Early in October 1998 an article appeared in the Baltimore Sun announcing an "open house" in Oella to present plans for a trail network linking historic sites along the Patapsco River. For many of the hundred or so people who attended, this was the first introduction to the Patapsco Heritage Greenway, a publicly funded planning process that has been underway for several years and that is intended to be "a catalyst for coordinating investment, promoting cooperation, and developing a comprehensive strategy for using the Patapsco River Valley's heritage resources." The open house, it turned out, was the first test of public opinion and the results surprised nearly everyone.

Three options presented!

The first of three options prepared and presented that evening by an urban planning consultant, the Recreational River Valley, would "maximize the greenway setting" with land and river trails and make the Patapsco Valley State Park a regional recreational destination, but would be dependent on adequate funding for the park and would have the comparative "weakness of little economic potential."

The second, the River of History, would focus on the Patapsco's industrial history and give visitors a chance to learn about and "experience the rich social history" and could feature a funicular from the Ellicott City Court House, a major visitor center, and convert of the mill into a conference center. The weakness of this option would be lack of investment in the park and uncertainty about generating economic return.

The third option, the River Industry Communities, would require the most community involvement and provide the greatest economic opportunity by featuring shopping, dining, and lodging in Oella and Elkridge, and special events such as ethnic festivals. A particularly controversial element in all these options is a 10-foot wide paved bicycle path (with an additional clearing of 15 feet of vegetation), to replace an existing foot trail through a forested buffer zone. $1.2 million of federal TEA-21 money is slated for this "bike trail" with no environmental review provided.

The following day the Sun headline declared that the "Greenway Proposal Hits a Wall...Draws Angry Crowd." The Sun article went on to quote residents who called for an assessment of environmental impacts, voiced alarm about tourists crowding their neighborhoods and increased traffic congestion, and expressed concerns about harm to the river's ecology and its watershed. A second public meeting, originally scheduled for November, was promptly postponed so planners could meet with smaller community groups and counter opposition before taking the plan to county and state officials for approval and funding.

The Setting

The Patapsco Valley State Park is Maryland's oldest State Park. Begun with a donation of land in 1907, the Park preserves approximately 25 linear miles of undeveloped, forested stream valley land along the Patapsco River in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, and Carroll Counties, encompassing 15,000 acres and five developed areas. The Park's forested riparian buffer protects water quality, controls erosion and flooding, and provides critical fish and wildlife habitat in the most densely populated region of the State. Due to its central location and natural beauty, the park is the most heavily visited state park in Maryland, with a conservative estimate of over 850,000 visitors annually. The Department of Natural Resources states that overcrowding is already a problem.

The Patapsco/Back River Basin drains about 630 square miles of land, with a population of 1,473,000. The basin's 52 miles of river support over 40 species of fish, including white and yellow perch, spot, American shad, and large and smallmouth bass. Fly fishing is a popular activity. The downstream area also supports commercially productive oyster bars in the main stem of the Chesapeake Bay.

According to the Application for Recognition as a Heritage Area, vegetation of the Patapsco River Basin includes 49 deciduous overstory tree species, 23 deciduous understory species, and 16 ground cover species. A total of 22 plant species have been placed on the State list of rare, threatened and endangered species by the Maryland Natural Heritage program. Many mammal species common to the Eastern Piedmont inhabit the park. There have been confirmed sightings of 11 different salamanders, 12 toads and frogs, 17 different snakes, and 13 types of turtles. The park is also rich in bird species, with 85 confirmed sightings of different bird species, including bald eagle, great blue heron, and various forest interior dwelling birds.

In 1995, Governor Glendening appointed "Tributary Teams" to work cooperatively towards the goal of reducing nutrient inputs into the Chesapeake Bay. In the 1998 Annual Report, the Patapsco
/Back River Team described nitrogen levels as poor to very poor throughout the Basin, while phosphorus levels vary from good to very poor. Through the Team's newly formed Forest Conservation and Restoration Workgroup, they are developing a workplan for Stream ReLeaf, determining what the Team can do to plant buffers, as well as conserve forest lands.

Citizen concerns about the environment and public funds.

In mid-January the Maryland Conservation Council (MCC), a statewide coalition of over 20 environmental organizations including the Sierra Club, passed a resolution calling on Governor Glendening to place a hold on construction of the paved bicycle path and initiate an in-depth environmental assessment of the entire Patapsco Heritage Greenway project, with full opportunity for public participation.

In their cover letter, MCC reminded the Governor that the primary purpose of the Patapsco Valley State Park is to conserve the natural and living resources of the Patapsco River Valley and contribute to the overall effort to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. "Not only are the destruction of riparian buffers and expansion of impermeable surfaces counterproductive to the Tributary Strategy effort to reduce nutrient loadings, these harmful activities are to be underwritten with tax money at the very same time that you have announced the goal of planting many miles of riverside forests."

What you can do!

Write to Governor Glendening and to your Delegates and Senator to state your support for a well-funded State Park System that emphasizes stewardship and public education; urge them to reject use of Program Open Space funding for economic development plans, oppose locating projects such as paved bike roads in riparian buffers and stream corridors, and to assure that all construction projects in Parks will be subject to full and open environmental review and public participation.

* If you live in Baltimore or Howard County, let your County Executive and Council know that you oppose public funding for economic development plans that encroach on public lands

* Join the Maryland Chapter's Public Lands Campaign--contact Joe Swope, Chair, Maryland Chapter Public Lands Committee tel. 301-432-2186 email jmtnbear@aol.com