A Treasured Landscape - Sierra Club · 2015. 12. 14. · dominant in my thoughts., A fellow Harford County Sierran addressed the crux of the problem with HB1125 eloquently: To date,

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By Bonnie Bick—On May 12, 2009, the White Houseissued an executive order on Chesapeake Bay protec-tion and restoration. The order instructed federal agen-cies to draft reports for meeting the goals of protectingand restoring the Bay. The federal agencies recruited theparticipation of state agencies and conservation organi-zations in the Bay watershed.

The Friends of the (Captain) John SmithChesapeake Trail, the Environmental Law Insti-tute, and the National Geographic Society re-sponded and issued a special report entitled Con-serving Treasured Landscapes in the Chesapeake. Thereport, which includes a map of the Chesapeake’streasured landscapes, recommends that “a boldand coordinated strategy” for conservation bedeveloped. The organizations also call for morefederal investment in land conservation. (Go tow w w. f r i e n d s o f t h e j o h n s m i t h t r a i l . o r g /join_our_work/treasured_landscapes.html for thereport and the map.)

As the report team’s leader said, the greatestconservation opportunities “may be offered inplaces that are significant both for their ecological aswell as their cultural values.”

Landscapes of ecological importance, the reportsaid, could include the following: large contiguous for-est tracts, riparian buffers, and other corridors with natu-ral land cover that link important habitats. This includesstreams and rivers that rare species or migrating fishdepend upon as well as bottom areas of the Bay thatprovide important habitats for underwater creatures.

Landscapes of cultural importance help tell the

A Treasured Landscape

In 2003, the Army Corps of Engineers predicted that2010 would be an inauspicious year for MattawomanCreek, Maryland’s most productive fish nursery for theChesapeake Bay. This is about the time when the in-

creasing amounts of roofs, roads, and parking lots wereprojected to surpass a 10% coverage of the watershed ifbusiness-as-usual continued. And it has. By all accounts,the replacement of Mattawoman’s forests—nature’s wa-ter filter—with surfaces impervious to rainwater—theroofs, roads, and parking lots—continues unabated.When 10% of a watershed is sealed by these surfaces,which funnel stormwater in erosive and pollutant-ladensurges, most waterways begin experiencing accelerateddegradation.

Mattawoman serves as a poster child for the rav-ages of inappropriate development everywhere. TheChesapeake Bay watershed is losing forest at 100 acresper day, and impervious cover is outstripping popula-

tion growth by a factor of five. As a result, ur-banization is the only sector for which Bay pol-lution is increasing, according to the intergov-ernmental Chesapeake Bay Program. Like aposter child, Mattawoman is charismatic—beau-tiful to see, among the Bay’s most productivewaters, and with forests brimming withbiodiversity. Its forested proportion is similar tothe Bay and, like the Bay, it is experiencing in-creased pollution from sprawl development. Infact, Charles County’s inappropriately sized de-velopment district—larger than Washington,DC—smothers most of the Mattawoman water-shed.

Symptomatic of business-as-usual is CharlesCounty’s proposal to extend its Cross County

Connector (CCC-ex) across the full width of theMattawoman watershed through a mostly forested area.Aimed at opening vast areas to sprawl development, andat creating a new city in the one-stoplight town of BryansRoad, this proposed divided highway would have se-vere consequences for Mattawoman if permitted. And2010 is the year we expect permit decisions.

Late last year, the Maryland Department of Envi-ronment postponed a December, 2009, decision,and inJanuary released a timeline that points to a permit deci-

Will 2010 seal Mattawoman’s Fate?U.S.U.S.U.S.U.S.U.S. F F F F Fish and ish and ish and ish and ish and WWWWWildlifildlifildlifildlifildlife Se Se Se Se Sererererervicvicvicvicvice re re re re recececececommends denial of pommends denial of pommends denial of pommends denial of pommends denial of pererererermit fmit fmit fmit fmit for pror pror pror pror propopopopoposed highwosed highwosed highwosed highwosed highwaaaaay ay ay ay ay at a crt a crt a crt a crt a criticiticiticiticitical timeal timeal timeal timeal timefffffor the wor the wor the wor the wor the waaaaattttterererererwwwwwaaaaayyyyy

Mattawoman Creek, Mattingly Pier. Photo by Jim Long.

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Letter from the ChairMAPP and PATH Delayed!Energy Efficiency is Key to SuccessSmart Grid, Dumb GridEnergy Efficiency Opportunities Galore“It’s Not My Fault!”Save the Mattawoman, Save the BayPrince George’s Neighborhood Continuesto Resist LNG PlantSierrans See How Trash Becomes Treasure1010 Elections Are Key for EnvironmentalConcernsCreating Bird Habitat Beneath the PowerLinesAsk Congress to Fight WavyleafBasketgrassMaryland Sierrans Thinking Globally,Acting LocallyMaryland Chapter LeadersStewardship OutingsHiking Through HistoryTo Enjoy, Explore, and Protect the PlanetSome Helpful Information for OutingsParticipantsOutings ScheduleBICO Outings

Letter From the Chair

Ron Henry, Chapter Chair

contents

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The opinions expressed in this newsletterare in general aligned with those of theenvironmental community in Maryland,but are strictly those of the authors andnot necessarily official policy of local, stateor national Sierra Club entities. The SierraClub prides itself on being a grassrootsvolunteer organization. The concerns andopinions of all its members are welcomein these pages.

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Hello All,Who was it that prayed for all thissnow? I must admit that I haveenjoyed having snow fun with thegrandkids, but the snow shovel andthe snow blower and I have be-come much too well acquainted!We need a lonnnggg break fromeach other – a couple of years will

do!Many thanks to the Chapter

and the Chapter staff, the Southern Maryland Groupand Sierrans from other groups, the Mattawoman Wa-tershed Society, and community associations fromCharles and Southern Prince George’s County for ex-cellent “Save the Mattawoman” campaign events start-ing in November and continuing through January andFebruary. We continue to ramp up this important cam-paign for a truly worthy cause.

The Maryland Department of the Environment(MDE) has rescheduled the permitting decision untilafter elections are over—probably to end-of-year 2010.The opposition remains committed to securing theconstruction permit, but rest assured that we will per-sist in our campaign to stop the Cross County Connec-tor (CCC) and other projects that would wreak envi-ronmental havoc with the Mattawoman.

We know that further destruction of forested landsin the greater Waldorf and contiguous surrounding ar-eas of both Prince George’s and Charles County invitesthe death knell of the area’s ecological system! It hasalready been pushed to its limit, and is currently poisedat a point of no return for maintaining the water qual-ity necessary to sustain Mattawoman Creek’s prized fish-spawning capabilities—the best left in the Chesapeakewatershed. We MUST save this one if we are seriousabout cleaning up the Chesapeake!

Thanks to all who responded to our fundraisingefforts and contributed to advance this campaign; itcould not be more appreciated. Please stay engaged withour Mattawoman work, and enlist others to be activistsas well. Your activism not only builds this worthy cam-paign, but the club as well. Please refer to the articles onthe Mattawoman in this issue for further informationand opportunities for involvement.

The 2010 Maryland General Assembly LegislativeSession is underway and will continue until mid-April.Connected with our efforts to save Mattawoman Creekand other important natural places, we are focusing onlegislation to protect storm water runoff regulations, and

on using more appropriate criteria for spendingMaryland’s scarce transportation dollars. As part of ourGreen Grid campaign, we are working on a number ofbills that will improve energy efficiency and increase useof renewable energy. The third major effort is to pass aseries of bills to increase recycling and reduce waste andlitter. For each of these initiatives, we need to not onlypass some bills, but also focus on the economic aspects,making sure that the work is funded in the budget, andthat we pay attention to the job creation potential ofeach of these efforts. Check the Chapter website (http://maryland.sierraclub.org), click on “Legislative” and“Legislative Tracker 2010” to read about the current sta-tus of our priority bills and many others, and find outhow you can make a difference

As Chair, I feel that all we environmentalists mustput forth Herculean efforts in support of the significantenvironmental legislation. The storm water regulations,for example, are a result of a hard fought and won StormWater Bill in 2007. But intense pressure and lobbyingby the development industry has generated a bill (HB1125) that would effectively gut their stringent provi-sions. In the best scenario, this bill (as of this writingthere is no similar bill in the Senate) would die in com-mittee. HOWEVER, we must be prepared to muster avery strong opposition in case the bill, and a Senate coun-terpart, survive the committee hearings.

This particular matter has remained strong and pre-dominant in my thoughts., A fellow Harford CountySierran addressed the crux of the problem with HB1125eloquently:

To date, protecting rivers, streams and the Chesa-peake Bay from degradation by storm-water runoffhas relied mainly on good faith efforts by develop-ers. But when profits are involved, faith falters. Thedevelopment industry had their chance to volun-tarily build storm-water systems that wouldn’t dumpstorm-water problems onto others. They didn’t.Now it’s time for enforcement.

After years of dedicated effort by environmentalgroups, Maryland finally has rules limiting storm-water runoff and its pollution. Enforcement wasdelayed until May 4, 2010, and even after that dateprojects that had not yet started were “grandfathered”(meaning they didn’t have to comply with the newrules if their preliminary design had already beenapproved). The industry’s current whining for even

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Energy

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By Alana Wase—Any seasoned environ-mental activist knows that, when tryingto stop assaults on the environment:DELAY IS GOOD. Delay isn’t victory—but it is a battle won along the way tovictory.

Last summer, the Maryland SierraClub launched a new campaign, “Pull thePlug on Coal by Wire,” opposing pro-posals to construct new transmission linesthat would import additional coal-firedpower into our state. The proposals,MAPP (Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway)and PATH (Potomac Appalachian Trans-mission Highline) would bring electric-

ity made from dirty coal in West Virginiaand Virginia into Maryland, where theelectricity would be sold at a higher price.

Maryland already derives 60% of itselectricity from coal. It’s a “no brainer”that we should not build this huge en-ergy infrastructure that would increaseour use of electricity derived from coal,consequently increasing greenhouse gasemissions.

After presentations, petitions, presscoverage, a rally, and legal action in threedifferent states, our case against thesetransmission lines is resonating. The Vir-ginia Public Service Commission orderedPJM, the interregional transmission lineplanner, to run a new analysis on the needfor the lines. PJM’s new load flow analy-sis, completed in January, 2010, con-cluded that the new lines will not beneeded until 2021—if ever.

So what made the difference? In thelast load flow analysis, PJM considereddemand side management (DSM). DSMtakes into account the programs that util-ity companies offer to encourage energyefficiency. Before the electric industry in

Maryland was deregulated in 1999, util-ity companies were required to offer theseprograms. After the industry was deregu-lated utilities stopped offering them. For-tunately, in 2007, the EmPower Mary-land law was passed mandating that theutilities reestablish energy efficiency pro-grams. Finally, by 2009, the programswere being implemented, and, on prod-ding, they were recognized in PJM’s Janu-ary, 2010, load flow analysis.

In non-wonky words, energy effi-ciency programs are working. Individu-als are reducing the amount of energy theyuse, thereby reducing the amount of elec-

tricity our state needs. This reduction,with the reduction caused by the currenteconomic recession, shot holes in the util-ity companies’ credibility concerning theneed for MAPP and PATH.

Although the January, 2010, loadflow analysis delivered a serious blow tothe utility companies’ touting the needfor new transmission lines, they prom-ised in their press releases to come backin June, 2010, to reapply to build thelinesafter the next load flow analysis isdone.

The impact of our curtailing energyuse on stopping MAPP and PATH, andthe utilities’ threat to return to ask forthese lines should encourage us all to be-come energy efficient. And, on a personallevel, we each save money by becomingenergy efficient. Check out the article onpage 4to see some of the best free andnot-so-free ways you can make your homeenergy efficient and help us keep MAPPand PATH at bay—forever. ■

Alana Wase is the ConservationCoordinatorfor the Maryland Chapter.

MAPP and PATH Delayed—Energy Efficiency is Key to Success

By Richard Reis, P.E.—Smart Grid tech-nology addresses many of the key chal-lenges with electrical power generation,distribution, and consumption including:◆◆◆◆Mitigating environmental damage◆◆◆◆Controlling costs◆◆◆◆Improving reliability

Key attributes of smart grid technologyare:◆◆◆◆Time of day and day of week pricing◆◆◆◆Smart meters to record and transmitdetailed usage information includingwhen power is used.◆◆◆◆Real time consumer feedback show-ing rate of usage◆◆◆◆Detailed information on incipientproblems that could lead to outages◆◆◆◆Flexibility to deal with shifting loads◆◆◆◆The ability to reduce loads when thegrid is straining under high loads◆◆◆◆Some electrical energy storage, suchas advanced batteries or compressed air◆◆◆◆Capability to absorb power from on-site energy generation (such as solarpower)◆◆◆◆Support for electric or plug-in hy-brid vehicles by methods such as sched-uling charging for off-peak hours

Peak power usage occurs during the hot-test part of summer days just when thereis the most sunlight. Power companiesstrain to provide adequate electricity dur-ing those times. As power lines becomeoverstressed and overheated, electrical re-sistance increases leading to more heat-ing and energy loss. Sometimes theseheated lines stretch and sag touching treesand causing massive outages.

Smart Grid technology addressesthis issue by lowering peak demand.Homeowners can receive a monthly re-bate by volunteering to let power com-panies shut off their air conditioners dur-ing peak hours. Industrial power control

Smart Grid,Dumb Grid


more “grandfathering” rings disgust-ingly hollow because they have beenfighting these rules even during the“boom” times.

The industry should stop fighting fortheir “right” to destroy the Bay, otherpeople’s livelihoods and otherpeople’s property. No moregrandfathering, no weakening of therules. It’s not that expensive to do theright thing , but it’s very expensivefor everyone else if you don’t. Stopwhining and follow the rules—ex-actly as they are.

Finally, please keep in mind that 2010 isa political year, and that it is imperativethat we be actively involved in the po-litical process. Lobbyists in opposition toour long-fought and hard-won environ-mental gains are offering financial andpolitical support to candidates who’ll lookaway while they pave and pollute. Wemust do better than they do, to maintainand preserve our environmental gains,and to take initiatives to combat globalwarming, reduce water and air pollution,and conserve our state’s natural bounty.We can succeed by carefully selecting po-litical candidates for endorsement at thefederal, state, county and municipal lev-els, and then giving them our full andactive support to ensure their election.

The Chapter political committeesare geared up for this election year. EachGroup is in the process of developing can-didate questionnaires, and will be inter-viewing and endorsing candidates. Please,be proactive in this process. We are onlyas effective as the leaders we elect. Wecan do it! We can be the difference! Let’sget to it! ■

Ron’s Letter(continued from page 2)


Energy

Service Commission (PSC) to analyze andreport on the state’s long-term energyneeds. In preparing the report—a blue-print for action, the Commission wouldhave to solicit input from other state agen-cies, such as the Maryland Energy Ad-ministration and the Department of theEnvironment, as well consumers and en-vironmental organizations. The planwould have to consider cost, reliability,and environmental laws and goals. Par-ticularly because the PSC and utilitiesoppose this bill, you may wish to contactyour delegates in support of this bill andyour senator to support companion sen-ate legislation. ■

(Endnotes)1 Sweet, B, “Smart Grid Promises SubstantialCarbon Abatement”, 2/14/10, http://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/the-smarter-grid/smart-grid-promises-substantial-carbon-abatement2 The Potomac-Appalachian TransmissionHighline (PATH) is a joint venture of AmericanElectric Power (AEP) and Allegheny Energy tobuild a new high-voltage interstate transmissionline.3 The Maryland, the Mid-Atlantic Power Path-way (MAPP) is a joint venture Potomac ElectricPower Company (PEPCO), Delmarva Power andLight Company, and Baltimore Gas and ElectricCompany (BGE) to build a new high-voltage in-terstate transmission line.

Smart Grid, Dumb Grid

devices provide similar features on a largerscale. For example, I am employing anelectrical lighting controller at an autorepair facility that reduces electric light-ing loads when daylight is strongest, timesthat coincide with peak usage hours.

People and businesses that employsolar photovoltaic power reduce theirpower needs when sunlight is strongest—again times of peak usage. As utilitiescharge for usage by time of day, they en-courage users to employ energy storagethat shift usage from peak hours to timesof lowest usage, such as midnight to 5AM. They may use thermal storage sys-tems that employ less expensive off-peakelectricity to freeze ice at night; as the icethaws the following afternoon, it cools thebuilding cold with minimal electricalpower.

In addition, the Smart Grid holdsthe promise of substantial carbon reduc-tion.1 The Pacific Northwest Laboratoryrecently reported that Smart Grid tech-nology could lead to carbon savings of12 percent if the grid is fully implementedby 2030.

In contrast, let’s call the older andantiquated way “Stupid Grid” technol-ogy. It seeks to build expensive and mas-sive power lines to provide ample power,regardless of the energy source, costs, orenvironmental effects. The proposedPATH2 and MAPP3 power lines in ourregion are excellent examples of this ap-proach. These power lines would bringcoal-fired power from dirty power plantsclose to the coal fields of West Virginiaand Kentucky to east coast areas. This issometimes referred to as coal by wire. Thisapproach exacerbates air, water, and landpollution as well as global climate change.

To ensure that Maryland follows theSmart Grid path (not PATH), DelegatesRoger Manno (District 19) and SueHecht (District 3A) introduced HouseBill 522, which would require the Public

@www.marylandsierraclub.org/action

Join the

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By Alana Wase—The EmPower Mary-land law of 2007 mandated that the stateof Maryland reduce its electricity con-sumption 15% by 2015. Toward thisgoal, Maryland utility companies are nowoffering a number of energy efficiencyprograms, some FREE. Check out theseexcellent opportunities!

Energy AuditsQuick Home Energy Check UpOffered by BGE (Baltimore Gas andElectric)Nothing diagnoses your home better thana thorough energy audit, but if you don’thave the time or money for a full audit,opt for BGE’s Home Energy Check Up.An energy expert will come to your homeand, in about an hour, review your insu-lation, air leaks, heating/cooling system,windows, doors, lighting, and appliances;then the expert will give you a report onyour home’s energy efficiency. The costis $40, but that fee will be completelywaived if you install at least three of theenergy saving products BGE will install(at no cost): 6 CFL light bulbs, 2 faucetaerators, an efficient flow showerhead,pipe insulation, or a water heater tankwrap. Who could say “no”?

Complete Energy Audits, and otherenergy-savers free for some withlimited incomesOffered by BGEYou might qualify for a full energy audit,worth $400-$600, for free. In addition,there are a number of free home improve-ments you might qualify for, such as in-sulation, air sealing, and new major ap-pliances.

Heating and CoolingDid you know that as much as half of theenergy used in your home goes for heat-ing and cooling?

BGE is offering the follow rebates:◆◆◆◆$75 for diagnostic tune-ups of heat-ing and cooling equipment◆◆◆◆$200 for duct sealing◆◆◆◆$175–$400 for the purchase of high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment◆◆◆◆$200 for installations of new, high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment

Rebates for Energy Star Appli-ances(In 1992, the U.S. Environmental Pro-tection Agency introduced Energy Star,a voluntary labeling program designed toidentify energy-efficient products)

◆◆◆◆$50 Rebate on Energy Star Refrig-erators (BGE and Pepco, though BGEwill give you an extra $50 if you recycleyour old fridge)◆◆◆◆$50 Rebate on Energy Star Quali-fied Clothes Washers (BGE only)◆◆◆◆$25 Rebate on Energy Star Quali-fied Room AC (BGE and Pepco)◆◆◆◆$20 Rebate on efficient water heat-ers (Pepco only)

BGE’s “Peak Rewards Program”and Pepco’s “Energy Wise Re-wards”These programs are for those with cen-tral air conditioning or an electric heatpump. A BGE or Pepco employee willinstall a new thermostat in your home.On summer days, when electricity con-sumption is at its highest, the utility com-pany will cycle your air conditioner, turn-ing it on and off for periods without youreven noticing. (I know a few people whoinstalled the thermostat, and they felt noinconvenience; it saved them more than$150 over the summer).

Be smart; take advantage of all of theseopportunities! These programs not onlyhelp reduce your utility bills and reduceyour carbon footprint, they reduce the

Energy Efficiency Opportunities GaloreTips on FREE energy efficiency programs


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Energy

need for new electricity transmission andgeneration. In other words, they will helpdefeat the proposed “coal by wire” energytransmission corridors, MAPP andPATH. (See page 3 for more on MAPPand PATH.)

BGE’s energy efficiency programshttp://www.bgesmartenergy.com/ or call1-877-685-7377.

Pepco’s programshttp://www.pepco.com/energy/conserva-tion/appliance/ or call 202-872-2000.

Similar programs are also offered byDelmarva Power and SMECO, and bythe utilities for businesses as well ashomes.

Tax CreditsHome Energy Efficiency ImprovementTax Credits from the U.S. Departmentof Energy (USDE)People who purchase certain products,such as energy-efficient windows, insula-tion, doors, roofs, and heating and cool-ing equipment, and place these products“in service” in existing homes from 1/1/09 through 12/31/10, can get a tax creditfor 30% of the cost of the products, upto $1,500. For a summary of energy effi-ciency tax credits: www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax.credits.tx.index

Residential Renewable Energy TaxCredits from the USDEPeople who install solar energy systems(including solar water heating and solarelectric systems), small wind systems, geo-thermal heat pumps, and residential fuelcell and microturbine systems before 12/31/16 can get a 30% tax credit. There isno cap on this credit.

State and Local Tax Incentives forRenewable Energy Expenses andEnergy Efficiency Expenseshttp://www.dsireusa.org ■

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By Timothy D. Junkin—This past Oc-tober, I participated in a river cleanupwith Emily Cranwell’s second grade classfrom the Country School. We met at theChoptank River Fishing Pier Park adja-cent to the bridge to Cambridge. Thewind was blustery that day, out of theSouth, and the river teemed with white-caps wildly rushing over themselves andhurtling towards us like, as James Joycemight have written, the flying manes ofso many frothing horses. I was worriedthat these eight-year-olds might be de-terred by such a gusty breeze. I was wrong.Skipping among the bulkhead stones theyseemed to delight in the smacking wavesand over the course of a morning man-aged to remove enough trash from theshoreline to fill nine 50 pound bags.

Drew Koslow, our ChoptankRiverkeeper, accompanied this expedi-tion, but it was arranged and led by theSierra Club’s own Clarence “Doc” Kuntz,who also serves as the Choptank RiverEastern Bay Conservancy’s volunteer Di-rector of River Cleanup. This past sum-mer Doc was recognized by the town ofEaston for his efforts in cleaning trashfrom the headwaters of the Tred Avon.As part of “Doc Kuntz Day” he was alsoinducted into Boy Scout Troop 532, ashe had worked with the scouts on severaloccasions. Later Doc confided to meproudly that not only is he now the old-est member of Troop 532, but that hefound in his closet an old scout shirt witha patch on it reflecting his attendance atthe 1937 Boy Scout National Jamboreeheld in Washington. Doc is a sprightlyeighty-six.

On October 26 Doc led anothercleanup effort, this time with eighth gradestudents from the Country School, re-moving debris from the North Fork ofthe Tred Avon near the junction of St.Michaels Road and the By Pass. At onepoint the students discovered a large trac-tor tire embedded in the stream ditch.

Doc and Drew both shook their headsand told them to leave it, that they’d neverget it out. A half hour later Doc lookedup and three kids were rolling the 150pound tire to the trash heap. When tendays later Doc and I addressed EastonHigh School’s Ecology Club, Doc hadprepared a PowerPoint presentation in-cluding a photograph of these kids roll-ing this tire up the bank with the cap-tion: Never Underestimate the Power ofYoung People. He also showed an over-head photo of the town of Easton andpointed out to the students how the head-waters of the Tred Avon, the North Forkand the South Fork, seemed to encircleand hold the town in an embrace. Docasked the ecology class to help find waysto return the river’s embrace by helpingto keep it clean and free of pollution.

