----- Forwarded Message ----From: "Patapsco Heritage Greenway," <patapscofriend@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2014 1:04 PM
Subject: IMPORTANT - erroneous info. being spread about PHG and our proposed management plan
Thank you to many of our members and other volunteers who have recently
emailed us or posted messages on FACEBOOK about information that has
recently been circulated through the Sierra Club's email system and
webpage to encourage their members to vote against PHG's efforts to create
the Patapsco Heritage Greenway certified heritage area.
Yes, we are very aware of the Howard County Sierra Club's campaign to
discredit our efforts to protect and enhance the Patapsco Valley, including
the Patapsco State Park.
The Patapsco Heritage Greenway is a non-profit, 401C3 organization, not a
private organization.
To set the record straight and correct the erroneous information being
circulated, PHG President John Slater posted yesterday on the Sierra Club
Face Book page:
"There is a difference between a Management Plan for the
Patapsco Heritage Greenway and a Management Plan (MP) for the
Patapsco State Park. What will be discussed by Howard County
Council is whether to endorse the proposed MP for the Patapsco
Heritage Greenway and that has nothing to do with a MP for the
park. The two different management plans should not be
confused. Also - when the Patapsco Heritage Greenway MP gains
State certification then the park will be eligible for grant funding
via the PHG.
The Patapsco State Park has been a part of the
PHG "Recognized Heritage Area" for the past 17 years and we
have had a very positive and fruitful partnership with the
Patapsco State Park (owned by the Department of Natural
Resources - DNR) all that time. In fact the park has benefited
from numerous projects and events put on by PHG whether it was
for the design and installation of historic interpretive signs in the
Avalon Visitors Center or hundreds of stream clean ups or holding
numerous environmental educational events in the Patapsco
State Park.
Here are a few environmental accomplishments PHG has
completed over the last 8 years:

Engaged over 13,000 volunteers in PHG activities

71,003 volunteer hours

Collected over 313 tons of trash in the Valley

Planted 413 trees in riparian buffers

Over 100 river sections/streams being monitored

231 watershed cleanups

20,908 pounds of invasive plants removed

343 tons of trash removed (equal to 62 full grown African
elephants)
PHG has been a valuable partner with the Patapsco State Park.
DNR wrote a letter of support to the Maryland Heritage Area
Authority endorsing PHG's effort to create a Management Plan to
gain State Certification. The park has every thing to gain and
nothing to lose. The park has total control over their own land.
PHG has NO control over the park's land. Never has and never
will.
DNR likes their parks to be in Heritage Areas. In fact most if not
all of the 12 existing Heritage Areas include State Parks in their
boundaries. It provides them a level of both recognition and
protection.
The Mission Statement of the PHG: The Patapsco Heritage
Greenway Inc. is dedicated to preserving, protecting, interpreting
and restoring the environment, history and culture of the
Patapsco River Valley. It has guided the PHG well for the past 17
years. With State Certification PHG will be able to increase it's
efforts to bring a positive focus on a unique Heritage Area full of
both environmental and historical resources that need
protecting. Protecting an enhancing these resources will benefit
our community and continue to enhance our quality of life."
For some odd reason that we still do not understand, the Howard County
Sierra Club continues to fight us at every turn. Go figure. It's not easy
running around trying to put out all these fires.
We urge you to please take a few moments NOW to email a few short words
in support of Council Resolution 96-2014
to councilmail@howardcountymd.gov
or
better yet, please show up and testify tonight at 6:30 pm at the County
office building, located at the George Howard Building, 3450 Courthouse
Drive, Ellicott City, MD.
If you have not read the proposed plan to see the correct facts for yourself,
you can read it in its entirety at
http://www.patapscoheritagegreenway.org/Revised%20Draft%20PHG%20Pl
an%206.23.14-web.pdf
We also urge you to visit PHG's photowebsite to see all of the different
activities and programs our members, staff and volunteers have
accomplished in the past several years at
http://patapscofriend.smugmug.com/
Thank you for your support!