https://chestertownspy.org Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown Mon, 28 Apr 2025 14:03:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/28/bay-journal-usda-shuts-down-climate-smart-program/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/28/bay-journal-usda-shuts-down-climate-smart-program/#respond Mon, 28 Apr 2025 11:00:20 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/28/bay-journal-usda-shuts-down-climate-smart-program/ The U.S. Department of Agriculture in April announced the termination of its $3 billion “climate smart” program, a grantmaking initiative that was supporting hundreds of millions of dollars in conservation work in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. An April 14 USDA press release called the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, which promoted farm conservation measures with climate […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/04/28/bay-journal-usda-shuts-down-climate-smart-program/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/18/the-solar-land-rush-a-farmers-perspective-with-judy-gifford/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/18/the-solar-land-rush-a-farmers-perspective-with-judy-gifford/#comments Tue, 18 Mar 2025 13:08:57 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=183056   http:// Over the past 50 years, the pursuit of renewable energy has been driven by advocates who see large solar arrays as a crucial step toward reducing dependence on fossil fuels.. Critics, however, argue that the land available for solar arrays is limited, and the large-scale expansion of solar farms could compete with agricultural […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/03/18/the-solar-land-rush-a-farmers-perspective-with-judy-gifford/feed/ 2 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/20/new-polling-finds-strong-eastern-shore-support-for-offshore-wind/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/20/new-polling-finds-strong-eastern-shore-support-for-offshore-wind/#comments Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:00:26 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=182617 A new poll finds solid support among Eastern Shore residents for offshore wind, with strong majorities convinced wind projects will benefit jobs, improve health conditions and support American energy independence. The poll was sponsored by Shore Progress, an Eastern Shore regional advocacy group, and conducted by Gonzales Research & Media Services, Inc., a respected polling firm based in Annapolis. […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/20/new-polling-finds-strong-eastern-shore-support-for-offshore-wind/feed/ 21 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/18/bay-journal-nonprofits-states-scramble-as-trump-administration-pauses-funding-for-many-chesapeake-restoration-programs/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/18/bay-journal-nonprofits-states-scramble-as-trump-administration-pauses-funding-for-many-chesapeake-restoration-programs/#respond Tue, 18 Feb 2025 12:00:57 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=182538 Efforts in recent years to accelerate the Chesapeake Bay restoration have run into a wall of Trump administration executive orders that halted payments for huge swaths of Bay-related work, raising doubt about the future of many projects. Tens of millions of dollars for Bay-related work being carried out by nonprofits, farmers, churches, universities and states […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/18/bay-journal-nonprofits-states-scramble-as-trump-administration-pauses-funding-for-many-chesapeake-restoration-programs/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/10/invasive-catfish-west-coast-oyster-shells-fueling-chesapeake-renaissance/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/10/invasive-catfish-west-coast-oyster-shells-fueling-chesapeake-renaissance/#comments Mon, 10 Feb 2025 12:00:47 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=182420 “At Tilghman Island Seafood, we collaborate closely with watermen who are dedicated to the Chesapeake Bay’s unique ecosystem.  These local watermen recognize that their livelihoods are deeply connected to the health of our waters. We are committed to balancing productive fishing with responsible practices to help secure the Bay’s future.” – FromTilghman Island Seafood’s promotional […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/10/invasive-catfish-west-coast-oyster-shells-fueling-chesapeake-renaissance/feed/ 1 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/07/intense-maryland-energy-debates-in-annapolis-fill-a-single-afternoon/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/07/intense-maryland-energy-debates-in-annapolis-fill-a-single-afternoon/#respond Fri, 07 Feb 2025 14:39:12 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/07/intense-maryland-energy-debates-in-annapolis-fill-a-single-afternoon/ For the last few years, the nuclear energy industry has stood on the precipice of the Maryland energy policy debate, waiting for its close-up. Industry leaders and their lobbyists have repeatedly talked about how important nuclear is to the state’s power portfolio. They have implied, without saying so outright, that nuclear, which accounts for 40% of […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/02/07/intense-maryland-energy-debates-in-annapolis-fill-a-single-afternoon/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/08/shorerivers-now-accepting-summer-internship-applications-2/ https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/08/shorerivers-now-accepting-summer-internship-applications-2/#respond Wed, 08 Jan 2025 11:00:30 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=181746 ShoreRivers