It started with a slab of meatloaf and a question: Why did Eastport's Boatyard Bar and Grill serve the well-known comfort food on Angler's Night instead of seafood from Maryland?

That fair question -- it is not recorded whether alcohol was involved, but I'm guessing, yes -- has turned into a one-night food bonanza, "A Celebration of Maryland Seafood," on Feb. 22.

From 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., ticketholders will be able to sample from a raw bar and enjoy a five-course dinner featuring Maryland oysters, crabmeat, shrimp, striped bass and yellow perch.

Steve Vilnit, DNR's point man on the event, says it's important for supermarkets and restaurants to be part of the effort to connect consumers with fish caight in local waters.

"Take yellow perch. It's a limited fishery that's highly managed, and anglers look forward to it every year. But yellow perch aren't sold in the area, and restaurants aren't requesting it," he says.

Whole Foods, Wegmans and McCormack and Schmick have all agreed to become partners in the effort to spread the word, he says.

"The trend in the industry is traceability, knowing where your fish came from, how long it's been around. It's huge," says Vilnit.

And, he says, selling local fish here instead of shipping it across the country makes economic and environmental sense.

The secretaries of Natural Resources and Agriculture along with commercial fishermen and those in the aquaculture field will be on hand.

Tickets are $40 and the dinner is limited to 125. To reserve a ticket, call the Boatyard at 410-216-6206.  

Posted by Candus Thomson at 3:18 PM | Permalink
        

How's this for raising prices on out-of-state anglers?

Virginia is proposing to increase annual freshwater and saltwater license fees as much as $63 to help head off a projected revenue shortfall in fiscal year 2014.

For those of us who used to travel south and fish for a few pennies more, here's the breakdown:

An annual nonresident freshwater license would go from $36 to $86. An annual freshwater/saltwater combo would go from $60.50 to $123.50. A five-day freshwater license would go from $16 to $71. A five-day freshwater/saltwater combo would go from $26 to $81. 

Locals would see their licenses increase (drum roll) a whopping $5.

This is the outdoors equivalent of a one-stoplight town with a speed trap, a cop in mirrored sunglasses and a judge with a quick gavel.

The only thing the Virginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries isn't doing is holding us up by the ankles and shaking to get our loose change. I'm sure the Old Dominion tourism folks are howling.

Ray Bialek of the Bel Air group, Port City Bass Anglers, calls Virginia's proposal "gouging." I agree.

By comparison, Maryland charges Virginia anglers $22.50 for an annual saltwater license and $36 for a freshwater license. But if the Virginia increase goes through, our neighbors can expect to pay $86 here. Sorry, them's the rules.

The explanation sheet that accompanies the Virginia proposal notes that if the board hits nonresidential users with the full amount, the state would go from the second cheapest to fish in the five-state mid-south to the most expensive.

Virginia last raised its fees in 2006. Without increases this year, the department "will not have adequate cash flow to continue providing our current level of services." By boosting fees, the agency anticipates adding $5 million in revenue.

Virginia is accepting comments here until April 14. The board is expected to vote on May 3, with new fees taking effect July 1.

The south shall rise again--about $63.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 3:05 PM | Permalink
        

Jason: I like to start these conversations talking about liberty. You see, the gun issue is a bellwether. Knowing how a person views guns tells you a lot about how they view their fellow citizen.

A person who thinks that the common citizen's gun rights should be restricted thinks of the common citizen as a lesser class that needs to be controlled and lorded over, protected from themselves, and provided for. A person who respects the full right to keep and bear arms thinks of the common citizen as an equal, responsible human being capable providing for, and making decisions for themselves and dealing with the consequences of those decisions.

In short, the people who truly respect the Second Amendment embrace liberty for all it's value as well as it's cost. Liberty is not free, it does have a cost, and I'm not talking about the soldiers who die to defend our nation's interests. The cost of liberty is that at any moment you or any other free citizen may choose to do something terrible. Liberty is not safety. For some people that thought is terrifying and they seek to control others to alleviate their own fear. Therein lies the downward spiral.

