The meeting will be Monday evening - see below.  Message from a Friends of Blackwater email, FYI:

RESIDENTIAL/COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT NEAR BLACKWATER REFUGE 

As we mentioned in our last e-newsletter, the Maryland Department of Planning has approved a developer's request to build a large residential/commercial project two miles from Blackwater Refuge. 

The 1000-acre Blackwater Resort Communities project will include 3,200 single-family and multi-family homes, a 100-room hotel/conference center, a golf course, and a retail center. Within the project zone are approximately 300 acres of "Critical Area" land, which includes a designated "Resource Conservation Area" and "Habitat Protection Areas." 

You can read more about the project on the Friends' website and also read testimony given by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff regarding the development: 

http://www.friendsofblackwater.org/resortcomm.html<about:blank> 

The Friends of Blackwater and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have stated that they are not opposing the project, but they have raised grave concerns regarding its impact on the Little Blackwater River, which feeds into the Refuge. The USFWS is urging that a comprehensive watershed study be completed to gauge the impact of the development on the river and ultimately the Refuge. 

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has just announced that they plan to oppose the Blackwater Resort development. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation will be holding a town hall meeting at the Dorchester County Library - Central Branch on Monday, Jan. 30 at 7:00-9:00pm for anyone interested in learning more about their efforts. Visit their website for additional information about the meeting and their campaign: 

http://www.cbf.org/blackwater<http://www.cbf.org/blackwater>


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Meghan Tice, Bowie
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