Success Stories in Habitat Protection

Invasive Plant Removal

• From 2009 to 2010, Sierra Club volunteers removed invasive plants from the Blue Mash Nature Trail in Laytonsville, Rock Creek Park in Chevy Chase, and the Underground Railroad Experience Trail in Sandy Spring to ensure the survival of native trees and plants and to restore these parks to their wild and natural state.
• In 2009, a partnership was created at the Blue Mash Nature Trail with the County's Department of Environmental Protection and the Montgomery County Bird Club to observe the relationship between bird diversity and habitat, remove invasive plants, and return the area into a birding hot spot.
• On January 19, 2009, 120 volunteers from 10 states—including Congresswoman Donna Edwards—heard President Obama's call to service and joined us on the National Day of Service. The ground was frozen, and it even snowed while we were there, but our volunteers really made a difference by removing massive oriental bittersweet vines from the park's native trees.

Lobbying and Legislation

• The Sierra Club helped to advocate for the County Council Forest Conservation Law (FCL) penalties resolution (Resolution 15-1271), which passed December 13, 2005. Resolution 15-1271 raises the civil penalty for clearing forest in knowing violation of the county's Forest Conservation Law to $9/sq. ft. and the fee in lieu of reforestation to $.90/sq. ft. This action was prompted by Washington Redskin's owner Dan Snyder's decision to clear-cut trees on his property, near the C&O Canal.
• As one of the loosely affiliated Stormwater Partners, the Sierra Club supported a small increase in the Water Quality Protection Charge to fund $1.25 million in storm water retention devices such as:
  • Rain gardens
  • Bioretention cells
  • Green roofs
  • Rain barrels
  The money will provide grants, incentives and staff to assist and encourage public and private landowners to manage rainwater where it falls, rather than have it run through our streets, become polluted, and then enter our irreplaceable waterways.
  The initiative funds the Department of Environmental Protection's Rainscapes Rewards Program, which began January 1, 2008. The Rainscapes Rewards Rebate Program is available to County property owners outside of the municipal limits of the cities of Gaithersburg, Rockville and Takoma Park. Programs available to property owners in these municipalities are given in the sidebar.
  The hard work of Stormwater Partners, of which, Sierra Club is a member, helped ensure the passage of the County's new Stormwater Codes in July 2010. The new law now requires builders to use "Environmental Site Design" techniques such as green roofs, green walls, street-side rain gardens, and cisterns to harvest rainwater on-site.
• The Sierra Club lobbied hard for the establishment of the County's Legacy Open Space program. This program purchases property in the County and protects it from future development. Its creation in 2000 was a big success! But the work is not over—these days, we lend our support to specific acquisition requests, when natural habitat is in danger.
• Using funds the County received from the state in exchange for land it transferred to create the Intercounty Connector, our efforts led to the acquisition of property in the vicinity of Fairland Recreational Park and McKnew Local Park.
• On March 31, 2009, the County Council approved an appropriation for new infrastructure on the Montgomery College's Germantown campus that would destroy a 50-acre mature upland forest. In an April 22, 2009, letter to the Gazette, eight organizations including the Montgomery County Sierra Club expressed concern over the loss of the forest. County planners recommended against locating a hospital within the forest and stream buffer area and the matter goes to the Planning Board.

Public Outreach and Education

• Since the fall of 2008, we have visited a restored landfill with personnel from the County's Division of Solid Waste Services, examined stormwater problems and solutions, and took a tour of native plant and environmental gardens at Brookside Gardens.
• Our winter 2010 lecture program featured leading experts on sustainable landscaping, storm water management, integrating native plants into landscapes, invasive species management, and options for resolving land use and environmental issues.
• We compiled databases containing information on native plant nurseries, landscape architects, and licensed tree arborists.
• Through the Trees for School Project, we have supported the planting of a total of 172 trees at 27 schools and the Lathrop E. Smith Environmental Education Center. This project is a Sierra Club project with TREE-MENDOUS MARYLAND. At Forest Knolls Elementary, the planting of 20 trees involved 25 classes and approximately 500 children who learned about the importance of trees and carrying for our natural environment.

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