is currently accepting applications from college students and recent graduates for two Easton-based summer internships: its Elizabeth Brown Memorial Internship and a Communications Internship. The Elizabeth Brown Memorial intern will gain experience in a variety of activities including restoration, scientific water quality monitoring, outreach, and enforcement, while the communications intern will focus on organizational […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2025/01/08/shorerivers-now-accepting-summer-internship-applications-2/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/12/16/turn-your-christmas-tree-into-a-home-for-local-wildlife/ https://chestertownspy.org/2024/12/16/turn-your-christmas-tree-into-a-home-for-local-wildlife/#respond Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:00:23 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=181423 Washington College’s Center for Environment and Society (CES) is offering an alternative way to recycle your holiday tree. Instead of sending them to the landfill, the staff at CES is asking for donations of your old holiday trees to build extra bird habitat. As part of the Natural Lands Project, the trees will be arranged […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/12/16/turn-your-christmas-tree-into-a-home-for-local-wildlife/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/12/09/shorerivers-welcomes-new-board-members-executive-committee/ https://chestertownspy.org/2024/12/09/shorerivers-welcomes-new-board-members-executive-committee/#respond Mon, 09 Dec 2024 12:00:50 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=181291 ShoreRivers is pleased to announce the addition of three new members to its Governing Board: Jack Broderick, Ann Swanson, and Loribeth Weinstein. As a grassroots nonprofit organization, the hard work and support of board members is imperative to the organization’s efforts for thriving rivers on the Eastern Shore. ShoreRivers extends deep gratitude for the wise […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/12/09/shorerivers-welcomes-new-board-members-executive-committee/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/08/21/maryland-levies-fines-on-perdue-valley-proteins-for-environmental-violations/ https://chestertownspy.org/2024/08/21/maryland-levies-fines-on-perdue-valley-proteins-for-environmental-violations/#respond Wed, 21 Aug 2024 14:21:36 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/08/21/maryland-levies-fines-on-perdue-valley-proteins-for-environmental-violations/ Two major agricultural companies ramped up operations recently on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and the environment paid a price, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment. One case involves the agency’s second-largest cash penalty in its history while the other has reopened a long-running pollution saga that local environmentalists hoped had been resolved. Perdue AgriBusiness, […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/08/21/maryland-levies-fines-on-perdue-valley-proteins-for-environmental-violations/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/08/12/bay-climate-adaptation-the-tnc-guide-in-finding-the-money-for-major-infrastructure-change/ https://chestertownspy.org/2024/08/12/bay-climate-adaptation-the-tnc-guide-in-finding-the-money-for-major-infrastructure-change/#respond Mon, 12 Aug 2024 15:07:39 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/08/12/bay-climate-adaptation-the-tnc-guide-in-finding-the-money-for-major-infrastructure-change/ A few months ago, The Nature Conservancy released a report that could solve one of the major obstacles facing climate adaptation: finding the money to do things. Many towns, particularly on the Eastern Shore, are facing an increasingly long list of infrastructure projects, but funding those expensive undertakings has become harder. That’s where TNC’s report, […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/08/12/bay-climate-adaptation-the-tnc-guide-in-finding-the-money-for-major-infrastructure-change/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/07/19/mid-shore-arts-plein-air-easton-and-eslc-pair-up-to-promote-land-conservation/ https://chestertownspy.org/2024/07/19/mid-shore-arts-plein-air-easton-and-eslc-pair-up-to-promote-land-conservation/#respond Fri, 19 Jul 2024 20:55:13 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/07/19/mid-shore-arts-plein-air-easton-and-eslc-pair-up-to-promote-land-conservation/ Plein Air Easton introduced a new collaboration during its just-concluded 20th anniversary festival with the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. This invitational for past and current PAE artists was intended to connect art to the cause of – guess what? – land conservation. Eighteen artists participated in the exhibit that ran through the end of the […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/07/19/mid-shore-arts-plein-air-easton-and-eslc-pair-up-to-promote-land-conservation/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/06/20/wild-caught-chesapeake-blue-catfish-phenomenon-booming-thank-goodness/ https://chestertownspy.org/2024/06/20/wild-caught-chesapeake-blue-catfish-phenomenon-booming-thank-goodness/#comments Thu, 20 Jun 2024 12:18:17 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=177336 Buena Vista Seafood in San Francisco deals in high-end seafood from all around the world. European blue lobsters, Kambatia Reef Fish from Kenya, California Purple Urchins, and Icelandic Arctic Cod, to name a few. Now, the company has added wild-caught Chesapeake Blue Catfish to its list of offerings. “Chesapeake blue catfish check all the boxes,” […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/06/20/wild-caught-chesapeake-blue-catfish-phenomenon-booming-thank-goodness/feed/ 