WATERSHED WORK AND WISDOM

FEBRUARY, 2010

SAVE THE DATES:

• Stream Wading, Spring 2010. Friends of Deep Creek Lake has made a commitment to organize this volunteer program each spring. It is the only program which conducts regular sampling of the Lake streams. This year the sampling is even more important. Maryland Department of Environment has listed DCL as "top priority".

To volunteer for Stream Wading training or sampling contact us by phone at 301-873-1519; via email at contact@friendsofdcl.org or write to us at 779 Chadderton School Rd, Oakland MD 21550.

• 3/13/10 Stream Wading training . This all day session at Frostburg is both convenient and educational. Deadline to sign up is 3/5/10.

• Week-ends in April/May. Stream Wading sampling of DCL tributaries.

• Volunteers needed to organize efforts. Easy work at home tasks.

MEETINGS OF INTEREST

• 3/6/10. County Planning Commission Hearing. Rescheduled session on 3 County Ordinances. 10:00 am at the Auditorium at Garrett College. Critical meeting; see comments on Sensitive Area Ordinance below.

• 5/3 Policy and Review Board meeting. 6 pm, Discovery Center. Agenda will include more on sediment in the coves and dam draw down leaving coves without sufficient water for boats or docks, starting in the early fall.

OUR WINTER WORK

WORKING IN THE WATERSHED

Garrett County Sensitive Area Ordinance review.. While the DCL Watershed Ordinance revisions have drawn the most attention, we are deeply concerned about the Sensitive Areas Ordinance. The Ordinance mandates stream protection by establishing buffer zones. The protective measures are generally weak in the proposed ordinance.

What is troubling is only a small portion of the DCL watershed is included in the Ordinance. The DCL watershed fits State code definition of a "sensitive area" and we all understand the economic importance of protection of this natural resource.

When the State purchased the lake, it bought the buffer strip, establishing protective measures to prevent shoreline erosion. The State did not purchase a similar buffer strip along the 110 miles of streams which feed the lake.

The water quality of the Lake can only be as good as the water which flows into it from the tributaries. DNR studies show the water quality of the streams is "poor" in many locations. The essential step to reduce inflow of poor quality water is establishment of an aggressive buffer strip protection ordinance.

We do not understand the rationale of the Planning Commission which precludes most of the watershed streams from this needed protection nor the position of the Property Owners Association or the Policy and Review Board.

ACTION ITEM: If you share our concern, please let the County know. It does not matter if you are not a resident of Garrett County, the decisions about this Ordinance will impact your property and the health of the lake.

Attend the meeting at the College on March 6, 2010. If you can not, please contact the County policy makers directly.

• County Commissioners: Phone number (301) 334-8970; address 203 4^th Street, Oakland MD 21550.

• Commissioner Ernest Gregg, egregg@garrettcounty.org;

• Commissioner Dennis Glotfelty, dglotfelty@garrettcounty.org

• Commissioner Frederick Holliday, fholliday@garrettcounty.org.

• County Planning and Land Development Director John Nelson. Phone number (301) 334-1920; address 203 4^th Street, Oakland, MD 21550 or by email at : john.nelson@garrettcounty.org.

ANNAPOLIS AGENDA

Our focus in Annapolis this year is on critical small steps which the General Assembly and Governor should to take in 2010. These are realistic requests, given the budget problems.

1. $100,000 needed to fund dredging plan. The State funds Bay dredging projects from the Waterway Improvement Fund. To get these monies, DCL needs a dredging plan but, like everything else, there are no funds for this critically important study.

2. Flush Tax unfairness. County septic owners have paid $1,500,000 in State the Flush Tax. Only $55,000 has come back to the County. The balance of $1,445,000 has been used elsewhere in the State. in the Chesapeake Bay area. These funds could have helped repair, replace and upgrade our septic systems. Everyone acknowledges there is a grave problem of aging septic systems around the lake.

3. 2010 Trust Fund. The major State environmental program is the "Chesapeake and Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund". Read the title again. Yes. it appears our part of Garrett County is the only part of the State not covered. The 2010 fund is a comprehensive effort based on decades of failures with the Bay. Western Garrett County and DCL must included in the 2010 Trust Fund or a parallel program created. We should not be forced to re-create efforts proven to fail. Last heard we are a part of the state and expected to pay taxes--- see Flush Tax issue above.

4. Inter-agency coordination. Many agencies from the federal, state, and local levels are responsible for the protection and restoration of the Lake. There is a lack of basic communication yet alone coordination at all levels. Scarce resources and time are being wasted and no one agency is responsible to "make" them work together.

MEETINGS

• We have had multiple productive conversations and emails with our dedicated State Delegation-Delegate Wendell Beitzel and Senator George Edwards.

