Catoctin Group

The Maryland Chapter's Catoctin Group encompasses Carroll, Frederick and Washington counties in Maryland. The geography of the region and the area these counties cover offers a plethora of opportunities to explore nature.  But it presents a challenge to organizing our over 1,000 members, as it can take up to an hour to travel from Carroll and Washington counties to Frederick city, our historically central meeting place.

Carroll County

Carroll County lies in the Piedmont region of north-central Maryland between Baltimore and Frederick counties. Just under 456 square miles, it is about 27 miles in length and width at its greatest dimensions. Its elevations range from 300 feet above sea level in the southeast to 1,080 feet in the northeast. Home to forests, farms and wetlands, Carroll County sits in two major drainage basins: The Monocacy River to the west, which flows into the Potomac River, and the Patapsco or Gunpowder rivers to the east and south, all of which lead to the Cheasapeake Bay. Bear Branch and Piney Run nature centers and Morgan Run, a designated wild lands area, offer many recreational opportunities to the counties 168,541 of residents.

Frederick County

Bordered by the Potomac River and Pennsylvania, Frederick County is a transition county from the Piedmont in the east to the first ridges of the Appalachians and continuing west. Rolling hills of mostly farmland and small communities dominate the east. The county boasts a population of 220,000 residents. At the center is Frederick city, Maryland’s second largest city with about 59,000 inhabitants. To the west and north are the Catoctin Mountains, which are protected by Gambrill State Park, the Frederick Watershed, Cunningham Falls State Park and Catoctin Mountain National park. These parks offer numerous hiking trails, including the 28-mile Catoctin Trail, the longest in the region. Fifty-eight miles of the Monocacy River, nearly its entire length, is in Frederick County and is navigable when water levels are sufficient. The C&O Canal National Park parallels the Potomac River through the county, and the old C&O towpath has been preserved as a hiking and biking trail.

Washington County

The South Mountain ridgeline forms the border between Frederick and Washington counties. The Appalachian Trail winds its 40 miles through Maryland along this ridgeline.

Environmental Challenges

The greatest environmental challenges these counties face are population growth and suburban sprawl due to the spread east and north of the greater Baltimore and Washington metropolitan areas. As predominately agricultural counties, none have been designed for commuting: there is very little mass transit and planning processes have lacked vision. While there are many excellent recreational walking and biking trails, none were designed to be practical alternatives to driving. The water supply is also strained, and in some areas polluted, and the air pollution across the counties has been getting worse.

Catoctin Group Action and Activity

The Catoctin Group has been very active in working with and supporting other grass roots groups to help address these issues in an intelligent and environmentally sound way.

We organize a variety of informational gatherings throughout the year and recently launched Cool Cities campaigns in Carroll and Frederick counties. We are currently working to do more programs in Washington County.

The Sierra Club Catoctin Group also runs a number of hikes in and around the three-county area yearly. We are looking for new Outings Leaders from all three counties, who would be interested in leading hikes, boat trips or other activities. The only experience necessary is a love of the outdoors – the Sierra Club provides training. We also have a tradition of "Second Tuesday" socials at Brewers Alley on Market Street in downtown Frederick 6 to 8 p.m. the second Tuesday of every month. And we are planning a film series about energy for early 2007.

Turn your interest into action

Currently, we are a five-member executive committee (excom) elected to two-year terms. However, we have lots of room to grow and would welcome more help. We are now accepting nominations for the 2007-2009 term. If you live in Carroll, Frederick or Washington counties, please consider volunteering for a seat on the excom. We especially need people interested in chairing our conservation and political committees and putting out a newsletter. If this level of engagement is out of the question, but you’d like to get more involved, consider helping us organize a program, join the Cool Cities initiatives, lead a a hike or just join a hike or attend a film or social and get to know us.

For more information or to get involved, contact us!

We hope to hear from you soon.

