Sep-Oct 2002 Atlantic Coast Watch Newsletter

8/9/2019 Sep-Oct 2002 Atlantic Coast Watch Newsletter

1/8

View s Vs. Volts: Offshore Fan Disputes

Advocates of offshore wind farm s such as the extensive 176-tower spreadproposed for Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound by Cape Wind A ssociates(Atlantic CoastWatch, November-December, 2001) cite reduced pollution as theconcepts principal advantage. They allege special benefits in regions w here the airis already becoming unbreathable as well as w here prevailing winds are strong.According to Gary Gallon of the Canadian Institute for Business, the CapeWind Project will r eplace enough power-plant electricity annually to elim inate 4,600tons of sulfur dioxide, 120 tons of carbon m onoxide and 1,566 tons of nitrous oxideas well as reducing greenhouse emissions by more than a million tons.

Cape Cod and M assachusetts residents po lled by Opinion DynamicsCorporation at the request of Cape Wind Associatesresponded that they sup-ported wind power because it is clean. Overall a major ity of residents favored theproject. Several environmental groups, wh ile show ing concerns about possibleharm to migratory birds, mamm als, and fish, support the concept overall.

A dozen offshore wind farms are operating in Europe with tw o dozen moreunder construction. Sure Engineering of Dublin is preparing construction on thefirst of 200 wind tu rbines off the coast of Ireland slated to generate 1,000 mega-wattsdouble the Cape Wind projects output. European engineers voice surpr iseat adverse reactions to offshore w ind farm s in the US. They attribute it to lack offamil iarity and po int out that those near Copenhagen are a tour ist attraction.

Horseshoe Shoals opponents assert that the proposed tow ers, only 4 1/2mi les from the nearest point of land, constitu te an eyesore by day. Overall, in fact,view in the daytime is the primary obj ection to m arine-based windpower. A pro-posal to put tu rbines near Montauk Point on Long Island, NY was halted afterresidents claimed that wou ld spoil the viewscape. Am ong the Cape Cod andMassachusetts residents polled by Opinion Dynamics who were opposed to theproject, the primary objection was view-related.

(Continued, p. 7)

Open Space and Water Quality

14 million people a year visit the Highlands region, a greenbelt areastretching from eastern Pennsylvania to northw est Connecticut. 25 mi llion can drive

there in an hour or less. More than 11 mi llion, includ ing residents of New York Cityand Philadelph ia, rely on the Highlands for their drinking water. Yet the pressureson this 2 m illion acre area, resulting from a growing population, suburban develop-ment, and pollution, grow ever more acute. While 20% of the region is protectedfrom developm ent, 5,000 acres a year fall vi ctim to the bul ldozers blade.

This year, in recognition of the national significance of the area and thecurrent threats to its environm ental health, Congressman Benjamin Gilman (R-NY) and Senator Jon Corzine (D-NJ) sponsored the Highlands Stewardship Act toprov ide federal support to protect it. The bill authorizes up to $25 mi llion in annualfunds to pay for half the cost of pro jects to conserve Highlands land through

(Continued, p. 6)

News For Coastal Advocates

z

Views Vs. Volts

Open Space and Water

Sayings

Jersey Coast Wounds

Publications

Chefs Campaign Anew

Trolling with Milk Bones

NPS & Chesapeake Bay

Skeeter Wars

z

Recurring

People; Awards; Species &Habitats; Restorations;

Report Cards; Products;Funding; Rulings

Atlantic CoastWatchis a bimonthlynonprofit newsletter fo r those inter-ested in t he environmentally sound

development of the coastlinefrom the Gulf of Maine

to the Eastern Caribbean.

Coastal News Nuggets, our weeklynews headline service, is available

through the Atlanti c CoastWatch website: www.atlanticcoastwatch.org.

Atlantic CoastWatch

1

1

2

3

4

5

5

6

8

September-October 2002


2/8

Sayings

The following w as contributed byJim Price, president of theChesapeakeBay Ecological Foundat ion, a form er waterman and charter boat captain who

has fished the Choptank for over 50 years. URL: ww w.chesbay.org

Striped bass recovery in the Chesapeake Bay is facing one of the m ostchallenging ecological dilemm as fishery managers and scientists have everencountered. The Bays striped bass population is suffering from poor nutr ition anddisease, causing a high rate of mortality in young f ish and reducing the number offish that survi ve and mig rate coast-wide. As the Bays forage base has collapsed,fishery m anagers have made no attempt to reduce the harvest of Atlanti c menha-den, historically a vital source of food for striped bass.

