Northumberland is going to grow. Let’s help it grow with order and beauty.
President's
Letter
Sludge continues to rear it's ugly
head. One farmer has asked for a permit
to spread sludge on his land. This
application came up after the last case in which the applicants withdrew their
requests. The board of supervisors
delayed their decision pending an approval from the state health department.
Another committee is to come up with
acceptable rules regarding the use of sludge by our farmers. In the meantime some of our members have
been hard at work trying to educate the board and the state health department
on new concerns that have been raised in recent studies by scientists.
Our board of supervisors cannot deny these
permits, because of a recent court decision.
But they can set additional requirements as conditions which will lessen
the potential damage to our groundwater and streams. Our "sludge information forces" are trying to provide
assistance and counsel.
The next problem that has come up was a
request by those in charge of enforcing no-wake zones that are on record but no
longer have signs at the site. They
wanted to stop enforcing the no-wake rules at these sites. I was the only "public" at the
public meeting.
I suggested that the signs be reinstalled,
but was turned down. I suggested that
there be automatic no-wake zones in all creeks. Same result. When I asked
the enforcement officer what conditions justified a no-wake sign/area, the
answer was "only for a safety hazard". I asked about shoreline
erosion as a reason for a no-wake zone. The answer I got was that every boat
owner is responsible for any damage caused by his wake, and the officials leave
this to the property owners.
So if you want to have a no-wake zone near
your property, you will have to apply for a permit to put up your sign, which
will have to be approved by the board of supervisors and then forwarded to the
enforcement agency. I will try to get
some information as to the format required and pass the information on to
anyone wanting to go thru the process.
We have recorded three radio public
service messages to compliment Lynton Land's newspaper articles on stewardship.
More are in the works. Please listen for them on 101.7 and 104.9 (fm). Let a board member know what you think of
them.
The fall social, under the very able
direction of Mary Lou Butler, is coming together nicely. September 22 is the date. We hope most of
our members can make this event. An
invitation is included in this issue of the Newsletter We plan to have a number
of special guests, in addition to this years' "NDSA" recipients. Do you know what "NDSA" stands
for? Come and find out.
Respectfully submitted - Randy Neal
Fall Social to be September
22.
Directions to be sent with tickets.
Education Committee
Susan Stubbs and NAPS Vice President Don Pumroy, Education
Committee Chair, interviewed on May 14 the six students who had submitted their
applications. Twenty three students
initially requested applications and were each given a copy of ‘College Keys.’ Of the six applications received back, four
were selected for $500.00 Scholarships.
The students selected were announced at Senior Chapel May 29. They were Christopher Richardson, Samantha
Seville, Ryan Eades, and A. Elkridge. Each of the winners has received a
check.
An example of ‘thank you’ notes received is:
I would like to thank you
for the NAPS 2001 Scholarship I received at Senior Chapel. The $500.00 will help finance my college
education.
I am very excited about attending Bridgewater College this fall. Thank you for helping students like myself achieve their education goals.
All members and other contributors can take this and
the other notes as a personal thank you for helping to make the Scholarships
possible.
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New Web Site
Have you visited our new web site yet?
<www.geocities.com/northumberlandnaps>
Rita Johnson, new member as of January
2001, has done a fantastic job as webmaster and deserves all our thanks. We
want the site to be useful, so please feel free to make suggestions, point out
errors or suggest needed additions to board member Lynton Land
<jandl@rivnet.net>, who is coordinating the effort. We want to hear from
you!
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Chesapeake
Bay is Impaired!
By Lynton Land
It’s true. Since 1999, Chesapeake Bay has
been on EPA’s "impaired waters" list. What does this mean?
Stated simply, if we do not voluntarily reduce the input of nitrate and
phosphate into the Bay and its tributaries by 2010, we face Federal mandates.
Why should the Northern Neck be concerned?
We only contribute a very small fraction, about 5%, of the nutrients that enter
the Bay system. There are several reasons why we need to take action, rather
than pointing our fingers at "those who are mostly at fault". First, we, ourselves, ARE at fault, and it
is primarily our actions that affect our local waterways. There are many potential benefits to our
County if our local waterways can be made clearer. Our commercial and recreational fisheries and bird life will
improve. More visitors will be
attracted to our beautiful County. The
nitrate that we release to our local waterways promotes the rapid growth of
suspended algae, which cloud the water and inhibit the growth of Submerged
Aquatic Vegetation (SAV). SAV provides
habitat for many organisms of commercial and recreational value, as well as
adding oxygen to the water and retarding erosion.
What can we do voluntarily? First we need to know the sources of the
nitrate and phosphate for targeting.
There are four sub-equal sources.
1)
Wind-borne material (aerosols) - High temperature combustion in engines and
power plants convert nitrogen gas into nitrous oxides (NOx) and ultimately into
nitrate, which is washed out of the atmosphere by rain. Some forms of NOx along with carbon dioxide
are "greenhouse gasses" which contribute to global warming and sea
level rise.
2)
Wastewater treatment plants - These "point sources", most associated
with urbanized areas (including Reedville), release nitrate and phosphate to
the rivers emptying into the Bay or to the Bay itself.
3)
Agricultural operations - Fertilizer not utilized by crops enters our shallow
groundwater, which contains about 5 mg/l (ppm) nitrate on average. Less than 1 ppm nitrate is
"normal". Shallow groundwater flows toward and into the nearest
waterway at rates of about 100 meters/year.
