Protecting Maryland's Diamondback Terrapins

Taking firm steps to preserve an integral part of Maryland's environmental heritage, Governor Parris N. Glendening has issued an Executive Order establishing the Maryland Diamondback Terrapin Task Force, charged with studying current and future population trends of the Diamondback Terrapin and recommending measures to protect the species. The Governor also announced the Department of Natural Resources will fund ongoing Diamondback Terrapin research.

Meeting with elementary school students today at Horsehead Wetlands Center in Grasonville, Governor Glendening helped tag and release Diamondback Terrapins and accepted over $800 in change raised by some of the students to be used in Diamondback Terrapin restoration efforts. The students also presented the Governor with an award for his efforts to protect native species of the Chesapeake Bay.

"The Diamondback Terrapin is more than just a State symbol - it is also a critical part of our environment and must be protected," said Governor Glendening. "The goal of this task force is to assess the terrapin population and threats to their habitat, and develop strategies to ensure they continue to thrive in the Chesapeake Bay region."

There is currently no bay-wide assessment of the Diamondback Terrapin in Maryland and no way for scientists to know definitively whether its population is increasing or decreasing. At this time, signs of potential trouble include the recurrence of adult terrapins injured or killed by boat propeller blades and the occasional discovery of numbers of turtle carcasses floating in bay estuaries. Another problem is loss of habitat that occurs when human action removes access to the sandy beaches necessary for female turtles to lay their eggs.

Three years ago, Governor Glendening enacted a regulation that required all shorefront property owners in Maryland to install turtle excluder devices in their crab pots, a device that prevents turtles from entering the pot and becoming trapped.

Students from St. Mary's Elementary School in Annapolis presented the Governor with $867 in change raised through a dress-down day for use in terrapin restoration efforts. The Governor told the students that the Department of Natural Resources will provide $20,000 in internal funding for ongoing terrapin study efforts, in the wake of the rejection of a $100,000 supplemental budget proposal for the same program.

The Governor will appoint nine members to the Maryland Diamondback Terrapin Task Force, including a commercial waterman, a representative of the animal welfare community and an expert in the terrapin conservation field. The task force will examine current management practices for the terrapin and recommend measures needed to minimize further risk to the turtle and its habitat. A report of its findings will be submitted by the task force to the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources by October 1, 2001.

Posted: 4-12-2001