The At lantic St ates M arine Fisheries Comm ission (ASMFC) wants toguarantee large striped bass for recreational anglers coast-wide. Unfortunatelygiven that quest, the Atlanti c striped bass Fishery M anagement Plan (FMP) fails toconsider the health o f the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem or the Bays forage fish. Inthe Bay, fishery managers have protected young striped bass by raising theirminim um size lim it from 12" to 18" creating extensive pressure on the Bays forage,

including declining menhaden, Bay anchovy and blue crab populations.

As striped bass in the Bay have become emaciated, fishery scientists andpathologists at University of M aryland and Virginia Instit ute of M arineScience (VIMS) and M D Department of Natural Resources have warnedfishery managers that mycobacteriosis(fish tuberculosis) may be increasingstriped bass mortality, wi th 50-75% of the Bay stock infected. The health andmortality of the Bays striped bass population m ay be closely associated with theabundance of juvenile Atlanti c menhaden. The recruitm ent of menhaden has beenpoor since 1993, contr ibuti ng to the local depletion w ithin the Bay of this valuableforage fish eaten by many top predators.

Exacerbating that trend, the Bays industr ial fishery has harvested anaverage 300 mi llion pounds of Atlantic menhaden each year since 1970, when the

harvest jum ped 300% according to the Nat ional M arine Fisheries Service(NMFS). Not on ly is menhaden the largest commercial fishery on the East Coast;their harvest from t he Bay is equal to five tim es the combined Maryland comm er-cial seafood harvest of fin fish and shellfish.

Beyond providing essential forage for striped bass and other apex preda-tors, menhaden also play a vital role by removing Bay nutri ents. Between thestriped bass FMP, poor menhaden recruitm ent and this intensive fishery, the Baysecology has and continues to be altered in ways not fu lly understood. The ASMFC,responsible fo r both m enhaden and striped bass FMPs, refuses to recognize oraccept that a localized depletion of Atlantic menhaden has occurred in the Bay. Nordoes the ASMFC take responsibi lity fo r the consequences. Mary land pound netlandings and juvenile finfish survey clearly point out Bay-wide m enhaden depletion,as do NMFS landing records.

Currently, the ASMFC is proposing a new FMP for str iped bass, Amend-ment 6, wh ich has several failings given the current status of young striped bassand menhaden in the Bay. First, Amendm ent 6 does not incorporate the increasednatural mortality of striped bass in the Bay due to poor d iet and mycobacteriosis,increasing the likelihood for over-fishing.

Nor does Amendment 6 permit flexibility f or m anagers to lower size limitsand change quotas in the Bay, when large year-classes occur. Fishery m anagersneed to take into account and be aware of the inter-related changes in striped bassand menhaden populations in the Bay which may pose a serious health th reat thatcould devastate the fishery coast-wide.

(Continued, p. 3)

2

Atlantic CoastWatch

Vol. 6, No. 5

A project of the SustainableDevelopment Institute, which seeksto heighten the environmental quality ofeconomic development efforts, in

coastal and in forest regions, bycommunicating information about betterpol icies and practices. SDI is classifiedas a 501(c)(3) organization, exempt fromfederal income tax.

Board of Directors

Freeborn G. Jewett, Jr., ChairmanRobert Geniesse, Chairman EmeritusRoger D. Stone, PresidentHart Fessenden, TreasurerHassanali Mehran, SecretaryEdith A. CecilDavid P. HuntGay P. Lord

Lee PettySimon Sidamon-Eristoff

Staf f

Roger D. Stone, Director & PresidentShaw Thacher, Project ManagerRobert C. Nicholas III, Contr. EditorAnita G. Herrick, CorrespondentLaura W. Roper, Correspondent

Major Donors

Avenir FoundationThe Fair Play FoundationThe Curtis and Edith Munson

Foundation

With Appreciation

Atlantic CoastWatch extends specialthanks to the Avenir Foundation forrenewing its major support for ourprogram, and warm appreciation tothese others who made significant andmuch needed contributions betweenAugust 25 and October 17 of this year:

Edith CecilLouisa C. DuemlingHelen C. EvartsAlexander P. Farman-Farmaian

Ail een T. GeddesDavid P. HuntBucky MaceDecatur H. and Sally S. MillerCecilia V. Nobel

David Rockefeller

Sponsored Projects

Environm ental Film Festival in theNations Capital, March 13-23, 2003


3/8

Jersey Coast Wounds

Recently the Am erican Littoral Society, Clean Ocean Action, and SaveBarnegat Bay issued a scathing report stating that in no category is the state ofthe 127-mile New Jersey coast up to par. Here is the succinct overview thereport provides about this wounded shoreline:

Issue Overall Grade Synopsis

LAND USE F GOING, GOINGGrowth F Its called sprawlCoastal Hazards F Unprepared for big storm

