4^" Chesapeake Bay Program A Watershed Partnership Conference Call Summary for the Chesapeake Bay Program's Implementation Committee September 20, 2007 All handouts for this meeting can be found at: http://www.chesapeakebav.net/calendar.cfm?EventDetails=8297&DefaultView=2 I. Director's Update - Ideas for focusing and accelerating the pace of Implementation Jeff Lape (USEPA/CBPO) Jeff Lape gave his monthly Director's Update. Jeff commented that he has met with several more partners over the past month. He will next focus on transitioning from listening mode into action mode and is open to recommendations on how to focus and accelerate implementation. Announcements: Chesapeake Bay Commission Biofuels Report: Hard copies are available from the Commission's office. Ann Swanson encouraged amplified attention to this issue. EPA Inspector General's Report: "Development Growth Outpacing Progress in Watershed Efforts to Restore the Chesapeake Bay." The EPA Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO) and the EPA Region 3 Water Protection Division will coordinate to develop a corrective action plan in response to the IG report. Next Steps: Rich Batiuk will check how CBP calculates projected Nitrogen loading from development. Chesapeake Bay Foundation Report released: "Bad Waters: Dead Zones, Algal Blooms, and Fish Kills in the Chesapeake Bay Region in 2007" ------- II. Update and Discussion on Increasing Trends in Nutrient Loads Scott Phillips & Joel Blomquist (USGS) Scott Phillips and Joel Blomquist gave a presentation on Chesapeake Bay nutrient load trends. Information has been circulating that bay nutrient loads are increasing despite BMP efforts. In fact, a majority of flow-adjusted concentration sites showed decreasing trends for nitrogen, with seven river input sites showing increasing trends. Monitoring for phosphorous showed mixed results, with three river input sites showing increasing trends. The factors for causing these increasing trends vary within river basins. Scott and Joel testified that these findings imply more time will be needed in order to meet our water quality goals for the bay; we need to increase the rate of implementation; and this data is vital to strategic implementation planning. Action Items: ¦ USGS will work with CBP Communications Office staff to develop messages concerning water quality trends in the watershed, and their implications for management. III. Strategic Implementation Planning Julie Winters & Jeff Lape, EPA Julie provided an update on progress being made with the federal portion of the plan. Julie & Jeff Lape provided the IC with a copy of a letter to Senator Mikulski (MD) from the CBPO describing the federal plan for writing the SIP. Action Items: ¦ SIP Federal Partners team will provide more details to the IC on the contents of their plan. ------- IV. Preparation for PSC and EC Meetings Frank Dawson & Matt Fleming, MD Dept of Natural Resources Frank and Matt presented a draft agenda for the Principals' Staff Committee Meeting that will take place October 1st, from 11:30am-4pm, at the Annapolis Friends Meeting House in Annapolis, MD. The point of this meeting will be to set up the 2007 Executive Council Meeting. The IC discussed the agenda and made comments. Frank announced that MD is leaning toward Dec. 5th to hold the next Executive Council Meeting. Action Items: ¦ Matt Robinson (CBC) will provide directions to the Annapolis Friends Meeting House. ¦ Rich Batiuk (EPA) will put together numbers for each state on what percentage of their nutrient and sediment loads will be affected by a Bay TMDL. ¦ MD DNR and CBPO Staff will strive to have all briefing papers put together by Wed., Sept. 26th. ------- V. Planning Future Implementation Committee Meetings The next IC Meeting will be on Oct 18th, 2007, 10am-3pm, in the Fish Shack at the Chesapeake Bay Program Office in Annapolis, MD. The group discussed possible agenda items for the September Conference Call. These included: - Progress with the New Development Task Force - SIP Action items from the Oct. 1st Principals' Staff Committee CBP Reorganization - Finalizing Forest Conservation Goals The IC decided to retain the alternating schedule of monthly meetings and conference calls for 2008. Action Items: ¦ The New Development Task Force will update the IC at the Oct. 18th meeting. ------- Attendance List Name Organization E-mail Phone Ann Swanson Chesapeake Bay Commission annswanson@covad.net (410)263-3420 Peter Freehafer NY Dept of Env Conservation Dbfreeha@aw.dec.state.nv. us (518)402-8272 Bob Yowell PA Dept of Env Protection rvowel l@state. oa. us (570) 327-3695 Nanci Imler PA Dept of Env Protection nimler@state.Da.us (717)772-0658 Pat Buckley PA Dept of Env Protection Dbucklev@state.Da.us (717) 772-1675 Sheila Besse DC Dept of the Env sheila.besse@dc.aov (202)535-2241 Ted Graham Metropolitan Washington Council of Govts taraham@mwcoa.ora (202)962-3352 Jeff Corbin VA Office of the Secretary of Natural Resources ieff.corbin@aovernor.virainia.aov (804)786-0044 Brad Williams VA Dept of Forestry brad.williams@dof.virainia.aov Moira Croghan VA Dept of Consv.&Rec mcroahan@dcr.state.va.us 804-786-3958 Matt Fleming MD Dept of Natural Resources mfle mi na@d n r. state. md. us (410)260-8719 Brent McCloskey MD Dept of Natural Resources bmccloskev@d n r. state. md. us (410)260-8722 Frank Dawson MD Dept of Natural Resources fdawson@dnr.state.md.us (410)260-8110 Robert Pace US Army Corps of Engineers robert.s.Dace@nab02.usace.armv.mil C4101 962-4900 Kari Cohen USDA-NRCS kari.cohen@md.usda.aov (443) 482-2953 Scott Phillips USGS swDhilli@usas.aov (443)498-5552 Joel Blomquist USGS Peyton Robertson NOAA Devton.robertson@noaa.aov 410-267-5652 John Maounis National Park Service imaounis@chesaDeakebav.net 410-267-5778 Carin Bisland EPA bisland.carin@eDa.aov (410)267-5732 Jeff Lape EPA laDe.ieff@eDa.aov (410)267-5709 Mike Fritz EPA fritz.mike@eDa.aov (410)267-5721 Matt Robinson Chesapeake Research Consortium robinson.matt@eDa.aov (410)267-5737 Rich Batiuk EPA batiuk.richard@eDa.aov (410)267-5731 Peter Marx EPA marx.Deter@eDa.aov (410)267-5713 Keely Clifford EPA Clifford.keelv@eDa.aov (410)267-5853 Julie Winters EPA winters. iulie@eDa.aov (410)267-5754 Diana Esher EPA esher.diana@eDa.aov (215)814-2706 Nita Sylvester EPA svlvester.nita@eDa.aov (410)267-5711 Reggie Parrish EPA Darrish.reainald@eDa.aov (410)267-5665 Liz Van Dolah Chesapeake Research Consortium vandolahe@si.edu (410)798-1283 Jennifer Greiner USFWS areiner.iennifer@eDa.aov (410)267-5783 Tom Simpson Mid-Atlantic Water Program tsimDson@umd.edu (301)405-5696 Greg Allen EPA Allen.Grea@eDa.aov (410)267-5746 Beth McGee CBF bmcaee@savethebav.cbf.ora (410) 268-8816 Dave Bancroft Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay davebancroft@erols.com (410) 377-6270 Karl Blankenship Bay Journal bayjournal@earthlink.net (717)428-2819 Jessica Blackburn Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay jblackburn@acb-online.org (804)775-0951 ------- |