Thank you for your correspondence to Secretaries Franks, Philbrick, Riley, and Scott expressing your interest in the State’s Targeted Watershed Program.  As Chairman of the Governor’s Chesapeake Bay Cabinet, which includes the Secretaries of the Department of the Environment, Agriculture, Planning, Natural Resources and the University of Maryland, I am proud to respond on behalf of the aforementioned Secretaries.

As you may know, the Corsica River was designated last year by Governor Ehrlich as Maryland’s first targeted watershed.  This pilot project is designed to remove the Corsica River from EPA’s impaired waters lists.  We believe that this project based on a comprehensive watershed management plan, a detailed accounting of the costs and the diverse implementation partnership, creates a blueprint for future targeted efforts.  To that end, the State is working with the Chesapeake Bay Recovery Partnership’s Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee to identify our next targeted watershed.  Participants and advisors in this process include: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Alliance for the Chesapeake, the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, the Waterkeeper Alliance, the Conservation Fund, the Nature Conservancy, Maryland Environmental Service, the University of Maryland, and the State Departments of Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources, and Planning.

Recently, the Governor’s Chesapeake Bay Cabinet reviewed the final recommendations of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee.  Some of the issues that were considered included the total cost, the cost per pound of pollutant reduced, the feasibility of getting the watershed off the impaired waters list, the presence and support of active citizen groups, the support of local government elected officials and agencies, and other factors.  In addition to the Port Tobacco River in Charles County, Lower Gunpowder River in Baltimore County, and Bynum Run in Harford County – I am pleased to let you know that the Magothy River in Anne Arundel County was selected for additional analysis.

Over the next month, my staff will be conducting meetings with the local governments of the representing jurisdictions of the candidate watersheds to determine their willingness to participate and provide resources.  The final selection of the State’s next Targeted Watershed will be announced in December.

Once again, thank you for your interest in and support of this effort.  Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay Cabinet appreciates hearing from you.  If you have additional questions or would like more information, feel free to contact Matthew Fleming on my staff, at 410-260-8719, toll free 1-877-620-88367, extension 8719, or by email at mfleming@dnr.state.md.us.

                                      Very truly yours,

                                                C. Ronald Franks

                                                Secretary

cc:     Kendl P. Philbrick, Secretary Maryland Department of the Environment

          Lewis Riley, Secretary Maryland Department of Agriculture

          Audrey Scott, Secretary Maryland Department of Planning