But that's the point. NRP has taken more than its share of hits over the years. There must be other places to find $1.9 million. Pick on someone else for a change.
O'Malley and Griffin do all these photo ops while proclaiming they will protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay.
Well, dudes, riddle me this: How are you going to protect something without the officers on patrol and the "eyes in the sky?" A massive "Turn Yourself In" program ain't gonna cut it.
Sherman Baynard, a founder of Coastal Conservation Maryland, notes that members of both the Fisheries Management Task Force and the Oyster Advisory Commission want stronger laws and more enforcement.
"It's seldom you get the recreationals, the commercials and the environmentalists on the same page," says Baynard, chairman of CCA's Fisheries Committee. "But enforcement is an important component in the big picture of Chesapeake Bay restoration and enhancement."
O'Malley and Griffin need to hear from folks who fish and hunt, who enjoy carefree hikes in the woods and cruises on the bay, who want potential park vandals scared off and poachers arrested.
Before Wednesday's vote, give them a shout out: www.governor.maryland.gov or jgriffin@dnr.state.md.us.
Deer hunt proposal
Bowhunting alone hasn't been enough to reduce the deer population at Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area, so DNR is proposing a two-day, shotgun-only hunt in January.
A discussion of the plan will be Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of New Town High School, 4931 New Town Blvd., Owings Mills.
Soldiers Delight is a 1,900-acre tract in Baltimore County that is home to more than 30 threatened or endangered species. But when the growing deer population gets hungry, it doesn't differentiate between the rare and the run of the mill.
DNR biologists hope to close Soldiers Delight to the public Jan. 20 and 21 to allow hunters to reduce the herd.
To view the plan and offer comment, visit www.dnr.maryland.gov and go to the "wildlife" page.