Carroll County

Dan Andrews
Cool Cities Westminster
Energy issues/Vice Chair
dooze@qis.net
410-857-4129

Gregor Becker
Conservation chair
Political chair
lorax4@carr.org
410-346-6336

Frederick County

Ken Eidel
Treasurer
Cool Cities Frederick
kceidel@verizon.net
301-696-5933

Chris Hodge
Outings chair
chrishodge@adelphia.net
240-388-6446

Washington County

Marcia Watters
Water monitoring
mdwatters@juno.com
301-790-3808

Sierra Catoctin Group Calendar

MARYLAND SIERRA CLUB CATOCTIN CHAPTER EVENTS Spring 2008:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HIKE SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN - MEMORIAL DAY MAY 26 10 am


A moderate 5 mile hike; with a lot of elevation change. Sugarloaf has a number of
excellent views and interesting rock formations.


Meet at the West View parking area at Sugarloaf. Bring water and a lunch or snack
and wear appropriate hiking shoes. From Frederick take 270 South to exit 22 to MD
109 S. Follow for 3 miles then turn right on Comus Rd. After 2.4 miles take a right
into Sugarloaf Mountain Park, follow this road up the mountain, past the East view
parking to the West View parking.  Meet by the shelter area. For more information
email mdhiker2@yahoo.com [mailto:chrishodge@adelphia.net].


Mark these dates for future hikes

Saturday June 21 1 p.m. Maryland Heights, followed by optional dinner at Harpers
Ferry
Saturday July 5 10 a.m. Appalachian Trail in Maryland
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cool Cities and Counties Workshop

Saturday May 31st, 2008 in Annapolis


Tired of waiting for our Federal government to step up to the plate and reduce global
warming pollution? So are we. And so are 700 cities across the nation. Join us to
learn what these cities are doing and how you can help your city or county join
the national movement!

The Sierra Club is sponsoring our third annual Cool Cities Workshop Saturday, May
31st, 2008 from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Cool Cities is a national campaign to move local governments forward with innovative
energy solutions that curb global warming, save tax payer dollars, and create healthier
cities.

We're inviting new and seasoned Cool Cities activists in order to exchange strategies,
teach new skills and hear inspiring success stories. Join National Sierra Club Stephanie
Cutts with the Cool Cities program, and Lyndsay Mosley with Faith Partnerships,
and other special guest speakers. Some delicious food has been ordered.

Join us for a fun and informative day at Calvary United Methodist Church, 301 Rowe
Boulevard, Annapolis, MD 21401.  Please RSVP by May 15th to Alana Wase at Alana.wase@mdsierra.org
[mailto:Alana.wase@mdsierra.org]301-277-7111 so that we can order food appropriately.
Carpooling is available. http://maryland.sierraclub.org/events/e039.asp [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001UEpgThLqCIbyZSA-QWFjW9iJ9hjc9iOVlBlE9OvAfNErET2F6PMOpuO18uflkfFDNC_WYiw28MRtHJj9xR1KO0kKWsYDJ6lWx4aZxeKCYhzgN_C4Ay5zXgCcy_jjLcvBrYem92p6Q1o=]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Simplicity Circle - Exploring Deep Ecology

Will be Starting in Gaithersburg
Eight Monday nights, starting June 2.
Informational meeting Thursday May 22.
For more information contact
Chris at mdhiker2@yahoo.com [mailto:mdhiker2@yahoo.com]
Wendy at (301) 864-2474
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pleasant Valley Eyesore

Washington County, Maryland, is proposing to erect a communications tower at the
intersection of Keep Tryst and Sandy Hook Roads. The proposed tower would stick
up 190 feet and would ruin spectacular views that now exist from Weverton Cliffs,
Virginia Heights, Maryland Heights, and Harpers Ferry. The National Park Service
has called the proposed tower "unsightly and unnecessary" and is proposing alternatives
that will enable good emergency response communications, but also protect the natural
beauty and scenic qualities of this historic area. Now is the time to let your voice
be heard.

Come See for Yourself!

What: The PotomacAppalachian Trail Club will lead a hike to Weverton Cliffs.

Why: To learn more about alternatives to the proposed communications tower &
what you can do to voice your opinion.

When: Sunday, June 8th @ 1:00 PM

Where: Meet at Weverton Road parking area (off MD 67)

For More Information: Contact Rick Canter at southmountaineers@yahoo.com or Caroline
Petti at (202) 529-0953.