Southern Maryland Group
News From Southern Maryland is published six times a year by the Southern Maryland Group of the Sierra Club. Annual dues of Sierra Club members pay for the subscription to this publication. Non-members may subscribe for $6.00 a year. The opinions expressed in this newsletter are, in general, those of the environmental community, but are strictly those of the author, and not necessarily official local, state, or national Sierra Club policy. The Sierra Club prides itself on being a grass roots volunteer organization, and concerns and opinions of all its members are welcome on these pages. We reserve the right to reject advertisers on the basis of environmental purpose but the printing of any ad does not represent an official Sierra Club endorsement of their products or services.
How to Win Land Development Issues
Monday, January 13, 2003 and Tuesday March 25, 2003
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Jan. 13 LaPlata Library
Route 6
LaPlata, Maryland
Mar. 25 Prince Frederick Public Library
The Sierra Club-Southern Maryland Group is sponsoring a workshop on How to Win Land
Development Issues. The workshop will be held at
the La Plata library on the evening of Monday, January 13th, and again on March 25th at the
Prince Frederick library. On both dates the workshop will run from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm.
If you are concerned about how a proposed highway, landfill, shopping center or housing
project might affect your neighborhood or the environment, then you shouldn't miss this
workshop. The workshop will be led by land use-environmental attorney Macy Nelson
and Community & Environmental Defense Services president Richard Klein. During the workshop
you will learn how to determine if a proposed development project will cause a significant
impact to a neighborhood, waterway, forest, wetland or community. You will also learn how
many of the negative impacts of development can be designed away using Smart Growth
principles. Nelson will explain your legal rights and how to increase the likelihood that
your concerns are resolved before a project receives final approval. Klein will cover
technical analysis, fund-raising, and working with regulatory officials.
For further information call Richard Klein at 800-773-4571 or visit http://www.ceds.org/ ----Richard D. Klein, CEDS
In the year 2000 the Maryland Department of Natural Resources appointed a Citizens' Advisory
Committee to come up with recommendations on how Chapman Forest should be managed. The best
represented faction there is the set that opposed the making of Chapman Forest into public
land. However, the State of Maryland makes final decisions.
People across the state struggled for ten years to make Chapman Forest public property.
They worked so hard because of the site's exceptional history and biodiversity. It has
great potential to upgrade the feel of Charles County, and its value to the people of
Maryland (and beyond) will continually increase with time.
Since Chapman Forest has been purchased, however, other interests who did nothing to bring
about its public acquisition are looking at Chapman Forest as free land that has to be
"used" and some of these interests don't understand that maintaining a unique,
irreplaceable natural and historic area is a use, in fact the use that motivated the
acquisition, the most urgently needed use there is.
Those of us who worked hard for a decade to save Chapman Forest know that the way to
maximize the public enjoyment of this land is to keep it intact, rather than to fragment
its forests, historical integrity, and focus.
There will be hearing in early December, and decisions may be made soon after.
It is important that you go to the hearing, if you care about Chapman Forest.
We encourage you to call (301) 283-2948 and ask for Alex, or leave a message for
a call back. If you can possibly see the breathtaking view and experience the deep
forest before the hearing, that's the best. You can is reach Chapman Forest by going
south on Indian Head Highway (Maryland 210) to Bryans Road, staying on 210 about ¾
mile past MD Route 227. Then turn right on Chapmans Landing Road and go another couple
miles until you get to the sign that says Mount Aventine. There is a place you can park
your car, and a nice gate that a local environmentalist and iron artist, Bob Lukinic,
just made. Walk through the gate and follow the gravel lane to the historic house and the
incredible view of the Potomac River. Call Alex for information. There also information
on the website www. Chapmanforest.org.
Tri-County Invasive Exotic
Plant Removal Workdays
August-September-October 2002
If an agency or corporation were covering 30-90% of our natural areas with asphalt we would focus at least half our efforts in the conservation movement on removing that asphalt, especially if a few individuals or groups were already heroically succeeding in removing some of it with very limited resources. Well there is, in fact, a remarkable consensus in the conservation community, world-wide, that alien (non-native) invasive species do form monocultures over 30-90% of our park land and other natural areas depending on the ecoregion. The asphalt is just green, not black. So let's recruit people, including newcomers, to protect (and rediscover in the process!) native plants and animals from the aliens we humans brought over.
