Pacemaker Fishing Forum

The NoVA Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) will hold their next meeting on Wednesday, September 9 at 7 PM at the Grace Presbyterian Church, 2381 Cedar Lane, Vienna.

CCA Patuxent River Chapter leaders Scott McGuire and James Cotugno, who have been very involved in leading a project of restoring native Oysters to the Chesapeake Bay, will be our speakers. This is an opportunity to hear them talk about this very significant Grassroots project and perhaps we will have an opportunity to participate with them this Fall with their hands-on work in Southern Maryland.

We will also be discussing fishing plans for the Fall Season.

This meeting is open to the public - and we always encourage you to bring a guest.

Directions from 495 Beltway:
Take Exit 51 – Gallows Road toward Tysons Corner– go > 3.1 miles
Turn left on Idylwood Road – go .4 miles
Turn left on Cedar Lane – go .3 miles, 2381 Cedar Lane is on the left.
Park in the rear, enter rear door.

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CCA Maryland Receives Grant for Oyster Restoration

CCA Maryland’s expanding oyster restoration efforts received a boost when it became a partner in Gov. Martin O’Malley’s Marylanders Grow Oysters (MGO) program that will provide the chapter 200 cages and spat to be used by local property owners. This will raise the number of oysters the chapter plans to plant this summer to 1.5 million.

“While we understand our work, by itself, will not restore the Chesapeake Bay’s oyster population, we are having an impact not only on water quality but, perhaps more importantly, in educating local citizens about the importance of oysters and clean water,” said Scott McGuire, president of CCA Maryland’s Patuxent River Chapter which is spearheading the state’s oyster work.

Last summer, more than 64,000 oysters were planted in two creeks which feed the Patuxent River. With the MGO grant and an earlier $25,000 grant from The Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion Resources, up to 375 waterfront residents will work with CCA Maryland in growing oysters that will be placed on sanctuaries when they reach adult size.

CCA Maryland works with the homeowners in helping them understand the water filtering value of oysters, obtaining the cages and spat, placing them on their piers, and knowing what needs to be done to maintain the cages. CCA Maryland hopes to plant oysters in an additional six creeks feeding the Patuxent this summer.