COASTAL HABITAT D Stressed, diminishedWetlands D Too much filling going onWetlands Buffers D Narrow, often compromisedOpen Space D+ Chopped up, shrinkingStream Flows D Theyre droppingSubmerged Vegetation D Turbidity spells doom

COASTAL POLLUTION D+ Good news, bad newsNutrients D Inshore is over-enriched

Dissolved oxygen B Getting betterToxics -In Water C Needs workIn sediments F Needs lots of workIn fish, shellfish D Too many advisories

Bathing beach quality B Good monitoringLIVING RESOURCES D Running out of habitat

Fish C- Habitat damageShellfish D Beds closed or sourOther Wildlife D Needs more room

OCEAN HABITAT C Competition for resourcesResource Extraction C Nearshore threatOil, gas, windmills C In the offing

OCEAN POLLUTION C- Still some dirty waterOcean Dumping D Remains a threatOcean Outfalls D Water going to wasteBeach Litter C Key word plastics

STATE MANAGEMENT F An urbanizing coastLand Use F Call it sprawlTransportation D- More roads=more congestionShore Access D+ Try to get thereEnforcement F Ineffective, understaffedInformation and Access D Too little, hard to get

FINAL GRADE D

URL: ww w.alsnyc.org

Sayings, Continued from p. 2

The public has been told that the striped bass recovery is an example ofgood fishery m anagement and the ASMFC can take credit for past FMPs thathelped rebuild the popu lation. However, because of its species-specific focus, theASMFC may have taken striped bass recovery to its bri nk. The ASMFC is unwilli ngeven to consider o r incorporate the ecologi cal effects the FMPs for striped bass andmenhaden are having on the health of the Chesapeake Bays ecosystem. Theresults of this short-sightedness have been devastating. They help to createconditions that threaten even the possibility of restoring the Bay -- let alone fish,vital to fishers, that migrate coast-wide.

People

Pioneer ecolog ist Harold Odum diedin Gainesvil le, FL at age 78. The causewas cancer. After earning a zoologydegree from Yale in 1951, Odumtaught envi ronm ental science at asuccession o f un iversities includingthe University of Florida, where hefounded the Center for Wetlands.Odum w as especially known fo rresearch into the relationship betw eenecology and economics.

Awards

Notable among this years winners ofGovernor Excellence Awards in M aineare a cluster of gas stations. Includedamong them i s the St. Peters Count ryStore in Guerette, a small tow n innorthern Maine. The lakes keep us inbusiness, proprietor Jules St. Petertold the media. We need to protectthem. For i ts efforts, the store earnedthe right to post an environm entalleader sticker on its pum ps.

Species & Habitats

Off the coast of Nova Scotia, 25species of deepwater coral are to befound. For the first time, reports theHalifax Daily New s, scientists workingnear Sable Island have d iscovered aspecies called Lophelia pertusa(spider hazard coral) that builds reefssimilar to those in warmer waters. Itis capable of creating reefs up to 35meters in height, but at a growth rateof a mere 1.5 millim eters a year thetask takes hundreds of years tocomplete. A severe hazard is theintense bottom trawling that commer-cial fishermen comm only p ractice inthe area.

In Rhode Island it was a great seasonfor piping plovers, according to theBlock Island Tim es. 56 birds found thisyear on 11 beaches that state officialsmonitored f ledged 113 chicks. Theysaid the productiv ity rate in RI was thehighest since protection effor ts beganin 1993, attribut ing the success inlarge part to careful m easures toprotect the eggs from predators,especially skunks. The RI record waswelcome in the light of breedingfailures elsewhere including Massa-chusetts, where a June northeasterwiped out m any birds.

3


4/8

Publications

z In his latest collection of essays about people and ecology, The Nature ofDesign(Oxford University Press 2002), Oberlin College environmental studiesprofessor David W. Orr takes us all to task for not thinking broadly enough abouthow we live and what we build. For the sake of achieving a more sustainable worldOrr pleads that we adopt the princip les of ecolog ical design in planning our use ofenergy and materials, abandon ing the prevalent idea that technology w ill save theday. We are lost, he laments, And must now find our way home again.

z In his work Orr habitually slams academia for its failure to embrace whole-systems thinking and it s stubborn adherence to the practice of offering studentsinformation in narrowly compartm entalized packages. He implores the nationscolleges and universities to consider themselves as systems, and plan and buildaccording to the princip les of ecological design. Such ideas he dwells on further inSustainable Education: Revisioning Learning and Change(with co-authorStephen Sterling), Green Books 2001.

z New f rom Island Press is Oceans 20 20 : Science, Trends, and theChallenge of Sustainability. In large part, this collection o f essays by distin-

guished authors revi ews the challenges facing deep-sea researchers and managersover the coming decades. Separate chapters, how ever, discuss the sustainabledevelopm ent of the coastal zone, fisheries science and management, and marineinform ation for shipping and defense.

