Monthly meeting, Tuesday Dec. 10th at 7 PM

Our monthly meeting will take place Tuesday at Mary Rooker's house. See this document for directions.

Ten Mile Creek Hearing Tonight

Tim Willard , County Green Party Co-Chair, will be testifying tonight at the Montgomery County Council hearing on Ten Mile Creek. The hearing is at 100 Maryland Av in Rockville at 7:30 PM in the third floor hearing room, tonight, Dec. 5 . It would be great if you could be there to support him. The draft of his testimony is here.

Sometime after the hearing the council will vote on the bill, the Ten Mile Creek Limited Master Plan Amendment. We are asking you to contact your members on the County Council and tell them you find this amendment unacceptable since it allows far too much development, won’t protect our region’s emergency drinking water supply, and threatens our last, best creek in the county.

You can get phone numbers, etc, to contact the council at their contact page.

Thanks for your support!

Ten Mile Creek video

Check out this brand-new video made by , Cathy Wiss at the Audubon Naturalist Society:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYWt31WoRiE .
The video follows the creek from its headwaters to Little Seneca Lake.  You will see a crayfish crawling on rocks; cows grazing; horses playing in the fields; a family of deer; butterflies sipping nectar; evidence of beaver; Canada geese; and hear a chorus of songbirds and tree frogs -- only a few of the creatures that make this healthy watershed their home.

Testimony to be given to County Council on Animal Husbandry Zoning

Farmed Animals in Residential Areas: Executive Summary

(Testimony to be given in County Council hearing Nov. 12th)



Prepared by Mary A. Rooker
Summarized below are suggestions and environment, health, backyard slaughter, and disposal of post-egg laying hens concerns related to ZTA changes to Section 3.2.11.1 Environmentalists who have only superficially studied the issue assume—incorrectly—that backyard chickens will reduce conventional chicken and egg consumption. Those who have thoroughly studied the issue and explored the many myths conclude that backyard chickens are environmentally unsound.
Suggestions:
1. Withhold future expansions of animal husbandry until environmental impact assessments can be performed.
2. If the environmental impacts are not acceptable to the Council, maintain the current (old) setbacks and regulations and assess any additional needed restrictions.
3. If the environmental impacts are acceptable to the Council, consider alleviating the most severe damage by allowing them only when soil, sloping, and water tables (especially springs, wells, and streams) are not an issue (see Virginia law,2 for example); ensure that proper composting protocols are followed; restrict the maximum number of animals allowed per household to 5, not 8; and establish a simple permitting process so the County can monitor the number and location of residential area animals for ongoing environmental assessment and any other concerns. Washington, D.C., already has a model we could adapt, and national experts also offer sample regulation and permitting standards for municipalities to consider and adopt.
4. A permitting process would also allow full education, minimize groundwater contamination, and ensure that homeowners wanting such chickens do not acquire chickens only to learn later that they cannot have them.
5. For chicken health, include links to comprehensive resources on proper chicken care and establish regulations to ensure minimum standards of care, including specifications for coop size. For human health, consider policies that discourage human consumption of eggs and chicken (see “Health Issues,” below).

PDF of full document

Local Monthly Meeting:

Tuesday, Nov. 19, 7-9 pm

804 Larch Avenue
Takoma Park, MD

 

Topic: National Health Care Options with George Gluck


George Gluck, consultant on health care information systems to national organizations, will present an overview of the various health care options used in the US, Canada, and Europe, including the Affordable Care Act, known as "Obamacare," and single payer health care.  He brings many years of research on national programs and will answer questions about the new Act's practical implementation and political implications.

Directions

Reminder - meeting Tuesday Oct 15 in Takoma Park!

See the entry below about the speaker, David Brosch.

Shoe-Free House.
 If possible, please remove your shoes on entering. I have extra slippers/socks, or you can bring your own. If you prefer to keep your shoes on, I also have hospital-style shoe covers. Thanks!

Parking: Please park directly in front of my house on my side of the street or, if possible, at the corners at either end of the street. Most of my neighbors either have lots of cars or are territorial, and I have a lot of events at my house to annoy them. Thanks for helping to keep the peace.

Directions to Mary "Tyrtle" Rooker's:
804 Larch Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912
(301) 891-1288
from the Metro (www.wmata.com) :
(Note: I'm about 3 blocks from the bus stop)

1. Take Red Line in whatever direction leads to the Takoma Station.
2. Get off at the Takoma Exit (between Fort Totten and Silver Spring)
3. Take #16 Ride On Bus (about a 7-minute trip) to Elm Street and East-West Highway (Rt. 410)

 More extensive directions from other departure points
 Tues October 15, 7 p.m.
804 Larch Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912

Video of Petitioning Instructions

We've created a video with instructions for petitioners. Take a look!