Photo by Loren Barnett

CBF President Will Baker chats with Ray Langston, longtime resident and former mayor of Highland Beach, Maryland, a Bay-front community with a proud history and a bright future. To tour the museum, call Jean Langston at 410-267-6960. Please call a day or two in advance. For more information about the Frederick Douglass Museum and Highland Beach visit www.highlandbeachmd.org.

EPISODE SUMMARY

01:08  Why are we seeing more dolphins in Chesapeake Bay? 04:46  What's the correlation between dolphins and sharks? 06:35  How dolphins communicate. 17:10  What to do if you come across a dead or stranded dolphin and why it's important to report. 19:40  What you can do to help protect the Bay's dolphin population.

See our blog post Frequent Dolphin Sightings Reveal a Rebounding Bay.

Report your dolphin sitings on the Dolphinwatch website.

CALL 1-800-628-9944 TO REPORT STRANDED MARINE MAMMALS AND SEA TURTLES (alive or dead).

Photo credit Ian Robbins

CBF President Will Baker and John Shields—cookbook author, TV chef, and owner of Baltimore's Gertrude's Restaurant—discuss the virtues of eating local in the Chesapeake Bay region. Find out more about CBF's own local farm at cbf.org/ClagettFarm. Local resources for your own vegetable, meat, and dairy cuisine in the Chesapeake Bay region can be found at www.buylocalchesapeake.org.

Photo credit CBF Staff

EPISODE NOTES:

00:47  Annual stock assesment report for blue crabs and signs we should be watching. 08:30  An update on oysters in Virginia and Maryland. 10:36  Oyster restoration in Virginia's Lafayetter River and Maryland's Baltimore Harbor. 14:55  Man-O-War Shoal is our last remaining 3D oyster bar in Maryland--how it is being threatened and its potential as the home for a new thriving oyster population.

From this episode:

Watch Allison on Facebook Live and find out more about the annual blue crab dredge survey.

Read CBF's press statement about the survey.

Find out more about the iconic Chesapeake Bay blue crab.

Oyster reefs return to the Lafayette River.

Press release and photos on the Fort Carroll oyster reef in Baltimore.

Press release on Man-O-War Shoal. Send a letter to Maryland's Department of Natural Resources Secretary Mark Belton to save Man-O-War Shoal.

EPISODE NOTES:

03:55  How the Coalition is helping Chesapeake watershed organizations diversify their environmental outreach and membership. 06:15  What kind of organizations belong to the Choose Clean Water Coalition? 08:15  How the Coalition provides support for members. 09:15  What, and how, members can learn from each other. 10:50  Chanté's five-year outlook for the Coalition. 12:00  Priority: Supporting the Chesapeake Bay Program on Capitol Hill.

From this episode:

The Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint Midpoint Assessment

Find out more about the Coalition at ChooseCleanWater.org.

EPISODE NOTES

01:28  Overview of midpoint progress 02:35  The impact of sewage treatment plants 03:25  Trends for other sectors 03:55  Progress in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia 05:15  Funding for pollution reduction efforts 09:58  CBF's efforts helping farmers in Pennsylvania and the importance of planting trees. 11:15  Scientific basis for targeting geographic locations of where funding will have the greatest impact. 13:06  Air pollution's contribution to nitrogen pollution in the Bay and regulations being rolled back. 16:44  Maryland's Back River Sewage Treatment Plant upgrade project 18:15  What gives us hope; what worries us

  From this episode:

Find out more about the Blueprint Midpoint Report

Tell your elected officials to make sure the Federal Farm Bill contains conservation funding. Find your representative's contact information here.

Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership

The importance of trees to pollution reduction, our health, our economy, and our environment

CBF Report: Closing Pennsylvania's Pollution-Reduction Gap

Photo credit: Benjamin Tankersley

Watch the Back to Baysics: Underwater Grasses video.

Photo courtesy of Bart Jaeger/CBF Staff

Find out more at the Mother Earth Project.

Learn more about the Zero Hour movement.

Photo Credit: Megan Fink/CBF Staff

EPISODE NOTES:

02:00   What 10 million trees can do for water and air quality in Pennsylvania. 04:12   Who is participating. 11:40   Making history in nine days in Pennsylvania. 13:00   The economics of planting 10 million trees by 2025.

