PAGE 32 MARCH 14, 2025
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STUBBORNLY LOCAL, EQUALLY INDEPENDENT
PHOTO COURTESY NICK DENNY
READY TO RIDE Last weekend’s swell and west wind created some solid late-winter waves for local surfers in Ocean City as well as picturesque scenes for local photographers.
Big bucks coming for back bay Expanding conv. center Newport Bay watershed restoration project nets $2 million this year for Worcester’s Coastal Bay Program. — PAGE 3
Say goodbye to OC’s parking kiosks Ocean City government going with ParkMobile app payment system, while allowing kiosks in inlet lot to wear out and expire. — PAGE 18
a possibility Council orders study of economic aspects and building a parking garage. — PAGE 77
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OC Today-Dispatch
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MARCH 14, 2025
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OC Today-Dispatch
Coastal Bays awarded $2M for Newport Bay restoration By Brian Shane Staff Writer (March 14, 2025) The Maryland Coastal Bays Program will receive at least $2 million in state funding in the coming fiscal year as part of a five-year grant toward restoration of the Newport Bay watershed, state environmental officials said. But in light of the state’s dire budget shortfall and legislative recommendations to slash Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) funding, it’s an open question whether the Berlin-based nonprofit will ever see the other $14.8 million they requested in their Whole Watershed Fund grant proposal. Kevin Smith, executive director of the Maryland Coastal Bays Program (MCBP), said he’s happy to have been selected for the funding, and will
BRIAN SHANE/OC TODAY-DISPATCH
MCBP Executive Director Kevin Smith is pictured speaking to the Worcester County Commissioners in December seeking support for the state grant request.
meet with a state oversight team in the next few weeks to home in on proposed restoration projects. Those include stream restoration and stormwater management efforts in Berlin, as well as water quality monitoring and marsh restoration projects in Newport Bay. Smith stressed the funding opportunity means being able to bolster the health of the coastal bays, where marsh habitat is degrading and transitioning to open water, and maintaining clean water for residents and tourists alike. “I like to think that we all benefit economically. I think fish and wildlife benefit. As a community, having healthy ecosystems is one of those things that is really important. A lot of our resources over the years have degraded to a degree; Newport Bay is one of those areas where that’s happened. Hopefully, this is a really big step into turning that around. There’s no loser here,” Smith said. When DNR started soliciting for grant proposals last summer, Smith and MCBP worked with officials in Worcester County and the Town of Berlin, as well as the Lower Shore
Land Trust and Assateague Coastal Trust, on a proposal. He said their focus fell to Newport Bay for two reasons: it had been one of the worst-performing watersheds in terms of water quality, and because MCBP had already begun working on this watershed for the Town of Berlin. This grant, if approved, would supplement their work. Their proposal sought $16.8 million in funding – a massive amount of money for an environmental grant. “It’s the first time that I’m aware here in the coastal bays where we’ve been able to take a significant amount of money like this,” Smith said, “and really direct it toward one watershed that needs our help, to turn this decline around. And so, it’s a great opportunity. We’re really pleased that the folks at DNR accepted our proposal and are funding it.” State lawmakers last year established the Whole Watershed Fund when they passed the Whole Watershed Act. The fund isn’t a single source of money, but is pooled from existing state environmental funds, according to DNR. From nine applicants, DNR selected five program sponsors to receive funding: Catoctin Land Trust for Antietam Creek; South Baltimore Gateway Partnership for the Baltimore Harbor; MCBP for Newport Bay; Resilience Authority of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County for the Severn River; and ShoreRivers for the Upper Choptank River. For grant recipients, half their award would be sourced by the state’s Whole Watershed Fund, with the rest matched by other state, local, and private sources, according to DNR. Each of the winners will get five years of technical and financial assistance to design and implement conservation and pollution reduction projects. Program sponsors also must hold four public meetings a year and provide an opportunity for public comment on the preliminary design of each large-scale action proposed, DNR also said. MCBP and the other four grant recipients will receive $2 million in fiscal year 2026, beginning July 1. However, funding for subsequent years is still a matter to be worked out, as the state’s oversight team selects projects to fund and works with recipients to secure leveraged funding, according to DNR spokesman Gregg Bortz. That team will hold six meetings a year with each watershed sponsor and participating local governments to review progress. As the state continues to deal with what some estimate to be a more than $3 billion budget shortfall, Gov. Wes Moore’s fiscal 2026 budget proposed 25% cuts to environmental agencies See REMAINING Page 10
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