BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND ANNUAL MEETINGS.

Annual report of Cove Point Natural Heritage Trust 2022-2023

In accordance with the Agreement, for 2022-2023 the Cove Point Natural Heritage Trust consisted of seven Trustees and the Business Manager. Trustees from Cove Point LNG LP were Frank Brayton, and Mike Gardner. Trustees from Maryland Conservation Council (MCC) were Karen Meadow and Millie Kriemelmeyer. Paulette Hammonds served as Trustee before she and Karen were replaced by Ralph Eshelman and Gary Ressing. Trustees from Sierra Club Maryland Chapter were Lila West and Ron Klauda. Mike Rudy was the trustee elected by the organizational trustees to represent the community. The Business Manager was Bob Boxwell.

The three member organizations approved the Trust’s budget and appointed their Trustees.

Cove Point LNG LP trustees advised the board about relevant matters at the LNG plant and the natural area outside the fence.

Ruth Mathes Scholarship Fund is held as a separate account at Bernstein. The College of Southern Maryland, Morgan State University, St. Mary’s College of Maryland and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science are the benefactors. The board set aside the Dominion gift of $250,000 in our account at Bernstein’s to serve as the Ruth Mathes Fund Scholarship Endowment. Fall of 2022 and Spring of 2023 saw funding for St. Mary’s College and the College of Southern Maryland, with over $5,000 awarded.

The Trust’s investments remained with Bernstein Wealth Management. The annual audit was performed by Askey, Askey and Associates, CPA, LLC. Financial documents are available for review upon request.

The accountant is Fernandes DeGennaro and Associates, and the bank account is with the Community Bank of the Chesapeake. We continue to hold short-term investment accounts with Bernstein Wealth Management to provide a better return for funds. These are drawn on to provide operating expenses as needed.

An office was maintained at the Hellen Creek Forest and Wildlife Preserve (HCFWP) located at 11785 Clifton Drive in Lusby, Maryland.

With the removal of the pandemic restrictions, outreach events began to reappear. Additional opportunities also arose (see outreach).

The HCFWP and house were maintained by the Business Manager.

The Hemlock Preserve easement was monitored in February of 2023.

The Webster Street Marsh Preserve continued to revert to marsh.

The remaining agricultural and residential lots on Turner Road were sold. CPNHT retains 67 acres of fields, woods, and the blue barn.

The following reports for 2022-2023 were submitted by the Business Manager:

Correspondence

• Maintained web site and maintained Facebook account.

• Sign-on letters with Sustainable Calvert Network on local land preservation issues.

Meetings (all online except as noted)

• Staff attended meetings of the Friends of St. Leonard Creek.

• Staff attended meetings of the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust (PTLT).

• Staff attended meetings of the Sierra Club Southern Maryland Group.

• Staff attended meetings of the Sustainable Calvert Network (SCN).

• Staff attended (in person) the open event of the Southern Maryland Conservation Alliance (SMCA).

Strategic Planning

• Investigated properties within the Patuxent watershed for preservation through county and State programs.

• Business Manager was an active member of American Chestnut Land Trust’s (ACLT) science committee.

• Trustees, and staff discussed potential future plans for the Turner Road property.

• A Capitol Improvement document was framed and the hiring of a consultant Encompass to develop plans for remodeling of office and Turner Road barn.

• Meeting with Environmental Commission and then county staff to update them on our future plans.

Outreach

• Held four seasonal public outings and two workdays at HCFWP.

• Help staff Insectival at AMG.

• Sponsored and lead walks at local Osprey Festival.

• Staff attended meetings as a board member of the Southern Calvert Land Trust.

• Staff attended annual meetings of SCLT and Southern Maryland Group of the Sierra Club.

Education

• Revision of display materials and outreach effort.

• Helped plan and staff Master Naturalist program at Elms Environmental Center.

• Booths at Patuxent River Appreciation Day at Calvert Marine Museum, the Osprey Festival at Drum Point, Green Market at Annmarie Gardens (AMG).

• Staffed two nature themed summer camps at Camp Maria in Leonardtown.

Land Management

• Continued invasive plant removal efforts.

• Spring cleanup at office including yards, driveway, and shed.

• Implementation of suggested practices to reduce tree blow down and associated debris.

• Deer management hunting program at Turner Road.

• Continued biological monitoring programs for plants, birds, amphibians, and reptiles.

• Maintained trails and continued clean-up of Hilltop and Hellen Creek sites.

• Maintained and repaired deer exclosures for native plant gardens at office and along streamside.

• Monitored three properties for PTLT.

• Maintained garden at our Turner Road sign.

• State treatment of hemlocks on Hellen Creek to combat the wooly adelgid continues.

• Management of rental property and repairs to sale.

• Yard maintenance of rental property at 1455 to sale.

Research

• Approved over $10,280 in funding for the following projects.

• Funded plant survey monitoring at Cove Point beach and marsh easement for RTE species.

• Funded oyster research and monitoring for the St. Mary’s River Watershed Association.

• Funded zircon analysis (from earlier contract).

• Assisted with and organized volunteer effort to do daytime monitoring of horseshoe crab populations.

• Staff monitored bluebird trail at Cove Point LNG site (see web site for reports) and one on Turner Road.

• Continued data collection at preserves for Breeding Bird Atlas.

• Staff organized and ran two Important Bird Area routes for ACLT.

• Assisted grassland birds nesting project at Sotterly.

Grants and donations

• Provided funding for AMG expansion of Nature Nook and Community Garden ($15,000).

• Agreed to fund county non-tidal water monitoring ($20,000) contingent on other grants being successful.

• Sponsored the Osprey festival and Green Market at Drum Point and Annmarie Garden.