Lately, as I have been talking withvarious constituents around our rivercommunity, trying to understand betterthe issues that threaten our waterways andhow we can best approach them, I havebeen taken aback a bit by the tendencyto blame others for the decline of the riv-ers. The scientific evidence seems over-whelming, for example, that agriculturalpractices throughout the Delmarva Pen-insula over the past fifty years have led todevastating nutrient-loading in ourstreams. Yet several farmers I have spo-ken with seemed only interested in blam-ing others. “It’s the goose waste,” onefarmer vehemently argued at the townhall meeting with Attorney General DougGanzler. Other farmers have argued to methat waste water treatment plants or lawnfertilizers are the real problem. Develop-ers I have talked with, who are seeking toobtain approvals for new projects, aresimilarly quick to point out that agricul-ture is the problem, not development. And riparian landowners who want theright to cut down trees in the critical area,or fill in wetlands to improve their prop-erty, or heavily fertilize their lawns rightdown to the water’s edge, blame airborne

deposition for the problem.If our rivers could speak, how would

they answer all of these claims—claimsthat somebody else is always the culprit?There is, in fact, little to gain by point-ing fingers at others. We are all part ofthe problem. Each of us needs to recog-nize this fact and find ways to change ourown behavior in order to give our water-ways the opportunity to heal themselves.When those kids, with Doc Kuntz cheer-ing them on, rolled that tractor tire outof the wetland, they weren’t thinkingabout who to blame for putting it there;they were simply finding joy in rising tothe challenge of helping to clean the river.And if an octogenarian and a bunch ofsecond graders can take up the gauntletand clean a riverbank on a blustery morn-ing, the rest of us ought to find the willto do our part as well.

Those of us fortunate enough to livehere have the opportunity to become fa-miliar, even intimate, with this naturallandscape of rivers, forests, and farms, toknow it in spring and winter, in stormsand sunshine, in the light of the pre-dawnover a waving field of wheat, and in thered flush of a falling moon. Partaking insuch a place, studying the creatures thatabide here, watching the osprey in a diveover Harris Creek, the rockfish spawn-ing up at Gainey’s Wharf, the wild geesecatching the wind, infuses our lives withbeauty and a form of spiritual nourish-ment beyond measure. As a community,we must protect this gift that we all share.This requires us to act, to each makechanges, to each make sacrifices. So be it.We must all become stewards of thislegacy. ■

Timothy D. Junkin, Esq., is the ExecutiveDirector of the Choptank River Eastern BayConservancy.

Watershed Conservation “It’s Not My Fault”


Watershed Conservation

story of long-term relationships betweenhumans and the special places unique tothe Chesapeake region. These includeplaces that characterize a way of life inthe Bay region, including historically sig-nificant events or people, archaeologicalsites, and Native American homelands.Also included are large tracts of economi-cally valuable forests, historically produc-tive farmlands with prime soils, and tra-ditional fishing communities.

As you may have guessed, the abovedescribes the surrounding natural andcultural landscapes in the Mattawoman-Potomac area, south of the Nation’s capi-tal. Therefore, it won’t come as a com-plete surprise to you that this is, indeed,one of the six sites noted on the above-referenced map. When you go to the map,look for the site numbered “1,” and you’llsee the Mattawoman Natural Environ-ment Area.

OOOOOur Gur Gur Gur Gur Goal: Toal: Toal: Toal: Toal: To So So So So Savavavavave a Se a Se a Se a Se a SpecialpecialpecialpecialpecialTTTTTrrrrreasureasureasureasureasureeeeeOur efforts to stop the proposed CharlesCounty Cross County Connector andother urbanization projects, which woulddestroy the Mattawoman’s capacity tosustain the valuable living resources, is aneffort that, with success, will bring ex-tremely positive rewards on many fronts.

Having the big picture in mind isvery helpful. Before the concept of the“treasured landscape” came onto thescene, we had the concept of identifyingthis area as a biopreserve to spotlight thesignificant preservation effort that hasalready taken place. We realize the valueof tying the patchwork of preserved landtogether because, clearly, the whole isgreater than the sum of its parts.

Fortunately, there are tools in placenow that can protect the area if onlyelected officials and others in powerwould use them. We must take every op-portunity to urge them to take concretesteps to implement this preservation-themed vision. Merging this vision withspecific and timely steps toward SmartGrowth land-use and transportation so-lutions can achieve ecologicalsustainability—the ultimate goal, and, ofcourse economic prosperity through aroute more sustainable than is presentlybeing pursued in Charles County. What’smore, it can be achieved by using SmartGrowth principles and at much less costto our resources of national significance.■

Bonnie Bick is a member of theMattawoman Campaign and the SouthernMaryland Group.

A Treasured Landscape(continued from page 1)

sion this coming December. The deci-sion must consider both direct and cu-mulative impacts. Direct impacts aloneare stunning: the CCC-ex would fill wet-lands amounting to one fifth of the aver-age annual loss for the entire state. Count-ing state-regulated wetland buffers, four-teen football fields of wetland functionwould be lost.

The cumulative impacts, once facili-tated development is factored in, woulddwarf the direct impacts. For example,8,000+ housing units are proposed for theBryans Road Town Center, for which theCCC-ex is “required” according theCounty. And an analysis by the Chesa-peake Bay Foundation identified an ad-ditional 6,000 potential housing unitswithin a mile of the highway. The analy-sis found that sprawl like this would de-vour thousandsof acres ofMattawomanforest. Elevent h o u a n dpounds of excessnitrogen pollu-tion from lawnsand develop-ment would an-nually flush intothe creek, al-ready recog-nized as 40%over its allowed“Total Maxi-mum DailyLoad,” orTMDL, for ni-trogen andphosphorus.

W h i l eMattawomanhas an approved TMDL, the Environ-mental Protection Agency is presentlydeveloping TMDLs for the Bay itself.States “must” reduce the nutrient loadsto levels that will end algal blooms and

Will 2010 seal Mattawoman’s Fate?(continued from page 1)

Maryland Chapter Sierrans explore beautiful Mattawoman Creek. Photos, above and right, by Fabien Sarran.

associated oxygen dead-zones in the Bay.The question arises: if the CCC-ex werepermitted when one of the Bay’s mostproductive tributaries already has an EPA-approved TMDL requiring a 40% reduc-tion in nutrient loads, will the much bal-lyhooed Bay-wide TMDLs serve as a tool,or be exposed as another hollow attemptat Bay restoration?

If the CCC-ex were permitted, en-vironmental impacts to one of the Bay’sbest would be joined by the social im-pacts of increased congestion on Mary-land Route 210 and on rural roads inCharles County, and additional tax bur-dens to service far-flung development.And if sprawl development were pushedfrom Waldorf to the Potomac River, asthe present Charles County decision-makers intend, we can anticipate renewedefforts to build a once-defeated lower-

Potomac Bridge“to relieve con-gestion,” just as isbeing done bypro-growth fac-tions in Virginiaand Montgom-ery County in theupper Potomac.Such a bridgewould have re-gional implica-tions as a seg-ment of the long-planned but veryunpopular OuterBeltway.

The permitsshould be denied.In fact, the pres-sure to deny wasgreatly amplifiedon December 23,

when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicewrote the Army Corps recommending“denial of the Section 404 wetland per-mit until a more complete assessment of



Watershed Conservation

direct, indirect, and cumulative impactsof the proposed highway is completed inaddition to a more comprehensive evalu-ation of alternatives, and a detailed miti-gation and compensation plan.” This po-sition is significant, as FWS has strongoversight authority on wetland permitsas well as an encompassing and scientifi-cally grounded view of impacts to re-sources of national significance.

We can hope that FWS is strength-ened by President Obama’s ExecutiveOrder obliging federal agencies to beefup Chesapeake Bay restoration effortsafter decades of failed goals. The execu-tive order is cited in the FWS letter. Sofar, the machinations precipitated by theExecutive Order have examined futurestrategies, that may include denial of per-mits for development if states fail to com-pel local government to clean up their act.What is needed is a sign of positive ac-tion now, to distance us from the failedhypotheticals of the past and to demon-strate that Smart Growth is not dead.Mattawoman’s predicament provides theperfect test:◆◆◆◆A resource of national significance.◆◆◆◆A crucial year that could mark itsslide to join so many other Bay tributar-ies unable to support vibrant living re-sources.◆◆◆◆A highway proposal that is antitheti-

cal to Bay restoration because it wouldopen an entire sector of a forested countyto intense development.◆◆◆◆The existence of viable alternativesthat could replace the Bay-killing trans-portation policies of the past with SmartGrowth choices, like investing in exist-ing infrastructure and prioritizing rail-based transit-oriented development overhighways.

Charles County’s urban core, Waldorf, isexpediently located on a rail line thatcould connect to Washington’s Metro sys-tem. This approach avoids new conges-tion that always follows auto-dependentsprawl; helps relieve current congestion;and revitalizes Waldorf by investing inexisting infrastructure, rather than divert-ing investment to destroy sensitive areas.

Will 2010 be remembered as theyear Mattawoman’s forests and fate weresealed? Or will it be the year when deci-sion makers demonstrate resolve andchoose a new direction that implementsSmart Growth and points to Bay restora-tion? For Mattawoman, and for sustain-able prosperity, permit denial for the out-moded CCC-ex in favor of 21st centuryalternatives is the only choice. ■

This article was provided by theMattawoman Watershed Society.


Will 2010 seal Mattawoman’s Fate?

By Baird Straughan—After years ofpromising to save the Chesapeake Bay,Maryland’s government now has a chanceto actually deliver on its pledges and savethe last, best tributary—the MattawomanCreek in Charles County, just 20 milessouth of Washington, D.C. The SierraClub and other activists have recently wonseveral important victories in our battleto get the state government to protect thisgem. But we still face major challenges.(See the article submitted by theMattawoman Watershed Society on page1).

If we imagine the Bay as a heart, thenthe rivers and streams that feed it are itsarteries. By paving over most of themwe’ve given the Bay a massive case of ar-teriosclerosis. The Mattawoman is a fi-nal chance to improve the odds of theBay’s survival.

The Maryland Department of NaturalResources states the following:

Mattawoman [Creek] represents asnear to ideal conditions as can befound in the northern ChesapeakeBay, perhaps unattainable in theother systems, and should be pro-tected from overdevelopment.1

The Mattawoman supports an abundanceand diversity of life such as herons, bea-vers, and rare American lotus. Its forestsare Important Bird Areas, as designatedby the Audubon Society, and it’s the state’sbest coastal plain habitat for reptiles andamphibians. Migrating fish swim up-stream from the ocean through the Bayand the Potomac River to the upperreaches of the Creek’s watershed to laytheir eggs. The creek is so productive thatbass fishermen from other states like NewJersey and North Carolina come to themouth of the Mattawoman (where itopens into the Potomac River) to holdtheir bass-fishing tournaments, thus sup-

porting a multimillion dollar industry forMaryland.

The Mattawoman is in such goodcondition because most of the land thatdrains into it is still covered in forest,which filters and cools the water. But, ofcourse, that’s threatened with sprawl de-velopment—one highway, an airport ex-pansion, and a publicly financed “tech-center” located in the heart of the verycleanest of its streams.

What You Can DoLuckily, there’s a lot we can do, much ofit out of doors! Join us for the following:

PPPPPaddle the Maddle the Maddle the Maddle the Maddle the Mattawoman in a canoeattawoman in a canoeattawoman in a canoeattawoman in a canoeattawoman in a canoeor kayak!or kayak!or kayak!or kayak!or kayak!Our recently trained outings leaders areready to show you the creek’s beauty andexplain the web of life under the water’ssurface, as well as how proposed devel-opments would affect it.

The first scheduled outings include thefollowing:◆◆◆◆Sunday April 11, with Ken Clarkfrom the Sierra Club Howard Countygroup; and◆◆◆◆Saturday, April 24, with JackMawhinney from the Anne ArundelCounty group.

CCCCCome join us for a hike or bicyome join us for a hike or bicyome join us for a hike or bicyome join us for a hike or bicyome join us for a hike or bicycleclecleclecletrip thrtrip thrtrip thrtrip thrtrip through the Mough the Mough the Mough the Mough the Mattawomanattawomanattawomanattawomanattawoman’’’’’sssssforforforforforest and fields!est and fields!est and fields!est and fields!est and fields!◆◆◆◆Saturday, March 27, a hike withRebecca Turner, of the Southern Mary-land Group◆◆◆◆Satuday, April 3, a bicycle tour withRebecca Turner◆◆◆◆Sunday, April 4, an invasive plantremoval at Chapman Forest with MarcImlay◆◆◆◆Saturday, May 1st, a Mayday wild-flower hike with Rebecca Turner

Save the Mattawoman, Save the BayPPPPPlease—Rlease—Rlease—Rlease—Rlease—Read ead ead ead ead TTTTThis and his and his and his and his and TTTTTa ka ka ka ka ke Ae Ae Ae Ae Accccction ttion ttion ttion ttion to Ho Ho Ho Ho Help!elp!elp!elp!elp!

(continued on page 8)Maryland Chapter Sierrans at Mattawoman Creek. Photo by Tom Wachs.


We’re arranging many other outings. Letus know if you’re interested, and we’ll sendyou alerts as they’re scheduled, or sign upfor them on our website atwww.maryland.sierraclub.org.

In addition to enjoying the great out-doors, you may want to do the follow-ing:◆◆◆◆Attend a presentation on theMattawoman, or arrange your own! Ourleaders are ready with an informative (andbeautiful) slide presentation to come toyour home or group and explain theMattawoman’s importance.◆◆◆◆Attend a public forum on Wednes-day, May 19. The Smarter Growth Alli-ance for Charles County will host StuartSchwartz, head of the Coalition forSmarter Growth, to discuss growth alter-natives that would leave the Mattawomanintact and spend development dollars ina way that would benefit citizens more.For more information about the forum’s

time and location, check http://maryland.sierraclub.org.◆◆◆◆Write a letter to the governor. Ulti-mately, the decision on the Mattawoman’sfate is made by the Maryland Departmentof Environment (MDE), which until nowhas permitted many destructive develop-ments in the watershed. Let GovernorO’Malley know that you want him tomake good on his environmental creden-tials by actually enforcing the laws that aresupposed to protect our most valuablenatural heritage areas, like theMattawoman. You’ll find a sample letteron our website at http://maryland.sierraclub.org/ under “Take Ac-tion.”◆◆◆◆Join us and get involved! We needmore spokespersons and outings leaders.If you’re interested, please call LaurelImlay at the Sierra Club office, 301-277-7111. In particular, we need:◆◆◆◆Attorneys with experience in water-resource issues;◆◆◆◆Grant writers

◆◆◆◆Volunteers willing to attend publicevents and represent us at a Sierra Clubtable.◆◆◆◆If you haven’t donated already, do itnow! The Mattawoman campaign needsfunds for materials, flyers, communica-tions, gas, food, office rental, staff time,and phone costs. It all adds up! TheMaryland chapter is planning on dedi-cating $30,000 to the Mattawoman ef-fort this year.◆◆◆◆Complete the form below and return

Watershed ConservationSave the Mattawoman, Save the Bay


I’I’I’I’I’m in! I wm in! I wm in! I wm in! I wm in! I wa na na na na nt tt tt tt tt to suppo suppo suppo suppo suppo ro ro ro ro rt the Mt the Mt the Mt the Mt the Ma ra ra ra ra ryland Cyland Cyland Cyland Cyland Chapthapthapthapthapte re re re re r’’’’’s effs effs effs effs effo ro ro ro ro rts tts tts tts tts to sao sao sao sao savvvvve the Me the Me the Me the Me the Maaaaattattattattattawwwwwoman boman boman boman boman by doing the fy doing the fy doing the fy doing the fy doing the folloolloolloolloollowing:wing:wing:wing:wing:

I would like to:__ Attend a Mattawoman hike, bike,or paddle trip.__ Attend a Mattawomanpresentation.__ Give a presentation myself.__ Bring a group to see theMattawoman.__ Have someone come to presentto my __________________.__ Become a Sierra Club outings andhike leader.__ Join the legal team because I aman attorney.__ Receive an information packet touse to present to my______________________.__ Volunteer, but I’m not sure what Ican do.

I would like to help:__ Create a video;__ Take photographs;__ Research;__ Design and/or layout;__ Office work;__ Data entry;__ Web work;__ Phone calls; and/or__ Inform the public at a tableat an Earth day or other event.

I would like to use the follow-ing skills for the club:_______________________________

NameEmail

PhoneAddress

Send this to:Laurel ImlaySierra Club, Maryland ChapterNo. 101A7338 Baltimore AvenueCollege Park, MD 20740

Or call Laurel at 301-277-7111.

Maryland Chapter Paddler on Mattawoman Creek.Photo by Fabien Sarren.

to Laurel in the chapter office, Sierra ClubMaryland Chapter, 7338 Baltimore Av-enue #101A, College Park, MD 20740.Or call Laurel at (301) 277-7111. ■

Baird Straughan is an at-large member ofthe Maryland Chapter Excom.

(Endnotes)1. J. Carmichael et al., Fish Sampling in EightChesapeake Bay Tributaries., DNR CBRM-HI-92-2

Maryland Chapter Sierrans at Mattawoman Creek. Photo by Fabien Sarran.

�


By Imani Kazana and AlbertVanThournout—Five years ago Wash-ington Gas Company (WGC) sent shockwaves throughout the Hyattsville, Mary-land area when it announced plans tobuild a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)processing and storage plant at its prop-erty on Chillum Road. The site is aboutone mile from the Washington, D.C.border, and less than five miles from theUnited States Capitol.

WGC’s announcement followedseveral years of complaints from neigh-bors regarding frequent gas leaks from the70-year-old underground system of trans-mission and distribution pipelines.Shortly after this announcement, a gasexplosion at a home in District Heightsfurther highlighted a troubling pattern ofpoor system maintenance throughout thecounty by the utility company.

A campaign was quickly launchedto get a handle on two critical issues: toprevent the construction of a highly dan-gerous LNG plant in a densely populatedarea, and to cause improvements in thecondition and maintenance of the agingunderground gas delivery system. Aloosely associated group of local towns,labor unions and advocacy groups (in-cluding the Sierra Club) has attemptedto maintain a focus on both concerns.

The status of both main issues iscomplex and difficult to describe briefly,due to the long list of agencies, court andother entities involved. Since the begin-ning of the initial zoning proposal, WGCattempted to create confusion by ques-tioning the jurisdictional control (county,state or federal) over both above groundand below ground matters. Local advo-cates have been engaged in numeroushearings, lawsuits and state legislative ef-forts along the way, attempting to answerthe many questions involved.

UUUUUnrnrnrnrnresolvesolvesolvesolvesolved questions red questions red questions red questions red questions remainemainemainemainemainThe list of unresolved queries is long. Fol-lowing are just a few.1) Does WGC op-

erate an “interstate” or “intrastate” sys-tem? 2) Does the state’s Public ServiceCommission (PSC) have an adequate setof standards and staffing to fulfill its roleas an oversight “agent” of the U. S. De-partment of Transportation (DOT) re-garding pipeline matters? 3) Does countyzoning control LNG siting decisions? 4)Should a company with a poor mainte-nance record be allowed to undertake aneven more risky LNG project? 5) Whyare safety and siting standards related tohazardous materialsinconsistent, evenbetween variousfederal agencies?

All partieshave been waitingfor more than sixmonths for a U.S.District Courtjudge to submit aruling to answersome of these ques-tions. There are ad-ditional open cases at the Federal EnergyRegulatory Commission (FERC) regard-ing WGC’s pipeline maintenance prac-tices. In the meantime, the utility hastaken some steps to replace at least someof its failing parts within the PrinceGeorge’s County segment, and it recentlyentered into a settlement with the Dis-trict of Columbia to replace questionablecouplings over the next five years.

Opposition has stalled constrOpposition has stalled constrOpposition has stalled constrOpposition has stalled constrOpposition has stalled constructionuctionuctionuctionuctionAs for the plan to construct an LNG pro-cessing and storage plant at the inappro-priate Chillum Road site, it is obvious thata full approval and significant start to theconstruction of the plant has not yet be-gun due to opposition. WGC had hopedto have the plant operational in 2009.Nevertheless, the company has been qui-etly making small physical upgrades onthis property designed to eventually fa-cilitate the proposed operation there.WGC has also continued its quest to gain

full approval at the State’s PSC by push-ing to have this facility officially adoptedas a critical element in its latest proposedfive year gas supply plan.

What was the general status of is-sues as of the end of 2009? Last year wasspent largely trying to address WGC’s lat-est effort to gain approval of its proposedfive year gas supply plan by the PSC. Thisso-called “planning” process, which is re-viewed by a Hearing Examiner (HE), isunlike most other planning processes in

this society. Our ef-forts before DennisSober, the assignedHearing Examiner,have not been go-ing particularlywell.

Mr. Sober hasruled that variousimportant topicswill not be allowedas part of the re-view. These prohib-

ited topics include: safety and securityagainst deliberate destruction; proximityto the Metro line and above-ground WestHyattsville station, a river tributary, anursing home, and thousands of resi-dents; local economic impacts; validity ofthe cost projections; and consideration ofother siting options. Background reportsand materials have been placed off-limitsby WGC (with the blessing of the HE)without a signed “confidentiality agree-ment.” Such documents preclude thereader from discussing any contents ortroubling information with constituentsor colleagues. There will also be no pub-lic hearing. The entire process is as trans-parent as thick mud.

It also became apparent that furtherefforts to pass state legislation aimed atmodernizing LNG siting standards willbe fruitless. Three years of efforts by statelegislators from the local area were un-successful because more powerful politi-cians were influenced by the large corpo-

rate community. The decisions weredriven by the false claims of WGC thatmore responsible siting standards will leadto huge gas rate increases for businesses.WGC, however, has also publicly admit-ted that pursuing other pipeline optionswould potentially cost each residence ap-proximately $20.00 per year.

It has also become clear that thePSC’s staff is not capable of monitoringthe maintenance practices of WGC, norare they willing to share their findings.PSC’s Engineering Division is admittedlyunderstaffed. A great deal of work will benecessary to fully determine the physicalcondition of the aging underground in-frastructure at Chillum Road and othersites around the county. Efforts to involvefederal authorities with a local infrastruc-ture assessment will need to be expanded.

CCCCCitizitizitizitizitizens need to engageens need to engageens need to engageens need to engageens need to engageSo, what can be done to get a handle onthis continuing battle? Citizens can tryto convince the Public Service Commis-sion Board that it needs to update its stan-dards voluntarily. Citizens can attempt toidentify and influence all of the other vari-ous agencies (beyond the PSC), whichwill have the ability to provide, modifyor withhold a license, or permit the GasCompany to proceed with the LNGproject. With the help of interested citi-zens, county, state, and federal govern-ments may be able to identify a more suit-able location for WGC to consider forthe LNG plant.

Citizens might also try to get theU.S. Department of Transportation todirectly investigate the real condition ofthe underground pipes and equipment inthe Chillum area. Advocates can continueto inform the general public that the pub-lic currently has very little input into criti-cal decisions about major and life-threat-ening systems like natural gas pipelines,in general, and that a growing number ofLNG plants will be proposed and built

Prince George’s Neighborhood Continues to Resist LNG Plant

Hazardous Materials



By Lew Sherman—Dan Andrews andLew Sherman from the Catoctin Grouprecently joined members of Waste Not!Frederick on a tour of the Elkridge Ma-terial Recovery Facility (MRF) inElkridge, MD. Owned by Waste Man-agement Recycle America, the MRF pro-vides recycling services to municipal, resi-dential, and business customers in theGreater Baltimore-Washington area, in-cluding Anne Arundel, Carroll, Howard,and Frederick counties, and the Districtof Columbia. The facility, in operationsince August 2006, employs about 75people in two shifts. Resources recoveredat the MRF are sold to customersthroughout the world. China is one of itslargest markets.

The MRF accepts household/school/business daily-type waste. It doesnot process furniture, fabrics, bulkyjunkyard waste, hazardous materials, foodwaste, construction debris, bowling ballsor aircraft carriers.

