When Maryland passed a ban on fracking in 2017, legislators, citizens, and nonprofit organizations let out a sigh of relief. At the time, it was the only legislative ban in the United States, making it a landmark achievement. The years-long battle also showed powerful gas and oil executives that citizens have the power to choose.
Three state Senators, including Mike McKay, who represents Garrett, Allegany, and Washington Counties, have cosponsored a bill to upend the ban and allow fracking in the state. Interestingly, none of the bill’s sponsors live in Garrett County. The Education, Energy, and Environment Committee will hear testimony on bill SB0878, “Oil and Natural Gas – Hydraulic Fracturing – Authorization,”at 1:00 PM on February 27th in Annapolis. Your opinion can greatly influence the outcome of the hearing, like it did in 2017.
The committee and the cosponsors of the bill need to know that people from Garrett County and beyond have not changed their minds about fracking. Horizontal gas drilling has been proven to cause significant environmental damage, negative health impacts, and disruption of businesses and residents. The technique uses massive amounts of water that is removed from local water sources during the drilling process.
When fracking was still a consideration, it was estimated that 438 wells would be drilled by 2025, which would require 3.5 billion gallons of water. That demand during the drought of 2024 would have been catastrophic. The process adds an undisclosed chemical cocktail to the water, turning it into toxic wastewater when it’s extracted from the well. The disposal of fracking waste is an ongoing quandary.
This is just one of many reasons to write to the committee. The button below will take you to a dedicated web page to walk you through the steps of submitting written and oral testimony, as well as submitting letters to the committee members in advance of the hearing. Remember, you don’t need to be an expert on natural gas development to know it’s not right for Garrett County. You’ll also find a list of talking points, expanded information on fracking, and a sample letter to get you started. What you think matters! Help your state’s representatives make informed decisions based on people who live in Maryland.
Thank you from your friends at Engage Mountain Maryland.
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Jay Ferguson
Who I Am
My name is Jay Ferguson, and I am a lifelong resident of the Deep Creek Lake area. I am also co-owner of the real estate side of Taylor Made. I have been in the real estate business for 21+ years now and I LOVE what I do! I have to say, my career really took off when I co-founded the real estate side of Taylor Made in 2014. Its been an amazing experience, building a real estate company from the ground up and achieving so much so quickly! In August 2016, we purchased Long & Foster Real Estate Deep Creek, where I had started my career in 2000. In 2018, we on-boarded virtually every agent from Coldwell Banker Deep Creek Realty as they closed up shop and the real estate family grew even more! We now have over 40 sales agents and have expanded to West Virginia and Pennsylvania, as well. Taylor Made is the #1 vacation rental company at Deep Creek with over 475 vacation rental homes, and over one hundred thousand yearly visitors. Its amazing what we have accomplished using the principles of honesty, teamwork and customer service!
Personally, my wife Jessica and I enjoy traveling and especially spending time in the outdoors, hiking and exploring the many diverse areas that Garrett County is naturally blessed with. We have raised two wonderful children here, Kayleah (22) and Noah (13). In the summer, we love spending time on the water with friends & family and enjoying the lake life! We are both active in our church, our community & local school activities, and we fill our schedule with plenty of volunteer efforts. I currently serve on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity. I am proud to say that I was named Deep Creek Time’s Favorite ‘Community Champion’ in 2019. I was also named Garrett County Realtor of the Year in 2018-19, as well.
I really enjoy promoting my hometown. I am very proud of the resort area that has developed over my lifetime and look forward to growing the area even more! Deep Creek Lake has been described as ‘The Lake Tahoe of the east', and I think that speaks volumes about the potential to own property here! Deep Creek Lake isn't really a town or city by itself; it's comprised of three towns: Oakland, Swanton & McHenry, Maryland. I am very passionate about my hometown and am impressed with how many people know about it as we travel around the country. Deep Creek Lake is an amazing place to visit and even better place to live! During the pandemic in 2020, our market exploded and more and more people left their primary residence in the city to live here permanently. With distance learning in schools and tele-commuting becoming the ‘norm’, many more people were drawn to the area to ‘live where they love to play’.
Why You Want Me Working for You: In addition to being an owner, I am consistently one of the top-producing agents in the entire area and the Associate Broker of record for Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations & Sales. I have 21+ years of experience and I am a problem solver. There aren’t many situations that I have not encountered and I have a strategy for almost every scenario that you may encounter. I
have extensively trained in all areas of real estate & emerging technologies, and also have trained as an appraiser, as well as served as a full-time Broker. I have a strong knowledge of the industry, as well as many trusted local contacts & affiliations that allow me to perform at a very high level and deliver results. I have a great deal of respect for my peers in this industry and have strong working relationships that I would love to put to work for you.
Call me to discuss your situation - I know I can be of great service to you & others you care about!
Honesty. Integrity. Results.
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