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Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week - For the purpose of recognizing the third annual Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week from June 2-10, 2019; and urging Annapolis residents and guests to participate in the plethora of educational and environmental events, activities, and programs that are designed to increase awareness of the importance of the Chesapeake Bay to the State, the region, and the United States.
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CITY COUNCIL OF THE
City of Annapolis
Resolution 23-19
Introduced by: Alderwoman Finlayson and Alderman Savidge
A RESOLUTION concerning
Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week
FOR the purpose of recognizing the third annual Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week from June 2-10, 2019; and urging Annapolis residents and guests to participate in the plethora of educational and environmental events, activities, and programs that are designed to increase awareness of the importance of the Chesapeake Bay to the State, the region, and the United States.
WHEREAS, in 2016, the Chesapeake Bay Commission championed the notion of designating the second week of June as Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week; and
WHEREAS, legislation establishing the special week has been enacted in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, the Chesapeake Bay is the largest and, at one time, was the most productive estuary in the United States, spanning six states and the District of Columbia; and
WHEREAS, the Chesapeake Bay watershed is an extraordinary and vital natural resource, as well as an integral part of the history and heritage of the State; and
WHEREAS, the Chesapeake Bay is fed by 50 major tributaries, including the Susquehanna River, Potomac River, Patuxent River, Rappahannock River, York River, and James River, and contains more than 15 trillion gallons of water; and
WHEREAS, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Chesapeake Bay stretches 200 miles from Havre de Grace, Maryland, to Norfolk, Virginia, has an average depth of 21 feet, ranges from 3.4 miles to 35 miles wide, supports more than 300 species of finfish, more than 170 species of shellfish, more than 3,600 species of plant and animal life, including 2,700 types of plants, and more than 16 species of underwater grasses; and
WHEREAS, the Chesapeake Bay area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom rely on the Bay for their livelihood and recreational activities; and
WHEREAS, as an important source of food for the State and the East Coast of the United States, the Chesapeake Bay produces more than 500 million pounds of seafood harvest each year; and
WHEREAS, there are many issues that detrimentally affect the health of the Chesapeake Bay, one of which is polluted runoff: rain water that runs off our streets, parking lots, lawns, and other surfaces, picking up pet waste, pesticides, fertilizer, oil, and other contaminants, which flush straight into local creeks, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay, adversely affecting water quality and aquatic life; and
WHEREAS currents of runoff scour stream banks, destabilize the natural contours of the streams, and even alter their depths; and
WHEREAS eroded dirt from runoff blocks sunlight from reaching underwater grasses, smothers the aquatic homes of oysters and other life, kills grasses and marine life, imperils fish and other creatures that rely on them, and carries nutrients that spur algae blooms that cause low oxygen and kill fish; and
WHEREAS runoff is one of the main reasons the Bay remains on the "dirty waters" list of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and
WHEREAS, there are several proven strategies that residents and communities can implement to absorb runoff and reduce the risk of routine flooding and damage from polluted runoff, including: planting trees, creating vegetated areas ("rain gardens"), installing porous driveway parking, installing roofs with plants that drink up rain ("green roofs"), installing "rain barrels" to collect rain from roof downspouts, and use it on landscaping, and
WHEREAS, the rich history, pivotal economic importance, and astounding beauty of the Chesapeake Bay watershed never cease to amaze residents and visitors alike; and
WHEREAS, the special designation of the week encourages us all to celebrate the Chesapeake Bay with events, activities, and educational programs designed to raise awareness of the importance of this national treasure.
NOW THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that the City of Annapolis recognizes June 2-10, 2019, as Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that the City of Annapolis urges its residents and guests to participate in the plethora of educational and environmental events, activities, and programs that are designed to increase awareness of the importance of the Chesapeake Bay to the State, the region, and the United States.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that this resolution shall take effect from the date of its passage.
EXPLANATION
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