Calvert County, Md., residents who fear their homes may fall into the Chesapeake Bay might have reason for hope.
NBC4’s Chris Gordon previously reported that erosion to Calvert County cliffs is threatening homeowners who have seen their homes become closer and closer to the edge of the cliffs.
The Maryland Cliff Erosion Steering Committee presented an eight-month report to the Calvert County Broad of Commissioners Tuesday. The report asks for federal assistance in the form of funding and engineering expertise, according to the Maryland Department of Human Resources.
In March, Gordon spoke with Lusby resident Bill Carmichael who has seen his backyard decrease from 60 feet to 26 feet deep. The erosion has already taken his hot tub.
“It had fallen down the side of the cliff along with the property it was built on,” Carmichael told Gordon.
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has been working with legislatures from the state to explore federal assistance options for impacted residents, according the Maryland Department of Human Resources.
Gordon previously reported that one obstacle to stopping the erosion was potential the destruction of the natural habitat of the puritan tiger beetle, an endangered species, that resides in parts of the cliffs.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
The report asks for state and federal funding to help protect the beetle’s habitat and proposed accepting the loss of some beetles. The report states that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently working on guidelines that would make this possible.
The report can be seen online at http://www.co.cal.md.us/assets/SteeringCommitteeDraftReport.pdf.
