and West River watersheds. We work cooperatively with the Maryland Environmental Trust (MET) as an authorized MET easement agency. We are also in compliance with the Standards and Practices of the national Land Trust Alliance.
Our vision for Anne Arundel County and its people is a protected network of forests and greenways where streams run clean and wildlife thrive; tidal and non-tidal rivers abound with scenic shorelines; and sufficient acres of permanently protected natural areas exist where rainwater will be absorbed and cleaned by the soil, aquifers will be replenished, trees will clean the air, and rare and endangered species will thrive.