z Both in Delaware and in New York, state environm ental agencies haverecently launched Environmental N avigatorweb services to help citizens identifyand locate sources of air emissions and water discharges, superfund sites, locationof large animal farms, and the like. User reactions have been positive. URLs:ww w.dec.state.ny.us; ww w.dnrec.state.de.us.

z Bill Bellesvilles Deep Cuba: The Inside Story of an Am ericanOceanographic Expedition(University of Georgia Press, 2002) logs the recentmon th-long social, scientific and po litical voyage of NOAAs temporari ly dual

flagged RV Seward(yes, Cuban and Am erican) along the islands south side. EvenEl Commandantewas awed by their discoveries upon visiting the SewardinHavana, displaying im pressive first-hand knowledge of his marine ecosystems, anddetermination for their ongoing protection.

z In the wake of the demise of Maine Times, which long covered environmen-tal news for dow neast readers, a new publ ication has come on the scene this year.Northern Sky News, covering the environment of New England & the Maritim es,offers generous monthly portions of m aterial aimed at what Editor & PublisherM urray Carpenter calls the general-interest environmentalist element in theregions 14 mil lion population . URL: ww w.northernskynew s.com

z In support of November 18th as the first National Water Moni toring Day, theEPA w eb site sold citizen water testing kits ($16.75) to measure temperature, clarity

pH and dissolved oxygen. The USGSNat ional Environmental M ethods Indexprovides a clearinghouse of monito ring m ethods. University of VirginiasInstit ute of Environmental Negotiat ion publi shed a Stream Corridor Protec-tion St rategy for Local Governmentsas a freely downloadable Adobe PDF file.An easily accessible reference for those seeking paths to greener livi ng is GreenAdviserby Environmental Def ense. The site offers tips on subjects ranging frommachines to food choices, places to go, and how to shop on line for g reen products.Newly launched w ithin the Nat ural Resources Defense Councils site is TheGreen Squad, an educational service targeted at fifth to eighth graders thatexplores relationships between school and health and environmental issues. URLs:ww w.epa.gov/water/yearofcleanwater/; ww w.nemi.gov; ww w.virginia.edu/~envneg/IEN_home.htm; w ww.greenadviser.org; w ww .nrdc.org/greensquad

4

A recent University of Florida studyhighl ights the impor tance of creatingor preserving wildlife corridors,reports Environm ental NewsService.Researchers planted non-nati ve holl ytrees in fo rest patches, some linkedand some not. Hollies in the con-nected patches consistently bore morefruit t han those that were isolated, anindication that insect pollinatorspreferred the corridors.

Many observers including AtlanticCoastWatchhave applauded init iativesto irrigate lawns and golf courses withtreated sewage. But now, says theOrlando Sentinel, come suggestionsthat the practice helps spread para-sites such as cryptosporidiumandgiardiathat cause hum an sickness butwhose presence in tr eated sewage isnot measured in Flori da. Officialsclaim that there is no documentation

of any disease. Citizens urge tightercontrols and more ostentatiouswarnings to children not to play inordrinktreated sewage water.

Follow ing on recent US efforts toprotect migrating northern rightwhales from collisions with ships(Atlantic CoastWatch, May/June,2000), Canadian authorities have alsotaken steps to protect them during thesummer m onths when they congre-gate to feed in the plankton-ri ch Bayof Fundy. New shipping lanes moved

toward the Nova Scotia side of thebay give the whales safe passagecloser to New Brunswicks GrandManan island, where scientists havefound large numbers of them. URL:www.coastalstudies.org

Canada has charged the captain of abulk carrier w ith creating a 116kilometer long oil slick off the coast ofNewfoundland. Previously, Canadianauthoriti es relied on chance sightingsfrom aircraft sweeps, or evidence ofbirds washed ashore, for evidence of

such dumping. Now a satelliteoperated by the Canadian SpaceAgency detects flat surfaces in theocean created by oil, says RayBrowne of the Department ofFisheries. Brown estimates that300,000 birds are killed annually in theMaritimes and he points out that inwinter a spot of oil the size of a dimecan kill bi rds. The satellites firstsuccess occurred only n ine days afterthe programs launch.


5/8

Chefs Campaign Anew Thru Food

With juvenile stocks of sword fish on the rebound, in part as a result of theChefs Collaboratives Give Swordfish a Break conservation campaign thetoques blanchesare not about to rest on their laurels. Rather than boycott anotherendangered species, the Chefs now seek to high ligh t environmentall y friendly

fishing m ethods by serving only hook caught Chatham cod. Cod caught by using abaited hook li ne anchored across the bottom , rather than dragging nets that catcheverything else and destroy habitat, is fresher, more flavorfu l, and has a differenttexture. It is also up to 50% more expensive than normally served netted fish.Says Chefs Collaborative Chair Peter Hoffman: I want to support local fishermenand producers who are doing the right thi ng and give consumers a positive mes-sage about choosing sustainable seafood. And it tastes better, too.