Learn more at TenMillionTrees.org

Photo credit: CBF Staff

Episode Notes:

01:28 What happened to Maryland's innovation and leadership?

03:38 Good news on the budget front.

04:58 The mystery of the disappearing forest conservation study bill.

18:13 Advice to environmental voters.

Find out more about Maryland's disappearing forests, see our wrap-up of the rest of the Maryland General Assembly session, and see what other issues are causing challenges for clean water in Maryland.

Photo credit: Nikki Davis

Program Notes 02:00 The federal government's proposal for offshore oil and gas drilling. 03:00 Why CBF is concerned. 04:30 Why ocean drilling is a concern for blue crabs. 05:25 The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) process for developing five-year plan for potential lease sales. 09:35 Timeframe for remaining stages of the process. 10:20 Florida's exemption and the role of governors and Congress. 12:06 How an estuary is affected by oil pollution. 13:15 How offshore drilling impacts Naval Station Norfolk's ability to do its job. 14:36 The National Environmental Policy Act, how it relates to this issue, and how this issue relates to climate change and the safety of the oil and gas industry.

Reference:

Flowchart graphic of Oil and Gas Leasing and Development Process, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Petroleum in the Estuary, 1974, Curt D. Rose

CBF Comments on BOEM's 2019-2024 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program

Contact your Governor and Congressional Representatives

Follow the issue on CBF's Offshore Drilling web page.

Photo credit: CBF Staff

Find out more about CBF's oyster restoration program and how you can get involved in Maryland and Virginia.

Program Notes 02:28 What is Alternative Spring Break? 04:36 Helping the environment isn't just for environmental majors. 11:36 Critical thinking and strategic action. 12:38 Learning about oyster restoration.

Find out more about CBF's oyster restoration program and how you can get involved in Maryland and Virginia.

-Photo credit Loren Barnett/CBF Staff

Find out more about the partnership, how it plans to achieve its audacious goal, and what you can do to get involved. Visit the partnership website at TenBillionOysters.org.

Program Notes

03:16 - Omega Protein, the only industrial-scale menhaden fishing operation on the Chesapeake Bay, has a major stake in preventing Virginia from enforcing the ASMFC cap on the menhaden fishery in Chesapeake Bay.

06:50 - Why the overwhelming majority of ASMFC commissioners from states up and down the coast supported the Bay cap.

07:58 - The next step for menhaden in Virginia.

09:00 - Omega Protein's astounding allocation of the menhaden catch both coastwide and within Chesapeake Bay, and the potential impact the company's new foreign ownership may have on local fish populations, as well as on the local Bay sport and commercial fishing economy.

Photo by CBF Staff

Program Notes

01:33 - A review of the issues and policies addressed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) in November.

02:22 - You probably have Atlantic menhaden somewhere in your home right now. Understanding the reduction fishery.

05:08 - Recap of the decisions made by the ASMFC in November.

11:16 - Virginia's challenge to change the November decision and increase the amount of menhaden that can be removed from Virginia waters.

13:19 - Why it's critical for Maryland to take a stand against repealling the cap on menhaden.

15:08 - What happens next--ASMFC reviews Virginia's appeal on February 8th.

For more about menhaden and how to contact members of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) before the February 8, 2018 meeting, visit cbf.org/menhaden.

Listen to our podcast, "A Mixed Bag for Menhaden" for more about November's ASMFC Amendment 3 decision.

Find out more about Environmental Impact Bonds. Photo credit Elliott O'Donovan

Program Notes:

01:50  How a 20-year farmer and educator ended up as Senior Agriculture Program Manager at CBF. 04:37  What role trees, where they are, and how they're placed has in improving water quality in Pennsylvania and down stream. 10:21  What is a forested riparian buffer? 12:26  Other ways trees benefit streams besides pollution reduction. 17:30  Why it's important for farmers to keep cows out of streams (besides the obvious). 20:00  Education and CBF in Pennsylvania.

Check out some of the ways CBF is helping farmers implement stream buffers and other water quality efforts in Pennsylvania on our website.