Jon: No studies have been able to show that any gun control measure has a positive effect on crime rates, but politicians seem to have a need to propose "feel good" legislation even when it can be shown that it won't do any actual good.

If people really care about reducing gun crimes, politicians should take a lesson from MADD. In 1982 alcohol-related fatalities on the roads were more than 26,000. By 2008, drunken driving fatalities were down to under 14,000. They did it by targeting people who were driving drunk (which is the behavior that is the problem) with stiff penalties, enforcement, public education and zero tolerance.

In 2009, when the lady in New York wrecked her minivan, killing her daughter, three nieces and three men in an oncoming vehicle, people were horrified by the tragedy. Not a single person asked, 'Where did she get the vodka?' or 'Why can't we put breathalyzers on all vehicles?' As horrific as the story was, people put the blame squarely where it belonged: On the woman who drank a bottle of vodka then got behind the wheel.

There has been violent crime and murder since the dawn of time. Placing the blame for violence on anyone but the bad guy gives false hope of a solution and doesn't work.

Alan: I've always been a revolver guy. It's a Texas thing. If I can't stop my assailant in six tries, I probably deserve to die. And anyway, I can't hit anything with an automatic, despite years of trying. Extended magazines just make it worse; they unbalance an already difficult piece of machinery, and make my bad marksmanship even worse. I own a fair number of "high-capacity" (10+) mags and I almost never use them. When I do, I rarely load them to capacity.

I have no love for them, and my first reaction to your blog was pretty much indifference. Screw it, don't need them, wouldn't miss them.

Then I started thinking -- how would it work? Are we going to say 10 rounds max, and that's it? A lot of perfectly legitimate pistol clips are built to accommodate more than 10 rounds -- and why especially 10 anyway? Why not 12? or 15? What would be the practical result of such a ban? Would it have saved any lives in Tucson? I doubt it.

I wasn't there, but I suspect it will come out eventually that when he emptied his 32-round mag, Jared Loughner had trouble getting it loose, which is a common problem with those bastard mags, and that's when folks were able to grab him. If he were competent (and thank God he wasn't) he could have done a lot more damage using high quality 10-round mags.

After considerable rumination I concluded that a ban on 30-round magazines, while it wouldn't break my heart, misses the point and would lull us into thinking we'd done something about the problem, which we would not have.

A ban is a politically attractive concept because it's cheap and quick and gets a lot of attention, but it wouldn't do a damn thing to stop the Jared Loughners of the world, so it would be a waste. No, more than a waste, it'd be a deception, a canard, a straw man solution. And we would buy into it and sit back fat, dumb and happy, until the next Loughner came along, after which we would clamor to ban even more evil hardware.

I've thought about it and thought about it, and I can't make this come out to a happy ending.

The system didn't fail us because this wacko Loughner was able to buy an extended magazine for his gun. The system failed us because he was able to buy a gun at all. If we want something positive to come out of this horrible event, we need to look urgently at improving the NICS system so that the Loughners and Seung-Hui Chos of the world can't get their hands on firearms in the first place.

What should disturb us is not the weapons these madmen use, but that they can get their hands on weapons at all -- and that the public health system is so ill-equipped to identify and intervene to help these profoundly disturbed individuals.

But that's not a cheap or quick solution, which is why you won't see the politicians embrace it.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Despite spotting the competition millions in population, Maryland won $17,443 for finishing third in the national tree-planting promotion sponsored by Odwalla. 

Michigan, with 9.9 million residents, won $46,124, and Pennsylvania, with a population of 12.6 million, won $30,656.

Maryland (pop. 5.7 million) participated by planting virtual trees on the Odwalla website, with the company donating $1 to the Maryland Park Service for each web click. Nationally, the promotion resulted in the donation of $200,000 to state park and recreation programs. 

The contest, in its second year, ran from May 25 to Dec. 31.

At $40 a pop (that's the going rate at Tree-mendous Maryland, the DNR program), the contest will mean 436 additional trees in the state.

