Date: Sun, 22 Dec 2002 23:55:03 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Carol /Oscar Ghebelian Subject: [Fwd: URGENT - CHAPMAN FOREST - Why letters are important now, both for Chapman Forest and for reckoning with the new regime in Annapolis] Comments: To: "Wilmot, George" , "Bell, Tyler" , "Boxwell, Bob" , "Wood, Shirley" , "Walker, Bev & Warren" , "Hamilton, Sue" , "Daniel, Julie" , "Willoughby, Ernie" , "Kriemelmeyer, Millie" , "wearmouth, ann" , "Newman, Dean" , "Brown, Larry" , "Brewer, Gwen" , "Jett, George" , "Artes, Jean" , "Brown, Andy" , "wheeler, deanna" Comments: cc: md-SMAS , "Bick, Bonnie" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Chapman Forest (including historic Mount Aventine on the Potomac) was purchased in 1998 with your Program Open Space tax dollars, plus 3 million from The Conservation Fund . Glendening recognized its unique environmental and historical attributes and recommended it be used for education, research, and low impact recreation. Its preservation was strongly opposed--and still is--by the Charles County political and business community, Comments are due by Jan. 3 on the land use plan developed by DNR after 2 years of working with citizens advisory groups. However, it is URGENT that your comments go in as soon as possible to help guide DNR. The final plan is to go to Secretary Fox on Jan.8 and then directly to Glendening for approval. (The full draft plan may be read at the DNR web site given at the end of this msg) In a public hearing held Dec. 4 there was a strong contingent wanting athletic fields plus a big push to use the property for an equestrian center--both interests have strong county government support. It is highly questionable how the intensity of these uses could be compatible with the recommended alternative plan developed by DNR that basically calls for low impact recreation,educational programs, and additional study of existing resources, as well as various limited public functions in the historic home. Please read Bonnie Bick's URGENT CALL below and DO send a short note to DNR if you possibly can AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Those who have visited the property know what a unique treasure it is. If you have not been there contact me and I'll be glad to see that you do--it's a rare treat! Thanks for your help! PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG. Carol Ghebelian, Indian Head, 301-753-6754 gheb@bellatlantic.net From: Bonnie Bick To:Sent: Sunday, December 22, 2002 5:51 PMSubject: URGENT - CHAPMAN FOREST - Why letters are important now, both for Chapman Forest and for reckoning with the new regime in Annapolis YOUR LETTERS URGENTLY NEEDED Right now, the Chapman Forest process is superficially focusing on two main concerns: whether there will be athletic fields, and how much control equestrian interests will have over the use of the property. But in reality there is even more at stake here. Immediately after the new administration is installed, we can expect it to start punching at political weak spots to start a broad rollback on the environment. The outgoing DNR in its final days needs visible public support for it to be strong on Chapman Forest - and also to finish strong, so that the new governor will not be taking control of an agency in retreat. We are following the process closely and we know that the numbers of letters DNR gets NOW will make a difference. We must give DNR something to point to so that they can decide in favor of the environment and the future. Right now they are considering not only ball fields, but also overlaying the historic property with equestrian use. Chapman Forest would become known as an equestrian center with ball fields, not a nature center - even though the environmental community paid $3 million (the Conservation Fund) of the purchase price. This is a place to dig in, now -- before the rollback on environmental protection starts. We are facing an organized effort by those who pushed the Chapman's Landing development on this site (4,600 housing units and 2.26 million square feet of business space) to take the land back to serve their interests. Please send a letter - clear and simple and NOW. E-mail: Public-Lands-Comment@dnr.state.md.us . Writing your own is best; but it is better to send a copy of our sample letter below than to delay. You can also simply alter this sample letter a bit to personalize it. Please get anything you can to get others to send letters - family members, friends or colleagues. DNR specifically said that it will accept letters from people anywhere, so you can solicit letters from your friends anywhere. E-mail is the best, because it is quickest. Please copy in the Friends of Chapman Forest at: foma@radix.net Please make these three points: 1. You support management for maximum natural resource protection. 2. You do not support equestrian use on Chapman Forest which is too environmentally sensitive 3. You do not support athletic fields on Chapman Forest, because it is the wrong place and because it is a County responsibility. NOTE: Charles County did not pay one penny for the preservation of Chapman Forest. Call Bonnie or Alex at 301 283-2948 or email foma@radix.net with any questions. ======================================================== One sample letter (short): SAMPLE LETTER #1: Dec. 19, 2002 ATTN: Barbara Grey Maryland Department of Natural Resources Resource Planning E-4 Annapolis MD 21401 e-mail: Public-Lands-Comment@dnr.state.md.us FAX: (410) 260-8404 Dear Ms. Grey: Chapman Forest is a treasure for its history, its natural resources, and its biodiversity. The people of Maryland are very fortunate that it belongs to us all now. Please adopt a management plan for it that is focused on natural resources and history. Chapman Forest is not the right place to introduce intense recreational activities and facilities, such as equestrian and ball fields. These are worthwhile activities in themselves, but they are not compatible with the major attributes that make Chapman Forest a place to draw inspiration. Ball fields are a County responsibility. Equestrian usage is available at nearby Myrtle Grove. Also, Chapman Forest will be an exceptional tourist site if and only if it is managed so as to maximize its two greatest assets, nature and history. Sincerely, (your name, address, telephone number) ================================================================= Please check out our website at www.chapmanforest.org Below are some links of interest: Text of letter from E. O. Wilson about Chapman Forest: http://www.chapmanforest.org/eowilsonlet.html To a page on our site that gives an illustration of how exceptional the biodiversity of Chapman Forest is: http://www.chapmanforest.org/smokyexample.html The Habitats of Chapman Forest: http://www.chapmanforest.org/chaphabspage.html Some of the big trees of Chapman Forest: http://www.chapmanforest.org/bigtrees.html Letter from the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places, 1994 sums up the history of the Mount Aventine part of Chapman Forest http://www.chapmanforest.org/shull.html Letter from Brazilian schoolchildren about Chapman Forest http://www.chapmanforest.org/criativa.html To the State?s website on the Draft Management Plan http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/chapmansforest/ ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================