Photo credit: BJ Small/CBF Staff

Program Notes

1:09  About the Wheelabrator trash incinerator. 4:00  About Dr. George Thurston's health report on health care costs resulting from the Wheelabrator facility's emissions. 7:50  The process of reviewing regulations 9:00  Water quality impacts.

Download Dr. George Thurston's report "The Public Health Impacts of Air Emissions from the Wheelabrator Facility" at cbf.org/wheelabrator.

Photo credit: CBF Staff

Program Notes:

01:05   Why putting agricultural best management practices in place can help our water quality. 04:20   About the Federal Farm Bill and funding for the Bay watershed. 07:30   Addressing deficiencies in the current Farm Bill with the Chesapeake Bay Farm Bill Enhancement Act of 2017 11:55   CBF's role in facilitating Farm Bill program funding for farmers and creating partnerships. 14:30   The importance of availablity of technical assistance for farmers 15:20   Governors and congressional representatives supporting the legislation.

Find out more about the Federal Farm Bill and the Chesapeake Bay Farm Bill Enhancement Act of 2017 at cbf.org/farmbill.

Photo by Benjamin Tankersley

Find out more about the current state of the menhaden fishery.

Watch the video "Why Are Menhaden the Most Important Fish In the Sea?"

Photo credit © Jay Fleming

Program Notes:

02:14   A look at Washington, D.C.'s water and sewage footprint.

11:09   Just how clean is the water coming out of the Blue Plains water treatment plant?

13:00   DC Water's advanced waste-to-energy water treatment plant is the largest of its kind in the world.

18:00   With a goal of becoming power self-sufficient, DC Water is taking on new solar and microgrid projects.

20:20   One of the cleanest biosolid soil amendments available.

21:40   Behind DC Water's $2.6 billion public works project to solve the challenges of D.C.'s combined sewer system and how an innovative funding program called Environmental Investment Bonds is enabling an exciting new green infrastructure project.

30:50   A look at DC Water's innovation-focused culture and what it means for employees and rate payers.

Learn more about Environmental Impact Bonds.

Photo credit DC Water

Learn more about oyster gardening with CBF in Maryland and Virginia.

Photo credit Kenny Fletcher/CBF Staff

Program Notes:

02:20  An overview of the lawsuit 08:10  Air pollution's impact on human health and how this lawsuit can have an impact 12:35  CBF's litigation team and the issues they are working on 16:04  What's coming up for the current litigation case

Find out more about the case at cbf.org/upwind.

Photo credit: iStock

Links from today's podcast:

Key findings from the Virginia Chamber of Commerce survey of voter attitudes in the Commonwealth. 

Virginia Chamber of Commerce "Blueprint Virginia 2025"

Photo credit: Kaveh Sardari, Sardari Group

Menhaden management is absolutely critical for the future of the Chesapeake Bay. If you are concerned about the levels of menhaden, having forage species available, and the management of menhaden by politicians, not scientists, find out about the public hearings coming up this fall which will influence the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's decision making on the future of Chesapeake menhaden.

Virginia listeners—let your elected officials know you are concerned about the plight of menhaden and their ability to be part of the great Chesapeake Bay system, and encourage conservation first.

Photo courtesy Allison Colden

PROGRAM NOTES

01:54 What it means to be "the most important fish in the sea" 03:28 What the industrial menhaden fishery looks like 06:10 Menhaden for bait 07:00 Ecological concerns 13:05 Fishery management is making a difference, now the industry is pushing back 15:13 The importance of small menhaden in the Chesapeake nursery vs. large menhaden in the ocean 16:40 Amendment 3 and the scientific principal of ecological reference points 18:30 Menhaden as filter feeders: transforming algae into energy for larger fish

21:00 What does the loss of menhaden as forage fish mean for the great Chesapeake striped bass?

Learn more about the state of the Bay, progress of pollution reduction throughout the Bay watershed, the role of the Chesapeake Bay Program, and the impact of climate change on the Bay.

Contact EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and let him know you want funding restored for The Bay Journal.