But wait, there's more. To help reach the goal of 1 million trees planted by the end of the year, the O'Malley administration is offering a coupon for that will give you $25 off the purchase of a tree valued at $50 or more from a participating nursery. Just print out the coupon and follow the instructions.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:30 AM | Permalink
        

After Wednesday's wintery mix, how about a mixed bag of indoor ideas with outdoors themes to get you through the weekend? Mix and match. And have fun:

1) What do SpongeBob Squarepants, Russell Newberry from Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch and former Oriole Joe Orsulak have in common? All three will be at the Baltimore Boat Show. Even if you don't buy, the Baltimore Convention Center show always gets the brain pointed toward warmer weather. Tickets are $10 for those 16 and older; younger visitors get in free when accompanied by a paying adult. All the fine print plus a complete listing of exhibitors and activities is at the show's website.

2) Going on at the same time and in the same building on Friday and Saturday is the Baltimore/DC Dive Show in Hall G. Show times are Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Film presentations on Friday night begin at 8. Catonsville's award-winning underwater photographer Nick Caloyianis will be at the Aqua Ventures booth (208) signing copies of his Shark Handbook on Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dive show details are on its website.

3) On Saturday evening, the Howard County Conservancy will host, NATURE: Photographed through the Eyes of George Grall. The National Geographic photographer's work will be presented in a slide show. Grall will offer up the stories behind the images and in the process provide some insight into taking better nature photos. The 7 p.m. event is at the Conservancy's 232-acre Mt. Pleasant farm on Old Frederick Road (Route 99) between Bethany Lane and Woodstock Road. Admission is $10 in advance or $12 at the door; children under 16 get in free. To register and get details, call 410-465-8877 or visit the group's website.

4) The NRA Great American Hunting and Outdoor Show returns for the second year to the Carroll County Agriculture Center Shipley Arena in Westminster this weekend. Last year, the show was hammered by a blizzard, but this year it dodged the bullet (sorry). Nationally known hunting and outdoor personalities will be holding seminars and major gear suppliers will be on hand. General admission is $10; children 11 and under get in for free. The show is open Friday, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Check details on the show website.

5) The North Point Visitor Center at Gunpowder Falls State Park is having movie night Saturday starting at 6 p.m. Park staff will provide an outdoors-themed family movie, popcorn and "special animal guests" (hope they don't eat your popcorn). The cost is $2 per person. Call 410-592-2897 to sign up.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 11:09 AM | Permalink
        

It's illegal to threaten to kill the president. Talking about bombs at an airport will get you arrested. Maliciously yelling, "Fire," in a crowd is a sure-fire path to a jail cell.

The courts have held that those are not protected by the free speech portion of the document ratified in 1791 and known as the Bill of Rights. I can live with that.

As a non-absolutist, I've also come to believe that high-capacity clips of ammunition, the type used in Tucson on Jan. 8, are unnecessary in a civilized society.

And I think it's time we talk about it.

Notice, I didn't say ban. I didn't say confiscate. I didn't say register.

Talk. Like, you say something and I won't interrupt and then I say something and you won't interrupt. And we do it in our best church vestibule voices. Oh yes, and we try to listen.

Yet, when it comes to a discussion of how we "enjoy" our "rights," there's just too much bad history and bumpersticker posturing to allow a real dialog. Unfortunately, there will probably be a little of that this weekend at the NRA's outdoor, fishing and gun expo in Carroll County.

Some on the left shamefully tried to blame the Tucson killings on everyone from the former Alaska governor to Glenn Beck. At least they left Yosemite Sam out of it.

But those on the other side have tried to shift responsibility elsewhere as if outerspace aliens caused our misery.

"What happened in Tuscon was not a failure of gun-control laws," a lawyer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation told the Washington Post. "This was a failure of the mental-health system."

No, not me, mom. It's those guys over there.

It's true, a six-round clip wouldn't have helped Rep. Gabby Giffords or some of the people standing closest to her on Jan. 8. But with a smaller magazine, brave bystanders could have jumped the gunman as he reloaded his Glock 19 much sooner.

