VFD GRANTS for 2008

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources awarded 37 volunteer fire departments located in 12 counties with a 2008 Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) grant to increase their capacity for wildland fire suppression. Projects include wildland personal protective equipment, skid units for building brush trucks, replacing fire hoses, upgrading communications equipment, installing dry fire hydrants, and other supplies equipment needed to supress wildfires.

“Our local fire department volunteers are true heroes of their communities, and we are thankful for their steadfast dedication to helping their neighbors,“ said Governor Martin O’Malley. “These grants ensure that these local heroes can continue to safely protect their neighbors and local businesses from wildfires.”

Grant funds received by DNR from the USDA Forest Service funded 37 applications for $90,112 in match funding to fulfill local wildlfire suppression and preparedness needs totaling $286,039 this year. The maximum grant award was $3,000 per department. Grant applications were very competitive and funding was only available to assist 61 percent of the volunteer fire departments that applied this year. Applications are ranked based on project description, local financial support, population, protection area, and other factors.

“We are thankful for the fire protection provided by local volunteer fire departments,” said Monte Mitchell, DNR State Fire Supervisor. “The grants help rural fire departments increase their effectiveness and safety in combating wildland fires in Maryland.”

Church Creek Volunteer Fire Department of Dorchester is using their $2,670 grant for purchasing new forestry hose, improved appliances and tools, and new pagers for volunteers, while Clear Spring Volunteer Fire Department of Washington County is using their $2,980 grant to buy much-needed new wildland and forestry firefighting equipment.

The following is a list of 2008 awards:

Volunteer Fire Department	County	Project Cost	Grant Awarded
Barton Hose Company	Allegany	$4,608	$2,304
Bedford Road VFD	Allegany	$4,386	$2,193
Corriganville VFC	Allegany	$5,900	$2,950
Ellerslie VFC	Allegany	$1,672	$836
Flintstone VFD	Allegany	$5,972	$2,986
Good Will VFD (Lonaconing)	Allegany	$7,500	$3,000
LaVale VFD	Allegany	$3,000	$1,500
Oldtown VFD	Allegany	$6,193	$3,000
Potomac Fire Company # 2	Allegany	$3,070	$1,535
Shaft VFD	Allegany	$5,186	$2,593
Lake Shore VFC	Anne Arundel	$6,116	$3,000
Arcadia VFC	Baltimore	$4,000	$2,000
Maryland Line FPA	Baltimore	$6,000	$3,000
Ridgely VFD	Caroline	$4,500	$2,250
Cecilton VFC	Cecil	$2,600	$1,300
Benedict VFDRS	Charles	$85,000	$3,000
Cobb Island VFD	Charles	$7,321	$3,000
Church Creek VFC	Dorchester	$5,342	$2,670
East New Market VFC	Dorchester	$4,161	$2,080
Eldorado Brookview VFC	Dorchester	$6,000	$3,000
Hoopers Island VFC	Dorchester	$5,629	$2,814
Linkwood Salem VFD	Dorchester	$6,000	$3,000
Lloyds VFC	Dorchester	$9,000	$3,000
Neck District VFC	Dorchester	$9,780	$3,000
Taylors Island VFC	Dorchester	$3,106	$1,553
Vienna VFC	Dorchester	$6,102	$3,000
Freindsville VFRD	Garrett	$19,750	$3,000
Hyattstown	Montgomery	$5,438	$2,719
Upper Montgomery VFD	Montgomery	$9,048	$3,000
Crisfield VFD	Somerset	$5,540	$2,770
Marion VFD	Somerset	$6,000	$3,000
Mt. Vernon VFD	Somerset	$3,110	$1,555
Cordova VFA	Talbot	$1,800	$900
Clear Spring VFC	Washington	$5,960	$2,980
First Hose Co of Boonsboro	Washington	$4,170	$2,085
Funkstown VFC	Washington	$4,000	$2,000
Potomac Valley VFC	Washington	$3,079	$1,539
Total		$286,039	$90,112

For more information on the VFA program in Maryland, go to the Forest Service Wildland Fire Management website at http://dnr.maryland.gov/forests/wfm.asp and click on Volunteer Fire Assistance.

MID-SHORE: Talbot girl is Miss Maryland Agriculture

Daily Times Staff Report

BALTIMORE — A Talbot County girl was picked Miss Maryland Agriculture Sunday at this year’s Maryland State Fair.

Eighteen-year-old Lisa Daffin of Queen Anne was an active member of 4-H for 10 years during which time she held the offices of president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and represented Maryland at 4-H Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio, a state fair news release said.

She graduated from Easton High School in 2007 and is currently majoring in agricultural education and extension with a minor in agriculture business at West Virginia University.

Daffin was awarded with scholarship and cash awards valued up to $13,000. As Miss Maryland Agriculture 2008, she will be present throughout the run of the Maryland State Fair to award prizes, and meet with fairgoers, dignitaries, and media representatives.

Elizabeth River Project Flotilla

The following message from VMRC should be of interest to anyone that is in favor of restoring the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

We’re looking to form a flotilla one morning next month for an hour.

The Elizabeth River Project will hold a press conference on Sept. 15 to announce a new action plan on river clean up, aimed at removing the contaminated goo on the river bottom.

This will be on the waters edge in Portsmouth, from 10:30-11:30 on Sept. 15, at High Street Ferry Landing, located at the corner of High and Water Streets in Downtown Portsmouth.

Mayors and state officials from VMRC, the state Department of Health, Secretary of Natural Resources office, (possibly even the governor) will be there.

A number of recreational and commercial vessels, along with a few kayakers/canoers, will gather on the river at that location to show the support of those who stand to benefit directly from the clean up of the river. Fire boats from Chesapeake and Portsmouth will be there as well as two police boats from the Marine Resources Commission.

The plan is for the boats to blow their horns when a flag on shore is raised, thus showing their support for the project to the TV cameras.

Anglers should be very concerned about the health of the Elizabeth River. While progress has been made over the years, the river still is in deplorable condition. Shellfish harvesting has been banned for a decade and scientific evidence shows that 70 percent of mummichogs in some sections of the river have cancer.

Some of the contaminants are bioaccumulative, including heavy metals, mercury and PCBs, meaning this stuff moves up the food chain and concentrates in long-living predator fish such as striped bass. It is in every anglers best interest to have the river cleaned up.

This stage of the clean up plan is known as the ERP’s fishable, swimmable campaign.

Please spread the word via email, word of mouth, or message boards. The more people who show up in their boats for that hour and blow their horns at the designed time, the better.

Call me if you want to talk about this further, Thanks.

John M.R. Bull
Director of Public Relations
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
(757) 247-2269