Carroll Environment

Friendly Face – Catarina Erbe
Catarina has her B.S in Biology and minored in Environmental Science from Stevenson University and M.S in Biology from Towson University. She conducted research that focused on forest regeneration throughout central Maryland, Emerald Ash Borer impacts on Western New York forests, small reforestation efforts, and white-tailed deer forest preference. Outside of work, Catarina enjoys landscape photography, being in nature with her husband and dog, and baking.

Check out the latest issue of our Bureau Newsletter!

Down To Earth Newsletter- Summer 2024 Down To Earth Newsletter- Summer 2024 Carroll County MD Government sent this bulletin at 07/15/2024 03:30 PM EDT Down To Earth Newsletter- Summer 2024 Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on the User Profile Page. You will need to use y...

Celebrate National Moth Week!
People regularly think of bees and butterflies when they hear the word pollinator, but rarely seem to think about moths. Moths are important pollinators and a food source for many animals. The Luna moth, for example, is a favorite snack for bats! Share your cool moth photos below!

World snake day
July 16th is World Snake Day! Today is an opportunity to celebrate snakes and raise awareness about their preservation. The Department of Natural Resources has a guide to identify snakes that are local to Maryland on their website. Share some of your positive stories about snakes in the comments below!

Maryland Snakes An official website of the State of Maryland.

Charlotte’s Quest nature fest
Charlotte’s Quest Nature Center in Manchester will be holding an event on Saturday, July 20, starting in the late afternoon. For more information, visit their page at Friends of Charlotte’s Quest.
https://www.charlottesquest.org/

https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/MDCARROLL-3a8c35a

Down To Earth Newsletter- Summer 2024 Down To Earth Newsletter- Summer 2024 Carroll County MD Government sent this bulletin at 07/15/2024 03:30 PM EDT Down To Earth Newsletter- Summer 2024 Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on the User Profile Page. You will need to use y...

The Bureau of Resource Management hosted the Water Resources Booth at the Family Summer Bash on June 28th. Staff had the opportunity to talk with attendees about healthy watersheds, reducing pollutants, and stormwater management. Thanks to all who stopped by!

“Be nice to Bugs Day” might sound strange, but it’s something we could all learn to do a little better.
In this short article, there are several tips for how individuals like you can help declining bug populations, Why should you be nice to bugs you might ask... well, without bugs, food sources for many animals, including humans, would drastically decline and our planet would be overrun with plant and animal waste, to name a few reasons.

Stopping the Insect Apocalypse: Tips on How You Can Help Save Insects It’s urgent that we do all we can to save insects. Here are some things you can do in your daily life to support our many-legged friends.

CSN Temperature Presentation
Join the Bureau of Resource Management’s Water Resources Supervisor, Byron Madigan, as he shares results and discusses some of the temperature monitoring that is being carried out by the Water Resources Division related to stormwater best management practices.

Thermal Evaluation of Upland Stormwater BMPs: Impact of Design Modifications to Buffer Stream Temperatures in Urbanized Watersheds | Chesapeake Stormwater Network Thermal pollution from urbanization and ponding of water in stormwater management facilities is a known detriment to the biological functionality of streams.

FY24 BMP Inspections
The month of June closed out the 2024 permit year for the Carroll County MS4 permit. During this past year, inspectors from the Bureau of Resource Management completed triennial maintenance inspections on over 1,100 stormwater facilities. These inspections ensure that the facilities are functioning as designed to manage stormwater in Carroll County and the eight incorporated municipalities.

Friendly Faces – Sarah Kowalski
Sarah grew up in Berks County, PA, and moved to Hampstead with her family in 2012. She is currently getting a degree in Environmental Science with a specialization in Environmental Water Resources through Oregon State University’s E-Campus with an anticipated graduation date of spring 2025. When she isn’t spending all of her time working or doing schoolwork, she likes hiking with her husband and dog, reading, and growing heirloom tomatoes. She loves stormwater and is excited to continue to learn and grow in her role.

Happy 4th of July!
We wish you a happy and safe Independence Day! Today is a wonderful day to join with friends and family to celebrate our freedom and rejoice in our blessings!

Today, in honor of International Plastic Bag Free Day, so no thank you to any merchant offering you a plastic bag.
Did you know that it is said to take 1000 years for a plastic bag to degrade in landfills? Or that as a bag degrades, it breaks down into microplastics that contaminate the soil and groundwater? Or that animals on land and in the water mistake plastic bags for food and can die from eating them? These scary facts are a few of the reasons the City of Westminster banned single-use plastic bags in July 2021. Thank you for setting the stage, Westminster! Let us all follow your lead!

On Sunday, Bureau of Resource Management staff hosted an aquatics station with the 4H Green Outdoor and Environmental Sciences (GOES) club. Students learned how fish and aquatic insects can tell us about the health of our streams and watersheds.

