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Dear Friend,
Earth Day is a time to reflect on how we can be better stewards of Mother Nature. In Maryland, respect for the environment has always been rooted in a passion for the Chesapeake Bay. So today, on the 40th Earth Day, I’d like to take a moment to discuss the status of the Bay restoration effort.
Recently, we received two pieces of news about the Chesapeake Bay. First, we learned that the Bay crab populations have rebounded tremendously as a result of blue crab harvest regulations established by the states of Maryland and Virginia in 2008. This is a huge victory for the watermen whose livelihood is tied to the health of the Bay, for science-based fisheries management and, most importantly, the Bay’s marine ecosystem. It’s also something your average Marylander can be happy about because it means blue crabs are likely to be more plentiful in the future.
We also received a report from the EPA on the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay called the Bay Barometer. This annual report showed that, while some gains have been made, we are meeting less than half of our goals for water quality, habitat restoration, food web supply, and fish and shellfish abundance. At the federal, state, and local levels of government, we need to do better and I remain committed to working with my colleagues here in Congress, as well as the Administration, to provide the appropriate resources and regulatory framework that will help improve the health of the Bay.
But to truly Save the Bay, we need your help. There are 17 million people who live in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. If these individuals are not part of the solution, they will overwhelm any government efforts to solve the Bay’s problems. We need those 17 million people to become citizen stewards of the Chesapeake Bay. To do so doesn’t require living on the Bay because every corner of Maryland is part of the Bay watershed. You can make a difference in your own backyard and by taking care of the rivers, streams or creeks that run through your community. If each individual within the watershed were to contribute to clean-up efforts, even in small ways, the aggregate would yield significant results in moving Bay restoration forward.
Some simple steps that citizens within the Bay watershed can take to help restore the Bay include the following:
•Avoid fertilizing your lawn because the nutrient runoff adds to Bay pollution
•Pick up pet waste to keep bacteria out of the bay
•Use a phosphate-free dishwasher detergent to reduce phosphorus in wastewater
•Drive less to reduce emissions
•Plant native trees, shrubs and wildflowers to filter pollution and attract wildlife
•Install a rain barrel or rain garden to collect and absorb runoff
•Volunteer to clean up a stream, creek or river in your community
One of my top priorities in the Congress is to empower local citizens to contribute to the Bay’s restoration. As we consider federal legislation to improve the health of the Bay, I will always be looking for ways to partner with you to Save the Bay.
Click here to see how you can help restore the Bay.
John P. Sarbanes
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