The Potomac Valley Audubon Society will sponsor a field trip to watch migrating eagles and hawks in the Harpers Ferry area of Jefferson County, W.Va., on Saturday, Nov. 7. The primary migrants at this time should be golden eagles and northern goshawks. Local birding expert Matt Orise will lead the trip. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the entrance to the Martin's Supermarket in the Jefferson Crossroads shopping center on U.S. 340, across from Charles Town Races and Slots. From there, participants will travel to a location that offers access to an overlook of the Shenandoah Valley. Length of stay will be determined by weather conditions. Rain cancels. For more information, call 304-261-5602 or e-mail wvbirder@comcast.net.

Watermen call fordevelopment moratorium

The Maryland Watermen's Association is calling for a moratorium on development and all construction on the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area until sewage treatment plants are upgraded with new technology to remove nutrients of nitrogen and phosphorus. The nutrients are responsible for creating algae blooms, which lead to increasing areas called "dead zones," or areas with no dissolved oxygen, where everything dies, according to a MWA press release.

Larry Simns, president of the MWA, says that under the state's new tributary strategy only 76 of the 300 sewage treatment plants in the state will be upgraded, and of those 76 only 13 have been upgraded and the deadline for completion of the upgrades has been pushed back from 2011 to 2015. The MWA also says septic systems are also in need of upgrading, particularly the 52,000 within 1,000 feet of tidal waters in the critical area.

"At the rate the targeted upgrades are slipping backwards, in Maryland alone, and the horrible history of meeting clean up deadlines by all levels of government, the bay will be dead by 2015 unless Mother Nature comes in and rescues us with a hurricane or something like that," Simns said.

NRA to launch new outdoor show in Westminster

The National Rifle Association's Hunter Services Department will launch the NRA Great American Hunting and Outdoor Show in January at the Carroll County Agriculture Center Shipley Arena in Westminster. Many of the East Coast's top hunting, outdoor and shooting sports retailers have already signed on as exhibitors. Nationally-known hunting and outdoor personalities will also be speaking at seminars during the show. Show dates are Jan. 29 to 31.

Pa. trail informationon interactive website

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in Harrisburg, Pa., has launched a website to help people search, view, map and share information on the thousands of miles of trails in Pennsylvania at www.explorepatrails.com. The site offers a changing featured trail, a search option for finding trails and a calendar of trail-related events. There is also information about hiking, biking, canoeing, state parks and forests, rail-trails, cross-country skiing, and trails for horseback riding, snowmobiles and ATVs.

-- Susan Guynn

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