Gene,

Glad to see you chime in. Like I said in my previous post, I haven't gotten 
the most recent information from my friend that works on the island and 
manages most of the personnel out there. The information that I posted 
yesterday was from conversations that we have had over the last couple of 
years. I may see him tomorrow night and I'll try pumping him for his take on 
this.

I'm glad to hear that there are actual plans to retain habitat for the 
wildlife instead of just a big cap over 800 hundreds acres of island that 
are in the north cell, as I had been told in the past. His information was 
that by planting a grassland on top of the plain that would be created with 
the capping would satisfy the mandate to restore habitat on the island. One 
of his comments to me last year was something to the effect that since the 
island is being covered with dredged material, there is no true topsoil to 
support the planting of native species and they didn't know where a topsoil 
layer was going to come from. I am sure that you have much better 
information about what plans are being developed since you are working so 
closely with the planning committee.

As far as the phrags, what have they done this year that they haven't done 
in years past that has had a positive affect on the plants? The root systems 
of these plants go so deep that past efforts have knocked it back worked for 
a short time but basically that just pissed it off and it came back with a 
vengeance three times thicker each time afterwards. I'd be interested in 
knowing what they did differently this time.

Outside of the physical design elements such as paths, boardwalks, benches, 
blinds, etc., what input are you looking for from the readers of this list 
that they haven't already supplied? What other design elements have we 
overlooked and not provided? Your post seems to indicate that we are still 
looking to tightly in the box and missing something.

Regards,

Ed Boyd
Westminster, MD
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Eugene J. Scarpulla" <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 11:37 PM
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Hart-Miller Island: Status


>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.