Turning the Tide, Saving the Chesapeake Bay

(This podcast originally aired January 31, 2017) CBF President Will Baker and Baltimore Tree Trust Executive Director Dan Millender discuss the environmental, economic, and cultural benefits of trees. Photo by Loren Barnett

(This episode originally aired on June 21, 2016) 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. Photo: The Frederick Douglass Museum in Highland Beach, Maryland. Credit: Loren Barnett/CBF Staff  

CBF President Will Baker talks with CBF’s resident dolphin geek Maryland Scientist Doug Myers about the increase of dolphins in the Chesapeake Bay. 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

(This episode originally aired November 8, 2016) 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 courtesy of Gertrude's Restaurant 

CBF President Will Baker welcomes EPA's former Obama-appointed Acting Deputy Administrator Lisa Feldt as CBF's new Vice President for Environmental Protection and Restoration. Photo credit CBF Staff

CBF President Will Baker and Maryland Fisheries Scientist Allison Colden discuss recent news about the state of blue crabs and oyster restoration in the Chesapeake Bay. 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.

CBF President Will Baker talks with Chanté Coleman, Choose Clean Water Coalition Director, about the challenges of running a coalition organization and how members benefit. 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.

At the halfway mark in the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint, CBF President Will Baker and Dr. Beth McGee, CBF's Director of Science and Agriculture Policy, assess progress in pollution reduction across the region. EPISODE NOTES 01:28  Overview of midpoint progress02:35  The impact of sewage treatment plants 03:25  Trends for other sectors03:55  Progress in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia05:15  Funding for pollution reduction efforts09:58  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 project18:15  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

(This episode originally aired June 6, 2017) CBF President Will Baker sits down with longtime CBF staffer Bart Jaeger to talk about the relationship between underwater grasses and the Bay’s blue crab population. Watch the Back to Baysics: Underwater Grasses video. Photo courtesy of Bart Jaeger/CBF Staff

CBF President Will Baker talks with CBF Student Bay Advisory Council Member Kallan Benson about the urgency of climate change and her creative efforts to make a difference. Find out more at the Mother Earth Project. Learn more about the Zero Hour movement. Photo Credit: Megan Fink/CBF Staff

CBF President Will Baker and CBF Pennsylvania Outreach Manager Lane Whigham announce the launch of the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, a group effort to improve water quality in Pennsylvania and the Bay. 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

CBF President Will Baker and CBF Maryland Executive Director Alison Prost talk about the legislative process and the outcome of this year’s Maryland General Assembly Session. 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

CBF President Will Baker and CBF Litigation Fellow Brittany Wright discuss the dangers of offshore drilling and the current administration's plan to put the Chesapeake Bay at risk. Program Notes02:00 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

CBF President Will Baker talks to college seniors Kara Adams and Makenzie Koski about their Alternative Spring Break experiences volunteering to help Save the Bay. Find out more about CBF's oyster restoration program and how you can get involved in Maryland and Virginia. Program Notes02:28 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

CBF President Will Baker, National Aquarium President John Racanelli, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science President Emeritus Dr. Don Boesch, and Hoopers Island Oyster Company Founder Johnny Shockley announce a very exciting partnership to place ten billion new oysters in Chesapeake Bay by 2025. 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.

In an update on "Keep the Cap" (Episode 74), CBF President Will Baker and Maryland Fisheries Scientist Allison Colden discuss Omega Protein's industrial-scale menhaden fishing operation in Virginia and what impact the company's opposition to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's (ASMFC) Bay cap could have on Bay fish populations, as well as the local sport and commercial fishing economies. 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

CBF President Will Baker and Maryland Fisheries Scientist Allison Colden discuss Virginia's appeal of the cap on the industrial fishing of the Bay's most important fish and what you can do to help protect it. 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.

CBF President Will Baker and Quantified Ventures CEO Eric Letsinger discuss a promising new way for municipalities to finance pollution-reducing green infrastructure. Find out more about Environmental Impact Bonds.Photo credit Elliott O'Donovan

CBF President Will Baker talks with Bill Chain, CBF’s Senior Agriculture Program Manager in Pennsylvania, about the role of trees in cleaner water in Pennsylvania streams and the Bay. 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

CBF President Will Baker talks with CBF Attorney Alayna Chuney about some new developments in the effort to reduce the harmful pollution coming from Baltimore City's Wheelabrator trash incinerator. 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 regulations9:00  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

CBF President Will Baker talks with Senior Water Quality Scientist Dr. Beth McGee about opportunities to help farmers reduce water pollution and improve their bottom lines. 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 201711:55   CBF's role in facilitating Farm Bill program funding for farmers and creating partnerships.14:30   The importance of availablity of technical assistance for farmers15:20   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

CBF President Will Baker talks with CBF's Senior Regional Ecosystem Scientist Chris Moore about recent developments in the management of the Bay's most important fish. 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

CBF President Will Baker sits down with DC Water General Manager and innovative environmentalist George Hawkins to discuss the ins and outs of distributing drinking water to and collecting wastewater from millions of capital-area residents and visitors. Find out about some of the biggest innovative green power and infrastructure projects you've probably never heard of. 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

CBF President Will Baker interviews CBF's youngest official oyster gardener, Graham Mitchell, about the oysters he is raising and the good they will do for the Chesapeake Bay. Learn more about oyster gardening with CBF in Maryland and Virginia. Photo credit Kenny Fletcher/CBF Staff

CBF President Will Baker talks with CBF attorneys Ariel Solaski and Alayna Chuney about recent litigation aimed at reducing the air pollution from neighboring states that negatively affects the health of our citizens and our waterways. Program Notes: 02:20  An overview of the lawsuit08:10  Air pollution's impact on human health and how this lawsuit can have an impact12:35  CBF's litigation team and the issues they are working on16:04  What's coming up for the current litigation case Find out more about the case at cbf.org/upwind. Photo credit: iStock

CBF President Will Baker talks with Virginia Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Keith Martin about the importance of clean water to a healthy economy and the interest of Virginia's voters and businesses in a clean Chesapeake Bay. 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

CBF President Will Baker gets the latest on menhaden from Maryland Fisheries Scientist Allison Colden. 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 like06:10 Menhaden for bait07:00 Ecological concerns13:05 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 ocean16:40 Amendment 3 and the scientific principal of ecological reference points18:30 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?