Joining t he Chefs on this round are the Cape Cod Commercial HookFishermens Association and the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF). SaysCLFs Marine Resources Project Director Priscilla Brooks, noting tougher ground-fish regulations, We will not have done our job if we rebuild fish stocks but elimi-nate a way of li fe that is environm entally friendly. To date, roughly 20 restaurantsin the Boston/Cape Cod region are participating. Two distribu tors, including

EcoFish (Atlantic CoastWatch, Septem ber-October 1999), have also signed on.

In a separate campaign based on the pending approval by the Food andDrug Administration (FDA) of gene altered f ish, the Center for Food andSafety (CFS), Friends of t he Earth and Clean Water Action have enlisted 454chefs, purchasers and restaurants in a national campaign against frankenfish.Bolstered by an August National Research Council report doubting that sufficientregulations wi ll protect natural stocks against cross-breeding, in this case sterilesalmon that grow tw ice as fast as wi ld salmon, the CFS led boycott takes aim at aproduct that w ill not become available for consumption for at least two years.

AQUA Bounty Farms in M assachusetts uses a technology that insertssalmon eggs with genes, shortening the time to reach m aturity from 36 months to18. The FDA therefore classifies these eggs not as a food, but an anim al drug that

requires far more stringent testing. Potential toxic and allergic reactions wil l beevaluated. Hormone balance, mo lecular and nutri tional analyses and environm en-tal safety approvals wil l also be needed. Elliot Entis, Aqua Bounty Farms presi-dent points out We know m ore about our salmon than anyone knows about wildspecies. Says Tracie Letterman, fish program director at CFS: If you look at thescience, its very dangerous and could destroy an enti re population of species. Thiscampaign show s that consum ers dont want genetically altered fish. Nonetheless,many w holesalers and food chains are waiting fo r clearer science to emerge prio rto passing judgement. URLs: ww w.clf.org; www .centerforfoodsafety.org

Trolling w ith M ilk Bones

Sport fishermen Tyler Savage and Brian Cook recently spotted aStaffordshire terrier in the water two m iles off Block Island on a foggy day. Thethree-year old Boo Boo had run off chasing seagulls from owner Rachel Lemoineon a walk on the islands north end and entered the water. The dog responded tothe fishermens calls and swam to their boat but only after they shut off the engine.

Hoisted aboard she was taken to Jamestown w here she posed as catch ofthe day at Zeeks Creek Bait and Tackle . Rechristened Lucky, her adoption byCook was short lived. According to the Providence Journal, Cook had called theCoast Guard after rescuing Lucky, and the desperate Lemoine had, in canvassingthe island, encountered someone who had heard that call on the marine radio. Shecame and claimed her pet from a saddened Cook.

5

Restorations

In waters off Floridas BrowardCounty, faculty and students fromSoutheastern University havedeveloped an innovative w ay torestore coral reefs damaged bystorms or ship groundings. They

search the seafloor for l oose pieces oflive coral, retrieve them, and cementthem to an artificial reef. When anatural reef gets damaged, the teamrepairs it with coral pried off from thenursery. In the past 18 months,marine biology graduate studentJamie Vernaccio told the MiamiHerald, 220 pieces of loose coral havebeen saved with a 90% success rate.

For the past 26 years The NatureConservancy has waged a lonelystruggle to protect a string of barrier

islands that it owns betweenAssateague island and Cape Charleson Virginias remote eastern shore.Once apparently destined for develop-ment, these islands have been sparedthat fate. But their health has beendamaged by frequent storms and bywater-borne diseases that decimatedthe m arshy areas once-abundantpopulations of l arge oysters and othershellfish. Now at last Virginia ismounting a comprehensive, $1.3mil lion restoration and ecotourismprogram. The Conservancys BarryTruitt , longtime m anager of itsVirginia Coast Reserve, expressedgreat enthusiasm about the newprogram, This is huge, he told theVirginian-Pilot.

