Chesapeake Bay Programs

You and The ChesapeakeBay:It’s Not The Same Old Farm Keeping the Bay Blue.

The Water Quality Improvement Act (WQIA), also known as the Maryland Nutrient Management Law, was passed in 1998 by the Maryland State Legislature. The goal of nutrient management planning is to reduce non-point source pollution (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus from cropland) by balancing nutrient applications with crop nutrient requirements. Nutrient management planning, which is an array of best management practices (BMPs), is considered to be one of the most cost-effective means of controlling excessive nutrient applications.

No one should go hungry in America. United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) provide children and low-income people access to food, a healthful diet, and nutrition education. They help nearly one in five people.

University of Maryland Extension’s (UME) Agricultural Nutrient Management Program, which is funded by Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) focuses on reducing nonpoint source nutrient pollution to the Chesapeake Bay from plant nutrients applied to cropland. The Program provides (1) nutrient management planning services to Maryland farmers through a network of Nutrient Management Advisors located in all county Extension offices and (2) continuing education and technical support to certified Nutrient Management Advisors and certified farm operators via state and regional nutrient management specialists.

The AVMA, as a medical authority for the health and welfare of animals, offers the following eight integrated principles for developing and evaluating animal welfare policies, resolutions, and actions.

Water running over hard surfaces can pick up sediment, chemicals, debris, and toxins which are carried to local waterways. These pollutants prevent waterways from being fishable and swimmable. In 2012, the State of Maryland passed the Watershed Protection and Restoration Program (HB- 987) which mandates that counties subject to a certain municipal stormwater permit institute a stormwater remediation fee. The purpose of the fee is to manage pollution carried by stormwater into local waterways.

Stormwater runoff originates during precipitation when water flows over the ground. Impervious surfaces such as streets and rooftops increase runoff by preventing water from soaking into the ground. Water running over impervious surfaces can pick up sediment, chemicals, debris, and toxins which are carried to local waterways. These pollutants prevent waterways from being fishable and swimmable.

Stormwater runoff originates during precipitation events when water flows over the ground. Impervious surfaces such as streets and rooftops increase runoff by preventing water from soaking into the ground. Water running over hard surfaces can pick up sediment, chemicals, debris, and toxins which are carried to local waterways. These pollutants prevent waterways from being fishable and swimmable.

Researchers from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) conducted a study to evaluate the potential effect of nutrient credit trading on the growth and profitability of Maryland’s aquaculture industry. Nutrient credit trading is a market approach to lowering the cost of meeting the pollution caps that have been established to restore aquatic habitat in the Chesapeake Bay. Oyster aquaculture producers are eligible to sell credits in this emerging market, which creates the potential for economic and environmental benefits.

University of Maryland Sea Grant Extension works with local stakeholders, community leaders, and citizens on issues concerning the Chesapeake Bay. The Bay’s estuary is a national treasure, with natural and economic resources on which Marylanders depend for their livelihood and recreation. That resource is threatened by the rising sea level, changing land uses, and increasing non-point source pollution. Maryland Sea Grant Extension agents are prepared to face those challenges using participatory planning technologies. The weTable is an ideal tool for enhancing public engagement processes and creating an interactive dialogue. By transforming a tabletop into an interactive map, database, and decision making platform, Sea Grant Extension Specialists facilitate collaborative planning and conversations about resource management.