Media Criticism and Research
Margaret Palmer, from University of Maryland did this paper where she tries to explain how the 1972 Clean Water Act got bastardized over the years into local regulations that encourage destructive stream "restorations". The paper ends with "Restoration is hard, and forestalling the socio-economic incentives to invent new ecosystems rather than restore existing ones or to manipulate channels rather than rehabilitate watersheds will require great revolutions indeed."
margaret_palmer_review.pdf
New York Times article critical of stream restorations:
www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/science/24stream.html?.?mc=aud_dev&ad-keywords=auddevgate&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8ZuQutGt8wIVD4nICh0RpAVGEAMYASAAEgIOlvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
About stream restoration in Alexandria, VA:
www.bayjournal.com/news/pollution/stream-restoration-techniques-draw-pushback/article_ffc96960-0895-11eb-b36f-efa466158524.html
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Podcast. This is a conversation between the Chesapeake Bay Foundation President and Chief Scientist discussing concerns with stream restorations:
www.cbf.org/news-media/multimedia/podcasts/5-digging-a-little-deeper.html
Studies Recommended by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
- cbtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/Final_Report_CBT_1-15-20_v2.pdf
- Hilderbrand-et-al_Quantifying-the-Ecological-Uplift.pdf (cbtrust.org)
- CBTFinalReport (cbtrust.org)
Article in the Baltimore Sun about forest loss in Maryland.
"Since 1991, the federal Chesapeake Bay Program estimates forest and wetland acreage has declined by 5 percent statewide — and by as much as 12 percent in Howard County" Environmentalists push to improve Maryland conservation law: 'The most forested areas are the least protected' - Baltimore Sun
www.baltimoresun.com/news/environment/bs-md-forest-conservation-act-20180212-story.html
A Webpage by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay about the importance of live and dead trees for the survival of bats, which are struggling due to white nose disease.
www.allianceforthebay.org/2019/10/forests-for-the-bats-part-v-riparian-forest-buffers-for-bats/
A Webpage by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) with recently developed guidance about stream restorations in the coastal plain. We are in the piedmont region, and they are working on new guidance for what areas are appropriate for restoration. This is another reason to cancel this project because I am sure the new guidance will recommend avoiding restorations in areas with valuable habitat. The MDE says "Debate and delays over review and approval for some stream restoration projects has occurred over the resource tradeoffs which may occur due to direct construction disturbance" and "This guidance is based on real examples and practices used to minimize tree loss". In our woods the resource tradeoff is not even acknowledged by Howard County (part of their secrets and lies). The tradeoff is destroying a vibrant ecosystem with 85 documented species of birds for mitigation credits required by the EPA and MDE, which is based on very little science.
mde.maryland.gov/programs/Water/WetlandsandWaterways/Pages/Stream-Wetland_NewGuidance.aspx
margaret_palmer_review.pdf
New York Times article critical of stream restorations:
www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/science/24stream.html?.?mc=aud_dev&ad-keywords=auddevgate&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8ZuQutGt8wIVD4nICh0RpAVGEAMYASAAEgIOlvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
About stream restoration in Alexandria, VA:
www.bayjournal.com/news/pollution/stream-restoration-techniques-draw-pushback/article_ffc96960-0895-11eb-b36f-efa466158524.html
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Podcast. This is a conversation between the Chesapeake Bay Foundation President and Chief Scientist discussing concerns with stream restorations:
www.cbf.org/news-media/multimedia/podcasts/5-digging-a-little-deeper.html
Studies Recommended by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
- cbtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/Final_Report_CBT_1-15-20_v2.pdf
- Hilderbrand-et-al_Quantifying-the-Ecological-Uplift.pdf (cbtrust.org)
- CBTFinalReport (cbtrust.org)
Article in the Baltimore Sun about forest loss in Maryland.
"Since 1991, the federal Chesapeake Bay Program estimates forest and wetland acreage has declined by 5 percent statewide — and by as much as 12 percent in Howard County" Environmentalists push to improve Maryland conservation law: 'The most forested areas are the least protected' - Baltimore Sun
www.baltimoresun.com/news/environment/bs-md-forest-conservation-act-20180212-story.html
A Webpage by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay about the importance of live and dead trees for the survival of bats, which are struggling due to white nose disease.
www.allianceforthebay.org/2019/10/forests-for-the-bats-part-v-riparian-forest-buffers-for-bats/
A Webpage by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) with recently developed guidance about stream restorations in the coastal plain. We are in the piedmont region, and they are working on new guidance for what areas are appropriate for restoration. This is another reason to cancel this project because I am sure the new guidance will recommend avoiding restorations in areas with valuable habitat. The MDE says "Debate and delays over review and approval for some stream restoration projects has occurred over the resource tradeoffs which may occur due to direct construction disturbance" and "This guidance is based on real examples and practices used to minimize tree loss". In our woods the resource tradeoff is not even acknowledged by Howard County (part of their secrets and lies). The tradeoff is destroying a vibrant ecosystem with 85 documented species of birds for mitigation credits required by the EPA and MDE, which is based on very little science.
mde.maryland.gov/programs/Water/WetlandsandWaterways/Pages/Stream-Wetland_NewGuidance.aspx