Donald F. Boesch
Regional Boards and Committees
Harmful
Algal Technical Advisory Committee
Snakehead
Scientific Advisory Panel
Chesapeake Research
Consortium
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
I serve or have served on a number of boards and committees for important programs and organizations within Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay region:
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The Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) is a the standing group of scientific advisors for the multistate-federal Chesapeake Bay Program, a model program for coastal and watershed restoration. I led STAC's Chesapeake Futures Project.
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The Maryland Coastal Bays Program, an element of the U.S. EPA's National Estuary Program, is addressing the complex of bays between the Atlantic coast barrier islands and the mainland of Delmarva. I served as the first chair the STAC for the Maryland Coastal Bays Program.
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When in 1997 it appeared that there may be outbreaks of toxic microorganisms associated with fish maladies and fish kills in some Chesapeake Bay tributary estuaries, the Secretary of Maryland's Department of Natural Resources asked me to assemble and chair a Harmful Algal Technical Advisory Committee (HATAC) to provide independent advice to state government's assessments and actions. Through a number of workshops and annual meetings, HATAC has continued to play an important role in the state's responses.
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In 2002, I was asked by the Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources to head a scientific advisory panel to provide advice on steps to control the northern snakehead, a non-native fish which had successfully reproduced in a pond in Maryland. This fish has gained international notoriety. The first report of the panel deals with eradication of the fish in the pond.
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The Chesapeake Research Consortium (CRC) is an organization of six major universities and research institutions. It provides institutional support to the CBP's STAC, operates a management fellows program, holds conferences and workshops, and coordinates collaborative research activities among member institutions. I serve as the University System of Maryland's principal representative on the CRC Board.
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The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is a regional nonprofit organization that builds and fosters partnerships to protect and to restore the Bay and its rivers. Through its widely acclaimed Bay Journal, the ACB serves an important function of timely communication of information among Bay Program participants and citizens. As a past-chair, I serve as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors.
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The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is an educational and environmental advocacy organization with over 116,000 members. CBF's mission is to restore and sustain the Bay's ecosystem by substantially improving water quality and productivity of the watershed, with respect to water clarity, resilience of the system, and diversity and abundance of living resources, and to maintain a high quality of life for the people of the Chesapeake Bay region. I served as a member of the Foundation's Board of Trustees for nine years and was reappointed as a Trustee in 2004.
- The Governor's Chesapeake Bay Cabinet is a subcabinet council of Maryland's Governor for interagency coordination and integration of Chesapeake Bay-related activities. I serve as the University System of Maryland's principal representative on the Bay Cabinet. Governor Martin O'Malley has, through this council, initiated BayStat Chesapeake to assure that Bay management and restoration programs are reaching their maximum efficiency and that together they complement each other to assure maximum overall efficiency and effectivenss.