A discussion on a local organization’s conservation management plan quickly turned into a conversation about offshore wind and its position on the US Wind project occurring off Ocean City’s coastline.
Last week, representatives with the Maryland Coastal Bays Program (MCBP) briefed the Mayor and Council on revisions to the organization’s Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan, a strategic plan that guides the MCBP over a 10-year period. However, when asked about the organization’s stance on the US Wind project being developed off the coast of Ocean City, Executive Director Kevin Smith said they had not yet taken one.
“I think it’s important, as this becomes possibly closer to becoming a reality, that those types of stands do take place,” Mayor Rick Meehan replied. “Just as you are stewards of our back bays and the coastal bays, you know they’re all connected to the Atlantic and they’re all connected with regard to the species and to really the ecosystem of this entire area. And whether or not there’s a philosophy of whether or not wind is better than gas, or wind is better than oil, this is about how one particular project right in our backyard addresses our backyard. And I think it’s important that we be realistic about the effects it could have on our areas and everything that you do.”
During a work session last Tuesday, Smith and MCBP Watershed Coordinator Steve Farr sought the Mayor and Council’s input on the program’s 10-year Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan. As the last update was completed in 2015, officials say they have begun the process of revising the management plan for 2025.
“The CCMP is a 10-year plan,” Farr said. “It is basically a strategic plan we work with our partners on to implement as a roadmap to success. And EPA requires us to revise it every 10 years to reflect changing conditions, challenges and opportunities in the watershed.”
More “non-profit” hijinx! Thank you Mayor Meehan for exposing the money behind the curtain! “Meehan then asked if US Wind had become a sponsor of MCBP. Smith said the organization had received grants from the company. We’ve received grants from the US Wind,” he replied. “And those grants, I should add, go directly to our coastal bird conservation efforts.”