1 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/06/07/blue-crab-populations-are-down-but-experts-are-not-worried/ https://chestertownspy.org/2024/06/07/blue-crab-populations-are-down-but-experts-are-not-worried/#respond Fri, 07 Jun 2024 13:03:35 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/06/07/blue-crab-populations-are-down-but-experts-are-not-worried/ The number of blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay is down slightly from last year, to 317 million, but researchers said the numbers are manageable and they see “no serious reason for concern.” The population estimates come from the annual winter dredge survey released last month by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Institute […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/06/07/blue-crab-populations-are-down-but-experts-are-not-worried/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/06/05/first-baby-eagles-hatch-on-reborn-chesapeake-island/ https://chestertownspy.org/2024/06/05/first-baby-eagles-hatch-on-reborn-chesapeake-island/#respond Wed, 05 Jun 2024 12:48:08 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/?p=177002 Some eagle-eyed wildlife biologists have made a surprising discovery at Poplar Island. That’s the island in Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Maryland Port Authority have been rebuilding over the last 25 years. What was once almost entirely open water is now more than 1,700 acres of […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/06/05/first-baby-eagles-hatch-on-reborn-chesapeake-island/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/05/17/a-defining-moment-for-the-lakeside-development-a-chat-with-county-council-member-pete-lesher/ https://chestertownspy.org/2024/05/17/a-defining-moment-for-the-lakeside-development-a-chat-with-county-council-member-pete-lesher/#respond Fri, 17 May 2024 12:30:21 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/05/17/a-defining-moment-for-the-lakeside-development-a-chat-with-county-council-member-pete-lesher/ For more than two years (and some would say decades), the challenge of the Lakeside housing development in Trappe has been an all-consuming concern for the Talbot County Council, the incorporated town of Trappe, the Maryland Department of the Environment, and most of all, the residents of Talbot County. In short, could a project approved […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/05/17/a-defining-moment-for-the-lakeside-development-a-chat-with-county-council-member-pete-lesher/feed/ 0 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/05/07/report-dolphin-sightings-with-chesapeake-dolphin-watch-and-help-scientists-with-chesapeake-bay-research/ https://chestertownspy.org/2024/05/07/report-dolphin-sightings-with-chesapeake-dolphin-watch-and-help-scientists-with-chesapeake-bay-research/#comments Tue, 07 May 2024 10:00:42 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/05/07/report-dolphin-sightings-with-chesapeake-dolphin-watch-and-help-scientists-with-chesapeake-bay-research/ Thousands of residents and visitors with their eyes on the water have helped scientists understand when bottlenose dolphins are visiting the Chesapeake Bay. Are you ready to be one of them? Dolphin in South River. Photo submitted to Chesapeake DolphinWatch by Stephanie Westrick. (University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science) Researchers at the University of Maryland […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/05/07/report-dolphin-sightings-with-chesapeake-dolphin-watch-and-help-scientists-with-chesapeake-bay-research/feed/ 2 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/05/03/dribs-and-drabs-oysters-wisteria-locusts-and-crabs/ Fri, 03 May 2024 13:09:57 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/05/03/dribs-and-drabs-oysters-wisteria-locusts-and-crabs/ GRACE CREEK ALMANAC – It’s been just about exactly a year since my writing about blooming locust trees and their relationship with crabs. Watermen here in the mid-Atlantic forever have equated locust blooms with the season’s first run of peeler crabs.  The first shed. That means soft crabs are right behind. Some say it might […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/04/24/qac-county-takes-major-step-in-building-bike-and-hiker-trails-system/ https://chestertownspy.org/2024/04/24/qac-county-takes-major-step-in-building-bike-and-hiker-trails-system/#comments Wed, 24 Apr 2024 12:39:16 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/04/24/qac-county-takes-major-step-in-building-bike-and-hiker-trails-system/ Last night, the Queen Anne’s County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board presented their new master plan to county commissioners, outlining a vision to expand and connect local communities through an enhanced trail system. The recommended action plan was developed with broad input, including stakeholders from the county, towns, and economic development sectors, focusing on enhancing […]]]> https://chestertownspy.org/2024/04/24/qac-county-takes-major-step-in-building-bike-and-hiker-trails-system/feed/ 1 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/03/12/marylands-oyster-sanctuaries-show-promising-signs-by-joe-zimmermann/ Tue, 12 Mar 2024 14:48:51 +0000 https://chestertownspy.org/2024/03/12/marylands-oyster-sanctuaries-show-promising-signs-by-joe-zimmermann/ At first, oyster biologists were concerned. Monitoring efforts at some restoration sanctuary reefs in 2022 weren’t pulling up many oysters, even though the sites had previously been performing well. So divers with the Oyster Recovery Partnership went into the water to investigate. What they found there wasn’t a shortage of oysters, but such a dense […]]]>