The MRF is a single-stream process-ing facility, meaning customers can placerecyclable paper, cardboard, plastic, glass,and metal materials in one container forcollection. State-of-the-art mechanicaltechnologies, screening and optical sort-ing, along with manual labor, are em-ployed to separate materials. Speedingconveyer belts carry materials through-out the 50,000 square foot plant, drop-ping heavier materials to lower convey-ors while lighter paper and plastics arecarried to other collection points. Mag-nets help separate aluminum from othermetals. All along the conveyor lines,workers remove unwanted materials,placing them in containers for furthersorting or disposal. Food-soiled paper isa major contaminant at the MRF. At theend of the lines, products are baled bycompaction machines for shipment tocustomers. The plant has the capacity tosort, process, and bale up to 65 tons perhour, which, according to plant officials,was the highest recycling capacity in the

world, as of February, 2007. On average,the facility receives and processes approxi-mately 20,000 tons of recyclables permonth. About 70% of this material ispaper and about 30% consists of glass,plastics, and metal. Less than 4% is resi-due, which is hauled to the BRESCOincinerator in Baltimore.

The cost and environmental benefits ofthe MRF are impressive. In one year,Elkridge recycling:◆◆◆◆Precludes the cutting of nearly 2.5million fir trees◆◆◆◆Saves 3.5 billion gallons of water◆◆◆◆Saves 15.8 million gallons of gaso-line and diesel fuels◆◆◆◆Eliminates 12 million pounds of airpollutants◆◆◆◆Saves 590 kilowatts of electricity◆◆◆◆Saves 460,000 cubic yards of land-fill space

For some Maryland counties, savings oflandfill space is critical. Frederick shipsmost of its refuse to Virginia landfills. Dueto some unfortunate planning and deci-sion making, their landfill, which was tohave lasted many years into the future, isnearly full and no efforts are being madeto site another. Instead, the county plansto build an incinerator. Currently,Frederick County sends some recyclable

material to the MRF, but could sendmuch more if it were collected. The MRFhas the capacity to process substantiallymore material.

The MRF accepts the followingrecyclables:◆◆◆◆Newspaper, magazines, catalogues,junk mail, and brown paper bags◆◆◆◆Computer printouts, office paperand envelopes.◆◆◆◆Boxboard and corrugated boxes◆◆◆◆Glass containers such as food andbeverage jars and bottles◆◆◆◆Steel and aluminum food and bev-erage containers◆◆◆◆Narrow-neck plastic containers

Discussions with an MRF official clari-fied a lot of uncertainty regarding whatcould and could not be recycled at thefacility. With various sample containers,paper, and plastics from home, tour mem-bers asked the official for a yes or no onwhat could be recycled.

Surprisingly, many items thought tobe unwanted according to FrederickCounty recycle rules are acceptable at theMRF. These include:◆◆◆◆Plastic and metal container lids (evencanning jar lids with rubber gasket)◆◆◆◆All film plastic except for black plas-

tic bags and the type used for junk foodwrapping.◆◆◆◆Aerosol cans◆◆◆◆CD containers◆◆◆◆Cardboard cartons that containedbroth, milk, etc (including those withmetallic inside coating)◆◆◆◆Beater-dyed paper (like vividlycolord craft paper)◆◆◆◆All narrow necked plastic containerscarrying plastic resin codes 1 – 7 (includ-ing lids)◆◆◆◆Tough plastic merchandise wrapping◆◆◆◆Clean paper towels, napkins, tableclothes, and tissue

The MRF’s “do not recycle” list is veryshort including:◆◆◆◆Styrofoam◆◆◆◆Deli plastic clam shells◆◆◆◆Small prescription bottles◆◆◆◆Junk food wrapping; e.g., potato chipbags◆◆◆◆Plastic/foil impregnated yogurt caps◆◆◆◆Nylon vegetable & fruit bags◆◆◆◆Release paper and wax paper, cups,and cardboard◆◆◆◆Motor oil bottles and chemicallycontaminated plastic bottles◆◆◆◆Toothpaste tubes and brushes◆◆◆◆Food-soiled paper products

RecyclingSierrans See Trash Become Treasure

The event’s theme will be: “Zero Waste: What It Is and How It Works” with an emphasison how people can save money, energy, and the environment through zero waste practices,at home and in their businesses.

The event will feature four speakers and many environment- related vendors and sponsorsincluding the Catoctin Group of the Sierra Club. More information can be found atwww.wastenotfrederick.org

Waste Not! FrederickSecond Annual Waste Not! Expo

Saturday, May 11 _ 5 pm

Evangelical Reformed Church United Church of Christ15 W. Church St. in downtown Frederick, MD



By Betsy Johnson—Fed up with gridlockin Congress? Then join the Sierra ClubMaryland Chapter’s political team andhelp us at the state and local levels. Thisis where, for the mostpart, government ac-tually works. How-ever, the problem isthat often, local gov-ernment thwarts ourenvironmental goals,however unwittingly.We need to changethat, election by elec-tion, as we continueto educate our electedofficials about the en-vironment.

Almost all stateand county and cityelections will be heldin this big politicalyear of 2010. This is where the rubbermeets the road (literally), because ourstate and local officials are the ones whomake transportation and developmentprojects happen. Don’t like that roadgridlock? Want to find an alternativemeans of transportation? Want to helpsave the Mattawoman (see articles onpages 1 and 7) and tell those coal compa-nies we don’t want their dirty coal energycoming through our state on their trans-mission lines? All those decisions mostlyhappen at the state and local levels. Noth-ing is more important in our efforts toaffect such projects than electing to of-fice good people who share our environ-mental values.

Right now we’re planning for en-dorsements at the county council level.Some of our groups are preparingscorecards for county council membersand will be publishing that informationto educate the public about environmen-tal records. In April, after the Marylandlegislative session ends, our local politi-cal committees will interview candidates

for the Maryland House of Delegates andthe Senate, and will then make endorse-ments in those races. And then, duringthe summer, we will work for those can-

didates whose elec-tions have been se-lected as our highestpriority.

We need yourhelp! You can donateas much time as youwish—we have jobsthat require a lot oftime and others thatdon’t. But we needyou on our list so wecan engage you whenthe right time comes.This is an opportu-nity to meet your lo-cal officials, find outwhat they think

about the environment, and help thegood ones get elected. If you’d like to helpplease call me, Betsy Johnson, at 301-656-4948. Depending on your interest, wemight ask you to work with your localgroup’s political committee to help reviewquestionnaires and interview candidates.If you don’t have that much time, per-haps you could write an article about acandidate for our newsletter, or help witha Sierra-endorsed candidate’s campaign bystuffing envelopes or going door to door.It all depends on your interest and avail-able time. Let’s talk. ■

Betsy Johnson is an at-large delegate to theMaryland Chapter Executive Committeeand chairs the political committee.

2010 Elections Are Key for EnvironmentalConcerns

across this country.There is quite a bit of work to be

done. More citizens must get involvedwith utility matters which may lead toexplosions with injuries and deaths,thanks to the ill-considered, ill-reviewed,and inadequate oversight of utilities suchas Washington Gas Company. ■

Imani Kazana is President of the Avonridge

Community Development Corp. and aFounding Member of the Washington GasWatch Alliance. Albert VanThournout is Re-cording Secretary of the Avondale/NorthWoodridge Citizens’ Association.

Prince George’s Neighborhood Continues to Fight LNG Plant

Recycling Haz-Mat Politics


Marketing products from the MRF is nota big problem, although the economicdownturn has pushed prices downward.Paper prices were very low in October-November, 2009, but they recovered byJanuary to $90/ton. Aluminum can scrapis selling for $1,000/ton with high for-eign demand. Paper demand is verystrong in the U.S., and recycled paperproducts are becoming common in theretail market; e.g. 100% recycled com-puter print paper is available at Staples.

The MRF’s capabilities are veryencouraging at a time when the need foralternatives to landfills and incinerators

is becoming critical throughout the coun-try. With recyclable products more com-mon, future waste streams increasinglyreusable, and processing capabilities moreefficient, we can visualize a future with-out landfills and incinerators. But achiev-ing this vision will require substantialcultural, economic and philosophicalchange. ■

Lew Sherman is a member of the CatoctinGroup Executive Committee.


Sierrans See How Trash Becomes Treasure

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Habitat Preservation

By Bob Boxwell and Marc Imlay—TheSouthern Maryland Group of the SierraClub advocates that the Southern Mary-land Electric Cooperative (SMECO) andPepco, the electric utility that servesMontgomery and Prince George’s Coun-ties, convert habitat under power linesand utility corridors to shrub/scrub habi-tat for the birds, plants and butterflies.Instead of mowing or broadcasting her-bicide, the herbicide troclopyr is appliedto newly cut stumps. This cut-stumpmethod involves cutting the stump nearthe ground with loppers or a saw, andthen applying the herbicide within fiveminutes. Troclopyr does not migrate be-yond the target plant and biodegrades ina short time. Delmarva Power, the mainpower service for the Delaware-Mary-land-Virginia corridor, has done this foryears. There is an initial cost but consid-erable cost savings in the long haul.

Bird watchers and researchers knowthe value of shrub habitat to our residentnesting species, as well as to many mi-grants. Lawns, parking lots, and otherurban development have reduced theavailability of this valuable habitat. Through proper management of theirpower lines, energy companies likeSMECO and Pepco can have a positiveimpact on bird populations. Listed be-low are some of the species dependent onshrub habitat:

Common shrub bird species include prai-rie warbler, yellow-breasted chat, white-eyed vireo, brown thrasher, gray catbird,common yellowthroat, northern bob-white, American woodcock, eastern to-whee, and field sparrow, as well as somemigrants that may breed elsewhere inMaryland, like willow flycatcher, blue-winged warbler, golden-winged warbler,chestnut-sided warbler, mourning war-bler, and Bewick’s wren.

For years we have been asking Pepco and

SMECO to manage the vegetation un-der power lines for scrub/shrub habitat,which ornithologists tell us is the mostneeded habitat in Maryland. After cut-stumping most of the seedlings, it wouldbe desirable to leave a few species of trees,such as Virginia magnolia, serviceberry,holly and fringe tree, none of which growtall enough to reach the power lines. An-other tree that is important to leave is thenative myrtle, which the myrtle warblerneeds during fall migration.

Using this approach, we can miti-gate or prevent the introduction or spreadof non-native invasive plant species dur-ing the construction of utility corridors.At Swann Park in Charles County, forexample, 100 feet of scrub/shrub habitatunder a power line hosts many varietiesof vegetation, mostly natives.

As natural resources manager for theArmy National Guard, Marc Imlayhelped the Kentucky National Guardadopt this approach for an installation.They consulted with Delmarva Power.This approach works after staff gets tech-nical training. ■

Bob Boxwell and Marc Imlay are membersof the Southern Maryland Group.

By Marc Imlay—Asiatic wavyleafbasketgrass is currently the worst invasiveplant threat in the United States from theCarolinas to Maine and west to themidwestern states, It is far worse thanJapanese stiltgrass, and, if not controlled,forms a dense carpet of hundreds of acresafter 5-10 years. So far it is only found inMaryland and Virginia so we still have achance to halt its spread. Wavyleafbasketgrass can be eradicated, and doingso at this time may be the biggest “bangfor the buck” for environmental funding.A diverse group of more than 25 local,state, and national environmental groupssupports this effort.

Although Japanese stiltgrass hasbeen controlled in the immediate vicin-ity of many federal and state-listed en-dangered and threatened species, the in-troduction of an even worse invasive plantspecies in their habitats and ecosystemswould be a major burden. So it makesmore sense to spend federal dollars un-der Section 7 of the Endangered SpeciesAct at the source of the problem, ratherthan later in the immediate vicinity ofthese species. Another practical optionwould be to add wavyleaf basketgrass tothe list of invasive plants that “green jobs”workers, such as the Student Conserva-tion Association, are detecting and con-trolling.

AAAAAsk Ysk Ysk Ysk Ysk Your Sour Sour Sour Sour Senators and Renators and Renators and Renators and Renators and Repreprepreprepresenta-esenta-esenta-esenta-esenta-tivtivtivtivtives for Hes for Hes for Hes for Hes for HelpelpelpelpelpTo encourage effective action soon, pleaseask your Senators and Representatives toappropriate $1,000,000 a year for fiveyears to Maryland and $1,000,000 a yearto Virginia as emergency Federal fund-ing to detect and treat Asiatic wavyleafbasketgrass. The aggressive wavyleafbasketgrass is spreading very rapidly toour woodland habitats, replacing almostall other plants with an Astroturf-likecover. Public awareness and encourag-ing funding to stop the wavyleaf

basketgrass is the best way to save an esti-mated 20% of the natural environmentin ¼ of the United States.

Potential sources of funding to sug-gest to your Congresspeople includestimulus money; “green jobs” money; au-thorization for 2010-2014 for invasiveprevention and treatment related to theEndangered Species Act; and co-sponsor-ing and modifying the 4/1 matchingfunds 100th Meridian Invasive Speciesbill to include the eastern states, with ad-ditional appropriations for urgent issuessuch as wavyleaf basketgrass.

Your Senators and Representa-tives are:Senator Benjamin CardinTel: 202-224-4524 (DC office)Fax: 202-224-1651 (DC office)Senator Barbara MikulskiTel: 202-224-4654 (DC office)Fax: 202-224-8858 (DC office)

Bartlett, Roscoe, 6th DistrictTel: 202-225-2721 Fax: 202-225-2193Cummings, Elijah, 7th DistrictTel: 202- 225-4741 Fax: 202- 225-3178Edwards, Donna F., 4th DistrictTel: 202-225-8699 Fax: 202-225-8714Hoyer, Steny H., 5th DistrictTel: 202- 225-4131 Fax: 202- 225-4300Kratovil, Jr., Frank M., 1st DistrictTel: 202-225-2721 Fax: 202-225-2194Ruppersberger, Dutch, 2nd DistrictTel: 202-225-3061 Fax: 202-225-3094Sarbanes, John P., 3rd DistrictTel: 202- 225-4016 Fax: 202- 225-9219Van Hollen, Chris,8th DistrictTel: 202- 225-5341 Fax: 202- 225-0375■

Marc Imlay, PhD, is a conservation biolo-gist and the Chair of the Biodiversity andHabitat Stewardship Committee for theMaryland Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Creating Bird Habitat Beneath the Power Lines Please Ask Congress to Fight Wavyleaf Basketgrass

Wavyleaf basketgrass, an invasive plant from Asia,forms a dense mat which smothers native vegetation.


Group News RoundupMaryland Sierrans Thinking Globally, Acting Locally


Edited by Mary C. Corddry—Follow-ing is a roundup of what’s happening withthe nine Sierra Club Groups in Maryland:Anne Arundel County, Catoctin, EasternShore, Greater Baltimore, HowardCounty, Montgomery County, PrinceGeorge’s County, Southern Maryland,and Western Maryland. If you have in-formation to contribute to future“Roundups” for the Chesapeake newslet-ter, please contact Mary Corddry [email protected] or at 410-239-4590.

Anne Arundel GroupChair: David Prosten, 410-263-6341 or410-703-0847, [email protected]

By David Prosten—The Anne ArundelGroup has completed its annual electionprocess. Two new faces joined the Group’sExecutive Committee: longtime memberCarmen Paral and Cool Cities activistCherie Yelton. Welcome!

The Group’s January 30 potluckdinner, featuring Sierra Club PresidentAllison Chin, was postponed because therecord-setting blizzard started that day.Having been snowed out, we’ve resched-uled the potluck dinner for the spring,May 22. Please keep an eye on the Group’swebsite for information about this event.

Our big annual fundraiser, the EarthDay 5K Run and Walk, has been sched-uled for Saturday April 4 at Quiet Wa-ters Park in Annapolis. This fun event isopen to all. Check our website for moreinformation.

The Group’s Earl Bradley has beenin communication with the County onproposed changes in regulations to ad-dress requirements of the recently passedState Stormwater Management Act. Bra-dley says that while the changes are wel-come and have the full support of theMaryland Sierra Club, we are urging law-makers to address a couple of omissionsfrom the requirements.

Catoctin Group (Carroll,Frederick, and WashingtonCounties)Chair: Dan Andrews, 410-857-4129,[email protected]

By Dan Andrews—Some Group mem-bers are participating in “Waste Not”grassroots monthly meetings in bothFrederick and Carroll Counties to opposethe planned Frederick/Carroll WTE(waste-to-energy) incinerator project. InCarroll County, Don West invites speak-ers to weigh in on alternatives, pros/cons,and to propose strategies. “FrederickWaste Not” is presenting to local groupsand actively working to spread the word.A “Waste Not” Expo is planned for May1 in downtown Frederick. CatoctinGroup members will be staffing an in-formation table.

Catoctin Group Excom memberLew Sherman arranged and helped witha presentation to his Ruritan Club of Mt.Pleasant in Frederick County. DanAndrews conducted a 1/2 hour presen-tation on what not to recycle and whyresidents should oppose the proposedWTE incinerator. Lew is working to setup another presentation withthe Jefferson Ruritans.

Saw a fat Robin Red Breast in yardtoday—spring! And with spring comemany opportunities for Catoctin GroupSierrans to get outdoors and get active.

An early April outing is beingplanned by Lew Sherman, Brigitte Fortin,and Karen Moody-Springer. They are try-ing to get the word out to other CatoctinGroup members via a phone bank.Members are assisting with and plan tostaff an information table at theSustainable Living Fair on May 22 at theCarroll County Farm Museum. Memberswill also be at information tables at theBoonsboro Greenfest on May 8.

Still in the works is our plan toscreen Coal Country, a powerful docu-mentary about modern coal mining, at a

local college.Our Group heard a presentation

from a concerned citizen about his con-cerns regarding a proposed biotech facil-ity near Walkersville, Frederick County.He also presented concerns regardingstream pollution by dairy cows northeastof Walkersville. He claims this iscontaminating groundwater as well as theMonocacy River. We are currently review-ing his material.

On the second Tuesday of eachmonth, the Group has a social at CaféNola on East Patrick Street in downtownFrederick, 6:30 – 9 p.m. Come meet andhave good conversation with fellow out-door lovers and environmentalists.

The Catoctin Group communicateswith our members electronically for themost part. Our website is http://maryland.sierraclub.org/catoctin/ , orjust go to sierraclub.org, and select Mary-land Chapter and Catoctin Group, oremail us at [email protected] to re-ceive alerts on actions, hikes, or meetings.

Eastern Shore Group (CecilCounty and Eastern Shore Coun-ties)Chair: Don Grace, 410-352-3722,[email protected]

By Don Grace—The most active leadersof the Lower Shore Group in Salisbury,Barb and Lou Rimbach, have been outof action for medical reasons for the pastseveral weeks. This has resulted in confu-sion on meeting room reservations andrescheduled meetings. The January meet-ing was cancelled and the February meet-ing was scheduled for a week later thannormal, so we have lost some momen-tum.

A section of Assateague Island isbeing recommended by the National ParkService for Wilderness status. The SierraClub’s Wildlands Team and NationalParks Team would like to pursue wilder-ness designation in national parks if the

proper studies have been done and theNational Park Service has passed its rec-ommendations on to Congress for legis-lative action. If there are parks where theSierra Club supports the recommenda-tions and there are no problems withthem, it might be possible to include themin legislation this year. If not, perhaps therequired legislation could be introducedin the next Congress. The two NationalSierra Club teams want to start this re-view effort by finding out if the states’Chapters support the National ParkService’s recommendations for Wildernessdesignation.

“Dorchester Citizens for Safe En-ergy” scheduled a meeting in DorchesterCounty to discuss six possible routes thatthe MAPP (Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway)project would take through DorchesterCounty if that project goes forward.

The Eastern Shore Group of the Si-erra Club meets on the third Tuesday ofevery month at the Wicomico Library,122 South Division Street in downtownSalisbury. The meetings start at 6:30 p.m.The Group is working on the Sierra ClubCool Cities campaign to conserve energyand reduce greenhouse gas emissions onthe Eastern Shore. For further informa-tion, contact Don Grace [email protected].

Greater Baltimore Group (Balti-more City and County, HarfordCounty)Chair: Chris Yoder, 410-466-2462,[email protected]

By Mary Corddry—Celebrate Earth DayApril 22 at the Group’s potluck social andslide show. Come early and bring a dishto the potluck, then stay and learn howto plant a low maintenance garden toenjoy all year. Kim Barnes, a Master Gar-dener and member of the Native PlantSociety and Wiltondale Garden Club, willgive a talk on how to design gardens us-



Group News RoundupThe Maryland Chapter Groups Working Locally


ing plants native to Maryland. She willteach how native plants benefit wildlifeand habitats, how to work natives intoan existing garden, and where to find andbuy plants. We will meet from 6:30 to 9p.m. at the Oregon Ridge Nature Centerin Hunt Valley, west off Shawan Roadfrom the I-83 exit north of Baltimore.Call Joyce at 410-254-7240 if you needfurther details.

During the early part of December2009, Deborah Bowers, a HarfordCounty resident, became aware of StateHighway Administration (SHA) plans forwidening MD Route 24 through RocksState Park. She set up an ad hoc commit-tee meeting and invited various commu-nity and environmental groups, who areunanimously in opposition to the project.The SHA plans do not address the coreissue of stream bank erosion needing cor-rection. A publicity committee wasformed; a Facebook site was developed;and contacts were made to all HarfordCounty State Delegates, State SenatorGlassman, County Executive Craig, andCounty Council members to request theirinvestigation and position. Within lessthan two weeks, the Facebook site re-ceived in excess of 5,700 comments. Twoletters to the editor were printed in theHarford County Aegis, and one in the Bal-timore Sun (January 19, 2009). As a re-sult of these efforts, the SHA is re-evalu-ating the project, has committed to con-sidering a new range of alternatives basedon public comments, and will present itsnew range of alternatives at a public meet-ing later (around September) this year.

The Sierra Club will continue work-ing on this issue, as members of the “SaveThe Rocks” Committee. This will be acontinuous, proactive effort until the nextSHA presentation, to ensure compliancewith all environmental issues and citizenconcerns. For further information, visitthe Facebook website called “Save TheRocks”, contact Deborah Bowers of the

Save The Rocks Committee, or contactour local Sierra Club members serving onthe committee, as follows:◆Deborah Bowers – E-Mail:[email protected]◆Carol Nau - H: 410-692-0610; E-Mail: [email protected]◆Jack Dettner – H: 410-638-1433; E-Mail: [email protected]◆Ron Henry – C: 443-474-7449; E-Mail: [email protected]

Baltimore County established the Officeof Sustainability in 2008, to oversee thedevelopment and implementation ofsustainability strategies for County opera-tions and the community at-large. ASustainability Network (SN)—an advi-sory committee of citizens, private sec-tor, and County representatives—wastasked to work with the new Office’s Di-rector.

A major SN goal is to achieve a 10%greenhouse gas reduction from 2006 lev-els by 2012, consistent with the State’sgoal. In June 2009 the work groups re-ported 121 recommendations, based onwhich the County recently received a $7.4million U.S. Department of Energy(DoE) Energy Efficiency and Conserva-tion Block Grant. This will support de-velopment during 2010 of the commu-nity-wide sustainability strategy by theSN, County staff, and outside consult-ants. Input from community groups, con-servation organizations, and the businesssector will be actively sought.

The Greater Baltimore Group’s out-ings program offers a variety of activitiesincluding hikes, kayaking, camping, hay-rides, stream cleanups, and tubing. Checkthe Group’s web site for a schedule of out-ings and other events.

The Group publishes a quarterlynewsletter, The Baltimore Sierran, whichis mailed to members and is available onits web site. Also, the Group now has aFacebook group that you can join ath t t p : / / w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m /

group.php?gid=76458501970. Facebookwill be updated with information abouthikes, meetings, and public meetings rel-evant to the Sierra Club.

Howard CountyChair: Ken Clark, 301-725-3306,[email protected]

By Ken ClarkUpcoming Events:Mattawoman Creek PresentationFriday Apr. 9, 7:15 pm, at HCRP,Howard County Recreation and ParksHeadquarters, 7120 Oakland Mills Road,Columbia. Mattawoman Creek is one ofthe healthiest creeks in the region, but isin danger due to developmental pressures.Come learn why saving this “poster childof the Chesapeake Bay” is one of theMaryland Sierra Club’s highest priorities.We cannot save the Chesapeake Bay whilepaving over the remaining healthy tribu-taries that nourish the Bay. After seeingthis presentation, you can visit theMattawoman Creek with us on either oftwo paddle trips, scheduled for SundayApril 11 and Saturday April 24. See ouroutings schedule. Contact: Ken Clark,[email protected], or 301-725-3306.

