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Maryland Wind Farms Nearing Completion

by Mark Del Franco on Tuesday 23 November 2010

The first Maryland wind power projects are nearing completion and are expected to begin commercial operation by the end of the year, according to Frank Maisano, a wind industry spokesperson.

Two Garrett County, Md., wind projects are expected to begin commercial operation in a matter of weeks, even as opponents consider taking legal action against the facilities.

Constellation Energy is nearing commercial operation of a 28-turbine wind project, which is slated to become commercially operational by the end of December. Synergics will also begin testing a 20-turbine wind farm atop Maryland’s Backbone Mountain.

However, heavy opposition could mean delay, as opponents are considering legal action under what they claim are violations of the Endangered Species Act.
Save Western Maryland, an environmental advocacy group, says the wind projects will adversely affect Indiana bats and Virginia big-eared bats, both classified as federal endangered species.

Despite the opposition, both wind energy projects are big developments for Maryland – a state with no operating wind farms, Maisano says.
“The state of Maryland has been trying to move off its zero for years, and the legislature has been pushing [for the development of wind energy].”

Read the source article here.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

Deep Creek Do It All specializes in cleaning services in Garrett County & @ Deep Creek Lake. Give them a call (301-501-0217) or visit the website – competitive rates and quality results from a locally owned & operated company!

Kitzmiller Students Do Their Part To Sustain Butterflies


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by Mary Sincell McEwen
The children of the Kitzmiller Elementary School embarked on a unique quest on a bright and chilly day last month, loading onto buses and heading up the mountainside to an expanse of land where butterflies gather.

The area is the Woodhill Sanctuary, a 15-acre easement now designated as a Maryland Environmental Trust (MET) and the Allegany Highland Conservancy butterfly sanctuary. The area is a preserve for several rare, threatened, or endangered butterfly species, including the Baltimore checkerspot, the official insect of the state of Maryland, so named in 1973.

Vladamir Dupre sought the designation for the property, which was owned by him and his late wife Elizabeth for many years. Dupre said he was thrilled to be able to contribute to the preservation of the endangered butterflies.

“We consider it a privilege to be a part of the efforts of the Maryland Environmental Trust to maintain and manage natural habitats for the people of Maryland to enjoy and learn from,” Dupre said.

In that vein, he invited the children of Kitzmiller up to the property and gave them a mission — to help seed the area with flowers to which the butterflies will be drawn, and which will provide for the insects a safe haven.

While once common throughout the state of Maryland, the Baltimore checkerspot, along with numerous other species, is losing ground annually. Butterfly specialists Richard Smith and Pat Durkin, both active butterfly researchers with the MET, guided the Kitzmiller students last month in their mission the at Woodhill Sanctuary. They explained to the children that this unique area was one of only eight locations where the state butterfly colonies now survive. In fact, Woodhill has the largest concentration of the butterfly in the state, and possibly in a multi-state region, Durkin said.

The butterflies require freshwater marsh habitats, with shallow waters and a variety of flowering plants. Expansion and development throughout the state have greatly damaged such areas.

“The marsh-like conditions these butterflies need can be destroyed in a second,” Durkin said. “It doesn’t take much to ruin their habitat.”

She and Smith have researched the plight of Maryland butterflies for many years, both participating in the Maryland Rare and Endangered Butterfly Survey in 2002-2003. Their research led them to the mountainsides of Garrett County where undeveloped land helps to sustain the insects.

To help with that, the students were instructed to gather seed pods of all sorts of flowers, and put them in paper bags. The flowers to come from these seeds are vital to butterflies, who seek the nector to survive.

Read the full article here.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

Deep Creek Do It All specializes in cleaning services in Garrett County & @ Deep Creek Lake. Give them a call (301-501-0217) or visit the website – competitive rates and quality results from a locally owned & operated company!

Two Local Young Women Receive Highest FFA Degree At Convention


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Nov. 18, 2010

Kara Savage and Ashley Rodeheaver received the American FFA Degree at the 83rd National FFA Convention in Indianapolis last month. It is the highest degree awarded by the National FFA Organization, and recognizes leadership abilities and outstanding achievements in agricultural business, production, processing, and service programs.
Reportedly, fewer than one in 154 FFA members advance through their local chapter and state FFA degree programs to earn this national degree.