The Virginia Tech gunman had a Walther P22 with 10-round clip and a Glock 19 with a 15-round clip. He fired nearly 200 rounds in 15 minutes, killing 30 people and wounding 17.

Yes, we need to talk about this.

But in its usual helpful manner, the NRA released a statement this month promising to oppose any attempt by Congress to regulate the size of ammunition clips.

Why?

A hunter doesn't need an extended magazine to take down a critter. A target shooter can reload. And if a homeowner needs 33 rounds to scare off a prowler or fend off an intruder, he or she is a lousy shot and heaven help the kids and neighbors.

Oh, I remember, the Second Amendment guarantees my right to have as many bullets as I want, and limiting my firepower is just a stepping stone to taking away my 20-gauge Remington.

I don't think so. And U.S. history is on my side.

Note to NRA: If I feel the need to protect my home beyond what Montgomery County provides, give me my pump-action shotgun any day.

We need to talk. The sooner the better.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

It's a mystical document, eagerly anticipated by true believers.

Thick and filled with truth, conjecture and outright fiction, it attempts to steer our recreational destiny for the forseeable future.

No, not Harry Potter. The state budget.

It arrived mere hours before the close of business Friday as people's attention shifted to weekend plans and they began drifting for the exits. Funny how that happens, yes?

Anyway, the feared and much-discussed whirlwind merger of the Department of Natural Resources and the Maryland Department of the Environment was downgraded a slight breeze involving the consolidation of some aquaculture management and land protection functions and the shift of a few bodies into DNR headquarters.

The outcome is a streamlining of process--always a good thing--and better customer relations with those trying to start aquaculture businesses or sell Program Open Space land to the state.

So what else is in the budget that is less than 1 percent of the state total? We read so you don't have to.

DNR Secretary John Griffin and his merry band of 1,672 employees won't have to hold a bake sale or car wash in the parking lot, sell their blood or look in the sofa cushions for loose coins, but they won't be taking us all to Chez Moi for lunch, either.

Such is the state of public and private life these days.

Anyway, the O'Malley administration is proposing to give DNR $45.4 million from the general fund, an increase of 4.3 percent. There's no cut in the number of full-time positions and the number of contractual workers is up by 29. The agency will get a new computer system for licensing and registration to keep track of who we are and what we do.

By its own numbers, Natural Resources Police anticipates conducting 3,000 fewer boat inspections next fiscal year, checking 750 fewer hunters, writing 2,000 fewer tickets and carrying out 8,000 fewer conservation inspections.

At first glace, the goal to "ensure safe and ejoyable recreational opportunities" appears to be met with the number of serious crimes handled by NRP dropping from 548 in 2009 to an estimated 300 this year. But the footnote indicates that a memo of understanding signed with State Police has shifted the handling and reporting of many of those crimes over the troopers.

Why is this happening? We turn once again to the numbers supplied in the budget by the O'Malley administration. In 2009, there were 198 officers. In 2010, the total dropped to 177. The state estimates we'll end fiscal year 2011 with 170 and drop another five officers next year.

Good thing we have that academy class of 15 starting in April.

Over in the Fisheries Service budget, you'll be happy to know that the crystal ball shows the striped bass Young of the Year survey rebounding from 5.6 last October to 12 this fall and again in 2012. In addition, striped bass mortality will remain unchanged and the oyster harvest will increase slightly.

It's remarkable what a second term will do for fish reproduction.

Yes, you say, enough about critters. What about us?

Well, the budget says that nearly half of you will make your park reservations on line and will spend 5 percent more on concessions and rentals at state parks than last year. Must be the sale of DNR beer coozies to hide those brewskies from the game cops we don't have.

You (or nature) will start 600 wildfires that will need putting out--up from 125 in 2010.

The 91 state parks and public lands will play host to 11 million visitors, a slight increase.

DNR will issue 8,300 commercial fishing licenses.

We will buy 450,000 sport fishing licenses, register 105,000 vessels and buy 330,000 hunting licenses.