GreenFest 2010Saturday Apr. 17, 10 am to 4 pm, HowardCommunity College, Burrill Galleria,10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Colum-bia. Learn about all things green at theHoward County Government’s third an-nual GreenFest. Meet local vendors andorganizations, and attend various presen-tations. Stay tuned for more informationor visit the Howard County GreenFestsite at www.howardcountymd.gov/OES/GreenFest.htm. Contact: LindsayDeMarzo, 410-313-2350.

We are putting together a series ofprograms on various energy topics forearly 2010. Check our web page for de-tails. If you have questions or suggestions,

contact Sue Muller at 301-498-8462 [email protected].

The Howard County Group has avery active outings program, includingfrequent backpacking trips. Check theGroup’s web site for a schedule of out-ings and other events. You may contactKen Clark about getting on an email list-ing of outings and events.

Montgomery CountyChair: David Hauck, 301-270-5826,[email protected]

By David Hauck—Please go to ourwebsite at http://maryland.sierraclub.org/montgomery for a calendar of our up-coming events and copies of our recenttestimony before and letters to theCounty Council and Planning Board.

Also, we will be sending out our firste-newsletter soon to all MontgomeryCounty Sierra Club members for whomwe have e-mail addresses. If you want tohear about activities and actions of yourlocal Sierra Club, we need to have youremail address. You can send it [email protected] with “e-newsletter”in the subject line.

Sierra Club volunteers in Montgom-ery County have continued their work onour three priority goals: 1) making futuregrowth in the County “smart” by direct-ing it toward areas well-served by transitand by shifting more of future job growthto the eastern part of the County, in or-der to help correct the current jobs-hous-ing imbalance, which practically man-dates long commutes by car; 2) preserv-ing our natural habitat from threats posedby invasive plants and sprawl develop-ment; and, 3) encouraging energy effi-ciency by County businesses and residentsas the most cost-effective way of reduc-ing greenhouse gas emissions responsiblefor global climate change.

Smart Growth: Because the Montgom-


Group News Roundup

ery County Council is now consideringwhether to adopt major master plan re-visions for White Flint and GaithersburgWest (Life Sciences Center)—decisionsthat will shape the direction of theCounty’s growth for the next 30 years—we have spent a great deal of time in re-cent months on smart growth issues. Wesupport the plan to create a walkable com-munity of higher density housing, com-mercial, and office space around theWhite Flint metro station, provided thatnew local transit is built that will comple-ment the longer-distance transit providedby the metro. We have made clear thatour support is contingent on a carefullyplanned and enforced staging plan—inother words, if the transit doesn’t get built,neither do the new housing and office andcommercial buildings. Without moretransit, a future White Flint runs the riskof having many more residents, employ-ees, and shoppers competing for space ona road network that will not be able tohandle the volume.

The West Gaithersburg plan is in es-sence a sprawl development masquerad-ing as smart growth. It is located severalmiles from the closest Metro station anddepends on the proposed Corridor Cit-ies Transitway (an unfunded light rail—trolley—system) that would run from theShady Grove Metro station through theproposed development. Even if it is built,the transitway will at best account for only10-12 percent of the trips generated bythe proposed development. The remain-ing 90 percent of the trips would be bycar and would bring more congestion toI-270 and more pressure to widen thathighway. Just as worrisome is the fact thatthe Montgomery County PlanningDepartment’s own projections show thatdeveloping Gaithersburg West will reducefuture job growth around many metrostations and in the eastern part of thecounty where jobs are in relatively shortsupply. (See our testimony at http://

maryland.sierraclub.org/montgomery/support_gaithersburg_west.html)

An important component of smartgrowth is expanding the transit system.Since October, the Montgomery CountyGroup has been participating in Sustain-able Metro DC, a regional Sierra Clubcommittee fighting for environmentallysound development and clean, conve-nient transportation. The Sierra Club ad-vocates shifting to a more balanced trans-portation system—connecting vibrant,compact, mixed-use neighborhoods—that respects pedestrians and bicycle us-ers and prioritizes investment in transit.

Coordinated by Phillip Ellis, Sus-tainable Metro DC is working on an ar-ray of issues: Metro funding and service,the Region Divided problem, Bus RapidTransit (BRT), an expanded Purple Line,rail on the Woodrow Wilson bridge, andcoordination with the TransportationPlanning Board. The group—whichbrings together the Maryland, D.C., andNorthern Virginia Chapters of the SierraClub, as well as the Montgomery CountyGroup—has already been instrumental inconvincing the Metropolitan WashingtonCouncil of Governments to add regionalbalance to its Greater Washington 2050vision statement, promoting greater en-vironmental justice.

The Region Divided initiative islooking for ways to balance developmentand job growth throughout the region.Job shortages in Prince George’s Countyand east of the Anacostia result in longercommutes, primarily in one direction.The initiative hopes to revitalizeunderutilized areas near the urban core.

The BRT initiative is working to de-velop Bus Rapid Transit policy. Origi-nated in Brazil, BRT brings new users toa high speed, luxury bus network withpriority corridors, prepaid fares, and otheramenities. Montgomery County is in theinitial stages of exploring county-wideBRT, while a wider, regional system is alsobeing studied.

Habitat protection and restoration: Wecontinue our schedule of monthly inva-sive plant removal events in three Countyparks. On January 18, our invasive re-moval event at the Underground RailroadExperience Park was part of the NationalDay of Service program and attracted 40hardy volunteers. Be sure to check outthe calendar on our website for futureevents.

Energy efficiency: Our volunteers con-tinue to work with the County’sSustainability Working Group to ensurethat the energy efficiency recommenda-tions of the County’s Climate ProtectionPlan actually get implemented. Becausethese recommendations account fornearly all of the greenhouse gas reductionsof the Climate Protection Plan, it is criti-cal that the County create a detailed ac-tion plan that spells out the resources andenabling legislation required to makethem a reality.

Prince George’s CountyChair: Chip Reilly, 301-218-3920,[email protected]’s office: 301-277-0600 or 301-277-7111

By Chip ReillySpring Assateague Outing PlannedThe Prince George’s Group of the SierraClub is planning to host a weekend out-ing at Assateague Island in April. The tripwill consist of sand-dune camping, anovernight bonfire party, and some pad-dling in coastal bays guided by the localCoastkeeper. The reasonable trip cost willinclude transportation, equipment, andrentals. A confirmed date will be an-nounced soon. If you have an interest inthe event, please email the Group’s So-cial/Events Chair, Alex Hirtle, [email protected] (please put“Assateague Trip” in the subject line), orleave a message at 301-927-2105.

Group meetings are held on the firstThursday of every other month.◆6:30-7:30 p.m.—Business meeting ofthe Executive Committee Sierra PrinceGeorge’s Group.◆6:30-7:30 p.m.—Meeting of people in-terested in the “Cool Cities” initiative, topush the County government and mu-nicipalities to take measures to tackle glo-bal warming, especially smart and cleanenergy solutions. ◆7:45 p.m.—Presentation on issues. Allwelcome.

The Maryland Chapter Groups Working Locally(continued from page 14)



Group News Roundup


Upcoming meeting:Thursday, May 6Location: Kettering Middle School, 65Herrington Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD20774-1599 (301) 808-4060Look for signs directing you to the room.Always check our website for updates atmaryland.sierraclub.org/pg/Note: The Prince George’s County CivicFederation meets at 7:30 p.m. on the sameday and at the same location, so you maywish to join all or part of their program.

Southern Maryland (Calvert,Charles, and St. Mary’s Counties)Chair: Frank Fox, 301-884-8027,[email protected]

The Southern Maryland Group remainsdeeply involved with protectingMattawoman Creek in Charles County,which the Maryland Chapter selected asa conservation priority for 2010. Despitebeing declared the nation’s fourth mostendangered river last April, Mattawomancontinues to suffer from Charles County’sland use policies. The County is planningthe Western Connector, a new dividedhighway which would plow across the fullwidth of the Mattawoman watershed, asan extension of the County’s CrossCounty Connector.

Outings and Events:The 10th Annual Earth Day on theSquare in Leonardtown: April 18, 12:30pm – 4:30 pm. Come out of the annualcelebration of Earth Day in Leonardtown.This is a really fun family event thatshould be on everybody’s calendar.

Potomac River Swim: June 5, Point Look-out State Park. This is the quintessentialfund-raiser for Southern MarylandGroup. This annual event raises moneyfor several organizations through pledgestaken by the swimmers. We provide thecelebratory picnic at the Point Lookout

picnic grounds. It’s a day of grilling andchilling with one hundred of your friends.We can always use help with this event.You meet a lot of great people—kayakers, Boston whalers, swimmers, andtheir families. It’s an 8 a.m. scheduledstart, so the earliest we will see swimmerswill be 10:30 or 11:00 a.m. Please con-tact Bob at 443 404-5549 if you are in-terested in details.

The Group publishes a quarterlynewsletter, News from Southern Maryland.Check the Group’s web site for a sched-ule of outings and other events. Monthlyinvasive plant removals are scheduled forthe 800-acre Chapman Forest and 200-acre Ruth Swann Park in Charles County.

Western Maryland (Allegany andGarrett Counties)Chair: Sam White, 301-264-4162,[email protected] [email protected]

By Sam White—The Western MarylandGroup is assisting in a local food initia-tive. A group of consumers and produc-

The Maryland Chapter Groups Working Locally

If you are anexperiencededitor and adiplomaticwordsmith, withgood organiza-

tional skills and a commitmentto environmental advocacy,here’s a volunteer opportunitythat may be just what you’relooking for: managing editorof this newsletter.

As the leader of our editorialteam, you’ll work with ourchapter leaders and othermembers whose articles,essays, and notices fill our

We’re looking for an E D I T O Rpages. You’ll solicit, reviewand circulate articles, developstory ideas, and assign thearticles to our editors, whowill work with the authors toget the articles ready forpublication. Then you’ll coor-dinate with the publicationdesigner, who’ll put the news-letter together for printing.You can do this work fromhome.

Interested? Have questionsthat might help you getinterested? Email Darla [email protected]!

ers is actively pursuing a venue to sell lo-cal food year round. Educating the pub-lic on the economic and environmentalbenefits of local food will be focusedupon. The Group is also seeking volun-teers to lead outings or to serve on theGroup Ex-Com. For more information,please contact Sam White at 301-264-4162 or [email protected].

The Group publishes a newsletter,Nature’s Advocate of Western MD.TheGroup’s email discussion group-Listservlets members to discuss conservation is-sues pertaining to Western [email protected] Listserv is also used to announceGroup meetings, outings, and otherevents. To join, go to the website and clickthe “Join the list” link. ■

Those who dwell among thebeauties and mysteries of theearth are never alone or wearyof life.

—Rachel Carson


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JJJJJan Han Han Han Han Hoffmastoffmastoffmastoffmastoffmaste re re re re r,,,,, Outings C Outings C Outings C Outings C Outings Committommittommittommittommittee Cee Cee Cee Cee [email protected] MMMMMi ki ki ki ki ke Pe Pe Pe Pe Prrrrretl ,etl ,etl ,etl ,etl , P P P P PAAAAAC C C C C TTTTTrrrrreasureasureasureasureasure re re re re [email protected] BBBBB etsy Jetsy Jetsy Jetsy Jetsy Johnson,ohnson,ohnson,ohnson,ohnson, P P P P Politicoliticoliticoliticolitical Cal Cal Cal Cal Chairhairhairhairhair,,,,, C C C C Council Douncil Douncil Douncil Douncil Del.el .el .el .el [email protected]

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OOOOOfficfficfficfficffice :e :e :e :e : 7338 Baltimore Avenue, #101ACollege Park, MD 20740Tel: 301-277-711, Fax: 301-277-6699http://maryland.sierraclub.org

Thanks for reading

�Chesapeake!


Stewardship

Please contact each event leader toconfirm details and RSVP.

Anne Arundel CountyFFFFFororororort Mt Mt Mt Mt Meade Aeade Aeade Aeade Aeade Arrrrrmy Imy Imy Imy Imy InstallationnstallationnstallationnstallationnstallationAnyone welcome!When: 2nd Sat monthly starting inspringTime: 10 a.m. (flexible for groups)Details: People of all ages, backgroundsand interests are invited to spend a fewhours outdoors, hand-pulling somenon-native plants while learning aboutthe differences between native and non-native invasive plants and how theseinvasives adversely impact our naturalecosystem. Short training session onidentification, and control techniquesof non-native invasive plants then helpremove Japanese stilt grass, English ivy,garlic mustard, tree of heaven, multi-flora rose, Japanese honeysuckle,common privet, phragmites, Asiatictearthumb. Bring hand tools, gloves,lunch & water, long sleeves & pants.Directions: 295 BW Prkwy to Rt 175East, right on Reece Rd to entrance,immediate left on Ernie Pyle St, ~1mile to left on Llewellyn Ave, right onChisholm Ave, left on 3rd St, right onRoss Rd, Environmental DivisionOffice is 2nd building on rightRSVP: Mick Butler Installation Forester301-677-9188 contact 3 days ahead.List of names to be provided to guard atentrance prior to ensure access on topost.

JJJJJug Bug Bug Bug Bug Bay Way Way Way Way Wetlands Setlands Setlands Setlands Setlands Sanctuaranctuaranctuaranctuaranctuaryyyyy,,,,,LothianLothianLothianLothianLothianWhen: Sat Mar 27 and ongoing 10a.m.– 3 p.m.Description: Spring Stewardship Day!Jug Bay has over 1500 acres of wet-lands, upland forests, meadows, andstreams. Stewardship means taking careof the land we all share. Join our teamto remove the non-native invasiveplants from our forests before they

spread and threaten the special habitatsand rare plants found on the Sanctuary.Pick up trash that has floated into themarsh, pull invasive weeds, and main-tain native plant gardens. Please wearwork clothes (long sleeves, boots.)Bring work gloves, bag lunch, clothingchange and towel. Ages 6 yrs min.Scout and community groups welcome.Sign up for a.m., p.m., or both.Directions: 1361 Wrighton Rd.Lothian, MD 20711. Call 410-741-9330 www.jugbay.orgRSVP: Lindsay Hollister & ElaineFriebele [email protected]: To adopt your very own plotto monitor, map and manage invasivesduring the year contact: Lindsey 410-741-9330, [email protected]

PPPPPatuxatuxatuxatuxatuxent Rent Rent Rent Rent Researesearesearesearesearch Rch Rch Rch Rch RefugeefugeefugeefugeefugeNNNNNorororororth Tth Tth Tth Tth Trrrrract Vact Vact Vact Vact Visitor Cisitor Cisitor Cisitor Cisitor Contact Sontact Sontact Sontact Sontact Sta-ta-ta-ta-ta-tiontiontiontiontionWhen: Weds Apr 24, 1–3 p.m. EarthDay Weed Warriors kick-offMay 19, 1-3 p.m., June 9, June 16, July21, Aug 4 9-12 noonNational Wildlife Visitor Center July 7,9-12 noonDescription: Patuxent Research Refuge,established by President Franklin D.Roosevelt in 1936, was America’s firstand only refuge devoted “to helpprotect and conserve the nation’swildlife and habitat through research oncritical environmental problems andissues.” Its 12,750 acres of forest,meadow, and wetland habitats aremanaged to promote biological diver-sity and protection of native andmigratory bird species.

Non-native invasive plants arethreatening our wildlife habitat. Weneed YOU to help stop them. Comeout for one of our “Weed WarriorsDays” for a short educational briefingabout effects of invasive plants onwildlife and habitats and how to

identify and control them then help ustreat garlic mustard, mile-a-minute,Japanese stiltgrass and other non-nativeplant infestations on the refuge. All agesand abilities welcome. Wear long sleevesand pants and bring gloves.Directions—North Tract VisitorContact Station: I-295, exit MD-Route198 towards Fort Meade. Approx 1.5miles turn right on Bald Eagle Drbetween Glory Days Auto Salvage &baseball fields. Proceed through gateand continue about 1/2 mile.Directions—National Wildlife VisitorCenter: off Powder Mill Rd betweenMD Rt 197 and the BaltWash Pkwy,south of LaurelRSVP: 301-497-5887 / INFO:Christopher Wicker, Wildlife Biologist301-497-5763 www.patuxent.fws.gov

Baltimore CountyCCCCCrrrrromwomwomwomwomwell Vell Vell Vell Vell Valleallealleallealley Py Py Py Py ParararararkkkkkPark Habitat Restoration TeamWhen: 2nd Sat monthly 9-12 noon.Rain date following day.8_11 a.m. in July, Aug & Sept to avoidthe heat.Description: Cromwell Valley Park is awonderful rural park just outside theBeltway on Cromwell Bridge Road. Our Habitat Restoration Team has atough ongoing assignment to eliminatenon-native invasives from this scenicpark, and we need all the help we canget. We have tackled multiflora rose,Japanese barberry, kudzu, garlic mus-tard, mile a minute, porcelain berry,oriental bittersweet and many others.

The areas we have worked on inrecent years, Beehive Woods andDogwood Hill are looking much better,free of major invasives, with new treesand shrubs gaining a foothold. A newinstallation of a deer exclusion fence lastyear demonstrates effects of excessivedeer browsing in forests. There is stilllots to do. Tools and refreshments areprovided. Wear suitable protective

clothing.RSVP Carl Koprowicz:[email protected] Park office:410-887-2503info@cromwellvalleypark.orgwww.cromwellvalleypark.org Trailmaintenance: [email protected]

GGGGGunpounpounpounpounpowwwwwder Vder Vder Vder Vder Valleallealleallealley Cy Cy Cy Cy ConseronseronseronseronservvvvvancyancyancyancyancyWhen: check www.gunpowderfalls.orgDescription: Tree Maintenance Volun-teers Needed! Seeking volunteers, ages12 and up, to adopt a tree planting siteor help on tree maintenance days thisspring. Become a tree steward. Helpmaintain some of our 4,000 treesplanted in the last 2 years. Invasiveplants surrounding the trees must beremoved, stakes and shelters secured,dead trees marked, and watering done.RSVP: Peggy Perry, Program [email protected]

PPPPPatapsco Vatapsco Vatapsco Vatapsco Vatapsco Valleallealleallealley Sy Sy Sy Sy State Ptate Ptate Ptate Ptate Pararararark,k,k,k,k,HHHHHalethorpe, MDalethorpe, MDalethorpe, MDalethorpe, MDalethorpe, MDFriends of Patapsco Valley & HeritageGreenway, Inc.When: Sun May 2 2010 RAIN ORSHINE 12:30-4:30p.m.Description: 11th Annual GarlicMustard Challenge!! A popular annualfamily-oriented event. After two hoursof pulling Garlic Mustard enjoy livemusic, games, environmental displays,and a cooking contest! Prizes for a tastetesting of garlic mustard side dishes anda poster contest for local school-agechildren! Located in the park’s Avalon Area,Pavilion 104.RSVP: Betsy [email protected]

Additional PHG-sponsored volunteerevent dates and locations may bescheduled depending on group re-

Habitat Preservation and Invasive Plant Removal Outings

continued ➱


Stewardship

quests, number of available volunteersand compatible dates and times.

Friends of Patapsco Valley State ParkWhen: OngoingDescription: Please join the Friends ofPatapsco Valley State Park at the Avalonarea to eradicate invasive vines. This isthe worst place in the park for non-native vines. They have killed or brokenmany trees in that area, so we need lotsof help. Wear long clothes and bringgloves as there is some poison ivy. Bringhand pruners and loppers and two-handed cutters for larger vines.www.fpvsp.orgDirections: Meet at Avalon contactstation. I -95 to I-195 east to Rt. 1toward Elkridge. Immediate Right onSouth St. Entrance on left. 1/2 mile tocontact station.Contact: Jim [email protected] 410-948-4796www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/central/patapscovolunteer.html

PPPPPrrrrrettyboettyboettyboettyboettyboy Ry Ry Ry Ry ReseresereseresereservvvvvoiroiroiroiroirSierra Club Greater Baltimore GroupWhen: OngoingDescription: For those who love hikingand animal-watching, PrettyboyReservoir provides habitat for a varietyof forest wildlife species, includingwhite-tailed deer, wild turkey, rabbit,squirrel, and songbirds. Meet for acouple hours of cutting invasive vinesalong the CCC fireroads at PrettyboyReservoir. Clippers, loppers, handsaws, and gloves will be available, oryou may bring your own. Directions: Meet at the parking lot onTracey Store Rd. Reach Tracey StoreRd. by getting off I-83 north at the Mt.Carmel Rd. exit and heading west. Turn right on Pretty Boy Dam Rd. Turn left on Tracey Store Rd. Afterpassing a Prettyboy Reservoir sign and acouple fireroads on the right and

crossing a creek, park in the dirtparking lot on the right side of theroad. Contact: Mary 443-386-0862c 410-239-4590h [email protected]

Baltimore CityHHHHHerring Rerring Rerring Rerring Rerring Run Wun Wun Wun Wun Watershed Aatershed Aatershed Aatershed Aatershed AssociationssociationssociationssociationssociationWhen: Ongoing. Calendar atwww.herringrun.orgDescription: Work in city parksremoving multi-flora rose, honeysuckle,English ivy, Japanese knotweed, Orien-tal bittersweet & more! Join regularweed pull parties using shears, loppers,pick mattocks, and good ‘ole muscles.Bring: water, durable clothes w/longsleeves, boots, & sunscreen. Where: Parks throughout Herring Runwatershed. www.herringrun.orgRSVP: Ashley Traut, CommunityOutreach Manager, 410-254-1577 ext103, [email protected]

MMMMMeadoeadoeadoeadoeadowood Pwood Pwood Pwood Pwood Pararararark, Dk, Dk, Dk, Dk, Drrrrruid Huid Huid Huid Huid Hill Pill Pill Pill Pill Pararararark,k,k,k,k,SSSSStony Rtony Rtony Rtony Rtony Run Pun Pun Pun Pun Pararararark, Wk, Wk, Wk, Wk, Westeresteresteresterestern Rn Rn Rn Rn Run Pun Pun Pun Pun Parararararkkkkkand Wand Wand Wand Wand Wyman Pyman Pyman Pyman Pyman ParararararkkkkkJones Falls Watershed AssociationWhen: 2nd Sat monthly: 9:00a.m.,Mar 6 Stream Waders Training w/MDDNR, Apr 3, Apr 10, Apr 17, Apr 22,Apr 24, May 1, May 8, June 12, July10, Aug 14, Sept 11, Oct 9, Nov 13,Dec 11, 9:00a.m.Description: Join the JFWA for a familyfriendly restoration project tree plant-ing, site preparation, clean stream, orstream waders in a city or county park.Where: county and city parks. Invasiveplant removals at Meadowood Park justoutside the Baltimore Beltway on FallsRoad at Stony Run Park.RSVP: Nicole Angeli [email protected] [email protected] www.jonesfalls.org

Calvert County

AAAAAmerican Chestnut Land Tmerican Chestnut Land Tmerican Chestnut Land Tmerican Chestnut Land Tmerican Chestnut Land Trrrrrust,ust,ust,ust,ust,PPPPPororororort Rt Rt Rt Rt RepublicepublicepublicepublicepublicWhen: Wed Oct-April 10-12noon,May-Sept 9-11a.m., Sat Mar 27, Apr17, May 22, June 19, July 24, Sept. 18,Oct. 30; 9a.m.- 12 noon. Full invasivetraining program August 14.Description: Join us for our extensiveNon-Native Invasive Plant Removalprogram in one of the last pristinewatersheds on the Western Shore of theChesapeake Bay. Work as a team orindividually; includes training, tools,water, and gloves.RSVP: Liz Stoffel, Land Manager 410-414-3400 [email protected]

HHHHHellen Cellen Cellen Cellen Cellen Crrrrreek Feek Feek Feek Feek Forororororest and West and West and West and West and WildlifeildlifeildlifeildlifeildlifePPPPPrrrrreseresereseresereservvvvve, Le, Le, Le, Le, LusbyusbyusbyusbyusbyCove Point Natural Heritage TrustWhen: Sun Apr 11th, 1 - 3 p.m. andongoingDescription: Spring Cleanup Workdayat Hellen Creek. Join us for a quicktour of the preserve before we get busyon invasive removal and habitatrestoration. Learn how you canimprove your own backyard to make itfriendlier to the environment and take anative plant home for your garden.

