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Maryland Alliance for Greenway Improvement and Conservation

November 21, 2000

Mr. William Hussmann, Chair

Maryland National Capitol Parks and Planning Commission

8787 Georgia Ave.

Silver Spring, MD 20910

Dear Mr. Hussmann:

MAGIC is concerned that the idea of a bike road through the Matthew Henson State Park is again being considered. Constructing an eight foot wide paved trail with two foot safety buffers on each side will cause an unacceptable impact on the natural habitat in the park. It will result in a huge loss of trees -- at a time when the County is committing itself to increasing forested areas by one percent a year -- degrade streams, wetlands, flood plains; and impact rare species and wildlife.

The most important use of the Henson State Park should be undisturbed green space, wetlands, and unfragmented forest that can serve as a filter for the water that enters the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. The area surrounding the Henson State Park is highly impervious. Water from these impervious areas flows into the park since it has nowhere else to go. During peak rainfall the amount of water that has to be absorbed and carried by the Henson is enormous. To impede the capacity of the Henson to carry water by adding additional impervious pavement would be a dire mistake.

The Henson State Park and Greenway has become a significant refuge and corridor for wildlife and plants in our increasingly fragmented forests. It provides a wildlife and plant connection to Rock Creek Park on West and the Northwest Branch to the East. It also provides significant forest cover to mid-County. To open the canopy with a twelve foot wide clearing would allow the spread of exotic invasive species throughout the corridor. It would also significantly deprive resident and migrating birds of habitat. Environmentally destructive projects in remnant forests and green spaces should be eliminated. The mid-County has lost almost all of its forests and green space to development. What little forest remains must be protected.

What is really needed is a bikeway to the Glenmont Metro Station. Serious bikers have told us it is necessary. They want to get to the Metro and shopping places at Glenmont. There is currently no safe way for them to do so. Bikeways that reduce vehicle miles traveled are much more important than environmentally destructive paved bike "roads" through our remnant forests and green spaces. The Henson Bikeway Project should be canceled and the funds redirected to smart bikeways that connect people to where they need to go.

Early citizen involvement should be an absolute minimum requirement before proceeding with any bikeway plan. Natural surface trail that can wind through forests without destroying trees are a far better idea than a paved trail, but any trail should be planned only after considering its impact to wildlife. Last time this project was considered, we recall that local citizens created an alternate route through the area that minimized environmental impacts by avoiding the areas of greatest ecological sensitivity. Please stop your trails staff from planning destructive bikeways in our remnant forests while the important needs for bikeways go unfulfilled.

Sincerely,

Robert DeGroot

President, MAGIC

cc: Sen. Teitelbaum

    Del. Heller

    Del. Mandel

    Del. Petzold

    County Council

The following Alliance Partners agree with and support this letter: