'Saving the Chesapeake' Symposium, Nov. 19
November 10, 2009
Contact: University Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
The University of Baltimore School of Law will host its third annual "The Bay in Crisis: Saving the Chesapeake Bay" symposium on Thursday, Nov. 19. The daylong event, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Venable Baetjer Howard Moot Court Room located in the John and Frances Angelos Law Center (the School of Law building), 1415 Maryland Ave., will focus on the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake's native fish and shellfish. J. Charles Fox, special adviser to the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, will open the symposium with remarks at 10 a.m. Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler is scheduled to speak at 12:15 p.m. The event is free and open to the public; pre-registration is required (details below).
Last May, President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 13508 on Chesapeake Bay Restoration and Protection. The order, the first ever to focus specifically on the bay, sets a number of milestones for federal agencies to meet by 2011 and every two years thereafter. The full federal draft strategy, released Nov. 9, includes as one main area of focus the restoration of habitats, fish and wildlife. (The draft is available online at the Chesapeake Executive Order Web site.) The partnerships created by the president's executive order will support Maryland's own programs already in place to protect the Chesapeake.
Attendees at the event will hear both federal and state viewpoints on the state of the bay from its keynote speakers. Other panelists will include representatives from state and federal regulatory agencies, environmental watchdog groups, academic institutions and commercial trade organizations.
According to School of Law Professor Steven Davison, who is coordinating the event, Fox will focus his remarks on controlling pollution of the Chesapeake in order to protect and restore its fish and shellfish resources.
"Because one of the most valued aspects of the Chesapeake Bay for both recreational and commercial purposes is its bounty of fish and shellfish, this year's symposium appropriately focuses upon protection and restoration of those resources—especially the bay's blue crabs, oysters and rockfish."
For more information or to register for the symposium, call 410.837.4468 or visit the School of Law's Web page on the event. There is no charge to attend this event, but pre-registration is strongly suggested due to limited seating.
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the School of Law, the Yale Gordon College of Liberal Arts and the Merrick School of Business.