To jump back in - my suggestion about the burros was purely a jest.
Sorry if it drew people off topic.

In response to Norm's question about transportation to the island - at
the public informational meeting in October, I asked this very question,
and the answer was that there are no plans at this time for the State to
provide any form of regularly-scheduled shuttle transportation when the
Island goes public.  They are assuming that people would get there by
private boat.  However, they did leave open the possibility of some form
of state-authorized boat service to the island, operating through a
concession contract. This remains to be determined.

Also, Pete Webb wrote to suggest the possibility of private boat
rentals, and he mentioned Bill's Boats in the Millers Island community.
Alas, Bill's no longer rents outboard motorboats.  Last fall, out of
curiosity, I did an internet search to determine the availability of
rental boats in the area of Hart-Miller, and it didn't look promising.
One place on Middle River might have them (I didn't call to verify) but
the cost quoted on the internet appeared prohibitive.  The next nearest
place is in Annapolis and the cost was positively chilling. 

One last point about my wish list of creature comforts. One very real
benefit that Hart-Miller can provide would be to serve as a site for
educating people about birds, their habitat needs, and environmental
issues in general. The Island could be an environmental education
showcase for schools, scouts, 4-H, senior centers, nature centers, etc.
Educating people about environmental issues would have a long-term (but
indirect) payoff for the birds, by recruiting more people to
environmental causes.  But if we want people to use Hart-Miller for
education, then it has to provide a certain level of creature comforts.
My wish list was designed to address these larger needs, not just the
needs of hard-core birders.  In this larger setting, the construction &
maintenance costs would, I believe, be justified.

Marcia

Marcia Watson
Elkton, MD

Cecil Bird Club
Maryland Ornithological Society





-----Original Message-----
From: Maryland Birds & Birding [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Norm Saunders
Sent: Monday, January 08, 2007 7:42 AM
To: 
Subject: Re: Hart-Miller Island North Cell


I love all of Marcia Watson's suggestions, with the possible exception
of the burros--look at the problems they're having with the wild ponies
now on Assateague!

My concern has to do with access to the island.  Right now one can get
to the state park section if he or she owns a boat.  Access to the
really good parts of Hart-Miller are via the daily workboat (which
sentences one to a long, long day waiting for the boat to go back in the
late afternoon).  

Once this gets turned over, will there be any provision for getting out
to the island short of owning one's own boat?  A shuttle service
running, say, three times a day would be ideal, but will there be money
for this sort of thing?  I would gladly pay a reasonable transportation
fee for the service.

Otherwise, I love Marcia's want-list...it addresses all the gripes I've
had about Hart-Miller over the years.

Norm

================================
Norm Saunders
Cambridge & West Ocean City, MD