I have been sitting back allowing everyone to present their thoughts, even 
if some of the thoughts had no connection to my original request.  Some of 
the comments have gone way off track and some of the comments have presented 
misinformation.

Here is the real story.

I have been representing MOS on the Hart-Miller Island (HMI) Dredged 
Material Containment Facility project since 1997.  I have served on the HMI 
South Cell Environmental Restoration Team (now the HMI South Cell Working 
Group) since then.  I also serve on the North Cell Closure Team Working 
Group.  I routinely give presentations and updates to the HMI Citizen's 
Oversight Committee.

The HMI Dredged Material Containment Facility is made up of two cells, the 
300-acre South Cell and the 800-acre North Cell.  The South Cell stopped 
receiving dredged material around 1990.  Federal regulation MANDATES that 
dredged material containment facilities MUST be restored to some type of 
beneficial use after their closure.

MOS members began weekly bird monitoring on the island in 1983.  I have 
organized and used this data to give presentations to representatives of the 
US Army Corps of Engineers, The Maryland Port Administration, the Maryland 
Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Environmental Service, Maryland 
Department of the Environment, various consulting firms, as well as almost 
all of the MOS local chapters, the MOS Board of Directors, the Maryland 
Entomological Society, various local community associations, and several 
public meetings.

SOUTH CELL: The weekly bird monitoring was instrumental in formulating the 
design of the South Cell environmental restoration.  The project created 
wetland/mudflat habitat for migrating shorebirds, as well as a shell nesting 
island for terns and ponded areas for waterfowl.  Unexpectedly, this habitat 
became colonized by breeding populations of several MD-DNR listed Rare, 
Threatened and Endangered (RT&E) species.  These included Pied-Billed Grebe, 
Least Bittern, Sora, Common Moorhen, Spotted Sandpiper, and "Coastal Plain" 
Swamp Sparrow.  The cell has also attracted rare breeders such as Ruddy Duck 
and American Coot.  This suite of species has its own habitat requirements, 
so this is where "adaptive management" of the cell comes into play to allow 
for the management of these additional species.  The South Cell 
environmental restoration project cost just under $6 million and is about 
95% complete.  This year the interpretive signs should be installed along 
the walking trail.  Additional project monitoring will continue for at least 
two more years.  Phragmites control is a REQUIREMENT and was very successful 
in 2006.

NORTH CELL: The North Cell will continue to receive dredged material through 
December 31, 2009 or until it reaches design capacity, whichever comes 
first.  The North Cell Closure Team is working on the final restoration plan 
for this cell.  Again, remember that environmental restoration is federally 
MANDATED, not an option.  In October 2006, two public informational meetings 
were held to present six potential closure concepts and to accept comments 
from the public.  Unfortunately, only 3 MOS members attended these public 
meetings.  For brevity's sake, I will not discuss the six options here.  The 
bottom line was that the consulting firm that developed the six concepts 
recommended Concepts 4A and 4B.  Both of these similar concepts were based 
on the same design used for the South Cell.  They were the best choice for 
wildlife, for capital construction costs, and for operation and maintenance 
costs.  Concepts 4A and 4B are the ones that the actual design will be based 
on.  This is where my original request to MDOsprey came in.  The 800-acre 
North Cell will be designed similar to the highly successful South Cell. 
There will be shorebird habitat (mudflats, wetlands), tern habitat (nesting 
islands), waterfowl habitat (pools), as well as upland habitat.  My question 
was "what design elements would you like to see incorporated into the 
design?"  Many good suggestions have come in such as benches, blinds, 
restrooms, walkways, boardwalks, and observations platforms.  My request 
only involves physical design elements for this North Cell restoration.  It 
will be at least until 2013, if not longer, before the North Cell will be 
stable enough for equipment to enter it to actually begin the restoration 
activities.  Throw in about 2 to 3 years for construction, about 5 years of 
project monitoring, and we are looking at maybe 2020 before it might be open 
to the public.

Somewhere towards the end of this process, the management of the island will 
transfer from the Maryland Port Administration to the Maryland Department of 
Natural Resources.  This is when public access and people issues would come 
into play.

Lessons learned from the South Cell Environmental Restoration as well as 
from Poplar Island will help to guide the North Cell restoration.

Also, Hart-Miller island is designated as a state Important Bird Area (IBA) 
by Audubon Maryland-DC.

I hope that this helps to clarify the situation.  And as always, if you have 
any questions, feel free to contact me.  Thank you for all of your comments 
and suggestions.

Your Man on the Island,
Gene

Gene Scarpulla
Millers Island, Maryland