Without volunteer manpower and millions in additional state and federal funds, the Coastal Bays Program would not see a fraction of its goals reach fruition. Below is a short list of some of the year’s accomplishments for which the local community and wildlife itself should be grateful.

Boaters Guide to the Coastal Bays: Released this summer, the guide takes the form of a map on one side and information piece on the other. It contains, boat ramps, marinas, sensitive areas, fishing, boating and Jetskiing rules, seagrass areas, channels, buoys and important information on how boaters can make their trips safe and low-impact. Some 5,000 have been distributed to baoters.

Coastal Bays School Programs: The Coastal Bays Program has begun running a 3-day a week K-12 school program for county schools. The program offers 14 separate classroom programs to choose from including ones on watershed dynamics, wetlands, buffers, local wildlife, marshes and forests. Additional programs are still run weekly in spring, summer, and fall on the 800-acre Weidman Farm.

Delmarva Biking Trail: The Coastal Bays Program and Delmarva Low Impact Tourism Experiences (DLITE) have organized and created a Delmarva biking trail through places of historic and ecological significance in the tri-state region. The project includes funds for marketing and 2,000 miles of trails.

Builders for the Coastal Bays: This year the program began the Builders for the Coastal Bays program which local builders and developers are using to help make their projects environmentally friendly.

Bilge Socks: In 2003 the program began giving out free oil-absorbing bilge socks to boaters. DNR and the US Coast Guard Auxiliary helped disseminate hundreds to coastal bays boaters.

Canoe Trails: A major project DLITE and Coastal Bays are undertaking is the promotion and upgrading of coastal bays and Pocomoke canoe trails and creating new ones extending south to Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge and north to the Inland Bays. Each has its own specific trail but all will link together for those tourists who want real outdoor adventure.

Dead-end Canal Workshop: Held this summer, the workshop brought together regulators, scientists and canalside property owners from Delaware and Maryland to look at practical ways to fix water quality problems in coastal and inland bay canals.

Boating PSA: Two 30-second public service announcements now discuss safe boating around the Route 50 bridge while the other divulges ways for boaters to keep from impacting breeding birds on bay islands in the spring and summer.

Sensitive Areas Mapping: This fall, the program and Maryland DNR finished its work to map sensitive areas in the bay and to target areas for protection. Along with this, the program has a new science agenda which will focus its aim of nutrient control and wetland and forest restoration on sound science.

Minigrant Program: The Coastal Bays Minigrant and Implementation grant programs has proved to be an essential component of community involvement and an avenue for sharing coastal bays scientific resources. This year, the program was able to share $160,000 for local water quality and wildlife projects.

Worth mentioning too from 2003 are the program’s Realtor training courses, continued horseshoe crab and water quality monitoring, its size and creel brochures for fishermen, conservation doorhangers for hotels, and the new educational kiosks being produced for Somerset Street in Ocean City.

Thanks again to all of the volunteers and Parrot Heads who helped with this year’s Canoe Cleanup, Great Worcester Herp Search, Delmarva Birding Weekend, Battle for the Bays, Earth Day Tree Planting, Osprey Sprint Triathlon and Maryland Coast Day.

The conservation work in store for 2004 cannot be accomplished without so many people who care.