Both girls received a gold American FFA Degree key and a certificate in a blue leatherette frame.

Savage is the daughter of L. Deane and Nancy Savage. She is currently attending Garrett College, with plans to transfer to Frostburg State University in the fall of 2011.

She is a member of the North Garrett FFA Chapter under advisor Richard McCrobie.

Savage is the 2010 Garrett County Farm Queen, and was the 2008 Autumn Glory Festival Queen.

She received the State FFA Degree in June 2009.

She has shown dairy animals at numerous local, state, and national shows, and has won numerous grand champion dairy showmanship awards, the grand champion swine showmanship award, and the reserve grand champion rabbit showmanship award.

Read the full article here.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

Deep Creek Do It All specializes in cleaning services in Garrett County & @ Deep Creek Lake. Give them a call (301-501-0217) or visit the website – competitive rates and quality results from a locally owned & operated company!

Reception Slated For Outgoing Commission Bd.

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Nov. 18, 2010

The current Board of Garrett County Commissioners’ last public meeting will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 7. An informal reception is being planned for that day for Commissioners Ernie Gregg and Fred Holliday.

Subject to change, Commissioners-elect Gregan Crawford, Bob Gatto, and Jim Raley will be sworn in on Tuesday, Dec. 14, at 9 a.m. at the courthouse.

The new commissioners have scheduled orientation sessions for Monday, Nov. 29, and Wednesday, Dec. 1. They will meet with county department directors, who will introduce themselves and discuss their areas of responsibility.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

Deep Creek Do It All specializes in cleaning services in Garrett County & @ Deep Creek Lake. Give them a call (301-501-0217) or visit the website – competitive rates and quality results from a locally owned & operated company!

60 Minutes reports on Marcellus Shale

60 Minutes video on Marcellsu Shale.

Shale Gas Drilling: Pros & Cons
November 14, 2010 12:34 PM

While some complain that extracting natural gas from shale rock formations is tainting their water supply, others who have allowed drilling on their property are getting wealthy. Lesley Stahl reports…

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7054210n&tag=contentMain;contentBody#ixzz167v6ckVI

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

Deep Creek Do It All specializes in cleaning services in Garrett County & @ Deep Creek Lake. Give them a call (301-501-0217) or visit the website – competitive rates and quality results from a locally owned & operated company!

Garrett County Marcellus Documents and Links – Facebook

My Facebook friend Patrick William Riley put this info re: Marcellus Shale together on his Facebook page and I wanted to share it:

“Citizens and Friends of Garrett County Maryland,

Be advised, The current push for the development of the Marcellus Shale gas deposits under Garrett County will massively impact the quiet rural qualities, clean air and safe well water that many of us value highly. Please be informed and let your voice be heard! These proposed wells are not the wells that we have grown accustomed to since the 1950’s and 60’s.

I am convinced that this development should be stopped until the citizens of Garrett County and our public servants have had through opportunity to study the various impacts caused in other areas where Shale gas development is occurring.

Fracking mobilizes URANIUM in Marcellus Shale !

“…University at Buffalo researchers have now found that that process — called hydraulic fracturing or “fracking”– also causes uranium that is naturally trapped inside Marcellus shale to be released, raising additional environmental concerns.”

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2010/10/25/fracking.mobilizes.uranium.marcellus.shale

Scientifically Based Clean Energy ?

Looks like COAL is a better Choice —

http://www.eeb.cornell.edu/howarth/Howarth_Energy%20and%20Environment.html

June 4 2010 Marcellus Shale Briefing By MDE for The Maryland State Water Quality Advisory Committee ___

>Dead Linkpatrickwriley@msn.com and I’ll send you the file ! Status of Applications – Locations of exploratory wells http://www.marylandwaterquality.org/Marcellus%20Briefing%20for%20SWQAC.pdf PENN STATE has been funded by Gas companies to promote drilling. Please remember this when you go to meetings where they are involved! http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20100713/NEWS01/7130381/PSU-dean-Marcellus-report-mishandled