Subscribe to The Bay Journal

Program Notes:

3:46    The 'Whole system' approach to ecology 7:35    Scientific signs that the Bay is turning the corner 9:40    Improvement to the Chesapeake Bay system is not accidental 15:17  Three things we can do as individuals continue to forward restoration of the Bay 17:55  The role of the Chesapeake Bay Program, our federal partner in the Bay restoration effort 22:27  Loss of funding for the Chesapeake Bay Journal 26:46  The impact of climate change on the Chesapeake Bay 33:46  Complex marine systems around the globe--what areas are seeing progress, what areas are being stressed, what can we learn? 36:00  How dead zones are changing in the Chesapeake Bay

Photo credit SPARK101.com

Find out more about CBF's 50 Forward event.

Photo by Alex MacLennan/CBF Staff

More from the podcast:

• CBF Student Leadership Program
• 50 Forward
• Poem "The Beauty of the Bay" by Garrett Chiaramonte
• Hellbender Campaign

Photo credit Jay Fleming

----more----

Listen to Garrett Chiaramonte's reading

I’ve always loved the bay

But today I can call it a passion

People often wonder why I care so much

I have no reply

Having seen the things I have

How could I not

A great Blue Heron stretching its wings

Bristling with energy it pumps its powerful wings

Gracefully propelling itself through the air

A newborn turtle paddling gently against the current

Its head bobbing slightly

Almost to a rhythm

The great Blue Crab scurrying swiftly across the deck of an ancient skipjack

Its shell glistening under the sun

All precious

All beautiful

All so fragile

Yet what I find most beautiful are the people

The people who care about the bay

The people who protect the bay

And the same people who helped cultivate my own passion for the bay

These people truly are the essence of the bay

by Garrett Chiaramonte

Learn more about the CBF 50 Forward student experience.

Image: Map of the five student teams' travels for 50 Forward.

See our blog post about Walter's work with CBF and find out more about CBF's oyster restoration programs.

Photo credit Loren Barnett/CBF Staff

Watch the Back to Baysics: Underwater Grasses video.

Photo courtesy of Bart Jaeger/CBF Staff

Find out more about CBF's Student Leadership program and the campaign to designate the Eastern hellbender Pennsylvania's state amphibian.

Photo by Loren Barnett/CBF Staff

Read more about this year's progress in Annapolis on our website.

Photo by Nikki Davis

Want to find out more about the magic of Tangier Island? Watch Tim's TEDxRVA talk.

Photo courtesy of Tangier Island Oyster Company

Take Action Now: Urge your senators and congressmen to stand up for clean water and a clean Chesapeake Bay--call, write, stop by their office. Find your legislators here.

Image © Michael Adams

Learn more about CBF's activities in Virginia.

Photo by CBF Staff

Learn more about oysters and CBF's oyster restoration programs.

Photo courtesy Allison Colden

Forested buffers are critical to the health of the Chesapeake Bay and our local rivers and streams. Learn more about the great work of the Baltimore Tree Trust and Baltimore TreeKeepers. Follow the Trust on Twitter at @Balt_treetrust.

Visit the State of the Bay website at cbf.org/stateofthebay.

Meet Bill Goldsborough on CBF's blog.

Photo by CBF Staff

Find out more about Second Chance at www.secondchanceinc.org

Photo by Rob Beach/CBF Staff

See one of our Photos of the Week of Tangier Island and find out how CBF is helping find nature-based solutions to sea-level rise.

-Photo by Tom Pelton

CBF President Will Baker talks with farmer, conservationist, and James Madison University Professor of Natural Resource Management Bobby Whitescarver about farming for clean water. Whitescarver's theory: If you take care of the soil, the soil will take care of you.

Bobby Whitescarver is a consultant, blogger, and retired field conservationist with decades of experience in watershed and wildlife habitat restoration. He is a frequent contributor to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Blog.

Follow CBF's Farmers' Success Stories blog series on how farmers across the watershed are working to improve both water quality and farm productivity.

Want to help save the Atlantic sturgeon? Join CBF's Action Network and we'll let you know when our action alert is live. http://www.cbf.org/actionnetwork

For more about road salt and the Bay, watch our video, Road Salts and the Bay.

Join CBF and our partners in urging Governor Wolf and DEP to push for the Lower Susquehanna River to be on DEP’s Impaired Waters list. Sign the petition.

Learn more about the Susquehanna River and its challenges at cbf.org/susquehanna.