• We met with Delegate Maggie McIntosh, Chair of Environmental Matters Committee. We covered the agenda items above and focused on a special hearing at the lake this summer for "all the cast of characters" to promote coordination. Delegate McIntosh is in a unique position to make this happen She is tremendously capable and "gets it".

• Four FoDCL Board members met with DNR Secretary Griffin, and 4 other top staff. We had an excellent exchange lasting 1 and 1/2 hours. Particular focus was on the need for state funding for DCL and an open, transparent review of the 2001 DCL Recreation and Land Use Plan which should take place this year.

Photo: Left to right, Nita Settina, Superintendent, Maryland Park Service, Eric Schwaab, DNR Deputy Secretary, Barbara Beelar, Director, Friends of Deep Creek Lake, Bruce Michael, Resources Assessment Service Director, John R Griffin, DNR Secretary, Larry Silverman, Legal Counsel, Friends of Deep Creek Lake, John F Wilson, Director Water Quality Working Group, Ellen Williams and William Heinz, Board members Friends of Deep Creek Lake.

• Additional meetings are being scheduled with the Governor's staff, MDE staff, State Senator Jamie Raskin, State Comptroller Peter Franchot and U.S. Senators Mikulski and Cardin.

ACTION ITEMS. More information is on our web site about the issues briefly covered above. Get informed. Express your views. Even if you are not a resident of the State of Maryland, as a taxpayer the action or inaction of the State will impact you. Let the General Assembly and Governor know your views. .

Maryland General Assembly:

• Garrett County Delegation:

Delegate Wendell Beitzel, wendell.beitzel@house.state.md.us;

Senator George Edwards, george.edwards@senate.state.md.us

• Environmental Matters Committee: Maggie McIntosh, maggie.mcintosh@ house.state.md.us

DNR Secretary, John R. Griffin, jrgriffin@dnr.state.md.us.

UPDATE OF FALL, 2009 ACTIVITIES

Fall Petition Campaigns.

• 2009 Southern Coves campaign

148 stakeholders petitioned Lake Management to develop a plan for SAV removal. Presented to Policy and Review Board Fall, 2009 meeting. No action taken.

141 stakeholders petitioned Lake Management to develop sediment removal plan. Presented to Policy and Review Board Fall, 2009 meeting . No action taken.

Both petitions were present to DNR Secretary Griffin and the Governor.

• Autumn Glory campaign.

91 signed petition urging the Governor to provide funding for the lake and watershed. Currently the watershed receives no State funds Our aging "Lady of the Lake" got some smiles and friendly comments during the parade.

Presentation to the County Commissioners. The Director was invited to appear before the County Commissioners in November. She focused on the specific areas of County responsibility for watershed health and on the need for local initiative to create public private partnership tor raise the funds needed for lake and watershed restoration plans.

Stormwater Code Revision. The State mandated a revision of the Stormwater Code to incorporate more best management practices and environmental site design requirements to reduce run-off. The Code only covers new construction but still is of great importance to the health of the lake since storm water run off, especially in the developed areas , flows directly into the lake. The County submitted a minimal draft revision. Friends of Deep Creek Lake had secured pro-bono consultation from the State's lead expert; our offer was ignored. There will be a hearing about these changes sometime prior to May. We will keep you informed.

SUPPORT FOR OUR INITIAL EFFORTS

We are deeply grateful to all who contributed to our efforts in 2009. We raised $13,564 in cash and in-kind donations The average donation was $88-- an amazing statement of level of concern about the future of our lake. We have raised over $1,000 this year and plan to launch our corporate campaign in the Spring.

2010 PLANS

FOCUS-EDUCATION

Friends of Deep Creek Lake Board and volunteers have gained experience and understanding of watershed issues in 2009. Our New Year's resolution is to refocus our efforts to become more effective educators for the stakeholder community and to develop ways to share this information more broadly.

• We will send monthly newsletters,and updates in electronic and hard copy formats.

• We will create a DCL blog to provide in-depth reporting and analysis on key issues.

• We will keep our website up-dated.

• We will hold more neighborhood meetings, using our new power point presentation.

PROPOSALS IN THE PIPELINE FOR 2010

• DCL Report Card. We have submitted a joint proposal to the Chesapeake Bay Trust with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Studies, Eco Check program If funded, EcoCheck will develop a Report Card on the health of the Lake for release late summer. We should hear about this any time!

• Mini-grant for culvert and storm drain mapping. We have a small proposal partnering with Garrett College to conduct a culvert and storm drain mapping project this summer. Drains and culverts channel unhealthy run-off into the lake. The County does not have useful maps of these sources of pollution. Therefore, the first step is locating and assessing these sources of pollution and educating the public about the problems.

• VISTA volunteer. We are submitting a proposal for a full time VISTA volunteer.

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED FOR A RANGE OF ACTIVITIES IN 2010. PLEASE CONTACT US TO HELP IN 2010.

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