It is considered standard that such invasive plant removal projects are normally done throughout Maryland and the region.
National effort is being made on behalf of The Harmful Nonnative Weed Control Act of 2001, HR 1462 and S198. Please see the web site http://mdflora.org for details. The federal matching funds provided for in the Craig-Daschle bill constitute a critical lifeline for cash-strapped weed control/eradication efforts in Maryland and around the country. It combines volunteer work with contract or staff work to do what volunteers cannot do effectively as equal matching in kind contribution. Please send your letter of support to your congressmen. If we who love native plants do not, who will?
------Marc Imlay, Vice President
Maryland Native Plant Society
Invasives Committee Chair
(301 283-0808) ialm@erols.com )
Chapman Forest/Ruth Swann Park, Charles Co.
Sierra Club/MD Native Plant Society
The first Sunday of each month at 10:00 a.m. at Ruth B. Swann Park/Potomac Branch Library, Bryans Road, MD.
Eradicate alien invasive plants from most of the old growth area of Chapmans Forest. We remove invasive growth to uncover rare natives such as Virginia Day Flower, Moonseed, grape fern species, and Chinquapin Oak. Bring gloves, lunch, & water; long sleeves and pants recommended. Contact: Marc Imlay, 301 283-0808,ialm@erols.com
Parkers Creek and Governors Run, Calvert Co.
American Chestnut Land Trust
ACLT is a non-profit land trust working to preserve the in Calvert County. The work party leader is a relativenovice, so volunteers skilled in plant identification and invasives control will be warmly welcomed. Bring water, gloves and appropriate clothing. Meet at the ACLT parking lot in Port Republic. Call for directions and dates.
Contact: Dan Sampson, 410 586-1570, danaclt @ chesapeake.net.
Myrtle Point Park, St. Mary's County
Sierra Club/MD Native Plant Society
Third Saturday monthly @ 8:00 am - 11:30 am. Meet in the Park lot. Call for directions.
Contact: Bill Burruss, 301 373-8305, billburruss@olg.com.
What Is A Native Plant?
Native plants may be defined as those species that were present when the first Europeans
arrived in the New World. Because they are well adapted to local climate and soil types, native
plants require less maintenance such as trimming, watering and fertilizer applications. The most
beneficial plants are those species that are native to your particular region or state. This ultimately saves time, labor and money. By planting native plants at home, we can reduce the amount of nutrients and chemicals running off our yards and gardens into local waterways, helping to improve water quality.
----U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
We hadn't got far before we were examining some of the summer harvest. Pecans and fox grapes were our first wild foods found. This brought to mind my gathering days with my very worn out copy of Euell Gibbons' Stalking the Wild Asparagus. Persimmons were on my mind and strangely readily at hand. It was a small tree, but there were persimmons on it. Three fell when we shook the tree. They were orange and slightly wrinkled. The conventional wisdom is not to eat these fruit until the first frost. They are extremely astringent and I was dared to try one. It was actually very sweet.
We continued to the waterfront access/picnic area where our contingent, including a three-wheeled baby buggy was able to navigate the slope down to the beach. A wax myrtle bush literally loaded with berries drew our attention. This bush has a waxy fruit that few creatures can digest. One of them is the Myrtle Warbler (the east coast version of the Yellow-rumped Warbler), which winters here in large numbers. The hike continued along the beach trail with our second youngest member in the lead.
The joined up with one of the older wider trails identifying flowers and shrubs. One particularly that was particularly impressive was a 15-foot devil's walking stick (also called Hercules's club) in blossom. When we reached the open circle near the "Danger Steep Cliffs" sign we headed onto another new trail that would take us to a very nice beach backed by a pocket marsh. We had fun puzzling out paw prints and watching the small fish struggle against the out going current.
The trail took us by the water tower where Mary spotted some cool bugs and their egg cases. From here we headed back to our vehicles. Another group of cars were coming in as we approached. Word is getting out about what a pleasant place this is to visit. Hopefully we can maintain this image. Myrtle Point Park has been a rallying point for all kinds of political activity. After the election of 1998 we thought we had proven our point. Unfortunately as with any battle to conserve a resource, the fight is never over. Please remember to win the fight we need to convince the politicians that we mean to preserve this park. The best way to get their attention is through the ballot box. So please that the time to vote on November 5th. We fought hard to get this park, lets fight to keep it. Bob Boxwell