Hellen Creek Forest and WildlifePreserve is 50 acres of stream and ravinealong Hellen Creek. We have over 25species of trees including hemlocks andare adjacent to TNC’s HemlockPreserve. Wear sturdy clothes and shoesfor invasive plant removal and nativewildflower plantings. We will havegloves and tools and refreshments.Directions: 11785 Clifton Drive LusbyMD 20657 Take Coster Road less than1 mile to Clifton Drive on the right. Follow this to the driveway on the leftwith the number 11875 posted. Followto the end where you will see our sign. RSVP: Bob Boxwell, Executive Direc-tor, [email protected] County

Adkins AAdkins AAdkins AAdkins AAdkins Arborrborrborrborrboretum, Ridgelyetum, Ridgelyetum, Ridgelyetum, Ridgelyetum, RidgelyWhen: Ongoing starting May.Description: Gardeners often unknow-ingly harbor serious invasive plants intheir backyards, or aren’t sure what toreplace them with. Adkins Arboretumtrains volunteers to assist staff inremoving invasive non-natives on theArboretum’s 400-acre site. Workdaysare flexible. Participants learn howusing native plants to replace invasiveplants can offer benefits from attractingmore butterflies and birds to reducingthe spread of invaders in their neigh-borhood and how gardens can reflecttheir native landscapes instead as well asbeing ornamental..Directions: www.adkinsarboretum.orgRSVP: Sue [email protected] 410-634-2847(x24) Eleanor [email protected]

Charles CountyChapman FChapman FChapman FChapman FChapman Forororororest and Rest and Rest and Rest and Rest and Ruth Suth Suth Suth Suth SwannwannwannwannwannPPPPParararararkkkkkMaryland Native Plant Society andSierra ClubWhen: 1st Sun and 2nd Sat, monthly ,10 a.m. – 4 p.m.There are about 3,000 native plantspecies in Maryland, with 800 atChapman Forest and contiguous SwannPark, 49 of which are endangered.Remove invasive non-natives from the200-acre Swann Park and 800-acreportion of Chapman Forest designatedChapman State Park. There will be timefor plant identification and a beautifulbeach lunch. Learn about best seasonfor species, wet soil condition forpulling, extent of area of natives seenrescued, delayed gratification, targeteduse of herbicides, and matching fundsfor staff to do what volunteers find hardto do. Non-native invasive plant removal will

HHHHHabitaabitaabitaabitaabitat Pt Pt Pt Pt Prrrrreseresereseresereservvvvvaaaaation and Intion and Intion and Intion and Intion and Invvvvvasivasivasivasivasive Pe Pe Pe Pe Planlanlanlanlant Rt Rt Rt Rt Remoemoemoemoemovvvvval Outingsal Outingsal Outingsal Outingsal Outings

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Sierra Club, Maryland Chapter7338 Baltimore Avenue, #101ACollege Park, MD 20740

reach the maintenance phase followinga major work effort at each site in theMid-Atlantic region and around theworld. It will take about 5-7 years toremove the massive populations ofspecies. Regular stewardship projects areconducted in all seasons includingwinter, early spring, late spring, sum-mer, and late summer. This high-intensity program will be followed by alow-intensity annual maintenanceprogram for plants we have missed,plants emerging from the seed bank,and occasional plants migrating in fromneighboring areas. Casual clothing,long sleeves and pants, sturdy comfort-able walking boots/shoes, gloves areencouraged for these events. Info & map http://www.chapmanforest.org &www.mattawomanwatershedsociety.orgDirections: First Sun., meet main gateChapman Forest State Park/ MtAventine / Glendening Natural EnviroArea. DC I495 beltway to Indian HeadHwy (MD 210) south toward IndianHead (VA Exit 2 or MD Exit 3A). 14miles cross MD 227 light (town BryansRoad). Approx. 1.1 mi veer right onChapmans Landing Rd. 1.6 miles whitegate on right Mount Aventine/Chapman Forest State Park.CARPOOL: Sierra Club College Parkoffice 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. RSVP LaurelImlay 301-277-7111.

Directions: Ruth B. Swann Park Satafter 1st Sun.10a.m. -4p.m. Meet: RuthB Swann Park—Potomac BranchLibrary parking lot, 20 miles south ofDC Beltway (I-495) on Rt. 210 (IndianHead Hwy), approx 1.5 mi south oftraffic light on Rt. 2l0 in Bryans Road.RSVP: Marc Imlay 301-283-0808h301-442-5657cGarrett County

SSSSSavavavavavage Rivage Rivage Rivage Rivage River Ser Ser Ser Ser State Ftate Ftate Ftate Ftate Forororororest—Best—Best—Best—Best—BearearearearearPPPPPen Wen Wen Wen Wen Wildlands, Gildlands, Gildlands, Gildlands, Gildlands, GrrrrrantsvilleantsvilleantsvilleantsvilleantsvilleSavage River Watershed AssociationWhen: Thurs Apr 29 & Fri May 7,8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.Description: Battling Botanical BulliesAdult volunteers are needed to continuecontrol efforts of Japanese spiraea in theBear Pen Run area of Savage River StateForest. Bear Pen is designated as a Type1 Wildland, and like other natural areasaround the state, is threatened by avariety of exotic invasive species. KerrieKyde, Invasive Plant Specialist with theMaryland Wildlife & Heritage Service,provides technical support. WadeDorsey, Savage River State Forest actingmanager, provides work tools. MaryIronside, Big Run & New GermanyState Park manager, provides freecamping the night before for any out-of-town volunteers. The Savage RiverWatershed Association coordinates theproject and provides snacks and drinksfor volunteers. Join us!Directions: Elk Ridge Native PlantPreserve, 283 Elk Ridge Lane,Grantsville, MD 21536RSVP: Liz McDowell or Ron Boyer [email protected], or 301-895-3686.

Harford CountyOOOOOtter Ptter Ptter Ptter Ptter Point Coint Coint Coint Coint CrrrrreekeekeekeekeekAnita C. Leight Estuary Center,AbingdonBecome an “INVASINATOR!” Volun-teer to join the Anita C. Leight EstuaryCenter in removing invasive plants andrestoring native plants.When: Sat. Apr 25, 10:30a.m.-12:30p.m.; Sat. May 23, 1p.m.-3p.m.and ongoingDescription: Enjoy pink lady slippersand native orchids in upland andwooded swamp. Learn why non-nativeinvasive plants are a threat to ourecosystem, how to identify problemplants, and removal and restoration

strategies. Wear sturdy shoes, longsleeves, and work gloves for fieldworkin the Reserve each meeting date.Participants receive an “Invasinators” T-shirt after attending two work days.Location: 700 Otter Point Road,Abingdon, MD 21009Registration: 410-612-1688 orwww.otterpointcreek.org

Howard County(See also Fort Meade Army Installationlisted Anne Arundel Co)The MThe MThe MThe MThe Middle Piddle Piddle Piddle Piddle Patuxatuxatuxatuxatuxent Eent Eent Eent Eent Envirnvirnvirnvirnvironmen-onmen-onmen-onmen-onmen-tal Atal Atal Atal Atal Arrrrrea (MPea (MPea (MPea (MPea (MPEA)EA)EA)EA)EA)1,021 acres established in 1996 con-tains upland and bottomland hardwoodforest, fields, wetlands, ponds, andriparian habitats. Mission includesnatural resource management, educa-tion, research and recreation. TheConservation Stewardship Project, ajoint program of Howard County Recr& Parks and the Howard Co MasterGardeners, targets invasive, exoticspecies in the Middle Patuxent EnviroArea. Volunteer work dates occurmonthly Mar - Nov, skipping July andAug.

Descriptions:Apr 27: Spring ephemeral spree &Garlic mustard removalMeet South Wind Cir. Virginia blue-bells may be blooming and many otherspring ephemeral plants will be identi-fied and discussed during wooded walkto uproot garlic mustard. Conclude atverdant spot where Cricket Creek flowsinto the Middle Patuxent. Prepare forvigorous removal though we see lessmustard each year.

May 25: Alder Addition & InvasiveSubtractionMeet Trotter Rd. If we’ve got ‘em, we’llplant ‘em: Native alders survive well inthe seep area, where volunteers have

StewardshipHHHHHabitaabitaabitaabitaabitat Pt Pt Pt Pt Prrrrreseresereseresereservvvvvaaaaation and Intion and Intion and Intion and Intion and Invvvvvasivasivasivasivasive Pe Pe Pe Pe Planlanlanlanlant Rt Rt Rt Rt Remoemoemoemoemovvvvval Outingsal Outingsal Outingsal Outingsal Outings

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contributed so much work already. Wemay plant alder shrubs all morning ordig up recurring nemesis, Berberisthunbergii, a.k.a. Japanese barberry.

June 22: Menacing the Mile-a-minuteMeet on Trotter Rd. Non-native,invasive plants are a real threat to ourhabitat restoration efforts. Mile-a-minute vine is the worst offender ontrails and in meadows in the WoodcockHabitat Management Area. Assist inremoving vines from meadows. Learnabout meadow flowers or visit test sitesfor biological control of Mile-a-minutevine.

Sept 28: Vine Trimming & MonarchActivitiesMeet onTrotter Rd: Invasive plantsimpinge on native woody plants inwildlife meadows and on early succes-sional habitat maintenance goals.Remove invasive vines from maturenative plants and deer shelters. Learnabout monarch butterflies. See butterflycapture, tagging, and release.

Directions: Meet Trotter Rd parkingArea. Entrance to MPEA –US 29 to 32west to the Great Star Dr. exit. Right onGreat Star Dr., Right on SummerSunrise. Left at Trotter Rd. 1 mile toparking area on right just past smalltraffic circle. OR US 29 to 108 westpast Centennial Lane. Pass HarpersFarm Rd. Left on Trotter Rd. Parkingarea on left just before small trafficcircle.South Wind Circle Entrance to MPEA-Rt 29 to Rt 108W towardsClarksville OR Rt 32 to Rt 108E. Turnon Trotter Rd to South Wind Cir ~1mile. Enter circle and go to trailhead onleft (opposite Misty Top Path).RSVP Master Gardeners: Aylene Gardat 410- 992-9889, Carol Filipczak at

[email protected], Jeff Claffy,Assist Natural Resources Manager,MPEA [email protected]

Kent CountyEEEEEasterasterasterasterastern Nn Nn Nn Nn Neck Weck Weck Weck Weck Wildlife Rildlife Rildlife Rildlife Rildlife Refuge, Refuge, Refuge, Refuge, Refuge, RockockockockockHHHHHallallallallallWhen: ongoingDetails: Welcome to Eastern NeckNational Wildlife Refuge at theconfluence of the Chester River and theChesapeake Bay on Maryland’s EasternShore. This 2,285-acre island refuge is amajor feeding and resting place formigrating and wintering waterfowl.More than 100,000 ducks, geese andswans seek sanctuary here each year, asdo migrating and breeding songbirdsand shorebirds, and bald eagles thrivehere year-round. Join interpretiveprograms and hikes at this wetland siteknown for rare plant life, a variety ofcarnivorous plants, rare and threatenedspecies.

Wineberries with garlic mustard: a newtype of exotic fruit salad? Not quite.These are two invasive plant speciesthat the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicewould like help removing. Garlicmustard is a recently arrived invasivespecies; its removal is a managementpriority, and we pull it by hand.Wineberry is a raspberry-like plantwhose fruit begins to ripen betweenJune and July, and it is removed withspading forks. Wear high boots forticks, DEET bug repellent, hat andglovesWhere: 1730 Eastern Neck Road, RockHall, MD RSVP: Rachel 410-639-2108

Montgomery CountyBBBBBlue Mlue Mlue Mlue Mlue Mash Nash Nash Nash Nash Naturaturaturaturature Te Te Te Te Trrrrrail,ail,ail,ail,ail,Laytonsville, MDLaytonsville, MDLaytonsville, MDLaytonsville, MDLaytonsville, MDMontgomery County Sierra ClubWhen: 4th Sun monthly, 7:30a.m.-

9:00a.m. (bird walk, Mar-May), 9a.m.-11 a.m. (invasive removal, Mar-Nov)Description: Bird Walk and InvasivePlant Removal. Join us for a beginnersbird walk (March-May) and invasiveplant removal. Diverse habitats sur-rounding the closed Oaks Landfillattract birds and wildlife. Bird diversityhas dropped off recently due to invasivenon-native plants. We are partneringwith the Department of EnvironmentalProtection and Montgomery Co. BirdClub to observe the relationshipbetween bird diversity and habitat,remove invasive plants and return thearea to a birding hot spot. Bringclippers, saws, loppers, long sleeves &pants, walking shoes or boots, hat,water, gloves. Binoculars recommended.Directions: north on Georgia Ave.through Olney & Brookeville. Left onBrookeville Rd. Right on Zion Rd.Meet at Zion Road park entrance onleft 1/2 mile from Brookeville Rd at20500 Zion Rd before Riggs. Trail mapwww.montgomeryparks.org/PPSD/ParkTrails/trails_MAPS/blue_mash.shtmwww.maryland.sierraclub.org/montgomery/calendar.htmlRSVP Mimi [email protected].

BBBBBrrrrrookside Gookside Gookside Gookside Gookside GararararardensdensdensdensdensWeed Warriors are needed for theforested areas surrounding the gardens.You will be given directions so that youmay work independently, weekends orweekdays, on your own schedule.Contact: Stacy Parsons 301-962-1417or [email protected] .Websites: www.BrooksideGardens.organd/or www.MC-MNCPPC.org/environment/weed_warriors/intro.shtm

MMMMMontgomerontgomerontgomerontgomerontgomery Cy Cy Cy Cy County Pounty Pounty Pounty Pounty ParararararksksksksksHelp us by becoming a Weed Warrior!Volunteers are needed to help remove

non-native invasive plant speciesfrom M-NCPPC parks in MontgomeryCounty. Become a Certified WeedWarrior by completing a one-houronline course and a two-hour fieldtraining session with forest ecologist,Carole Bergmann. Learn identification,removal techniques, and controlstrategies for the most harmful invasiveplants species. Certified Weed Warriorscan then work at their own pace andchoose a schedule that best suits them,or join group projects. Special ProjectWeed Warriors enables communitygroups (e.g., schools, workplaces,church or synagogues, or communityassociations) to learn weed ID andremoval on the spot, and then spend acouple of hours tackling invasive vines,shrubs, and herbaceous plants oncounty parkland. Contact: Paul Carlson 301-942-4709(Certified) or Lynette Scaffidi 301-949-0223 (Special Projects)www.weedwarrior.org

The PThe PThe PThe PThe Potomac Gotomac Gotomac Gotomac Gotomac GorororororgegegegegeInvasive Plant Control Workdays inThe Potomac Gorge, ongoingThe Nature ConservancyWhen: ongoing www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/maryland/events/ Details: Help protect native plantbiodiversity near DC in partnershipwith the National Park Service, remov-ing invasive plants in the PotomacGorge. This 15-mile stretch of rivervalley, between Great Falls andGeorgetown, is home to over 200 rareplants and five globally rare plantcommunities. Sign up for a variety ofworkdays, where we cut or pull some ofthe most problematic weeds, often inscenic areas. Attend Weed Warriortraining sessions to learn 13 non-nativeplant species. You may opt to adopt an


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area and work independently in theNational Parks in the Potomac Gorge.Contact: Mary Travaglini, HabitatRestoration Manager. To sign up aschool or group for a workday, call301-897-8570 [email protected]

RRRRRock Cock Cock Cock Cock Crrrrreek Peek Peek Peek Peek Pararararark, Chevy Chasek, Chevy Chasek, Chevy Chasek, Chevy Chasek, Chevy ChaseMontgomery County Group of theSierra Club and County ParksWhen: 1st Sat monthly (Apr-Oct),10a.m.-12p.m.Description: Montgomery CountyParks and Planning Commission planto put in a wildflower meadow andreforest a 50-foot stream-side buffer.First they need volunteers to removeresprouting stumps and seedlings. Bringclippers, saws and/or loppers, longsleeves & pants, gloves, hat, walkingshoes or boots, insect repellent, sun-screen, and water.Directions: I-495 to Connecticut Aveexit South towards D.C. ~1 mile lefton East West Hwy. Right on Beech Dr.Meet at the parking lot by soccer fieldat intersection of Beech Dr &East WestHwy. Map:www.maryland.sierraclub.org/montgomery/calendar.htmlRSVP Jeremy [email protected].

RRRRRock Cock Cock Cock Cock Crrrrreek Neek Neek Neek Neek National Pational Pational Pational Pational ParararararkkkkkFriends of Rock Creek’s EnvironmentWhen: Apr 10th and Ongoing. Checkweb site for new events.Description: Friends of Rock Creek’sEnvironment is off to a great new year!Volunteers came out in force on warm,sunny Martin Luther King Day.100 people cut and sawed invasiveEnglish ivy from trees alongNormanstone Creek, a tributary ofRock Creek flowing near Mass Ave inDC. Thirty more people hauled trash

from Turkey Branch, a tributary ofRock Creek in the Aspen Hill neighbor-hood of Montgomery County. You,too, can take steps to help protect RockCreek. We are now gearing up for theRock Creek EXTREME Cleanup,where we expect over 50 trash andinvasive cleanups to span the length ofRock Creek.Contact: Beth Mullinfriendsofrockcreek.org

UUUUUndernderndernderndergrgrgrgrground Round Round Round Round Railrailrailrailrailroad Eoad Eoad Eoad Eoad ExperiencexperiencexperiencexperiencexperienceTTTTTrrrrrail, Sail, Sail, Sail, Sail, Sandy Sandy Sandy Sandy Sandy SpringpringpringpringpringMontgomery County Group of theSierra Club and Montgomery CountyParksWhen: 2nd Sat monthly, 10a.m.-12p.m.Description: We are partnering withMontgomery County Parks to removenon-native invasive plant species,restore native plant communities, andcreate a living history museum wherepeople can learn fascinating stories ofthose who escaped slavery and thepeople who helped. Bring clippers,saws and/or loppers, long sleeves &pants, gloves, hat, walking shoes orboots, insect repellent, sunscreen, andwater.Directions: Rt. 28E (Norbeck Rd)across Georgia Ave. Left on Layhill Rd.At intersection of Norwood and EdnorRds. Left on Norwood. First drivewayon right to Woodlawn at 16501Norwood Rd. Meet at parking lot nearpicnic tables. Trail mapwww.maryland.sierraclub.org/montgomery/ calendar.html.www.montgomeryparks.org/PPSD/ParkTrails/trails_MAPS/Rural_legacy.shtm.RSVP Jeremy [email protected].

WWWWWoodend Noodend Noodend Noodend Noodend Naturaturaturaturature Se Se Se Se Sanctuaranctuaranctuaranctuaranctuaryyyyy,,,,,AAAAAudubon Nudubon Nudubon Nudubon Nudubon Naturaturaturaturaturalist Salist Salist Salist Salist Societyocietyocietyocietyociety, Chevy, Chevy, Chevy, Chevy, ChevyChaseChaseChaseChaseChaseWhen: Sat 9:30 - 12:00 variablyDescription: Woodend Sanctuary is a40-acre oasis in the middle of ChevyChase bordering Rock Creek Park, withmature woods and meadows, a pond,and an intermittent stream with habitatfor birds, insects, deer, rabbits, andfoxes.We need your help to removeinvasive non-native plants! Join us forgroup work sessions where training willbe provided and trained volunteers mayalso be authorized to work indepen-dently.Where: 8940 Jones Mill Road, ChevyChase, MD 20815RSVP: Liz Jones, Volunteer Coordina-tor [email protected],301-652-9188 x 30

Prince George’s County(See also Fort Meade Army Installation& Patuxent Research Refuge underAnne Arundel Co) BBBBBelt Welt Welt Welt Welt Woods, Booods, Booods, Booods, Booods, BowiewiewiewiewieWhen: Ongoing Sat, Sun, and occa-sional mid-weekDescription: Invasive speciesworkgroup teams remove creepingeuonymous, Japanese honeysuckle,winged burning bush, multiflora rose,oriental bittersweet, Japanese Stiltgrass,and garlic mustard from mature forestwith giant trees. Tools and glovesprovided, but bring your own favoritetool or pair of gloves. Groups invited.RSVP [email protected]

LoLoLoLoLowwwwwer Ber Ber Ber Ber Beaveaveaveaveaverererererdam Cdam Cdam Cdam Cdam Crrrrreek,eek,eek,eek,eek,WWWWWoodworoodworoodworoodworoodworth Pth Pth Pth Pth Pararararark, Chevk, Chevk, Chevk, Chevk, CheverlyerlyerlyerlyerlyFriends of Lower Beaverdam CreekWhen: last Sat monthly Mar-June,9a.m. to 12 noonDescription: Fifteen-acre wooded bufferwedged between a residential neighbor-

hood and Rt. 50 is slowly returning toits natural state, thanks to the Friendsof Lower Beaver Dam Creek. Thegroup landscaped steps into a small hillthat leads to an inviting trail thatvolunteers have blazed along a shallowwinding creek. The creek divides thepark in two and eventually feeds atributary of the Anacostia River. Thereclaimed land has a peaceful reso-nance. Trees stand out. Space, depthand light are abundant. Smaller treessuch as sassafras, hickory, hornbeamand a dogwood—discovered on ahillside after the thickets were cleared—are labeled. The forest returned to itsrightful winter hues—brown, black andgray. Help remove invasives and plantnatives to rescue the most pollutedstream in the Anacostia Watershed.Tools provided. Wear work gloves andsturdy shoes.Directions: Meet at Woodworth Parkon Wayne Place in Cheverly. (Occa-sional change in location to Euclid Parkand Magruder Springs.) 202 East underthe BW pkwy. Go one block, turn righton Cheverly. Go one mile, turn left onForest Rd. Go two blocks pass churchon left. Turn right on Parkway. Go 2blocks. Turn left on Wayne for oneblock. Meet by small playground.RSVP: Dan or Cathy Smith 301-386-4394, Gabe Horchler [email protected], orElaine Friebele 301-341-5722

GGGGGrrrrreenbelteenbelteenbelteenbelteenbeltGreenbelt Homes Inc Housing Coop-erative, GreenbeltWhen: 3rd Wed monthlyDescription: With ~100 acres ofstewardship forest and wooded parcelsin Old Greenbelt, the WoodlandsCommittee is actively involved withurban forestry management. Regularoutings on 3rd Wednesdays includeremoval/eradication of non-nativeinvasive plant species, tree plantings,


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bird counts, native landscaping semi-nars and guided hikes.RSVP: Matt Berres Manager, Mainte-nance Operations 301-474-4161x132www.ghi.coop/Woodlands/[email protected]

Greenbelt National Park, GreenbeltWhen: 1st Sat monthly, 11a.m.-3p.m.Description: Greenbelt Park, just 12miles from Washington DC, is abeloved retreat from the city andimportant refuge for native plants andanimals. Come join us to defendGreenbelt Park from alien invasiveweeds. Volunteers hand-pull harmfulnon-native plants such as Japanesehoneysuckle, beefsteak mint, mile-a-minute weed and garlic mustard. Peopleof all ages, backgrounds and interestsare invited to spend a fun day outdoorslearning about native and non-nativeplants and helping preserve the healthof native wildlife. Bring: lunch, drink,work gloves, and dress for weather.Directions: From I-495 to KenilworthAve south, ~1/4 mile exit on GreenbeltRd (MD Rt 193) east (a left to go overKenilworth) to park entrance on right6565 Greenbelt Road. From US Rt 1,Greenbelt Rd east past Beltway Plazashopping center cross Kenilworth Ave.a few hundred yards right at entrance.Meet at Sweetgum picnic area.RSVP: Tom Crone [email protected], 202-7462228c orwww.nps.gov/gree 301-344-3944.