The next Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) meeting will be held on July 17, 2024, @ 3:00 PM in Room 204 of the County Office Building.
https://www.carrollcountymd.gov/government/upcoming-meetings-agendas-and-public-hearings/

Head out to the Family Summer Fest tomorrow night at the Carroll County Farm Museum! Live music, craft vendors, food trucks, yard games, and touch-a-truck will all be there. And be sure to swing by the Water Resources Booth to learn more about stormwater and healthy watersheds!

Family Summer Bash 2024 - Carroll County Tourism | Carroll County, Maryland Kick-off Summer with The Reagan Years at the Carroll County Farm Museum, a fundraiser for the Park Legacy Fund. $20.00 pre-registration/$25 at the gate. Youths 12 and under are free!

This spring the Environmental Protection Agency finalized the first-ever national drinking water standard for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). For more information on the background, regulatory framework and details on the final rule, see the EPA’s website on the final PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) | US EPA Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and drinking water

Last month, the Bureau of Resource Management hosted staff from the Maryland Department of the Environment and local municipalities on a tour of stormwater facilities in Carroll County. The focus was on surface sand filters, which the Bureau has fine-tuned over the years to provide flood and stream channel protection, water quality treatment, and temperature mitigation in an easily maintained design. We visited four sites that were retrofitted through the stormwater restoration program using surface sand filters.

National Pollinator Week
Most people think of bees when they hear the term pollinator, but many other animals and insects help pollinate plants around the world. Check out this great resource to learn more about how we can encourage them to keep our plants ever growing!

Helping in Your Backyard - Pollinators (U.S. National Park Service) Pollinators are responsible for 1 out of 3 bites of food we take each day. They are essential for the health of our ecosystems and the health of many of our food crops. However, pollinator populations are declining worldwide largely due to habitat loss and pesticide poisoning. Even small changes in....

The Willow Pond stormwater facility consisted of a design modification that incorporated a gravel lens around the facility's dewatering pipe to understand the lens’ ability to discharge colder water from a stormwater wet pond. The “lens” consisted of #8-sized stone to a depth of 3 feet over an area of 50 feet by 300 feet. An example from a storm in July of 2023 documented nearly a 10-degree difference in peak temperature between the outfall and buoy sensor, as well as a 6-degree difference in peak temperature from the control site that doesn’t have a “lens” around the dewatering pipe.

Carroll County Boy Scouts and Girl Scout Troops often participate in projects that demonstrate environmental stewardship. Many troops have assisted with tree plantings or stream clean-ups. Planning & Land Management is interested in supporting scouts to be a more engaged part of the community and the local environment and fostering co-benefits. Planning & Land Management offers ways in which the County can partner with the troops to increase the success and attractiveness of doing these projects.
https://www.carrollcountymd.gov/government/boards-commissions/environmental-advisory-council/other-eac-publications-topics/

During the warmer summer months, the water temperature of streams that support cool and cold-water species has become more at risk due to changes in land cover. Each year, County staff deploy continuous data sensors that record stream temperatures at intervals between 5 and 20 minutes depending on the location. Sites monitored include in-stream locations for trends over time as well as at stormwater retrofit projects to understand how design changes can impact stream temperature.

Happy Father’s Day!
Remember to take a moment today to show your dad how much you appreciate him! It’s always a good day to spend some quality time doing something he loves and making memories he can cherish!

Want to be an environmental influencer? Apply to serve on the Carroll County Environmental Advisory Council. Visit the EAC’s homepage for more information about serving on the EAC and how to apply.
https://www.carrollcountymd.gov/government/boards-commissions/environmental-advisory-council/

Apply to Serve on EAC
Want to be an environmental influencer? Apply to serve on the Carroll County Environmental Advisory Council. Visit the EAC’s homepage for more information about serving on the EAC and how to apply.
https://www.carrollcountymd.gov/government/boards-commissions/environmental-advisory-council/

EAC Agenda
The next Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) meeting will be held on June 12, 2024, @ 6:30 PM via GoToMeeting.

Carroll County Government | Carroll County, Maryland

National Rivers Month
National Rivers Month is celebrated in June every year to showcase the importance of rivers. It focuses on the essential role these waterways play in maintaining ecological balance and supporting human activities. Click the link below for more information.

A Chance to Honor Those Protecting America's Waterways Across the United States, rivers flow through the lives of people and wildlife, delivering benefits that include critical habitat for aquatic species, clean drinking water, climate change resilience, flood mitigation, and recreational opportunities that help sustain local economies. Rivers are also....

Celebrate World Environment Day with us!
Together, we can take the necessary steps to restore our shared home by giving back to the earth that provides for us daily! Individually we are all able to make a difference, small or large, but united we are destined for greatness!

World Environment Day 2024: will you join Generation Restoration? World Environment Day on 5th June is the biggest international day for the environment each year. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the...

June is National Pollinator Month.
The website below is an excellent resource for understanding the role pollinators play in our ecosystems and our daily lives. Did you know that pollinators are responsible for 1 in 3 bites of food we eat and that’s not all. Check out this great resource to learn more fun pollinator facts!

About Pollinators | Pollinator.org Pollinator Partnership is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and the largest in the world dedicated exclusively to the protection and promotion of ...