Further, we have satellite photos of a Boeing 707 at a Iraqi camp where terrorists learned to take over planes. When U.S. forces captured the camp, its commander confirmed that al- Qaeda had trained there as early as 1997.
The fact is that this is a dangerous world and we have enemies who want to destroy us. It is too bad that it falls to America to deal with these threats, but nobody else is capable of it. Unfortunately, instead of showing how proud we should be as Americans that our president and our brave armed forces have rid the world of terrible evils, commentators like Reese constantly suggest that it is we who are in the wrong for fighting back.
Judy Warner
Rohrersville
Progress on the water front
To the editor:
As part of our efforts to enhance water quality in the Antietam watershed, on March 27 more than 90 volunteers joined the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and partners to complete a restoration planting at a farm in Smithsburg. Despite the dreary rain, volunteers schlepped 700 trees, shrubs and willow cuttings across a 600-foot floodplain and mucked across a wetland to get to the stream.
Our sincere appreciation goes to our many project partners including the Beaver Creek Watershed Association, Trout Unlimited, Federation of Fly Fishers, Boonsboro High School, Forest Service, Linganore High School, Antietam Watershed Association, and the Americorps program. We also would like to thank the Beaver Creek County Club, Roy Rogers and Subway for donating goods for lunch.
Five years ago, the farm's landowner, John Clagett, worked with the Soil Conservation District to fence cows out of the stream and reduce pollution. Erosion is now threatening the stream and his fencing. Forested buffers not only help reduce erosion, but also help filter runoff and reduce downstream flooding by allowing water to soak into the groundwater.
Through public/private partnerships, we can restore water quality in the Antietam Creek and its tributaries. The Bay Foundation, through its Farm Stewardship program, offers free fencing to exclude cattle from wetlands and waterways, as well as trees and shrubs to restore streams. If you have a farm in the watershed and are interested in restoring the creek on your property, please contact me at rschnabel@cbf.org or 443-482-2175.
In addition, our next Antietam Watershed project will be on Saturday, April 24. If you are interesting in volunteering, please call me.
Rob Schnabel
CBF Watershed Restoration Scientist
Annapolis, Md.