HHHHHararararard Bd Bd Bd Bd Bararararargain Fgain Fgain Fgain Fgain Farararararm Em Em Em Em EnvirnvirnvirnvirnvironmentalonmentalonmentalonmentalonmentalCCCCCenterenterenterenterenter, A, A, A, A, AccokeekccokeekccokeekccokeekccokeekWhen: Apr 17Description: The Earth Day NetworkInvasive Plant Removal hike on trailsthrough the diverse ecosystems of theAccokeek Creek and Potomac Riverwatersheds focuses on plants andanimals that live there, the interdepen-dence of organisms in food webs,

natural cycles, and each person’sconnection to the environment.RSVP: Karen Jensen Miles, 301-292-5665 [email protected]

SSSSSuitland Boguitland Boguitland Boguitland Boguitland BogM-NCPPC Park RangersWhen: OngoingDescription: Come learn about andhelp preserve unique rare magnolia boghabitat. Manual removal of honey-suckle and multiflora rose usingshovels, pruners and perseverance.Bring: water, work boots, durableclothes, long sleeves, gloves, pruners,and shovels. Light refreshmentsprovided. There is some poison ivy atwork site.Directions: From I-495, Exit 7ABranch Ave Rt 5 south toward Waldorf.Allentown Rd Exit. Left on AllentownRd. At 6th light left on Suitland Rd.Pass under Suitland Pkwy. Entrance toSuitland Bog on right. Meet in parkinglot.RSVP: Chris Garrett or John Dillon M-NCPPC Park Ranger Office 301-627-7755

IIIIIndian Cndian Cndian Cndian Cndian Crrrrreek Teek Teek Teek Teek Trrrrrail @ Lakeail @ Lakeail @ Lakeail @ Lakeail @ LakeAAAAArrrrrtemesia, Btemesia, Btemesia, Btemesia, Btemesia, Berererererwwwwwyn Hgtsyn Hgtsyn Hgtsyn Hgtsyn HgtsDates: Ongoing.Description: Garlic Mustard Pull-off atLake Artemesia/National Area Park, by38-acre lake. Beautiful park includesaquatic garden, handicapped-accessiblefishing pier, and over two miles ofhiking-biking trails. Teams compete toremove garlic mustard, a non-nativeinvasive weed. Prizes to winning teamfor largest amount pulled in a givenarea and time. Bring: water, work boots,durable clothes, long sleeves, gloves,pruners, and shovels. Light refresh-ments provided. There is some poisonivy at work site.Directions: Meet in Lake Artemesiaparking lot along Berwyn Rd in CollegePark. Park in lot at Osage St and

Swathmore Ct in Berwyn Hgts (easywalk) or access via trails at 5200 blockof Calvert Rd. in College Pk.RSVP: Chris Garrett or John Dillon M-NCPPC Park Ranger Office 301-627-7755. LLLLLittle Pittle Pittle Pittle Pittle Paint Baint Baint Baint Baint Brrrrranch & Cherranch & Cherranch & Cherranch & Cherranch & Cherry Hy Hy Hy Hy HillillillillillRRRRRoad Coad Coad Coad Coad Community Pommunity Pommunity Pommunity Pommunity Parararararks, Bks, Bks, Bks, Bks, BeltsvilleeltsvilleeltsvilleeltsvilleeltsvilleWhen: Last Sat monthly, 11a.m. –3p.m..Description: Maryland Native PlantSociety, Sierra Club, and AnacostiaWatershed Society co-sponsor monthlyprojects at Little Paint Branch Park(150 acres), Cherry Hill Rd Commu-nity Park (15 acres) in Beltsville andMagruder Park in Hyattsville MD (15acres) with MNCPPC and City ofHyattsville.

Native plants to enjoy and protectat Little Paint Branch Park identified byJoe Metzger, April 10, 2006 include:jack in the pulpit, white wood aster,spring beauty, trout lily, strawberrybush, American holly, spotted touch-me-not (jewel weed), eastern grasswort,woodrush, flat tree club moss, par-tridge-berry, cinnamon fern, dwarfginseng, Virginia knotweed, cinque-foil, cursed crowfoot, buttercup,dewberry, black raspberry, elderberry,Solomon’s seal, goldenrod, skunkcabbage, meadow-rue, New York fern,cranefly orchid, low blueberry, possum-haw, common blue violet, and nettedchain fern.

Our objective is to remove theinvasives to allow natives to grow back.We continue the wonderful progressaccomplished the last three years byvolunteers at Little Paint BranchCommunity Park. Learn naturalhistory and special features of the park,methods and reasons for the project tocontrol the spread of invasives. Nativeflowers and plants will be identified aswe work to rescue them. There are fullindoor toilet facilities and a large

seating area for lunch. There will be asign-in and safety orientation withhandouts. Gloves and tools are pro-vided.Directions: DC Beltway to US Rt. 1north, pass BARC, ~ 1 mile left at lighton Montgomery Rd, 3 blocks left onSellman Rd, ~5 blocks, at the bottomof the hill right into Little Paint BranchPark. Meet at Beltsville CommunityCenter parking lot. RSVP: Marc [email protected] 301-699-6204w301-283-0808h 301-442-5657c onday of event.

MMMMMagragragragragruder Puder Puder Puder Puder Pararararark, Hk, Hk, Hk, Hk, HyattsvilleyattsvilleyattsvilleyattsvilleyattsvilleFriends of Magruder WoodsWhen: 3rd Sat monthly, 9 a.m. to 1p.m.Description: Volunteer in a popularurban park to save native plantsincluding aster, blackberry, pokeberry,tulip popular, sweetgum, sycamore,skunk cabbage, American grape,American beech, and silver maple in thewoodlands and forested swamp.Directions: From UMCP take AdelphiRd to intersection with East WestHighway (Rt. 410) turn soft right onQueens Chapel Rd. Left on Hamilton.Pass Safeway on right, pass 38th street,turn right into park. Meet at furthestend of parking lot. Approx 10 blockwalk West Hyattsville Metro GreenLine.RSVP: Colleen Aistis 301-779-0245

WWWWWatkins Ratkins Ratkins Ratkins Ratkins Regional Pegional Pegional Pegional Pegional Pararararark , Uk , Uk , Uk , Uk , UpperpperpperpperpperMMMMMarlborarlborarlborarlborarlboroooooWeed Warrior Work Day MNCPPCWhen: Ongoing.Description: Watkins Regional Parkwith 850 acres offers all kinds ofoutdoor adventures with NatureCenter, Carousel, Old MD Farm,miniature train, mini-golf, camping,picnic areas, playgrounds, and miles of


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Stewardship

hiker/biker trails through deciduousforest. Help pull up garlic mustard!Bring water, work boots, durableclothes, long sleeves and gloves. Lightrefreshments provided. Some poison ivyat work site.Directions: Meet at Watkins NatureCenter parking lot. 1 mile west of SixFlags park. I-495 Exit 15A Central Aveeast,~3 miles right on Watkins Park Dr(Rt 193), park entrance on right. Or Rt301 to Central Ave (Rt 214) west, ~3miles (past Six Flags) left on WatkinsPark Dr.Contact: John Dillon or Chris GarrettM-NCPPC Park Rangers 301-627-7755 St. Mary’s County(See Hellen Creek Preserve underCalvert County)

Warren County, VAAAAAAppalachian Tppalachian Tppalachian Tppalachian Tppalachian Trrrrrail trail trail trail trail trailhead at Vailhead at Vailhead at Vailhead at Vailhead at VA-A-A-A-A-638 (F638 (F638 (F638 (F638 (Fierierierieriery Ry Ry Ry Ry Run Rd) near Lun Rd) near Lun Rd) near Lun Rd) near Lun Rd) near Linden,inden,inden,inden,inden,VVVVVAAAAAWhen: Apr 17 and Apr 24 ongoingsummer and fallDescription: Join other volunteers toremove non-native invasive plants fromalong the Appalachian Trail and protectbird habitat. This spring event focuseson early non-natives to improve birdhabitat of the Upper Blue RidgeImportant Bird Area, designation ofNational Audubon Society of Virginia.Targeted plants include garlic mustardwhich is lethal to West Virginia whitebutterfly. Wear long sleeves, long pants,shoes and socks. Bring water and lunch.Work gloves provided. Min. age 8 yearsand in the close oversight of parents orleaders. May adopt your very own areaalong the Trail to monitor, map andmanage!Contact: James Åkerson, 540-999-3500x 3496; [email protected] ■

HHHHHabitaabitaabitaabitaabitat Pt Pt Pt Pt Prrrrreseresereseresereservvvvvaaaaation and Intion and Intion and Intion and Intion and Invvvvva-a-a-a-a-sivsivsivsivsive Pe Pe Pe Pe Planlanlanlanlant Rt Rt Rt Rt Remoemoemoemoemovvvvval Outingsal Outingsal Outingsal Outingsal Outings

continued➱

By Michael Darzi—The C&O Canal isan historic and natural treasure that winds184 miles along one of the most beauti-ful urban rivers in the world. It was con-structed in the first half of the nineteenthcentury, intended as a way to move mer-chandise cheaply to and from the majorports of Alexandria and Georgetown,through the Potomac River Valley, all theway to the Ohio River—over 300 miles.Although construction ended inCumberland, Maryland because of theexpense of construction and competitionfrom railroads, the canal continued tooperate until 1924. In 1954, SupremeCourt Justice William O. Douglas led afamous hike along the canal’s towpaththat marshaled public support against

Experiencing History First Hand

turning it into a parkway, but planted theseed for its designation as a NationalHistorical Park in 1971.

Millions of people visit the parkeach year seeking its many recreationalopportunities. Now, thanks to theC&O Canal Trust’s Canal Quartersprogram (www.canalquarters.org),there’s a new way to enjoy the canal’shistory and beauty. Canal Quarters al-lows people to stay overnight in re-cently refurbished lockhouses, and canprovide visitors with a unique experience.

Although you’ll get a taste of whatlife was like on the canal, you will stillhave it easy: In order for boats to pass,lock keepers had to be on call 24 hours aday, seven days a week! ■

1st Maryland Solar & Wind ExpoState Fairgrounds,

TimoniumMay 7-9

This will be the first large-scale,consumer-oriented show in Mary-land concentrating on renewableenergy. Now is the time to gorenewable and get low-cost, mini-mally-polluting power for yourhome, business and the environ-ment.

❂ Solar, wind and geothermalenergy devices from top manufac-turers and suppliers

❂ Electric vehicles, on display andin action around an “Electric VehicleLoop”

❂ Informative seminars on renew-able energy and related issues,including installation and financing.

❂ Keynote speaker Bob Dixson,mayor of Greensburg, Kansas, whichis rebuilding as an all-green city afterhaving been devastated by a tor-nado in 2007

❂ Extreme Bug-E, a three-wheel,solar/electric motorcycle, about tostart 6,000-mile cross-country trek

❂ Interactive area for kids to touchand learn about renewables

For lots more information and toorder discounted tickets online, go towww.TheSolarandWindExpo.com.

Hiking Through History


OutingsTo Explore, Enjoy andProtect the Planet Some Helpful Information for Outings Participants

Most outings in the MarylandChapter are run at the group level,with a few chapter and inter-chapterevents.

The group originating the outing isidentified in parentheses by theleader’s name. These and otherabbreviations used are listed below:

AA: Anne Arundel GroupAMC: Appalachian Mountain ClubAT: Appalachian TrailBLM: Bureau of Land Mgmt.CCA: Canoe Cruisers Association (Washington, D.C.)CG: Catoctin GroupC&O: Chesapeake and Ohio CanalFFA: Family Friendly Activity (kids/dogs ok, but check with leader)FWS: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Svc.GB: Greater Baltimore GroupGWNF: George Washington National ForestHC: Howard County GroupJNF: Jefferson National ForestMNF: Monongahela National ForestMC: Montgomery County GroupNPS: National Park ServiceNRA: National Recreation AreaNWR: National Wildlife RefugePFD: Personal Flotation Device (lifejacket)PRO*: Sierra Club Potomac Region Outings (formerly MWROP)SF: State ForestSM: Southern Maryland GroupSP: State ParkSNP: Shenandoah National Park

* For hike ratings of PRO, refer totheir website, www.sierrapotomac.org/rating.htm.

Abbreviations Used

As you can see from the many outingslisted below, there are plenty of opportu-nities to explore, enjoy and help protectthe planet. However, to accomplish theSierra Club’s ambitious conservation goalsover the next decade and beyond, and toremain a leader in the outdoor experience,we must increase the number of peopleparticipating in outdoor activities andbecoming involved with the Sierra Cluband its mission. We recently trained anumber of new Outings Leaders and weplan to have another training session(time and place yet to be determined.) Ifyou can help the Club with its conserva-tion goals and would like to become anoutings leaders, please feel free to contactme.

See you on the trail…Jan ■

Jan C. Hoffmaster is the MD Chapter Out-ings Chair. He can be reached [email protected].

Sierra Club outings are open to everyone,members and non-members alike. Eachouting is intended to be a wholesome,safe, and enjoyable expe-rience in the outdoors.Participants must haveproper clothing, equip-ment, and stamina suit-able to the event, and areencouraged to select ac-tivities that match their in-dividual abilities for out-door adventures. The Club offers a vari-ety of outings from “easy” to “strenuous”that suit all activity levels. The difficultyof each outing is clearly designated in theannouncement. Reservations are gener-ally not required for a local outing unlessnoted, but the outing leader should becontacted in advance for questions aboutthe terrain, the difficulty or duration ofthe trip, recommended clothing, footwearand equipment.

Activities are normally held “rain orshine,” but may be postponed at theleader’s discretion for safety reasons in theevent of inclement weather. Potential par-ticipants are reminded that all outdooractivities carry a degree of risk, and sometake place in locations where professionalemergency medical aid may be two ormore hours away. People with health con-cerns should consult a physician to de-termine the advisability of participatingin these or similar activities. The Clubouting leader is responsible for the safetyof all participants, and has the final au-thority to decide whether or not an indi-vidual may participate on a specific out-ing. Sierra Club safety policy requires thathelmets be worn on bicycling outings.Also, any participant must wear a personalflotation device (PFD) on outings usingpersonal watercraft such as kayaks or ca-noes.

Unless noted in the announcement,Club outings are intended for adults.Children and dogs are not normally per-

mitted, unless an outing is so designated.Even on outings that are designated aschild/dog friendly, please contact the

leader in advance beforebringing minors or pets.Minors (under 18 years ofage) must be accompaniedby a parent or a legalguardian, or they musthave both 1) a signed per-mission slip, and 2) theleader’s prior consent to

participate in the Club outing. Dogs mustbe non-aggressive, well-behaved, and ona leash. Sierra Club outings officially be-gin and end at the trailhead, paddlecraftput-in/take-out point, or some othersimilar designated locality near the activ-ity. Travel to the official starting point andback, even from an advertised meetingplace, is the sole responsibility of eachparticipant. While the Club encouragescar-pooling, such arrangements arestrictly between the riders and the driv-ers, and are not a part of the outing. Par-ticipants assume full responsibility andliability for all risks associated with suchtravel.

All participants on Sierra Club out-ings are required to sign a standard liabil-ity waiver, which can be viewed on theweb at http://www.sierraclub.org/out-ings/chapter/forms/index.asp. Sierra Clublocal outings are free of charge, althoughpayment of park entrance fees, a share ofcampsite rental costs, permit fees, equip-ment rental charges, etc. may be requiredfrom the participants. Such costs arespecified in the announcement wheneverpossible. The Sierra Club practices “leave-no-trace” trail techniques, including hik-ing and camping on durable surfaces,minimizing campfire impacts, packingout all trash, respecting wildlife, beingconsiderate of other visitors, and leavingthe environment as it was found. Takeonly pictures, leave only footprints, andhave fun out there. ■


Outings (March)

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday My My My My Ma ra ra ra ra r..... 20: 20: 20: 20: 20: J J J J Jones Mones Mones Mones Mones Mounounounounountain-tain-tain-tain-tain-SSSSStauntauntauntauntaunttttton Ron Ron Ron Ron Riviviviviver Ler Ler Ler Ler Loooooopopopopop,,,,, SNP SNP SNP SNP SNP,,,,, VVVVVA .A .A .A .A .Strenuous 13 mile circuit with 2400feet elevation gain and some streamcrossings. Some nice views, rockgardens and cascades. Bring lunch,water and good boots. Depart at 8:00from the west lot of the Broken LandParkway Park & Ride at Rt. 32. ContactMike Juskelis, 410-439-4964,[email protected].

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday My My My My Ma ra ra ra ra r..... 20: 20: 20: 20: 20: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted D or G.ed D or G.ed D or G.ed D or G.ed D or G.NNNNNorororororthwthwthwthwthwest Best Best Best Best Brrrrranch & Sanch & Sanch & Sanch & Sanch & Sligo Cligo Cligo Cligo Cligo CrrrrreekeekeekeekeekTTTTTrrrrrails (Gails (Gails (Gails (Gails (Get Fet Fet Fet Fet Fit fit fit fit fit for Sor Sor Sor Sor Sprprprprpring/ ODH).ing/ ODH).ing/ ODH).ing/ ODH).ing/ ODH).Circuit hike of 15 mi. or 21 mi.following beautiful stream valleys, overnatural-surface and paved trails, withsome rock scrambling and a fewstretches of sidewalk. Meet at 8:30 amat athletic field’s parking lot, WheatonRegional Park, near restrooms andsoda machines (location: http://tinyurl.com/dnf5lb). Call leaders fordriving directions or Wheaton Metrostation pickup. Leaders: Mike Darzi,301/580-9387 [email protected] and RussNorfleet, 703/294-6068 [email protected].

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday My My My My Ma ra ra ra ra r..... 21: 21: 21: 21: 21: 6-9 pm. 6-9 pm. 6-9 pm. 6-9 pm. 6-9 pm. N N N N Not Rot Rot Rot Rot Raaaaatttttededededed.....BBBBBasic Basic Basic Basic Basic Backackackackackpackpackpackpackpacking Ging Ging Ging Ging Gearearearearear::::: The first in a

3-part, beginner-backpackingclassroom series, plus optional 2-nightbackpack trip in May. Basic gear willinclude: backpack & fitting, tent,sleeping gear, footwear, tips onclothing, and tips on packing light. Wewill provide information on differenttypes of gear and your options whenpurchasing gear. We will have gear on-hand and demonstrate hands-ontechniques. We will touch on stoves,first-aid kits, and water filters, but willcover them in depth in later classespertaining to food & water planning.We will send you home with a gear-listto plan your next trip! Class sizelimited to 20 people. Must be 16 orolder. Class cost is $20 for expenses;payment (check or PayPal) in advancewill confirm your spot. For locationinformation, please contact Liz.Leaders: Liz Guertin, 202-415-4639 [email protected] and Mike Darzi,301-580-9387 [email protected].

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday My My My My Ma ra ra ra ra r..... 21: 21: 21: 21: 21: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted Bed Bed Bed Bed B..... M M M M My ry ry ry ry rtletletletletleGGGGGrrrrrooooovvvvve e e e e WWWWWildlifildlifildlifildlifildlife Me Me Me Me Managemenanagemenanagemenanagemenanagement At At At At Arrrrrea.ea.ea.ea.ea.Savor an 8 mi. hike through this 1,723-acre, wildlife-rich, and little-visited-by-hikers expanse of protected fields,wetlands, and woodlands in west-central Charles County—and alsolearn how and why such areas aremanaged. This WMA includes a 23-acrelake, a 10-acre pond, and two “green-tree reservoirs” (deliberately floodedwoodlands that provide food andhabitat for wood ducks and otherwildlife). To carpool, meet at 9:30 am inthe Van Dorn Metro station’s Park &Ride lot (emerging from the station,cross the Kiss & Ride lot to get there).Or ask the leader for driving directionsto the trailhead. Joint event with AMC/DC. Leader: Paul Elliott, 202-423-7913.

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday My My My My Ma ra ra ra ra r..... 21: 21: 21: 21: 21: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted Bed Bed Bed Bed B..... K K K K Keeeeey-y-y-y-y-CCCCChain Chain Chain Chain Chain Classiclassiclassiclassiclassic..... This urban 9-mile hikeis a favorite for hikers wishing to stay

close to town. We will meet at theTheodore Roosevelt Island parking lotat 8:45 am and leave sharply at 9. We’llhike up the Potomac Heritage Trail inVA, cross Chain Bridge, hike down theC&O towpath to Georgetown thenhave lunch at Clyde’s. Afterward, wewill hike back across Key Bridge to TRI.Bring a snack and water and wearclothing appropriate for the weather. Afew stream crossings and onesomewhat steep hill on the VA side,otherwise fairly flat. Leader: Ray Evert,[email protected] or 703-408-7117.

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday My My My My Ma ra ra ra ra r..... 21: 21: 21: 21: 21: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted C.ed C.ed C.ed C.ed C. P P P P Prrrrr incincincincinceeeeeWWWWWilliam Filliam Filliam Filliam Filliam Forororororest Pest Pest Pest Pest Pa ra ra ra ra rk ,k ,k ,k ,k , VVVVVA .A .A .A .A . Moderate 9-mile hike to view early springwildflowers. Meet at Springfield Metrostation lot behind the parking garageat 9 am or at the Turkey Run Ed Centerinside the Park at 9:45 am. Leader: RayAbercrombie, 703-854-1792 (before 9pm).

TTTTTuesdauesdauesdauesdauesday My My My My Ma ra ra ra ra r..... 23: 23: 23: 23: 23: N N N N Not Rot Rot Rot Rot Raaaaatttttededededed..... M M M M MooooovievievievievieNighNighNighNighNight :t :t :t :t : M M M M Mon Oncleon Oncleon Oncleon Oncleon Oncle. As part of thisyear’s Environmental Film Festival, theAFI Silver Theater will screen JacquesTati’s Mon Oncle (My Uncle). Thischarming, witty, and often LOL film isalso a brilliant commentary on themodern house and home. Mon Oncle,winner of the 1959 Oscar for BestForeign Language Film, is directed byand stars Tati, and would have a ratingequivalent to G. (That’s for content, notdifficulty!) It starts at 7 pm and is 116min. long. A limited number of freepasses are available; contact MikeDarzi ([email protected]) soon.We’ll meet around 6:30 pm in the frontlobby behind the outdoor ticketbooth. The theater is near the SilverSpring Metro station. For moreinformation, including ticket cost andlocation/directions, See www.afi.com/silver.

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday My My My My Ma ra ra ra ra r..... 27: 27: 27: 27: 27: B B B B Bucktail ucktail ucktail ucktail ucktail TTTTTrrrrrail-ail-ail-ail-ail-HHHHHalfmoalfmoalfmoalfmoalfmoon Lon Lon Lon Lon Loooooo ko ko ko ko koutoutoutoutout,,,,, G G G G Grrrrreaeaeaeaeat Nt Nt Nt Nt NorororororthththththMMMMMounounounounountain,tain,tain,tain,tain, GWNF GWNF GWNF GWNF GWNF,,,,, VVVVVAAAAA. 10 milemoderate loop with some steep rockysections and stream crossings. 2000feet elevation gain. Depart at 8:00 fromthe west lot of the Broken LandParkway Park & Ride at Rt. 32. ContactMike Juskelis, 410-439-4964,[email protected].

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday My My My My Ma ra ra ra ra r..... 27: 27: 27: 27: 27: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted Eed Eed Eed Eed E.....SSSSSignal Kignal Kignal Kignal Kignal Knob on Mnob on Mnob on Mnob on Mnob on MassanuttassanuttassanuttassanuttassanuttenenenenenMMMMMounounounounountain,tain,tain,tain,tain, VVVVVA .A .A .A .A . 10-mile circuit hikewith about 3,200 ft elev. change.Exceptional views to west, north, andeast. Meet at 8:30 am at Vienna Metrostation north entrance. Leader: MarciaWolf, 301-565-3165 (before 9 pm) [email protected].

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday My My My My Ma ra ra ra ra r..... 27: 27: 27: 27: 27: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted G or Ded G or Ded G or Ded G or Ded G or D.....“ P“ P“ P“ P“ Pa ra ra ra ra rade of Pade of Pade of Pade of Pade of Pa ra ra ra ra rk sk sk sk sk s””””” (G (G (G (G (Get Fet Fet Fet Fet Fit fit fit fit fit forororororSSSSSprprprprpring/ ODH).ing/ ODH).ing/ ODH).ing/ ODH).ing/ ODH). Circuit of 23 mi. (or 14-mi. option) on paved and dirt trails inDC and Maryland parklands, withsome gentle elevation change, andplenty of flowering plants and trees.Meet at 8 am at Fletcher’s Boathouselower parking lot, off Canal Rd. Leaders:Russ Norfleet, 703-294-6068 [email protected], FrankWodarczyk, 703-569-6737 and GaryKosciusko, 703-765-0306.