Garrett County Resident quoted in Pittsburgh Tribune Review After the film, a resident of Selby’s Port, a small community in Garrett County, Md., one mile from Yough River Lake, said she wanted to see the film because of the hazards of fracking. On March 7,She learned that a gas well was going to be drilled on her neighbor’s property, about 1,000 feet from her kitchen. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/fayette/s_702607.html

Read the Minutes of the Garrett County Planning Commission http://www.garrettcounty.org/PlanningLand/PlanningZoning/documents/min7_10.pdf http://www.garrettcounty.org/PlanningLand/PlanningZoning/documents/min9_10.pdf

Local Laws Tax Changes at the wellhead http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/bills/hb/hb0803e.pdf

Local news To Senator Edwards and Delegate Beitzel, I really hope and pray you have a change of heart on this one!!!!! “• An effort to reduce the distance from a natural gas drilling wellhead from a neighbor’s property to 500 feet from 1,000 feet failed despite its origination from the Maryland Department of the Environment’s Ed Larrimore and the support of Sen. George Edwards. Beitzel said the initiative “wasn’t supported by the administration.” However, “we’ll come back to that one next year,”Beitzel said.” http://times-news.com/local/x1612534154/Beitzel-s-hunting-license-suspension-measure-stalls-in-Maryland-Senate

Local State Legislators seem to support Marcellus Drilling http://times-news.com/archive/x546408583

Do you own a mineral right? http://times-news.com/opinion/x657343753/Law-to-help-people-establish-mineral-rights

Radio active wastewater http://times-news.com/archive/x546412731

http://times-news.com/local/x1800095708/New-state-law-will-allow-landowners-to-regain-mineral-rights

http://times-news.com/archive/x546408937 http://times-news.com/archive/x1540427898

From the Maryland Dept. of the Environment http://www.mde.state.md.us/programs/Land/mining/Non%20Coal%20Mining/Pages/Programs/LandPrograms/Mining/mog/naturalgas.aspx

From the Maryland DNR http://dnr.maryland.gov/irc/bibs/marcellusshale.html

From Pennsylvania — DRILLER CANCELS PERMIT AFTER TRYING TO CIRCUMVENT LOCAL RULES! http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/28/2010/october/21/driller-cancels-permit.html

Sep 30, 5:11 PM EDT Pa. DEP targets Texas driller for tainted water By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press Writer DIMOCK, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s top environmental regulator says the state will sue a Houston-based drilling company unless it agrees to pay nearly $12 million to extend a public water line to at least 18 residents whose water wells have been contaminated with methane gas. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GAS_DRILLING_TAINTED_WATER?SITE=NMALJ&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Methane in water wells http://americanagriculturist.com/story.aspx/stray/methane/gas/pops/up/near/marcellus/wells/9/42135

Read the comments on the Pa regulation Changes. http://www.irrc.state.pa.us/Regulations/More.cfm?TypeID=3&IRRCNo=2857%EF%BB%BF

Drilling Noise and Local control http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleynewsdispatch/s_704795.html

From Colorado — Drilling, Wildlife often don’t mix

http://www.valleyjournal.com/article/20081204/NEWS/812039974/1010/NONE&parentprofile=1001

From Texas — Unwell water Drilling leaves a bad taste for some By Brandon Evans Published Sunday, October 3, 2010 http://www.wcmessenger.com/news/content/EklypuEyukFaSeCoUQ.php

Residents once welcomed the Gas Drilling, Now …Pollution is not welcome http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2010/01/12/texas-town-welcomed-drilling-now-fears-pollution.html 

Real Estate Values plummet ! Drilling can dig into land value 09:25 AM CDT on Saturday, September 18, 2010 By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe / Staff Writer

DECATUR — One year to the day after a company set up its drilling rigs on their land in eastern Wise County, Tim and Christine Ruggiero confirmed the depth of their loss.

Originally on the 2010 tax rolls for $257,330, their home and 10-acre horse property are now worth $75,240.