CBF President Will Baker talks with esteemed estuarine scientist Walter Boynton about trends in the Bay's health. 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 ecology7:35    Scientific signs that the Bay is turning the corner9:40    Improvement to the Chesapeake Bay system is not accidental 15:17  Three things we can do as individuals continue to forward restoration of the Bay17:55  The role of the Chesapeake Bay Program, our federal partner in the Bay restoration effort22:27  Loss of funding for the Chesapeake Bay Journal26:46  The impact of climate change on the Chesapeake Bay33:46  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

In this episode, we bring you an inspiring speech that Congressman John Sarbanes addressed to students at CBF's 50 Forward event on July 15, 2017. Find out more about CBF's 50 Forward event. Photo by Alex MacLennan/CBF Staff

CBF President Will Baker and Student Leadership Coordinator Megan Fink get inspired by the impressive work that the Bay's student leaders are doing. 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----   The Beauty of the Bay 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        

CBF President Will Baker talks with Hannah Herron and Taegan Duncan, two of more than 70 student leaders who recently gathered after week-long adventures in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Learn more about the CBF 50 Forward student experience. Image: Map of the five student teams' travels for 50 Forward.

CBF President Will Baker talks with 90-year-old volunteer Walter Zadan about his valuable work supporting oyster restoration. 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

CBF President Will Baker and Virginia Forever Chair Dennis Treacy discuss the power of businesses and environmental organizations working together for clean water.

CBF President Will Baker sits down with longtime CBF staffer Bart Jaeger to talk about the relationship between underwater grasses and the Bay’s blue crab population. Watch the Back to Baysics: Underwater Grasses video. Photo courtesy of Bart Jaeger/CBF Staff

CBF President Will Baker talks with Anna Pauletta—a student leader with a bright future—about agriculture, clean water, and the Eastern hellbender. 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

CBF President Will Baker and Litigation Fellow Alayna Chuney discuss the importance of a healthy environment for all.  

CBF President Will Baker and Chesapeake Bay Commission Executive Director Ann Swanson talk about the Bay's tri-state, nonpartisan, legislative advisory body and some of its biggest successes to date.

CBF President Will Baker and Maryland Executive Director Alison Prost discuss the results of this year's general session, which wrapped up April 10, 2017. Read more about this year's progress in Annapolis on our website. Photo by Nikki Davis

CBF President Will Baker talks with aquaculturist Tim Hickey of Tangier Island Oyster Company about farming oysters on Tangier Island—how it works, why it's important to the culture and future of Tangier, and why Tangier oysters taste so good! Want to find out more about the magic of Tangier Island? Watch Tim's TEDxRVA talk. Photo courtesy of Tangier Island Oyster Company

In this special edition podcast, Chesapeake Bay Foundation President Will Baker and Vice President Kim Coble oppose and prepare to fight the proposed federal budget. 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

CBF President Will Baker and Virginia Executive Director Rebecca LePrell talk about the progress made in this year's legislative session. Learn more about CBF's activities in Virginia. Photo by CBF Staff

CBF President Will Baker talks with Maryland Fisheries Scientist Allison Colden about the state of the Chesapeake native oyster. Learn more about oysters and CBF's oyster restoration programs. Photo courtesy Allison Colden

CBF President Will Baker and Baltimore Tree Trust Executive Director Dan Millender discuss the environmental, economic, and cultural benefits of trees. 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.

CBF Vice President for Communications Elizabeth Buckman interviews President Will Baker about CBF's recent State of the Bay report. Visit the State of the Bay website at cbf.org/stateofthebay.

CBF President Will Baker and retiring CBF Fisheries Scientist Bill Goldsborough discuss the progress made using the science-based management of rockfish, crabs, oysters, and menhaden over the last decades. Meet Bill Goldsborough on CBF's blog. Photo by CBF Staff

CBF President Will Baker talks with Pete Theodore from Second Chance in Baltimore, Maryland, about the environmental and community benefits of diverting waste from our landfills. Find out more about Second Chance at www.secondchanceinc.org Photo by Rob Beach/CBF Staff

CBF President Will Baker talks with Tangier Mayor James “Ooker” Eskridge about the Chesapeake Bay that has provided for his beloved island and now threatens to take it away. 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 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 courtesy of Gertrude's Restaurant 

CBF President Will Baker talks with 16-year-old Isaiah McCready about life on the Chesapeake Bay's historic Tangier Island.

(This episode originally aired September 1, 2015) 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.

CBF President Will Baker and Student Leadership Manager Lane Whigham talk about a new program that provides conservation mentoring for future farmers in Pennsylvania. For more information about CBF's Mentors in Agricultural Conservation program, contact Lane Whigham at lwhigham@cbf.org. Photo by CBF Staff