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday My My My My Ma ra ra ra ra r..... 28: 28: 28: 28: 28: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted H.ed H.ed H.ed H.ed H. S S S S StttttonononononyyyyyMMMMMan/ Nicholson Han/ Nicholson Han/ Nicholson Han/ Nicholson Han/ Nicholson Holloolloolloolloollow Cw Cw Cw Cw Ci ri ri ri ri rcuit SNPcuit SNPcuit SNPcuit SNPcuit SNP.12 mi., 6000 ft of elev. change. Be readyfor elevation gain! Good views andstreams. Meet at 8:30 am at ViennaNORTH parking lot for carpooling.Leader: Liz Guertin,[email protected] or 202-415-4639(before 9 pm).

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday My My My My Ma ra ra ra ra r..... 28: 28: 28: 28: 28: M M M M Moooooderderderderderaaaaattttteeeee.....GGGGGunpunpunpunpunpooooowwwwwder Rder Rder Rder Rder Riviviviviver er er er er 6 to 7 miles alongthe Gunpowder River. Meet at 12:00

MARCH

continued➱


Outings (March, April)

noon at the Shawan Road Park ‘n Ride.Call Jack 410-256-3963 for details.

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday My My My My Ma ra ra ra ra r..... 28: 28: 28: 28: 28: E E E E Easyasyasyasyasy..... “ L“ L“ L“ L“ Last Sast Sast Sast Sast SundaundaundaundaundayyyyyEEEEEasy Hikasy Hikasy Hikasy Hikasy Hikeeeee” ” ” ” ” Meet at 2:00 PM at thePaper Mill Road parking lot for theNCRR trail. Hike at an easy pace on flatpaved surface to the Phoenix Rdparking lot and back, which is about 3miles R/T. Scenic rest stops andhistorical sites along the route. Dogs,children, and wheelchairs arewelcome. We will finish the hike intime to attend the Baltimore GreenForum at MD Presbyterian Church4:30-6:30. Optional dinner afterward.For details, contact Paul at 410-667-4889 or [email protected]

TTTTTuedauedauedauedaueday My My My My Ma ra ra ra ra r..... 30: 30: 30: 30: 30: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted H.ed H.ed H.ed H.ed H.FFFFFairairairairairfax Cfax Cfax Cfax Cfax Counounounounountttttyyyyy ’’’’’s Cs Cs Cs Cs Crrrrross Coss Coss Coss Coss Counounounounounttttty y y y y TTTTTrrrrrai lai lai lai lai l(C(C(C(C(CCTCTCTCTCT) ) ) ) ) Hike or Bike. About 36 mi. with1200 ft. elev. Hikers and bikers willmeet at the Rt. 193, Georgetown Pike,parking lot next to Difficult Run at 6:00am. The hikers will drive the bikers’ carsto Silverbrook near Lorton. The bikerswill bike south and hikers will hikenorth and return car keys to the bikerswhen they meet. The one-way bikeride will take us along the streambanks and through the woods ofFairfax County. We will follow PohickCreek, Accotink, and Difficult Run tothe Potomac. The hike will take us inthe opposite directions. The trailincludes numerous stream crossings,fair-weather crossings, dirt and asphalttrails and paved roads. Along the wayare interpretive signs. Moreinformation on this event will be athttp://groups.google.com/group/Vigorous-Hikers a couple weeks priorto March 30. Leader: Gene Whitaker,[email protected].

APRIL

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 3: 3: 3: 3: 3: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted A + A.ed A + A.ed A + A.ed A + A.ed A + A.PPPPPiscisciscisciscaaaaatatatatatawwwwwaaaaay Py Py Py Py Pa ra ra ra ra rk and Ck and Ck and Ck and Ck and ChapmanhapmanhapmanhapmanhapmanSSSSStatatatatattttte Pe Pe Pe Pe Pa ra ra ra ra rk .k .k .k .k . Treat yourself to a two-parthike totaling 8-9 mi. at a moderatepace through fields and woodlands attwo close-together locations on theeastern (MD) shore of the PotomacRiver across from Mount Vernon.Highlights will include superb riverviews, National Colonial Farm with itsheirloom cattle and other animals, aNative American ceremonial site, anold Chapman family cemetery, andeagles and other birds of variousfeathers. To carpool, meet at 9:30 am inthe Van Dorn Metro station’s Park &Ride lot (emerging from the station,cross the Kiss & Ride lot to get there).Or ask the leader for driving directionsto the trailhead. Joint event with AMC/DC. Leader: Paul Elliott, 202-423-7913.

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 3: 3: 3: 3: 3: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted H or Eed H or Eed H or Eed H or Eed H or E.....AAAAAlelelelelexandrxandrxandrxandrxandria-Aia-Aia-Aia-Aia-Arrrrr lingtlingtlingtlingtlington Son Son Son Son SlololololowwwwwMMMMMa ra ra ra ra raaaaathon (ODH Sthon (ODH Sthon (ODH Sthon (ODH Sthon (ODH Serererereries)ies)ies)ies)ies). Circuit hikeof 27 paved miles on Mount VernonTrail and other Alexandria andArlington trails, with a few minorundulations. Shorter, Metro-assistedversion also available for those trainingfor the 50K on May 1. (Don’t forget

your Metro card if you choose to bailout on Metro). Meet at 8 am at northparking lot at Belle Haven, on GeorgeWashington Pkwy. south of Alexandria.Leaders: Mike Darzi,[email protected] or 301-580-9387, Rob Anderson,[email protected] or 301-312-8990 (before 9 pm) and MikeGingerich, [email protected].

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 4: 4: 4: 4: 4: 6-9 pm. 6-9 pm. 6-9 pm. 6-9 pm. 6-9 pm. N N N N Not Rot Rot Rot Rot Raaaaatttttededededed.....PPPPPlanning a Blanning a Blanning a Blanning a Blanning a Backackackackackpackpackpackpackpacking ing ing ing ing TTTTTrrrrr ipipipipip..... Thesecond in a 3-part, beginner-backpacking classroom series, plusoptional 2-night backpack trip in May.Learn about trip selection, routeplanning, mapping/GPS overview,Leave No Trace basics, and waterplanning including water purificationoptions. We will cover the first-aid kitand emergency planning. We will haveyou do some interactive map reading.We will send you home with trip-planning checklists that you can useto plan your next trip. Class size limitedto 20 people. Must be 16 or older. Classcost is $20 for expenses; payment(check or PayPal) in advance willconfirm your spot. For location contactLiz. Leaders: Liz Guertin, 202-415-4639or [email protected] and MikeDarzi, 301-580-9387 [email protected].

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 4: 4: 4: 4: 4: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted Bed Bed Bed Bed B..... R R R R RooooockckckckckCCCCCrrrrreek Peek Peek Peek Peek Pa ra ra ra ra rk .k .k .k .k . Explore the beauty ofRock Creek Park in early spring. Meet at1 pm next to the ground level of theelevator at the Cleveland Park Metro.Bring water and a snack. Kids who canwalk 7+ miles on ‘relatively’ levelterrain are welcome. Leader: JimFinucane, 301-365-3485 (before 9 pm)and Bob Mathis 301-589-7539.

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 4: 4: 4: 4: 4: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted C.ed C.ed C.ed C.ed C. S S S S Skkkkk yyyyyMMMMMeadoeadoeadoeadoeadowwwwws Ss Ss Ss Ss Statatatatattttte Pe Pe Pe Pe Pa ra ra ra ra rk ,k ,k ,k ,k , VVVVVA .A .A .A .A . Moderatehike of 6-7 miles. Climb to the BlueRidge and walk briefly on the

Appalachian Trail. Meet at 9 am at thenorth parking lot of the Vienna Metrostation. Leader: Ray Abercrombie, 703-854-1792 (before 9 pm).

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 3: 3: 3: 3: 3: H H H H Ha ra ra ra ra rpppppers Fers Fers Fers Fers Ferererererrrrrr yyyyy.....Strenuous 9 or 11 mile hike through 3states, with spectacular overlooks ofhistoric Harpers Ferry at theconfluence of the Potomac andShenandoah Rivers. Follow the C&Ocanal, walk through town, and ascendto Maryland Heights, Loudoun Heights,Split Rocks, and Jefferson Rocks. Bringlunch and water. Meet at the Bagel Binoff Rt. 40 in the Enchanted ForestShopping Center, for an 8:30departure. Call Tim Ryan before 9:30PM, 410-248-2974,[email protected].

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 4: 4: 4: 4: 4: E E E E Easy/Masy/Masy/Masy/Masy/Moooooderderderderderaaaaattttteeeee.....EEEEEastastastastaster Ser Ser Ser Ser Sunrunrunrunrunrise Sise Sise Sise Sise Sererererervicvicvicvicvice and Hike and Hike and Hike and Hike and Hike ae ae ae ae atttttRRRRRooooocks Scks Scks Scks Scks Statatatatattttte Pe Pe Pe Pe Pa ra ra ra ra rkkkkk Celebrate the truemeaning of Easter at a non-denominational Sunrise Service atRocks State Park in Harford County. Itwill be followed by fellowship withcoffee, cocoa, and donuts, and an easyto moderate hike of about 3-4 miles.We can also have a really good buffetbreakfast at the Geneva Farm GolfCourse clubhouse nearby (check outwww.infosports.com/golf/1697902.htm, 410-452-8800. 217 DavisRd., Street, MD 21154). Children OKwith prior approval. Meet at thechurch parking lot on Seminary Ave.west of Dulaney Valley Rd. just north ofthe Baltimore Beltway at 5:30 AM. CallPaul at 410-667-4889 or [email protected] for details.

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 10: 10: 10: 10: 10: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted H or Fed H or Fed H or Fed H or Fed H or F.....C&O CC&O CC&O CC&O CC&O Canal anal anal anal anal TTTTTooooowpawpawpawpawpath N & S ofth N & S ofth N & S ofth N & S ofth N & S ofPPPPPennennennennennyfield Lyfield Lyfield Lyfield Lyfield Looooock (Gck (Gck (Gck (Gck (Get Fet Fet Fet Fet Fit fit fit fit fit for Sor Sor Sor Sor Sprprprprpring/ing/ing/ing/ing/ODHODHODHODHODH). A go-at-your-own-pace, 33-milehike with a 20-mile option. FromPennyfield Lock, we’ll hike upstream to

continued➱

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Outings (April)

the turn-around point and return toPennyfield for 20 mi. and then, forthose choosing the longer option,proceed downstream and return toPennyfield for a total of 33 mi. This hiketraverses a particularly pretty sectionof the towpath. Meet at 8 am in theparking lot at the end of PennyfieldLock Rd. off River Rd. Leaders: CarolIvory, [email protected], GaryKosciusko, 703-765-0306 and MikeGingerich, [email protected].

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 10: 10: 10: 10: 10: P P P P Prrrrrojecojecojecojecoject Ct Ct Ct Ct CleanleanleanleanleanSSSSSt rt rt rt rt ream.eam.eam.eam.eam. Volunteer for this regionalstream cleanup, 9 am to noon. ContactSue Muller, 301-498-8462,[email protected], for directions tothe site in Howard County.

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 10-12: 10-12: 10-12: 10-12: 10-12: TTTTTrrrrracacacacacy Ry Ry Ry Ry RidgeidgeidgeidgeidgeBBBBBackackackackackpack,pack,pack,pack,pack, ANF ANF ANF ANF ANF,,,,, P P P P PA .A .A .A .A . Moderate 24 milebackpack with views of the AlleghenyReservoir and 4500 feet of elevationgain. Approximate daily mileage:7/13/4. Pre-register with Mike Juskelis, 410-439-4964, [email protected].

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 17: 17: 17: 17: 17: H H H H Hooooowwwwwa ra ra ra ra rd Cd Cd Cd Cd CounounounounountttttyyyyyGGGGGrrrrreenFeenFeenFeenFeenFestestestestest..... 10 am to 4 pm. Seewww.howardcountymd.gov/OES/GreenFest.htm.

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 10: 10: 10: 10: 10: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted G.ed G.ed G.ed G.ed G.HHHHHeigheigheigheigheights abts abts abts abts abooooovvvvve He He He He Ha ra ra ra ra rpppppers Fers Fers Fers Fers Ferererererrrrrr yyyyy.....Moderate to fast paced 11-mile hikewith over 5000 feet of elevationchange. We will visit Maryland Heightsand Loudoun Heights, walk along theShenandoah and Potomac Rivers onthe old military road, and visit scenicoverlooks. Meet at 8 am at GrosvenorMetro Kiss and Ride. Leaders: Vicky Hsu,301-275-6646 or [email protected],and Mike Darzi.

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 10: 10: 10: 10: 10: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted H.ed H.ed H.ed H.ed H.MMMMMassanuttassanuttassanuttassanuttassanutten Men Men Men Men Mounounounounountain.tain.tain.tain.tain. The hike willbegin at New Market Gap and

proceed up Massanutten Trail toStrickler and past Duncan Knob(ascending if time permits). The returnwill be via Scothorn Gap Trail andMassanutten Trail. Total distance 16 mi.with 3,500 ft. elev. gain. Meet at OaktonShopping Center at 7:30 am. Moderatepace with stops for flora and fungi ofinterest. Inexperienced hikers call forhiker requirements. Joint event withPATC. Leader: William Needham, 410-884-9127 or [email protected].

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 11: 11: 11: 11: 11: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted A.ed A.ed A.ed A.ed A.AAAAAccccccccccotink Cotink Cotink Cotink Cotink Crrrrreek:eek:eek:eek:eek: Impac Impac Impac Impac Impact of the I-495t of the I-495t of the I-495t of the I-495t of the I-495EEEEExpansion (Cxpansion (Cxpansion (Cxpansion (Cxpansion (Conseronseronseronseronservvvvvaaaaation Hiktion Hiktion Hiktion Hiktion Hike).e).e).e).e). Thishike of about 4 very-moderatelypaced miles, over possibly muddytrails, will focus on the impacts of roadprojects, such as the HOT-lanesexpansion of the Beltway, and otherconstruction on local stream valleysand watersheds. We’ll also discussenvironmental restoration projects inthe area. Meet at 10 am, at AmericanaPark, Annandale, VA. (From Little RiverTnpk. just west of Beltway, turn left onPineridge Dr, then left at AccotinkPkwy, and follow to park entrance:http://tinyurl.com/6tzswn). ContactKris for pick-up at West Falls ChurchMetro, or if you’re willing to do thepick-up (I have a 2-seater). Leaders: KrisUnger, [email protected] or 301-980-5621 and Frank Wodarczyk,[email protected] or 703-569-6737(before 10 pm).

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 11: 11: 11: 11: 11: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted A.ed A.ed A.ed A.ed A. TTTTTwwwwwoooooVVVVV ieieieieiewwwwws of the Ps of the Ps of the Ps of the Ps of the Potototototomac:omac:omac:omac:omac: R R R R Red Red Red Red Red RooooockckckckckWWWWWilderilderilderilderilderness Oness Oness Oness Oness Ovvvvverererererlololololook and Bok and Bok and Bok and Bok and Balls Balls Balls Balls Balls BluffluffluffluffluffBBBBBaaaaattlefield Rttlefield Rttlefield Rttlefield Rttlefield Regional Pegional Pegional Pegional Pegional Pa ra ra ra ra rk sk sk sk sk s(C(C(C(C(Conseronseronseronseronservvvvvaaaaation Hiktion Hiktion Hiktion Hiktion Hike)e)e)e)e). Two little gemson the outskirts of Leesburg, withPotomac River vistas, a Civil Warbattlefield, and bountiful wildflowersat their peak. Meet at 1 pm at RedRock Park (43098 Edwards Ferry Rd.,Leesburg, VA 20176). Leaders: CarolIvory, [email protected] or 703-

476-8730, and Lynn McNulty,[email protected].

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday Ay Ay Ay Ay Apr 11:pr 11:pr 11:pr 11:pr 11: P P P P Paddling theaddling theaddling theaddling theaddling theMMMMMaaaaattattattattattawwwwwoman Coman Coman Coman Coman Crrrrreek:eek:eek:eek:eek: 10:00 AM to2:30 PM. This outing will be ofmoderate challenge and will involvesome paddling against the tide (inboth directions). However, the trip isnot long and the waters are sheltered,so it should be enjoyable for anyonewith basic canoeing or kayakingexperience. Please arrive around 10:00a.m for a 10:30 a.m departure. The tripwill leave the dock at the foot ofMattingly in Indian Head at 10:30 a.m.and paddle as far as possible upstreamtowards the head of the estuary. Thetrip is intended for canoes and kayaks,which may be rented at the launcharea if you do not have your own. Nopaddle-boats, please – there is toomuch of a difference in the speed oftravel between kayaks and paddleboats. It will be hard enough to keepkayaks and canoes in one group. Allparticipants must have a personalfloatation vest, hat and sunglasses. Thecanoe/kayak rental includes apersonal floatation device.

Bring binoculars, drinking water and alunch. We will stop at the “spoilsbeach” area for lunch, and furtherexplore the estuary before returningto the Mattingly park docks around2:30 P.M. The second weekend in Aprilis expected to offer a fine display ofspring growth of marsh plants, grasses,American lotus and spadderdock. Signs of spawning yellow perch,shad and river herring may beexpected, along with a variety ofmarshland birds and forest birds ofprey. An interpretive guide will be inthe group to help identify plants,reptiles, fish and fowl sustained by thisglobally-rare fresh water tidal estuary.We will also have experienced persons

in the group to provide informationabout the importance of protectingthe Mattawoman watershed and theissues involved. If you wish to participate in this outingplease contact Jack Mawhinney, at 410299 6651, or email me [email protected] no laterthan Thursday April 8, 2010, or MondayApril 5th if you need to rent a canoe orkayak. If you need to rent pleaseprovide me with your name andtelephone number at which theowners of UpTheCreek canoe rentalscan contact you. Up The Creek rentals,located at the Mattingly Avenuedeparture dock, require a credit carddeposit of $15.00 to reserve aboat. They are not normally open atthis time of year so the owners wantme to provide them with the namesand telephone numbers of personswho need to rent by no later thanMonday April 5. Starting on TuesdayApril 6th, Sue Tice of UpTheCreek willcall you personally to get the creditcard information for the $15.00deposit. RSVP - by no later thanMonday April 5th, 2010 if you need arental, or by Thursday April 8th if youhave your own canoe or kayak.

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 17: 17: 17: 17: 17: S S S S SugarugarugarugarugarloafloafloafloafloafMMMMMounounounounountain PRtain PRtain PRtain PRtain PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted C.ed C.ed C.ed C.ed C. CelebrateEarth Day: Hike & See Chestnut TreeReintroduction Effort at SugarloafMountain. Moderately paced, 8-9-milecircuit hike, with about 1,300 ft. of elev.change. We learn about SugarloafMountain’s in-the-ground effort tobring back the once dominantChestnut tree, before rambling off onthe Yellow, White, and Blue Trails. Bestviews at White Rocks. Limited to 15people. Leader: Ted Conwell, 301-589-1513 (home; before 9 pm) [email protected].

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SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 17: 17: 17: 17: 17: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted H+,ed H+,ed H+,ed H+,ed H+, F F F F F,,,,,or Dor Dor Dor Dor D..... C&O C C&O C C&O C C&O C C&O Canal anal anal anal anal TTTTTooooowpawpawpawpawpath bth bth bth bth betetetetetwwwwweeneeneeneeneenPPPPPoinoinoinoinoint of Rt of Rt of Rt of Rt of Rooooocks or Bcks or Bcks or Bcks or Bcks or Brrrrrunswick,unswick,unswick,unswick,unswick, MD MD MD MD MDand Hand Hand Hand Hand Ha ra ra ra ra rpppppers Fers Fers Fers Fers Ferererererrrrrr y (ODH Sy (ODH Sy (ODH Sy (ODH Sy (ODH Serererereries)ies)ies)ies)ies).Long hikers will start at Point of Rocksand hike to Harpers Ferry and back (28mi.), with the option of going up to 4mi. past the start before returning (forup to 36 mi.). Short hikers will start atBrunswick and hike to Harpers Ferryand back (14 mi.), with the option ofgoing to Point of Rocks (21 mi.). Tocarpool, meet at Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station’s Park & Rideopen-air lot (in back of garage). Longhikers meet in that Metro lot at 7 amor in parking lot along the towpath atPoint of Rocks by 8:15 am; short hikersmeet in Metro lot at 8:45 am or inparking lot near the towpath underthe MD 17 bridge in Brunswick by 10am. Leaders: Mike Darzi,[email protected] or 301-580-9387, Frank Wodarczyk,[email protected] or 703-569-6737(before 10 pm), and Russ Norfleet, 703-294-6068 or [email protected].

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 18: 18: 18: 18: 18: N N N N Not Rot Rot Rot Rot Raaaaatttttededededed..... S S S S SprprprprpringingingingingGGGGGenerenerenerenereneral Mal Mal Mal Mal Meeting of Seeting of Seeting of Seeting of Seeting of Sierierierierierrrrrra Ca Ca Ca Ca ClublublublublubPPPPPotototototomac Romac Romac Romac Romac Region Outingsegion Outingsegion Outingsegion Outingsegion Outings..... Thisgeneral business meeting of SCPROwill be held at the Walker NatureEducation Center (aka, The NatureHouse, http://tinyurl.com/yfe8g4f ),11450 Glade Dr., Reston, VA from 3 -7:30 pm. The meeting will featurediscussions of issues and upcomingevents, biennial elections of officers,special presentations, and a pot-luckdinner. All SCPRO outings leaders,prospective leaders, participants ofSCPRO outings, and other members ofthe public are invited. Beginning at1:45 Carol Ivory will lead a walk fromthe Nature House to Glade Stream todiscuss the stream restoration project.For Metro pick-up, or for otherquestions or details, contact Mike

Darzi, [email protected] or 301-580-9387.

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 18: 18: 18: 18: 18: C C C C Ca ra ra ra ra rderderderderderooooockckckckckWWWWWildfloildfloildfloildfloildflowwwwwersersersersers..... Moderate 8-9 mile hikeon the C&O Canal Towpath, and overrocky terrain by the Potomac River onthe Billy Goat B and C trails. We willtake a slow pace in some areas toidentify and enjoy the profusion ofwildflowers. Bring lunch and water.Depart at 8:30 am from the west lot ofthe Broken Land Parkway Park & Rideat Rt. 32. Call Ken Clark, 301-725-3306,[email protected].

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 18: 18: 18: 18: 18: M M M M Moooooderderderderderaaaaattttteeeee..... M M M M MuddudduddudduddyyyyyRRRRRununununun 7 to 8 miles along the MuddyRun and the Susquehanna River. Thishike does through a very senic gorgewith large hemlock trees. Goodchance of seeing bald eagles. Meet atK-Mart on Rt. 1 at Beltway Exit 32 at11:00 am. Call Jack 410-256-3963 fordetails.

TTTTThursdahursdahursdahursdahursday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 22: 22: 22: 22: 22: E E E E Easyasyasyasyasy..... Outings Outings Outings Outings OutingsPPPPPlanning Mlanning Mlanning Mlanning Mlanning Meetingeetingeetingeetingeeting New andprospective outings leaders arewelcome to attend the next quarterlymeeting of the Greater BaltimoreGroup’s Outings Committee at OregonRidge Nature Center. Come plan newoutings and meet other outingsleaders. If you’re interested in leadingoutings and are curious about what isinvolved, come and talk with theoutings leaders. The meeting will beheld at 6:15 PM before a potluck socialand a slide show beginning at 6:30. Fordetails on the social, see the nextouting!

TTTTThursdahursdahursdahursdahursday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 22: 22: 22: 22: 22: E E E E Easyasyasyasyasy..... P P P P PotluckotluckotluckotluckotluckSSSSSooooocial and cial and cial and cial and cial and TTTTTalk (Aalk (Aalk (Aalk (Aalk (All arll arll arll arll are we we we we welcelcelcelcelcome)ome)ome)ome)ome)Celebrate spring, gardening, and EarthDay with potluck grub and apresentation on native plants ofMaryland by Master Gardener KimBarnes. Potluck social begins around

6:30 at the Oregon Ridge NatureCenter. Bring a dish you enjoy andwould like to share—sweet or savory,homemade or store-bought—alongwith a friend or two. We will haveplates, napkins, utensils, cold drinks,and hot tea. The talk will followstarting about 7:15 and ending nolater than 9 p.m. Open to non-members. The Nature Center is at13555 Beaver Dam Road and can bereached from the Shawan Road Westexit (#20B) from I-83. Take ShawanRoad to the traffic light at Beaver DamRoad, make a left and stay to the right,following the road past the swimmingarea to the nature center’s parking lot.The nature center is a short walk uphill.Call Joyce at 410-254-7240 if you needfurther details.