4)
Most citizens - Septic systems discharge most of the nitrogen and phosphorus
that we flush down the drain to the groundwater, as is also true if we use
excess fertilizer. With so many homes clustered along the water, waterfront
property owners are prime sources of this kind of "non-point source"
nutrification.
What can we do to reduce the release of
nitrate and phosphate to the environment? Here is a brief list:
Conserve energy. Aside from reducing the
emission of greenhouse gasses we need to conserve fossil fuels because they are
a finite resource. The US has already pumped and burned more than half its oil.
Most of Earth’s remaining oil is in the Middle East (it’s not ours). Fossil
fuels will begin to run out in this century - first oil, then gas, then
coal. The "energy crisis" is
real and looms larger each day, especially in the face of the ever-expanding
human population.
Start planning for new wastewater
facilities and upgrading those that already exist to include
"tertiary" treatment such as Biological Nitrogen Removal (BNR).
Everyone, farmers included, should employ
Best Management Practices (BMPs). Citizens should encourage governmental
support for this important agricultural program. Agriculture is important to
our County and we should all do as much as possible to encourage its
responsible practice. Maintain septic
systems wisely and have the tank pumped every 5 years. Minimize both the solids and water that go
down the drain. Don't use garbage grinders/disposals.
Minimize the use of fertilizer (and
pesticides, herbicides, etc.) and never use more than is recommended. Plants
can only use so much N and P, and the rest is just pollution. Be especially
careful within the Resource Protection Area (RPA), or within 100 feet of the
water. Never throw anything in the
water. Nature provides abundant food for our marine life. Nothing we add to the
water improves the health of our waterways.
If we fail to meet EPA’s standards by
2010, what will be the consequences? We
can only guess, but mandating the list of voluntary actions just described is a
pretty good start. In order to
"cost account" the nutrients, TMDLs (Total Maximum Daily Loads) will
likely be established for each of our waterways. Suppose you were told
"You must reduce the daily output of nitrate and phosphate from your
property by 20%. You must submit a detailed ‘budget’ clearly and quantitatively
stating how you intend to do this, or else!". TMDLs will certainly not be
required of each of us, but we all live in the watershed of one of our local
waterways. Thus we all contribute to the nutrient load of that waterway.
Let’s not wait for the pain that will
certainly accompany Federal mandates.
The goal is clear. Let’s all pitch in now, and voluntarily make the
necessary changes in our life style to benefit the Bay and all citizens of our
County.
Did you miss a stewardship tip? They can
be found at the NAPS web site www.geocities.com/northumberlandnaps along with links
to many sources of information about our County and the Bay.
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Help
Wanted!
NAPS Board of Directors from time-to-time needs certain
help. A new member, Rita Johnson,
arrived at the right time to take over web-site management.. Current needs
include a person to take on the responsibility of Public Relations, sending
articles to the Newspapers and Radio Stations, etc. A new treasurer will be required soon on the retirement of our
current treasurer, Margaret Simonetti.
If you have an interest in one of these jobs, please call our President,
Randy Neal, at 453- 6625.
Board members Lee Allain and Lynton Land have begun
work on a possible extension for the River Cleanup. The idea is to plant grasses to protect shorelines. You have probably heard of Submerged Aquatic
Vegetation (SAV) but this is different.
The grass only grows if at least part time its roots are above the water
level and thus helps protect that shoreline from erosion due to wave
action. Anyone interested in getting
into this action should contact Lynton Land at 453 6605.
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Remember the Fall Social on September 22. On the reverse of this page is a slip to fill out and return for tickets. Directions will accompany your tickets. It is a pleasure to restate that this years Citizen Awards are to be presented to Mike and Adele Harwood.
We now have our own Web-Site thanks to Lynton Land and Rita Johnson, a new member who is our Webmaster. With
anything new one needs feedback. Please check out the Web Site and respond with your ideas, positive or negative.
Help is always needed. Check the column asking for your response.
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NAPS 2001 Calendar
The NAPS board meets at the Northern Neck State Bank
in Burgess at 9:00 A.M. each month on the Wednesdays immediately preceding
Northumberland Board of Supervisors meetings (second Thursday).
September
12 NAPS
Board Meeting
22 Fall
Social
October
10 NAPS
Board Meeting
November
7 NAPS Board
Meeting
December
12 NAPS
Board Meeting
NAPS members and prospective members are always
welcome.
Northumberland Association
for Progressive Stewardship
PO Box 567,
Heathsville, VA 22473
NAPS Officers
President....Randolph
Neal........453-6625
Vice
President.....Don Pumroy 580 2186
Secretary.......Cas
Olverson........529-5555
Treasurer.
Margaret Simonetti..580-8613
Board of
Directors
Terms Expiring
February 2002
Randolph
Neal.............453-6625
Mary
Kier....................529-6071
Don
Pumroy.................580-2186
Terms Expiring
February 2003
Cas
Olverson................529-5555
Joel
Stubbs....................580-4110
Ralph
Brainard............580-5519
Terms Expiring
February 2004
Lynton
Land................453-6605
Lee
Allain………….…529-5491
Robert
Holley...............580-4090
NAPS News
Editor