Report Cards

2,010 mi les of vegetati ve buffers havebeen bui lt in the Chesapeake Baywatershed since 1996, reports theChesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF).The goal set fo r 2010 has thus beenreached 8 years early, thus promptingassertions that it had been set too low .But more than 1 m illion acres of landin the w atershed still need to bepreserved if another 2010 goal for thewatershed is to be reached. And foroveral l health, said CBF, it coul d awardthe Bay no better than 27 points on ascale of 0 to 100 in its fifth annualState of the Bay reportthe samescore as for last year. The principalnegative: nitrogen pollu tion frommul tiple sources. URL: ww w.cbf.org


6/8

NPS & Chesapeake Bay

Already the Nat ional Park Service (NPS) had expressed special interestin the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Its Chesapeake Bay Gateways Netw ork,approved by Congress in 1999, links 110 existing trails, parks, and histor ic sites

within the watershed to promote public interest in the regions history, culture, andecology. Now comes a new NPS initi ative: the Chesapeake Bay Special ResourcesStudy, which is examining the possibility of adding portions of the Bay to thenational park system.

The study, exploratory in nature, begins wi th the prem ise that the Chesa-peake area is a very signif icant national resource. Federal officials are currentlyasking whether, and if so how, portions of the Bay m ight fit into the national parksystem. Four w orkshops w ithin the Bay area have already been held to refine theconcept. This discussion continues via the project website. Further workshops buil taround a draft report w ill be held early in 2003, and a final repor t to Congresspresented at midyear. While current policy does not favor the addition o f new unitsto the national park system, says NPS, the study w ill provide a framework for theCongress and the admin istration to consider when and w hat, if anything, will bedone.

(Continued, p. 8)

Open Space and Water Quality, Continued from p. 1

purchases or conservation easements, and offers many creative forms of supportfor pub lic-private partnerships to help preserve the regions open space. All but oneof the regions 8 senators have joined as sponsors of the bill, as have 28 congress-men on the House side.

In announcing his bill, Gilman w as careful to note that the ongoing droughthas heightened publi c interest in protecting w ater supplies and offers an excellentopportunity to respond to what he called the crisis abroad in the Highlands.

Thus did his initiative (not yet law) become the most prominent, but far from theonly, example of the tightening links between drought and water supplies and thepopu larity o f measures to preserve forests, streams, and w atersheds.

Other examples from the northeast US that connect open space to watersupply or water quality i ssues include the New Jersey initiative to preserve onemil lion acres, launched by form er Governor (now EPA Administrator) ChristieWhitman and pur sued by her successor James E. M cGreevey. This year Wash-ington Township in southern New Jersey moved to limit development close towellheads tapping into an aqui fer that flow s very close to the earths surface.

Connecticuts Departm ent of Environmental Protection seeks to lockup ful ly 21% of the states entire acreage. Criteria for lands to be preserved underthe states open space protection program, funded with $6.5 milli on for the first half

of FY 2003, prominently include those that enhance or conserve water quality o rhelp protect watersheds.

Such measures might have been taken if water quality and supp lies hadnot been issues, but their prom inence on the agenda has surely increased thepoli tical appeal of open space initiatives. Says Tim Dillingham, assistant directorof the Am erican Littoral Society: The need to protect the Highlands has beenwell recogn ized for more than a century. The relationship between healthy forestsand water supplies is evident. But the drought this summ er really brought the issueto the fore and m ade people realize that without the forest there was simply notgoing to be clean water. The timing w as just right to propose a big shift in publicpolicy. URLs: ww w.highlandscoalition.org; ww w.alsnyc.org

6

In its State of the Environm ent report,the M inistry of the Environment,Energy, and Natural Resources inBarbados noted that agricul tural landis being converted for other uses at arate 5 times faster than was estimatedin 1988. Consequences include higherdanger of erosion, flooding , and

landslides. A positive aspect is theresurgence of natural vegetation onsome abandoned farms. URL:www.environment.gov.bb

Maines much-frequented AcadiaNational Park ranks 5th worst in thenation in terms of air poll ution, saysthe Nat ional Parks ConservationAssociation. The parks rocky soilsprovi de littl e defense against acidrain, fog , and snow , says the NPCAreport, wh ich describes scenic viewsfrom such vantage points as MountCadillac as impaired. URL:

www.eparks.org

Products

Cornell University researcher AnilNetravali is edging closer, saysGreenBiz.com, to developing ful ly-biodegradable composites made fromnatural fibers that could replacenondegradable plastics in manyapplications. The green compositesblend soy-based resins with fibersfrom such plants as bananas, pine-

apples, kenaf, and the Asian perennialshrub called ramie.