Next season, there will be 80,000 deer hunters, 45,000 waterfowl hunters, 17,000 small-game hunters, 9,000 trappers and 550 bear hunters.

Paperwork for the most complex transactions will be completed, on average, in 11 days. DNR is promising to cut that to nine days by 2014.

Finally--and for me, sadly--DNR anticipates issuing 385 press releases, up from 140 in 2009.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:00 AM | Permalink
        

Each winter off the coast of Virginia and North Carolina, commercial and recreational anglers slaughter hundreds of thousands of striped bass.

Everyone knows about it. No one tries to hide it.

It's wrong. And it's so out of hand that someone in authority needs to step in.

Watch this video from WTKR-TV in North Carolina and tell me your blood doesn't boil.

This time, it's the commercial guys breaking the law outside the three-mile limit. But it could just as easily be the recreational anglers taking massive numbers of big, female striped bass.

The big fish being killed down south are the same fish that will head our way in March and April--only a lot fewer of them--and then continue up the coast.

Scientists estimate the winter kill could be as many as 800,000 fish annually. But no one knows because no one is spending the money to find out.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has asked the Coast Guard to step up patrols and consider license suspensions for rogue charter boat captains. It has asked the National Marine Fisheries Service to consider increasing civil penalties for illegal fishing from 3 to 200 miles offshore. That's a start.

NOAA and ASMFC need to figure out what havoc the winter fishery is creating. Maryland and other states need to lobby for research. Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association and Coastal Conservation Association Maryland must insist on a study.

ASMFC meets March 21-24 in Alexandria, Va. There is plenty of time to craft a plan of action to be acted upon at that time. Let's see what happens.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

It only took a day for pro-Omega Protein forces in Virginia's state capital to stomp on the air hose of the first of five bills that would provide protection for menhaden, the fish that filters Chesapeake Bay water and is a key food for striped bass.

Virginia is the only East Coast state that allows mehanden to be scooped up and turned into pet food and heart-healthy supplements. Menhaden are the only fish managed by the Virginia General Assembly. And Omega Protein, with a processing plant on Virginia's Northern Neck, has the only fleet in the bay.

A hearing Thursday on House Bill 2280 to take menhaden management out of the hands of state lawmakers--who created the problem in the first place--and give it to the professionals at the Virginia Marine Resources Commission ended with the bill as dead as Julius Caesar.

Despite testimony on its behalf from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Coastal Conservation Association Virginia, Del. John Cosgrove's measure drew fire from lawmakers, many of whom have accepted campaign contributions from, I know this will shock you, OMEGA PROTEIN.

And Gov. Bob McDonnell, who has accepted $55,745 from OP, has signaled that he would veto any menhaden bill that reached his desk. Glad we're open-minded about that, dude.

Just so we all understand how this is going to play out, here, according to the Virginia Public Access Project is what each member of the Chesapeake Subcommittee of the House Committee on Agriculture received since 2009 from Omega Protein:

Beverly Sherwood, $1,000; R. Lee Ware, $3,500; Edward Scott, $2,500; Brenda Pogge, $1,500; Lynnwood Lewis, $3,000; David Bulova, $1,000; Luke Porian, $250.

On Monday morning, companion bill SB765 will be heard by the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee.

Since 2008, chairwoman Patricia Ticer has accepted $3,000 from Omega. All but two of her committee colleagues have pocketed contributions totalling $6,500 over the last two years. One of those is the sponsor of SB765, Ralph Northam. The other guy must have been asleep when the checks came around.

I'm not a betting woman, but I'd say the deck is stacked.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Ravens, over. January, almost over. What to do?

Try one of these:

1) The yellow perch run has begun in upper Chesapeake Bay tributaries. The pretty golden fish with the distinctive markings are easy to catch and tasty, too. One nearly sure-fire bank fishing spot is North East Community Park in Cecil County. Take I-95 north to Route 272 toward town. Cross U.S. 40 and cruise into town. Stop at Herb's Tackle Shop, 203 Main St., on your right to pick up fishing licenses, bait and some local knowledge. The park is just a little further down the road on the right.

