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Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R-Lower Shore) loves the Chesapeake Bay, but she continues to make sure her General Assembly colleagues and the public don鈥檛 forget about the state鈥檚 five coastal bays.
Carozza made that case when state officials unveiled new license plates that called for protecting the Chesapeake and as well as the coastal bays.
She did it again Thursday, during this week鈥檚 Maryland Association of Counties summer conference in Ocean City, when she took three of her Senate colleagues on a tour of one of those bays between Ocean City and the mainland.
鈥淭his is an opportunity to share the beauty of Maryland coastal bays that sometimes is dominated by the Chesapeake Bay,鈥� she said on a boat ramp at the Sinepuxent Bay near Assateague Island in Worcester County.
Sen. President Pro Tem Malcolm Augustine (D-Prince George鈥檚), Sen. Benjamin Brooks (D-Baltimore County) and Sen. Brian Feldman (D-Montgomery), who chairs the Education, Energy and the Environment Committee, felt the warm breeze from the bay and viewed visitors relaxing on the beach.
They also viewed restoration work that was completed about six years ago along the shoreline just north of the Verrazano Bridge that connects Assateague Island to the mainland. Some of that work included importing sand and rock and working to help maintain the habitat of the area鈥檚 horseshoe crabs, diamondback terrapins and sea trout.
Marsh grasses were planted along the mainland shoreline by members and volunteers with Maryland Coastal Bays Program, a nonprofit organization that promotes and seeks to protect the coast bays. In addition to Sinepuxent, the other four 聽are Assawoman, Newport, Isle of Wight and Chincoteague.
But Carozza and members of the bays program say the eroding shoreline and steep banks south of the bridge need repair. It鈥檚 not clear what legislation might be needed to make that happen, but Feldman said part of it would be to assess the state鈥檚 permitting and waiver processes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something in that space,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know all the particulars. We鈥檒l have to take a look, make some tweaks and some changes.鈥�
Augustine brought his family along on the boat ride. His wife, Lauren, is a hydrologist and has done work on the Chesapeake Bay.
鈥淚t鈥檚 this living shoreline that鈥檚 been developed on this end in a very innovative way,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always best to come and get your feet on the ground and sort of see what鈥檚 going on.鈥�
Roman Jesien, science coordinator with Maryland Coastal Bays Program who operated the boat for the lawmakers鈥� tour, said the restoration work already completed north of the bridge cost $750,000 and stretches 1,000 feet.
The work on the southern shoreline would cost an estimated $1.5 million and stretch about 1,800 feet, Jesien said. In addition, he said part of the land is federal property.
Besides maintaining wildlife, the goal is to also bring the same number of visitors to relax on the sand and frolic in the water that鈥檚 done on the opposite shoreline.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to not only restore that shoreline, but also make sure we keep the other one intact,鈥� Jeisen said. 鈥淭his is good for the environment and good for everyone.鈥�
