DIPP May 2018 Newsletter

MAY 2018 NEWSLETTER
Check out what we've been up to this month

 
Dear DIPP Stakeholders:
 
Below are several updates on DIPP activities related to the Deal Island shoreline project and ditch maintenance concerns. We also have updates on the DIPP's latest collaborative initiative to engage communities of faith in planning for and responding to ongoing and future environmental changes on the Peninsula as well as in other low-lying areas in Wicomico and Dorchester counties. If you have nothing planned for this upcoming Saturday, be sure to also check out the below announcement about the Somerset County Historical Society's and the Skipjack Heritage Museum's upcoming event this weekend in Chance!  As always, please email Liz if you have any questions: dealislandpeninsulaproject@gmail.com. 
 
Sincerely, 
The DIPP Team

Update on the Deal Island Shoreline Reconstruction Project

We are still waiting to confirm a date for the community conversation in early summer, at which point DNR's contracted engineer firm will share the shoreline project design and seek community input. We will share the meeting details with everyone as soon as DNR has this information available. In the meantime, please see the below updates on monitoring work that will be taking place as part of the Deal Island shoreline project.

Evaluating the effectiveness of Eastern Shore tidal wetlands for storm risk reduction in the Chesapeake Bay
Coastal wetlands are known for their importance for biodiversity and as natural defenses against waves, erosion and storm surge. A lot of work has been done globally to document the risk reduction value of marshes but, to-date, there is little to no work that scientifically quantifies the benefits of wetland habitats specifically in Maryland along the Chesapeake Bay.
 
To help fill in this gap, the Maryland/DC Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, George Mason University and Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are partnering to better understand the effectiveness of the Eastern Shore’s natural tidal wetlands to reduce the impacts of wave energy. This project will measure how Maryland’s marshes absorb tidal flooding and reduce wave energy and impact during storm surges.
 
The first field site selected for this study is the future site of the DNR’s shoreline dune restoration project near Crowell Rd. on Deal Island. The scientists from George Mason University will begin installing monitoring devices in the marsh this May.
 
On behalf of The Nature Conservancy, DNR, and the researchers at George Mason University, we look forward to engaging with the community, answering questions about the research, and reporting out on what we find at the end of 2018 or early next year. For more information, visit: www.coastalresilience.org/maryland.

Update on Ditch Maintenance Issues
DNR recently met with representatives from Maryland State Highways, Maryland Department of the Environment, the County and others to discuss options for cleaning the clogged ditch along Hodson White Rd. in Dames Quarter (pictured on left), which causes repeated roadway flooding. They are evaluating options and we hope to have some more specific information to share with you soon. 

Update on the NOAA COCA Project: Engaging Communities of Faith for Coastal Resilience

The NOAA COCA project is well underway. Similar to the Sea Grant ICRA project, the COCA Project uses a collaborative learning approach to enhance community resilience to future environmental changes. This project expands on the Sea Grant project work by focusing on engagement between faith-based communities and government officials and includes not only the Deal Island Peninsula, but also other low-lying communities in Wicomico and Dorchester counties. Over the last month, two of the project leads, Christy Miller Hesed (see below) and Michael Paolisso, conducted 21 interviews with members of several local churches and County government representatives to gather a range of perspectives on current and future environmental changes, and adaptation support needs. These interviews will be used to inform future discussions that will take place over the next year through three workshops, the first which will take place on June 23rd. For more information or questions, please email Christy, at cmillerh@umd.edu.

Meet the COCA Project's Manager: Christy Miller Hesed
Christy Miller Hesed is a postdoctoral researcher in environmental anthropology at the University of Maryland and is serving as the project manager for the NOAA COCA project. Christy is originally from Ohio but lived in College Park, Maryland for 7 years while earning an M.S. in Sustainable Development & Conservation Biology and a Ph.D. in Anthropology at the University of Maryland. Her dissertation research was on social-ecological resilience among African American church communities on the Eastern Shore, which allowed her to visit the Eastern Shore often during graduate school. Christy now lives in Kansas with her husband and two little girls, but is excited to be a part of the COCA Project so that she can spend time on the Eastern Shore again.

Upcoming Event

The Somerset County Historical Society is hosting a free event this Saturday, 
May 12, 1-3pm at Rock Creek Church and the Shipjack Heritage Museum. The skipjack Kathryn will also be offering tours following the program ($40/person). Contact Carrie Samis (carriesamis@gmail.com) to register. 