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/westdenton/stories/DRC_DrillValues_0918.1046e9a00.html

Living with a Shale Gas Well

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/specialprojects/drilling/stories/DRC_Ruggieros_0328.1ee8c9ff0.html

Northeast Pa. MORTGAGES UNAVAILABLE on LEASED PROPERTIES !

http://www.strausnews.com/articles/2010/06/08/pike_county_courier/news/1.txt

West Virginia

Complete coverage in the Wheeling Intelligencer

http://theintelligencer.net/page/category.detail/nav/5233/Digging-Deeper-Into-The-Marcellus-Shale.html

Wetzel County Action Group

http://www.wcag-wv.org/Default.htm

Do You really think you want these problems in Garrett County?

http://blogs.wvgazette.com/watchdog/2009/10/02/what-caused-big-fracking-fluid-spill-in-doddridge-county/

Dumping waste on the roads, a commonly witnessed practice!!!!

http://www.wcag-wv.org/W/WaterPollution/BlakeHawgHauler.htm

General Information

http://www.marcellus-shale.us/

Chemicals used in Gas Drilling

http://www.endocrinedisruption.com/chemicals.introduction.php

Via >Danny L. Bailey

I continue to allege with no resistance/rebuttal from anyone in the industry/local-county-state-federal gov’t,,,that these petroleum companies are not just “fracking” these underground coal beds,,,,,but chemically ” reacting them with inten…tional/permanent injection of toxic chemicals/heavy metal catalyst that slowly dissovle/convert the coal shale into producer gases, mainly methane. In other countries it is referred to for what it really is,,, UCG (underground coal gasification). Here is just one of many “patented” processes for undergound coal bed gasification by first “fracking”,,,,then “reacting” the coal bed with benzene derivatives. Read the patent an compare this process to what you have witnessed personally in your GasLand regions.

Situ Coal Bed Gasification: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/3794116.html

Barnett Shale Emission report: http://www.edf.org/documents/9235_Barnett_Shale_Report.pdf

Links to other GasLand fracking reports: http://ozarkanglers.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=23731&st=40

Here is the original link to his Facebook info.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

Deep Creek Do It All specializes in cleaning services in Garrett County & @ Deep Creek Lake. Give them a call (301-501-0217) or visit the website – competitive rates and quality results from a locally owned & operated company!

Garrett Marcellus shale forums draw big audiences

Megan Miller
The Cumberland Times-News Mon Nov 22, 2010, 07:51 AM EST

— FROSTBURG — Money, water quality and the Marcellus shale are issues on a lot of Western Marylanders’ minds, if the attendance at two Thursday night meetings in Garrett County is any indication.

Approximately 90 people packed into the cafeteria of Route 40 Elementary School for a public meeting on the subject hosted by the Savage River Watershed Association.

The tone of the discussion was mainly skeptical of the natural gas extraction process, and many speakers expressed concerns over its potential impact on the quality of water and of life in the county.

Eric Robison of the group Save Western Maryland said he was skeptical of the Maryland Department of the Environment’s ability to properly regulate the process.

“I really am concerned about how MDE … is going to be reacting to this,” he said. “This is completely new, and as far as I know they haven’t even written the book on this yet.”

Meanwhile, on the same night, approximately 40 people gathered in the Friendsville Town Hall for a meeting organized by Chief Oil & Gas, a company currently seeking to drill four Marcellus shale natural gas wells in the Friendsville area.

Chief has already secured most of the land leases it will require for those wells and is now pursuing permits required for preparation to drill, according to spokeswoman Kristi Gittins.

The company hopes to apply for its drilling permits in about two weeks, she said.

But first, Gittins said, the company is working on permits for seismic testing, which will allow its engineers to determine the best paths for steering the drills. It has also begun developing an erosion and sediment control plan for the county.

Gittins said the purpose of Thursday’s meeting — the first such the company has held in Garrett County — was “introducing ourselves and explaining how we plan to do business in the area.”

“We had landowners, city council members and the mayor of Friendsville there,” she said. “Both landowners that were leased to us and not leased to us.”

According to Gittins, Chief has been involved in extracting natural gas from shale formations since the mid-1990s, and started drilling its first well in the Marcellus shale in Pennsylvania in 2007.

The company now has about 100 wells drilled, and though slightly less than half of those are producing gas, it is collecting an average of 100 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.

Friendsville councilman Jess Whittemore said he was impressed with the polish of Chief’s presentation, in a meeting the company had declared was not public but which was attended by town and county officials and a mix of supporters and opponents of Marcellus shale drilling.

