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Anne Arundel
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Anne Arundel
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Following introductions, the meeting @ South County Police Headquarters began at 7:15pm and our speaker, Doug Lipton, Coordinator of the Maryland Sea Grant Extension Program was introduced. As Professor of Marine Economics at the Univ. of Maryland, he has led two significant surveys in 1993 and 2000 of boating expenditures. These are the basis for assessing the economic impact and benefits of boating in Maryland. He presented many findings and figures, the most significant being that boating creates a $1.5 Billion contribution to the Maryland economy, in 2004, creating 27,000 jobs. This comes from approximately 205,000 boats registered with Maryland DNR, of which 12,250 are sailboats on the Chesapeake Bay, and 52,500 are inwater powerboats in the Bay. Of these, 21% are registered as having a home port in Anne Arundel County, of which boater expenditures also account for 26% of the State total. This 26% is the highest for any County in the State, and twice the amount in the next highest County. These figures do not include boat sales new & used. Doug has also conducted a Transient Boater Study and a Documented Boater Study to assess the economic impact of non-registered boats plying Maryland waters. There are 44,000 slips in Maryland (DNR figures), 4,900 available for transients, and 26,000 transients used these slips last year. The average is five boats use a transient slip per year. $154 Million/year is spent by transient boaters. The federal supplements to a working waterfront should include recreational boats. The revenue of 2,000 full time watermen average only $50,000/yr. In each of these surveys he has also attempted to assess the impact of environmental improvements on boating pleasures, and concludes that there are definite increases in boater benefits even if there's no measurable increase in economic impacts. After his presentation we had a lively Q&A period with much speculation about how the Bay could benefit if tax dollars were shared with the recreational boating industry in proportion to other industries that have similar economic impact. Bob Whitcomb then relayed his communications with the speakers at the previous meeting, and especially that both will keep him appraised of activities once the State Legislature convenes. Figures on the WIF financial status have been obtained, and show that the fund has been building a surplus over the last couple years. Bob also recently spoke with Merrill Plait, and learned that only two (of four) dredging projects will actually be undertaken this winter, and that there may be slippage in the project schedule presented to us by DPW last July. We discussed our strategies for lobbying the State and County to protect the WIF and to ensure projects are financed, and agreed that the emphasis this year may be on the County to budget sufficient resources to keep the dredging program on schedule. To this end, we will attempt to meet with Ron Bowen, Janet Owens, and selected Councilmen. Bob distributed the revised AAWRA flier, with the new logo, and will send it electronically to the Board. Jay Phillips, our treasurer, announced that he opened a AAWRA bank account at BB&T, deposited the member fee checks he.s received though the year, and will start to reimburse Directors for appropriate startup expenses. The next meeting is our annual meeting in January, but since the first Tuesday is the day after the New Years Holiday, Bob will announce a different date. We expect that our 2006 meeting schedule will be less frequent, yet still include the key elected and program officials that we have had as guest speakers this year. The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 pm. In addition to our speaker those in attendance were: Bob Whitcomb/Saefern Jay Phillips, DCET Steve Goins, Cape Anne Vern Penner/Amberley Christine Reinert, Poplar Point Mary Lawrence, Poplar Point Marguerite Whildern, Whitehall Beach |