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 24: 24: 24: 24: 24: M M M M Moooooderderderderderaaaaattttteeeee..... E E E E Ea ra ra ra ra rthththththDDDDDaaaaay Sy Sy Sy Sy St rt rt rt rt ream Ceam Ceam Ceam Ceam Cleanup aleanup aleanup aleanup aleanup at Dt Dt Dt Dt DoubleoubleoubleoubleoubleRRRRRooooock Pck Pck Pck Pck Pa ra ra ra ra rk (Ck (Ck (Ck (Ck (Child-Fhild-Fhild-Fhild-Fhild-Frrrrr iendlyiendlyiendlyiendlyiendlyOuting)Outing)Outing)Outing)Outing) Celebrate Earth Day a fewdays late by cleaning up trash (bottles,cans, plastic bags, etc.) in and aroundthe stream at this neighborhood parkthat includes a waterfall and trailsthrough woodlands. Children under 18must be accompanied by a parent orother responsible adult. Wear footwearfor wading in shallow water. Trash bagsand gloves will be provided. Meet at10 AM in the parking lot at the park’sentrance at the end of Texas Ave. eastoff Harford Rd. between Taylor Ave.and Putty Hill Ave. in Parkville,Baltimore Co. For more information,contact Mary at 410-239-4590 (home),443-386-0862 (cell), [email protected]

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 24: 24: 24: 24: 24: P P P P Paddling theaddling theaddling theaddling theaddling theMMMMMaaaaattttttttttwwwwwoman.oman.oman.oman.oman. An easy paddle on flat,tidal, and beautiful Mattwoman Creek,followed by a short hike at nearbyChapman State Park. See birds, fish,plants and learn about threats to thewatershed. Bring lunch, water, and sun

protection. Sign up in advance toreserve a canoe or kayak, or bring yourown. Call Ken Clark, 301-725-3306,[email protected].

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday – My – My – My – My – Mondaondaondaondaonday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 24-26: 24-26: 24-26: 24-26: 24-26:TTTTTrrrrr iple Ciple Ciple Ciple Ciple Crrrrrooooown of wn of wn of wn of wn of VVVVVA BA BA BA BA Backackackackackpack.pack.pack.pack.pack.Strenuous 24 mile shuttle backpack onthe AT with great views from McAfeeKnob, Tinker Cliffs and Hay RockOverlook. Average daily mileageapproximately 8.0 miles. Pre-registerwith Mike Juskelis, 410-439-4964,[email protected].

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 24: 24: 24: 24: 24: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted C.ed C.ed C.ed C.ed C.RRRRRaaaaavvvvvens Rens Rens Rens Rens Rooooock.ck.ck.ck.ck. Rock to a spring beat onthe AT north from Rt. 7. Not long indistance—it’s a total of 6 miles butfeels like 10+ —this section of theAppalachian Trail is a workout, roughand wonderful with magic quartzboulders, and a singular view atlunchtime of a hidden valley inspring’s tree pastels. Meet at 9 am tocarpool from Oakton Shopping Center,on VA Rt. 123 (2930 Chain Bridge Rd.),in front of Starbucks. Leader: DavidBurd, [email protected] or 703-998-9390.

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 24: 24: 24: 24: 24: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted G or C.ed G or C.ed G or C.ed G or C.ed G or C.C&O CC&O CC&O CC&O CC&O Canal anal anal anal anal TTTTTooooowpawpawpawpawpath near th near th near th near th near WWWWWhithithithithitesesesesesFFFFFerererererrrrrr y (ODH Sy (ODH Sy (ODH Sy (ODH Sy (ODH Serererereries).ies).ies).ies).ies). Out-and-backtrek of about 25 mi. (or 13-mile option)is a final “tune-up” for the 100K or 50Kversions of the May 1 One Day Hike,and will familiarize those planning todo the 50K version with their startingpoint. Meet at 8 am at Whites Ferryparking lot (MD side). Leaders: MikeDarzi, [email protected] or 301-580-9387, and Carol Ivory,[email protected].

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadadayyyyy_SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 24-25: 24-25: 24-25: 24-25: 24-25:BBBBBackackackackackpack Spack Spack Spack Spack Shenandoah N.Phenandoah N.Phenandoah N.Phenandoah N.Phenandoah N.P..... Enjoy aweekend backpacking trip throughShenandoah N.P. Our route begins at

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the Big Meadows visitor center andfollows the Appalachian Trail south toterrific views from BearfenceMountain. From Bearfence, wedescend to Hoover Camp (once thesummer retreat of President HerbertHoover) before returning backthrough Big Meadows. Total two daydistance: 14 miles. For reservationscontact leader Glenn Gillis at 703-430-0568 [email protected].

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 25: 25: 25: 25: 25: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted A/Bed A/Bed A/Bed A/Bed A/B.....HHHHHains Pains Pains Pains Pains Poinoinoinoinoint and Ot and Ot and Ot and Ot and Other Pther Pther Pther Pther Poinoinoinoinoints (Gts (Gts (Gts (Gts (Getetetetetto Know DC). Flat and paved 7–8 mileson the Mall and monument area andaround East Potomac Park. “TheAwakening” will be gone; what will bethere? Bring a plastic garbage bag ortwo to help clean up debris that theriver deposits. Also bring liquids andlunch/snack. Dress for the weather.Meet at 10:15 am at the Mall entranceto Smithsonian Metro station. Leader:Helen Epps, 202-363-1278 (leavemessage).

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 25: 25: 25: 25: 25: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted Bed Bed Bed Bed B.....GGGGGrrrrreenweenweenweenweenwell Sell Sell Sell Sell Statatatatattttte Pe Pe Pe Pe Pa ra ra ra ra rk and Sk and Sk and Sk and Sk and SottottottottotterererererleleleleleyyyyyPPPPPlanlanlanlanlantatatatatationtiontiontiontion. Venture forth to southernMD’s St. Mary’s Co. for a moderatelypaced 9 mi.le hike on the banks of thelower Patuxent River. In the park(admission fee: $3/vehicle), we’llexperience mostly level terrain, a mixof woods and cultivated fields, goodtrails, fine river views from both thebluffs and waterline, and beaches withfossils. At soaked-in-history Sotterley(http://www.sotterley.com), we’ll tourthe grounds and walk to the riverfront(admission fee: $3/person);alternatively, you can skip the walk anddo the $10, 40-minute mansion tourinstead. On the return drive, there willbe an optional early-dinner stop(Sotterley closes at 4 p.m.) at a seafoodeatery. To carpool, meet at 8 am in the

Van Dorn Metro station’s Park & Ridelot (emerging from the station, crossthe Kiss & Ride lot to get there). Or askthe leader for driving directions to thetrailhead. Joint event with AMC/DC.Leader: Paul Elliott, 202-423-7913.

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpril 25:il 25:il 25:il 25:il 25: PR PR PR PR PRO RO RO RO RO Raaaaattttted Ded Ded Ded Ded D.....TTTTThompson hompson hompson hompson hompson WWWWWildlifildlifildlifildlifildlife Mgme Mgme Mgme Mgme Mgmttttt..... A A A A Arrrrreaeaeaeaea(C(C(C(C(Conseronseronseronseronservvvvvaaaaation Hiktion Hiktion Hiktion Hiktion Hikeeeee). A slow-pacededucational hike through one of themost wildflower rich forests in thecountry. Leaders will casually stroll asix-mile course and provideknowledge on the subjects ofconservation, botany, wildlife, andbirding. There will be frequent stops toobserve nature. 1000 ft. elevation gain.Bring lunch and/or snacks. Meet at 8am at the north parking lot of theVienna Metro. Leaders, Bruce Baraniak540-514-5557 (call for more info) andMarcia Wolf 301-565-3165 [email protected]

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday Ay Ay Ay Ay Aprprprprpr..... 25: 25: 25: 25: 25: E E E E Easyasyasyasyasy..... “ L“ L“ L“ L“ Last Sast Sast Sast Sast SundaundaundaundaundayyyyyEEEEEasy Hikasy Hikasy Hikasy Hikasy Hikeeeee””””” Meet at 2:00 pm at thePaper Mill Road parking lot for theNCRR trail. Hike at an easy pace on flatpaved surface to the Phoenix Rdparking lot and back, which is about 3miles R/T. Scenic rest stops andhistorical sites along the route. Dogs,children, and wheelchairs arewelcome. We will finish the hike intime to attend the Baltimore GreenForum at MD Presbyterian Church4:30-6:30. Optional dinner afterward.For details, contact Paul at 410-667-4889 or [email protected]

MAY

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday My My My My Maaaaay 1:y 1:y 1:y 1:y 1: WWWWWhithithithithite Oe Oe Oe Oe Oak Cak Cak Cak Cak Canananananyyyyyononononon/ C/ C/ C/ C/ Cedar Redar Redar Redar Redar Run,un,un,un,un, VVVVVA .A .A .A .A . Strenuous 10 milecircuit hike featuring numerouswaterfalls and cascades. Bring lunchand water. Depart at 8:00 from thewest lot of the Broken Land ParkwayPark & Ride at Rt. 32. Call Ken Clark,301-725-3306, [email protected].

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday My My My My Maaaaay 8:y 8:y 8:y 8:y 8: A A A A Annapnnapnnapnnapnnapolis Rolis Rolis Rolis Rolis Rooooock,ck,ck,ck,ck,MDMDMDMDMD..... Moderate 11 mile hike along theAppalachian Trail, from WashingtonMonument State Park to AnnapolisRock and return. Bring lunch andwater. Meet at the Bagel Bin off Rt. 40in the Enchanted Forest ShoppingCenter, for an 8:30 departure. Call TimRyan before 9:30 PM, 410-248-2974,[email protected].

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday - Sy - Sy - Sy - Sy - Sundaundaundaundaunday My My My My Maaaaay 8-9:y 8-9:y 8-9:y 8-9:y 8-9:RRRRRamseamseamseamseamseyyyyy ’’’’’s Ds Ds Ds Ds Drrrrra fa fa fa fa ft Bt Bt Bt Bt Backackackackackpack,pack,pack,pack,pack, GWNF GWNF GWNF GWNF GWNF,,,,, VVVVVA .A .A .A .A .Strenuous 17 mile circuit backpackwith several stream crossings and3100 feet of elevation gain. Beautifulstream and still some magnificent oldhemlocks left to see. Suitable forexperienced hikers who want to trybackpacking. Pre-register with MikeJuskelis, 410-439-4964,[email protected].

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday My My My My Maaaaay 15:y 15:y 15:y 15:y 15: S S S S SugarugarugarugarugarloafloafloafloafloafMMMMMounounounounountain,tain,tain,tain,tain, MD MD MD MD MD..... Moderate 8 miles withhills. Bring lunch and water. Meet at8:30 at Long Gate Parkway Park & Ride,off Rt. 100, just east of Rt. 29. EmailNicki, [email protected].

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday My My My My Maaaaay 15:y 15:y 15:y 15:y 15: M M M M Moooooderderderderderaaaaattttteeeee..... E E E E EdendendendendenMMMMMill Hikill Hikill Hikill Hikill Hike (Ce (Ce (Ce (Ce (Child and Dhild and Dhild and Dhild and Dhild and Dooooog Fg Fg Fg Fg Frrrrr iendlyiendlyiendlyiendlyiendlyOuting)Outing)Outing)Outing)Outing) 4-5 mile hike looking forwildlife and wildflowers in woodlandsand meadows with some hills alongDeer Creek at Eden Mill Nature Centerin Pylesville. Afterwards, visit theNature Center and the Historic GristMill Museum to learn about the localhistory, floral, and fauna. Bring a picnic

lunch to eat in the gardens beside theDeer Creek. Meet at 10 AM in theparking lot at the park entrance at1617 Eden Mill Rd., near the NatureCenter. Find out more about thisHarford County park atwww.edenmill.org. For moreinformation, contact Mary at 410-239-4590 (home), 443-386-0862 (cell), oremail at [email protected]

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday - Sy - Sy - Sy - Sy - Sundaundaundaundaunday My My My My Maaaaay 15 & 16:y 15 & 16:y 15 & 16:y 15 & 16:y 15 & 16:MMMMMoooooderderderderderaaaaattttteeeee..... S S S S Shenandoah Nhenandoah Nhenandoah Nhenandoah Nhenandoah NaaaaationaltionaltionaltionaltionalPPPPPa ra ra ra ra rk Ck Ck Ck Ck Car Car Car Car Car Camping aamping aamping aamping aamping at Bt Bt Bt Bt BigigigigigMMMMMeadoeadoeadoeadoeadowwwwwsssss Day hikes along the AT andother side trips to waterfalls. Call Jack410-256-3963 for details.

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday - y - y - y - y - TTTTTuesdauesdauesdauesdauesday My My My My Maaaaay 15-18:y 15-18:y 15-18:y 15-18:y 15-18:RRRRRickickickickickettettettettett’’’’’s Gs Gs Gs Gs Glenn Clenn Clenn Clenn Clenn Car Car Car Car Car Campingampingampingampingamping,,,,, P P P P PA .A .A .A .A .First hike will be an 8 mile circuitthrough State Game Lands 13 toexplore seldom seen waterfalls. Some“waterwhacking” involved. The secondhike will be a 9 mile loop inside thepark visiting many of the falls in theglen. Campsite reservation required.Pre-register with Mike Juskelis, 410-439-4964, [email protected].

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday My My My My Maaaaay 16:y 16:y 16:y 16:y 16: J J J J Jug Bug Bug Bug Bug Baaaaayyyyy,,,,, P P P P PaaaaatuxtuxtuxtuxtuxenenenenentttttRRRRRiviviviviver Per Per Per Per Pa ra ra ra ra rk .k .k .k .k . Explore this tidal marsh bycanoe or kayak, then hike a mile for adifferent perspective. Observe avariety of birds and other animals.Bring lunch and water. Sign up early toreserve a $15 canoe or kayak, or bringyour own. Call Ken Clark, 301-725-3306,[email protected].

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday - My - My - My - My - Mondaondaondaondaonday My My My My Maaaaay 29-31:y 29-31:y 29-31:y 29-31:y 29-31:CCCCCrrrrranbanbanbanbanberererererrrrrr y By By By By Backcackcackcackcackcounounounounountrt rt rt rt ry By By By By Backackackackackpack,pack,pack,pack,pack,MNFMNFMNFMNFMNF,,,,, W VW VW VW VW V..... Moderate 26 mile circuit inthis under-utilized hiking venuefeaturing a circumnavigation ofCranberry Glades. Daily mileage: 8/12/6. Pre-register with Mike Juskelis, 410-439-4964, [email protected].


continued➱ BICO OutingsSierra Club Inner City Outings is a community outreach program providingopportunities for urban youth and adults to explore, enjoy and protect thenatural world. It was founded in 1999 with the goal of providing under-servedBaltimore City youth with educational, enjoyable and safe outdoor experiencesat no cost to them. Since start-up, BICO has conducted more than 350 outingsserving over 3,000 youngsters.

BICO provides environmental education and promotes:* Respect for the outdoors* Teamwork and leadership skills* A community service ethic

BICO’s outings in and around Baltimore include:* Nature hikes & orienteering* Camping, canoeing, cycling & caving* Initiative and Confidence coursework* Community service for Baltimore’s Recreation & Parks Department

For more information, please send inquiries [email protected], or visit our web site at http://ico.sierraclub.org/baltimore

Abbreviations:DHH: Digital Harbor HighCGCC: College Gardens Community CenterBTDHS: Baltimore Talent Development High School

BICO Outings

Chapter Excom Ballot

Outings (June, July)

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday Jy Jy Jy Jy June 12:une 12:une 12:une 12:une 12: AM Hik AM Hik AM Hik AM Hik AM Hike and PMe and PMe and PMe and PMe and PMKKKKK aaaaayyyyyak aak aak aak aak at Pt Pt Pt Pt Pineineineineiney Ry Ry Ry Ry Run Pun Pun Pun Pun Pa ra ra ra ra rk (Ck (Ck (Ck (Ck (Child andhild andhild andhild andhild andDDDDDooooog Fg Fg Fg Fg Frrrrr iendly Outing)iendly Outing)iendly Outing)iendly Outing)iendly Outing) 4-5 mile hikethrough woodlands and along the300-acre lake at Piney Run Park inSykesville. For the hike, meet at 10 AMin the parking area beside the NatureCenter. Afterwards, visit the extensiveNature Center with natural historyexhibits and live animals. Bring a picniclunch to enjoy in this 825-acre CarrollCounty park. Bring your own kayak orcanoe or rent one to explore PineyRun Reservoir, with a couple stopsalong the shores. For the boating,meet at the boat launch at 2:00 PM.There is a launch fee of $8/boat (paidat the park’s entrance booth). Therental fee is $8/hour or $30 per day.The park is at 30 Martz Rd., just off Rt.26 or 97 north of I-70. There is anentrance fee of $5/car for CarrollCounty residents and $10 for others.For more information, contact Mary at410-239-4590 (home), 443-386-0862(cell), or email [email protected]

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday y y y y WWWWWednesdaednesdaednesdaednesdaednesday Jy Jy Jy Jy June 26-30:une 26-30:une 26-30:une 26-30:une 26-30:MMMMMounounounounount Rt Rt Rt Rt Rooooogers N.R.A.gers N.R.A.gers N.R.A.gers N.R.A.gers N.R.A. C C C C Car Car Car Car Car Campingampingampingampingamping,,,,,VVVVVA .A .A .A .A . Camp at Grindstone Campground.Hike the Iron Mountains. The first hikewill be The Iron Mountain Loop. It is astrenuous 14 mile circuit with 3400feet of elevation gain starting atBeartree Lake and features vistas,

streams and Rhododendron tunnels.The second hike will be the 12 mileRowlands Creek Loop with 2430 feetelevation gain featuring severalwaterfalls, a couple over 100 feet inheight, and some views. The third hikeis another waterfall hike, 9.0 mileComers Creek Loop, with 1850 feet ofelevation gain. (The leader reservesthe right to substitute any of theabove with a shorter, easier hikestarting from camp.) Sign up for all orpart of the trip. Campsite reservationrequired. Pre-register with MikeJuskelis, 410-439-4964,[email protected].

SSSSSundaundaundaundaunday Jy Jy Jy Jy Jun.un.un.un.un. 27: 27: 27: 27: 27: G G G G Gunpunpunpunpunpooooowwwwwder der der der der TTTTTubububububeeeeeTTTTTrrrrr ipipipipip Meet at the Monkton Station at1:00 P.M. Bring a tube or rent one. Wearold shoes or water shoes. Call Jack at410-256-3963 for more details.

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday - My - My - My - My - Mondaondaondaondaonday Jy Jy Jy Jy July 10-12:uly 10-12:uly 10-12:uly 10-12:uly 10-12:CCCCCrrrrranbanbanbanbanberererererrrrrry y y y y WWWWWilderilderilderilderilderness Bness Bness Bness Bness Backackackackackpack,pack,pack,pack,pack,MNFMNFMNFMNFMNF,,,,, W VW VW VW VW V..... 18 miles total. Hike in 5 milesand set up camp at Big Beechy Falls.On the second day we’ll climb steeplyup to the plateau, hiking about 10miles. Extra water will be required forthat day. The final day will be an easy 3miles back to the cars. Pre-register withMike Juskelis, 410-439-4964,[email protected].

SSSSSaaaaaturturturturturdadadadaday - y - y - y - y - TTTTTuesdauesdauesdauesdauesday Jy Jy Jy Jy July 24-27:uly 24-27:uly 24-27:uly 24-27:uly 24-27: B B B B BlueluelueluelueKKKKK nob Snob Snob Snob Snob Statatatatattttte Pe Pe Pe Pe Pa ra ra ra ra rk ,k ,k ,k ,k , P P P P PA CA CA CA CA Car Car Car Car Car Campingampingampingampingamping.....The first hike will be a moderate 10mile circuit inside the park. The secondhike will be a 12 mile easy tomoderate loop on the John B. SaylorTrail. Campsite reservation required.Pre-register with Mike Juskelis, 410-439-4964, [email protected].

JUNE and JULY

AAAAAprprprprpril 2010il 2010il 2010il 2010il 20104 Tour of CBF’s Claggett Farm CGCCTBD Challenge course BTDHSTBD First Aid CPR @ UMBC (email Bob Burchard

for more info: [email protected])23-25 Camping at Assateague DHHTBD Steering Committee Meeting

(Team Leaders only; email Bob Burchardfor more info: [email protected])

MMMMMaaaaay 2010y 2010y 2010y 2010y 20107-8 Camping at Gettysburg BTDHSTBA Bike NCR Trail CGCCTBD General BICO Chapter Meeting @ DHH22 Sailing @ Downtown Sailing Center DHH

June 2010June 2010June 2010June 2010June 20104 Kayaking/Fishing/Canoeing BTDHS16 BICO meet-n-greet: 7pm @ Red Robin,

Columbia MD Directions / contact Ravi Saxena17-21 Patuxent Sojourn DHH


The Chesapeake is published quarterly by the Maryland Chap-ter of the Sierra Club. Annual Sierra Club membership dues payfor subscription to this publication. Non-members may sub-scribe for $20.00 per year.

The opinions expressed in this newsletter are in general alignedwith those of the environmental community in Maryland butare strictly those of the authors and not necessarily officialpolicy of local, state or national Sierra Club entities. The SierraClub prides itself on being a grassroots volunteer organization.The concerns and opinions of all its members are welcome inthese pages.

Items for publication are best submitted by email to<[email protected]>or <[email protected]> with “For Chesapeake” andtitle in subject line. Items must include the author’s addressand telephone numbers. Material may be edited for length, con-tent or clarity at the discretion of the editor. Photographs, illus-trations and other works of art are welcome. Materials cannotbe returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self addressedenvelope.

Change of address: send address changes to the Sierra Club, 85Second Street (2nd Floor), San Francisco, California 94705-3441.For fastest service, please include your old and new addressesalong with your 8-digit membership number. For local mem-bership information contact the Maryland Chapter Office 301-277-7111 or write: Maryland Chapter/Sierra Club, 7338 BaltimoreAve (Suite 101A), College Park, MD 20740.

Advertising: For display and classified advertising rates and in-formation, contact:Editor, The ChesapeakeSierra Club Maryland Chapter7338 Baltimore Ave, Suite 101College Park, MD 20740

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Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club Spring 2010

The Maryland Chapter thanks those whocontributed to this issue of Chesapeake.

Writers and Contributors: Bonnie Bick,Jim Long and the Mattawoman Water-shed Society, Ron Henry, Alana Wase,Richard Reis, Timothy D. Junkin, FabienSarran, Baird Straughan, Tom Wachs,Imani Kazana, Albert VanThournou, LewSherman, Betsy Johnson, Bob Boxwell,Marc Imlay, David Prosten, DanAndrews, Don Grace, Mary Corddry,Ken Clark, David Hauck, Chip Reilly,Sam White, Michael Darzi, JanHoffmaster

Editors: Betty Brody, Mary Corddry,Becky French, Laurel Imlay, BetsyJohnson, Sue Kunkel, Dave O’Leary,Janis Oppelt, Cindy Paré, Annie Rehill,Darla Tewell, Alana Wase

Outings Editor: Jan HoffmasterStewardship Outings Editor: LaurelImlayLayout: Darla Tewell

Volunteer Opportunities

Check it out!By boat, bike, or boots—join us to explore,enjoy,and protect Mattawoman CreekEnergy: How to use lessWhat’s new at the recycling centerGetting ready for the 2010 election; you can help!From the coast to the mountains, our groups arebusy; check out what’s happening near youVolunteer opportunities outdoors and in

and much more!

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Documents

A Treasured Landscape - Sierra Club · 2015. 12. 14. · dominant in my thoughts., A fellow Harford County Sierran addressed the crux of the problem with HB1125 eloquently: To date,