Funding

On Great South Bay, once the centerof oyster production on the southshore of Long Island, NY, BluepointOyster Company gave The NatureConservancy an 11,500 acre chunk o fits bottom land, valued at about $2mil lion. This acquisition, said theConservancy, is its most recent andbiggest effor t to expand land acquisi-

tion to marine conservation. Activitiesto be initi ated on the site, covering30% of the bay, will include restora-tion, education, aquaculture, and thecreation of a nature sanctuary. URL:www.tnc.org

A partnership between AmericanRivers and NOAA will provide some$2.6 million for river restoration, damremoval, and fish passage projects.Recently announced was the first


7/8

group o f projects to receive theprogram s funding . Connecticut,Mary land, M assachusetts, NewHampshire, Pennsylvania, andVirgin ia are among the beneficiarystates. URLs: www .mfs.noaa.gov;www.americanrivers.org

Rulings

Two years ago, when the town of fast-grow ing Frederick, MD imposed amoratorium on new development,there was plenty of w ater in theMonocacy River that supplies mostcitizens. Wi th this years drought anda water supply crisis, town fatherstook further action. Even when theMonocacy recovers enough to allownew construction to begin again, apanel of city officials will review allproposed developm ents and decidewhether there is sufficient water forthem. Such water allocation ordi-nances are commonplace in thewestern US, Denver water lawyerDavid H. Getches told The Washing-ton Post, but almost unheard of alongthe eastern seaboard.

In Washington, DC reports BayJournal, a federal court overturned aUS Fish and Wildlife Services habitat protection plan for theendangered Delmarva fox squirrel onthe grounds that it had been preparedwithout sufficient provision for publicreview. Environmentalists had filedsuit, claim ing that the plan gaveinsufficient p rotection fo r an animalthat moves slow ly and faces threatsfrom cars and predators.

A citizen effort to demolish theWinterport dam across the Marshstream, a tributary o f MainesPenobscot River, was dealt yetanother blow late this summ er.Already (Atlantic CoastWatchJanu-ary/February 2002) some citizens hadprotested the initiative, meant largely

to help anadromous salmon, on thegrounds that the impoundmentprovided recreation and water forfirefighting. Now, ruled state SuperiorCourt Judge Andrew M ead, thoseseeking the demoli tion m ust achievelocal shoreland zoning permits fromthe two towns whose citizens opposedits removal. What lies ahead? I haveno idea what we are going to do next,the demoliti onists dismayed leaderClint on Tow nsend said.

View s Vs. Volts, Continued from p. 1

At night, Horseshoe Shoals foes also argue, lights designed to w arn awayaircraft w ill not only dam age a pristine environment but will constitute a navigationhazard for shipp ing. They predict increased noise from the turbines and from

foghorns, diminished touri sm, decreased property values, and danger to birds,marine mamm als and m arine fauna. Offshore windpower opponents also object toa possible lack of bonds to assure removal of towers in the future. Some also holdthat it is not sim ply the tow ers that are undesirable but the platform fo r handling theelectricity as well as construction and maintenance efforts. Objections have beenraised to what som e see as an unregulated taking of federal lands. Some insist ona moratorium until applicable law and regulations can be put into effect.

Despite such argum ents, the US Army Corps of Engineers in Augustapproved the construction of a data collection tow er on Horseshoe Shoal. Theruling carries 16 conditions including a bond for removal, sharing of information,and monitoring to insure construction that does not harm m arine mammals. Such atow er is already under construction 2 miles off Marthas Vineyard, under a five-yearpermit issued to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Instit ution.

Winergy LLC, of Shirley, NY is proposing 4 sites off Nantucket ranging insize from 169 to 231 turbines; in August the company fi led an initial appli cation for adata collection tower in a location central to these sites. Winergy is also pursuinganother 17 Atlantic Coast locations along the Atlanti c coast as far south as Florida.They range in size from 6 turbines in Long Island Sound to 506 off the coast ofMary land. Included are 420 tow ers in two areas 3 and 5 miles out from VirginiasEastern Shore.

In August the Long Island Power Aut hority (LIPA) issued a request forpotential developers of 100 megawatts of wind power o ff the south shore. The LIPAhad partnered a study wi th New York States Energy Research and Developm entAuthority showing that up to 5,200 megawatts could be produced from a 314-square-mile band, 3 to 6 miles offshore stretching to the east of Montauk Point.

Environm ental leaders waffle, argui ng for clearer policies and moreresearch. Jaci Barton, executive director of the Barnstable Land Trust, holds thatthere is a need for a state and national policy about w ind farm power develop-mentparti cularly offshore, industrial-sized projects. John P. DeV illar s, formerEPA New England region adm inistrator, points to the need for a robust publ icdialogue and decisions supported by sound science and economic analysis, asthese w ill have generational signifi cance. He feels that it should be the responsibil-ity of government to w eigh the issues in order to determine the best location for awind farm.

Carol Lee Raw n, an attorney with the Conservation Law Foundation,stated that the issue of ocean zoning for federal lands is very im portant and shouldbe addressed. She added that the foundation did no t feel it appropriate to delaydevelopment of renewable energy options until a new regulatory regim e comes

into p lace. Because of the importance it gives to the conduct of research on theproper location of w ind farms, the Foundation m ay file a friend of the court briefsupporting the Corps Horseshoe Shoals decision while w ithholding judgement onthe wind farm i tself.