“The environmentalists were hammering them with all the smart questions and they had all the answers,” Whittemore said. “I learned an awful lot about it. They made me think that it could potentially be safe.”

But Whittemore, a self-described environmental advocate and skeptic of Marcellus shale drilling, said he still feels concerned that not enough is known about the impact of the process on the land and water.

“Us dumb people, including the people who run the state of Maryland, we’re sort of at their mercy,” he said. “I just hope the state of Maryland has people to keep us safe. … I think there could very well be not enough government study on this, and (drilling companies) are able to say these things because there’s no proof against it.”

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

Deep Creek Do It All specializes in cleaning services in Garrett County & @ Deep Creek Lake. Give them a call (301-501-0217) or visit the website – competitive rates and quality results from a locally owned & operated company!

Commissioners Hear Update Report On HART Animal Adoption Center

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HART for Animals president Mike Pellet presented an update report to the Garrett County commissioners on Tuesday about his group’s proposed adoption center. The facility is to be constructed along Bumble Bee Road on 6.5 acres of county-owned property.

“For the past two years, we’ve been working hard to privately fund the HART Animal Adoption Center,” Pellet said. “Thanks to the lease from the county, we have the property.”

He noted land has been cleared, a driveway has been installed, and final designs have been submitted by the architect.

“Our goal is to break ground the first quarter of next year,” Pellet said.

The president showed Commissioners Ernie Gregg and Fred Holliday architectural renderings of the center. Pellet said the facility will house 60 dogs, 20 puppies, 40 cats, and about 20 or 30 kittens.

The first phase of the center will cost about $600,000, with the total cost of the project being $1.2 million. Pellet noted all work has been done with private funds and donations.

“We’ve raised about $300,000 so far, and we have some other commitments,” he said. “So, within the next month or two, we think we’ll be pretty close to the initial $600,000, which will get us up and running.”

Read the full article here.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

Deep Creek Do It All specializes in cleaning services in Garrett County & @ Deep Creek Lake. Give them a call (301-501-0217) or visit the website – competitive rates and quality results from a locally owned & operated company!

Planning Dept. Provides Bldg. Permits Report

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Nov. 18, 2010

Garrett County Department of Planning and Land Development staff members provided an update report on their recent activities and projects for the county commissioners on Tuesday.

Permits and Inspections Division chief Jim Torrington reported that the number of commercial permits issued between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31 of this year increased by nearly 281 percent, compared to the same period last year. This is mainly because of wind turbine construction, he noted.

In 2009, 21 commercial permits for taxable structures were issued during the first 10 months of that year. Eighty were issued for that same period this year.

The builder declared value of this year’s structures is nearly $156 million, or an increase of about 1,971 percent, when compared to last year’s value of $7.5 million.

Director John Nelson noted that Torrington’s office has received preliminary concept plans for four Marcellus shale drilling sites: one along Frazee Ridge Road and three along Old Morgantown Road.

He said the Marcellus Gas Advisory Committee met for the first time on Monday. It was primarily an orientation event in which group members reviewed information and went over what their responsibilities will be.

Nelson also reported that Garrett County Planning Commission members have reviewed and submitted their comments on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Impaired Waters and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) draft.

Read the full article here.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

Deep Creek Do It All specializes in cleaning services in Garrett County & @ Deep Creek Lake. Give them a call (301-501-0217) or visit the website – competitive rates and quality results from a locally owned & operated company!

Snow in Garrett County for Thanksgiving?

Baltimore Sun

Brian Edwards, a meteorologist with the State College, Pa.-based forecasting service, said most of Maryland is not expected to see anything more disruptive than rain through the Thanksgiving weekend. He said there could be Great Lakes-effect snow to the north and west but that temperatures ii Maryland are not expected to drop to a level where snow or ice can form…

And surprise of surprises, Garrett County could have snow by late that weekend.

Read the full article here.

🙂

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

Deep Creek Do It All specializes in cleaning services in Garrett County & @ Deep Creek Lake. Give them a call (301-501-0217) or visit the website – competitive rates and quality results from a locally owned & operated company!