2) Take an 8-mile circuit hike on the Morgan Run Loop in the upper reaches of the Liberty Reservoir watershed. It's free. It's pretty. It's been vetted by MR Hyker of midatlantichikes.com. It took me about 3 1/2-hours with stops for picture taking. Get the details at his website.

3) Take your kids to Oregon Ridge Nature Center of Saturday or Sunday for "Winter Story Time, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. See the exhibits, hear a nature story, learn a craft and find out what Oregon Ridge animals do all winter. Cost is $2 for memebers; $3 for nonmembers. Oregon Ridge is at 13555 Beaver Dam Road, Cockeysville. Questions? Call 410-887-1815.

4) Learn about the life of hawks and get tips on how to identify them Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to noon at Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area, 5100 Deer park Road, Owings Mills. Naturalists will use live raptors from the Scales & Tales program to explain markings and flight behavior. Free. Suitable for ages 10 and up. Reserve a space by calling 410-461-5005.

5) Geico hype aside, can woodchucks really throw wood, and is so, how far? Learn about groundhogs before their big day Feb. 2. The Anita C. Leight Estuary Center will have an hour-long program 2 p.m. on Sunday to explain it all. Cost: $2 per person or $7 per family. The center is at 700 Otter Point Road, Abingdon. The phone is 410-612-1688.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:00 AM | Permalink
        

John Hunter Haddaway, 23, of Tilghman, was arrested on Monday by Natural Resourcers Police and charged with poaching from an oyster sanctuary.

Officers watched Haddaway dredging for oysters just before noon approximately five miles northwest of Crisfield, within the Tangier Sound Oyster Sanctuary.  They seized 12 bushels of oysters from Haddaway’s boat and returned them to the sanctuary.

Since 2005, Haddaway has been charged eight times with natural resources violations. He has been found guilty of harvesting crabs and oysters without a license, dredging in a restricted area and harvesting undersized oysters on two separate occasions. Two charges--overharvesting oysters and failing to display his Tidal Fish ID on his boat--are set for trial in Somerset District Court on March 10.

He is scheduled to be back in Somerset District Court on March 31 on the latest charge.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 3:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Good gracious. Has hell frozen over? Are pigs flying? Will the Orioles have a winning season?

Who could have possibly predicted that the Virginia General Assembly would consider six--six--bills concerning protection of menhaden, the Chesapeake Bay filter feeder and favorite food of striped bass?

While the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission chugs along toward some kind of new scientific foundation on which to build safeguards for the fishery, Virginia lawmakers are looking for their own ways to address the commercial fleet run by Omega Protein.   

It's true. Here's the poop:

Senate Bill 765 and House Bill 2280 would take menhaden management out of the inept hands of state lawmakers and give it to the professionals at the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, which handles all other fisheries issues. The bills are the work of Sen. Ralph Northam a Democrat from Norfolk and Del. John Cosgrove, a Republican from Chesapeake. The bill also repeals the governor's authority to enact menhaden management measures by proclamation.

Equally as important is HB 2369, sponsored by Del. Barry Knight, a Republican representing Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, which would reduce the 109,020 metric ton cap on menhaden harvesting in the Chesapeake Bay by 20 percent each year, starting Jan. 1, until the catch is reduced to zero.

The next piece of legislation, HB 1656, would ban menhaden harvesting within one mile of the shoreline of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Newport News and Hampton. The bill is sponsored by Del. Harry "Bob" Purkey, a Republican from Virginia Beach.

HB 1913 sponsored by Del. Jackson Miller, a Manassas Republican, would ban the harvest of menhaden by purse seine in the Rappahannock River and its tributaries.

The final measure, HB 2165, would slap a $10 per ton fee on menhaden caught in Virginia waters. It is sponsored by Appomattox Del. Watkins Abbitt Jr., one of just two independents in the House.

Six bills, six different sponsors, both houses, three political affiliations. Fascinating.

Coastal Conservation Association Virginia is bird-dogging these bills. You can follow along, too, at the Virginia legislative website.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)