Wind pow er is the fastest growing commercial power source in the worldaccording to Reuters. Wind farm s dot the count ryside in nearly 30 US states. Ifrenewable energy is going to be required by federal mandate, said M yron Ebell ofthe Competit ive Enterprise Institute , people wherever they live are going tohave to get used to it. URLs: ww w.clf.org; ww w.capewind.org;www.capecodonline.com

7


8/8

At lantic CoastWatchSustainable Development Institute312 1 South St., NWWashington, D.C. 20 0 07

Tel: (202) 338-1017Fax: (202) 337-9639E-mail: [email protected]: www.susdev.orgwww.atlanticcoastwatch.org

Tax-deductible contributions for A tlant ic CoastWatch are urgently needed.

NPS & Bay, Continued from p. 6

Some around the Bay have expressed skepticism about theNPS initi ative. Concerns have been voiced about the loss ofstates rights and about what econom ic benefits a nationalpark would bring. Some wonder what a national park coulddo that m yriad public and private institutions are notalready doing around the Bay. But officials from M arylandsDepartment of Nat ural Resources, the ChesapeakeBay Foundation, and various new spapers reactedpositi velyespecially, as the foundations Chuck Epes putit, if the creation of a park were to result in more publi cawareness, more pub lic enjoyment, more cash and moreprotections. URL: ww w.chesapeakestudy.org

Skeeter WarsIn 2002 the mosqui to-borne West Ni le Virus (WNV)

spread across 43 states, infecting 3,052 people and causing164 deaths. According to the Center for Disease Control(CDC), most victim s have been the elderly and im mune-comprom ised. Also affected and dying are livestock and111 bird species includ ing endangered sandhil l cranes andbald eagles. This year the mosquito i ssue was gravelycompounded w hen mosquitoes bearing malaria, widelyseen as a distant tropical threat, were detected in theWashington, DC region. Little wonder then that in additionto m ore than $20 milli on granted by the CDC and Depart-ment of Health and Human Services, the US House ofRepresentatives approved $100 milli on for counties,providing up to $10,000 per county for mosquito controlprograms. The bill is now pending in the US Senate. Nomore of a surprise is it that the EPA suspended require-ments under the Clean Water Act for permits prio r tospraying insecticides on open water.

Open questions (Atlantic CoastWatch, May/June2001) include the efficacy o f repeated spraying (a 30% killratio by an independent study vs. industry claims of 80%),and the severity of it s impacts on aquatic species, ecosys-tems, and possibly humans.

Before 2002 WNV was largely a mid-Atlantic andNew England phenom enon. This years drought likelyincreased the range of WNV by concentrating bi rds atwatering holes and reducing the num bers of the m osquitosnatural predators such as dragonflies and amphibians. Therewere also relatively few cases in New England, suggestingthat a less viru lent WNV may be emerging and that resis-tance developed in almost the entire exposed population .Most showed no ill effects, or at most flu and skin rash.

Attempts to develop alternatives to insecticidespraying , with its many adverse effects, prol iferated thisyear. Count ies in South Carolina reviewed storm waterretention ponds, which are designed to benefit the environ-

ment by trapping pollutants from nearby housing develop-ments and shopping centers but also host mosquitoes.Maines constructed or restored wetlands and saltwatermarshes may be redesigned. Colonies of bats, each of w hichcan munch down up to 7,000 mosqui toes a day, are beingestabli shed along New Jerseys Hackensack River. Dragon-flies have been released in Maine and Gambusia ho lbrookii,an aggressive mosqui to-gulping guppy sized fish, aroundGreensboro, North Carolina. Another apparently benignalternative that may become available next year isSkeetercide, developed at University of Floridas MedicalEntomology Laboratory by Dov Borovsky. Skeetercidestarves mosqui to larvae to death in 4-6 days, before theybegin biting, using hormones that trick their digestive

systems into shutting down.

At least some of such measures wi ll succeed.Medical authori ties suggest that most people wil l developresistance to West Nile Virus wi thout even flu sym ptom s;next years WNV season w ill alm ost certainly be less virulentthan this years. The Vivexstrain of m alaria recently foundnear Washing ton is the least virulent and most treatable formof the disease. But for all that, malarias emergence prom -ises an expansion o f skeeter wars in 2003 that w ill damagefar more than just mosquitoes. URLs: ww w.cdc.gov;extlab7.entnem .ufl.edu/PestAlert /

Documents

Sep-Oct 2002 Atlantic Coast Watch Newsletter