Hello and Happy New Year to all members and friends of DCPG!
I trust that this letter finds you and your loved ones healthy and relieved to be finally putting the long strange year of 2020 in the rearview mirror. Despite the continued ravages of the Corona virus, there is much to be thankful for as we pass into 2021, particularly on the national political level where our country is experiencing a return to its accustomed role as a champion of democracy, human rights, and good stewardship of natural resources. Since we last met (almost exactly a year ago) many of our initiatives as an organization have been slowed by the inability to meet and to attend meetings personally. This is particularly true because DCPG no longer has an active executive director and neither Vice President Richard Ball or myself are adept and comfortable with virtual communication. Nevertheless, the DCPG board has continued to be involved in issues when and where we can. I hope you will take a minute to review this brief summary of some of our activities.
Last year we spent much of our annual meeting bringing you and interested citizens from the general public up to speed on our attempt to pressure the Maryland Department of Environment to do their job in regulating the industrial rendering plant Valley Protein which continues to pollute the Transquaking river. As of this writing, MDE has once again failed to honor their commitment to establish a regulatory regime that will protect the Transquaking. As you may know, many state agencies have been "teleworking only" since last February and this means that a bureaucracy that was already behind schedule has come to a virtual standstill. DCPG was part of a workgroup that included the League of Women Voters, Shore Rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. This group was specifically convened to address our concerns about Valley Protein and had meetings with MDE representatives in both January 2019 and January 2020. When the COVID crisis eases we hope to reconvene this workgroup and pressure MDE to act in the interest of public health and the environment. In the meantime, we continue to carry out water monitoring on the upper Transquaking so we will have the data to support our concerns.
Also at last year's meeting we heard from then County Planner Steve Ball about the long overdue update of the Dorchester County Comprehensive plan. To provide some historical context: One of DCPG's signature accomplishments was our role in promoting environmental awareness during the process of creating a new comprehensive plan for the city of Cambridge a decade ago. At that time we were able to help steer Cambridge leaders toward including the concept of a "green belt" around the town to delineate an urban/rural boundary and prevent gerrymandered annexations such as the one designed to enable the ill-advised mega development once proposed for 1000 acres of farmland on Egypt Road. As a result of our cooperative effort with the Cambridge Planning Commission and the consulting group Jacobiak and Associates, DCPG received a joint stewardship award from The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. Cambridge was subsequently awarded a prestigious national grant to assist in creating a new zoning code based on the principles of their new comp plan. Ever since then, DCPG has promoted the creation of a new comp plan for Dorchester County, something which is actually mandated by state law but has been delayed by lack of leadership and budget constraints at the county level. Since our January 2020 meeting Steve Ball has been replaced by new County Planner Herve Hamon. It seems that Dorchester has finally assembled the proper team and that 2021 will include the adoption of a new Dorchester County Comprehensive Plan. I had previously submitted written comments on behalf of DCPG to the Dorchester Planning Commission. These comments provided our perspective on the "land use" and "water resources" elements of the draft plan. In particular, DCPG stressed the need for more specific language supporting the "green belt" concept mentioned above. On November 10, 2020 four DCPG members spoke at an in person (socially distanced) public hearing on the Dorchester Plan held at the county office building. My comments there were primarily addressed to the "development regulations" element of the plan. I stressed the need for specific regulations that would keep heavy industry (such as Valley Protein) from being located in either agricultural or resource conservation zones. I emphasized that the sound principle of "infill" development (within city limits rather than in the countryside) should be applied to both industrial and residential development. In addition, DCPG vice president Richard Ball spoke on his opposition to "tier mapping" concepts that would allow large developments in rural areas to be constructed with individual septic tanks for sanitation. DCPG board member Pat Comella spoke on the "transportation" element of the plan. DCPG member Barbara Hale spoke on the "water resources" element of the plan, specifically her concern that the plan should seek to prevent over drawing of local aquifers.
To give an example of how an updated comp plan could impact major decisions affecting the future of Dorchester, Matt Pluta (Choptank Riverkeeper for ShoreRivers) and I recently attended a hearing before the Dorchester County Zoning appeals board regarding a proposal by an investment group called Aqua Con. This Norwegian based organization wants to build four giant salmon farms on Maryland's Eastern Shore. One of the proposed locations is the grounds of the now defunct Cambridge Country Club at Horn Point. That property lies adjacent to and just outside of the green belt surrounding Cambridge mentioned above. During our testimony both Matt and I stressed our concerns about possible impacts on the Choptank from the final phase of the aquaculture growing process wherein millions of gallons of Choptank river water would be withdrawn from and returned to the Choptank in order to cleanse a bacterial element known as "geosmin". This compound is supposedly not harmful, but gives a musty taint to the flesh of the salmon and therefore must be purged before they are marketed. If strong comp plan regulations were in place it is unlikely that Aqua Con would have even considered this property for a giant industrial facility. Although the Dorchester County appeals board did rule against granting the "special exception" (citing the concern over water quality, and the impact on rural roads during construction and marketing) their decision was by no means a sure thing. Note: Aqua Con has since received approval from Caroline County to locate its first facility in Federalsburg's industrial park. Further note: DCPG did not oppose the concept of the aquaculture facility, only pointing out that its location was not appropriate.
Recently, several DCPG members started the New Year off right by joining with Shore Rivers in a morning trash cleanup project in and around Cambridge. Board members Jan Boettger, Lexine Lowe, and I tackled the awful mess around the area of the recycling bins behind Walmart. These bins are routinely full to overflowing and the surrounding field resembles an open dump. ShoreRivers will most likely be sponsoring the annual Project Clean Stream again in April. Hopefully, all our members will be vaccinated by then and DCPG can field its usual complement of trash hounds along a chosen county stream.
Since our January 2020 general membership meeting the DCPG board has held only one in person meeting. In late September we met at an outdoor pavilion to say goodbye to stalwart board member Margaret (Peg) Anzalone. Peg has been the cornerstone of much of DCPG's recent efforts, earning the affectionate nickname "PIA bulldog" for her ability to obtain and decipher MDE documents relating to Valley Protein. The board presented her with a Dave Harp print (his iconic "Marshmallows) as a thank you for all her hard work with us. We wish her and husband George all the best in their new home in Annapolis.
Sadly, DCPG notes the recent passing of one of our former Stewardship Award recipients, Russell Brinsfied of Vienna. Russ was a native Dorchester farmer and PhD agricultural economist who was a pioneer in promoting a relationship between modern agricultural practices and environmental concerns. Under his tenure as Mayor of Vienna that lovely Nanticoke river town was the first incorporated Dorchester community to focus on sound development planning, including a designed greenbelt. On the regional level, Russ founded the Harry Hughes Center for Agro Ecology, an organization dedicated to the preservation of agriculture and the commitment to sustainable environmental practices he shared with Maryland's former governor. Russ's vision was, and remains, a source of inspiration for DCPG.
In closing, I want to wish all of you a safe and healthy 2021. I hope we will be able to get together again in person before the end of this year.
Best regards,
Fred Pomeroy
