Our Friends, the Feds

Hooray for the National Park Service !!  They are moving ahead on the long-anticipated, eagerly awaited, breathtakingly scenic extension to the 22 mile Western Maryland Rail Trail.

If this doesn't ring a bell with regular readers, perhaps you will recognize this stretch by its most famous battleground -- the 100+ year old Indigo Tunnel, where trail enthusiasts faced off against the Indiana bats and were soundly defeated by the slumbering rodents.

Fortunately, the Indigo Tunnel is only a part of this 15 mile abandoned shortcut through the Potomac's Paw Paw Bends .  This route cuts through the mountains and over convoluted river passage with six trestles and three tunnels.  As you can see from this rickety specimen, the view is simply gorgeous.  Trail enthusiasts (and tourism officials) have been hoping for years to have this rail trail funded.  And now the process is officially underway.

The National Park Service sees this project as an extension of their mission with the C&O Canal towpath, which intersects part of the trail (including the detour around Indigo to accommodate the endangered bats) by providing additional scenic views, recreational experiences, and historic opportunities in the Potomac River Valley.  It will also provide connectivity for a greater regional trail network as the trail passes from West Virginia to Maryland and back.

From a safety standpoint, it will resolve issues related to the abandoned corridor including bridges not being maintained and hazardous materials from former railway uses.

Public meetings to discuss the proposal were held last week in Little Orleans and Paw Paw, and the Park Service will be taking comments through December 23rd.

It is still a long (expensive) process before this extension comes to fruition.  But the federal action is the first big step taken since the bats won the battle of the Indigo Tunnel nearly a year ago.  In the end, the modified trail will offer the best of all worlds with its sensitivity to history, heritage, and the environment.

Western Maryland enjoys its reputation as a great outdoors playground.  The rail trails are only part of what makes it a great region to visit.  There is still plenty of beautiful weather left to experience it this season, so plan to check it out.

Bats 1 - Bikers 1

If there is one thing we’ve learned from this summer of soccer, it’s that even a tie can be considered a win. Such is the case with the decision handed down from DNR concerning the long disputed Indigo Tunnel and the efforts to incorporate it into a spectacular feature of the Western Maryland Rail Trail.

As readers of this blog already know, this extension of the popular trail running through the far western part of the state would take visitors through a number of 100 year old tunnels and across trestles spanning the Potomac. It had been in the planning stage for some time when biologists discovered the long-abandoned, 4,350-foot-long Indigo Tunnel just outside Pearre was the largest bat hibernaculum on the East Coast.

Not just any bats, mind you. Of the 1,400 bats who winter in Indigo, there are several species represented. When a few from the endangered list were found snoozing, the Feds immediately stepped in to protect them.

Surviving Sine Die

This tranquil scene is part of the deserted Western Maryland railroad corridor, yet to be connected to the Rail Trail.  If luck (and $$$$) hold, Phase IV of the plan will receive the necessary design funds to carry the popular 22.5 mile linear park an additional four miles,  winding through mountains and across streams from Pearre to Little Orleans.

Yes, this is the segment which includes Indigo Tunnel, winter home of the endangered Indiana Bat and their hibernating friends.  The latest proposal calls for something called "bat gates" to accommodate the fuzzy fliers on either end of the mile long tunnel.

(That's right -- die fledermaus  prevailed.  The latest proposal calls for the trail to detour round the bend.) 

Tunnel aficionatos will have to settle for a trip through Knobley Mountain in Carpendale, WVa.  Instead of bats, they share custody with a local utility, so their tunnel is blessed by Robert Byrd, funded by stimulous, and illuminated by Verizon.  It should open sometime next year and connect to the Maryland trails in Cumberland.

Nonetheless, the inclusion of funding for Phase IV in Allegany County (which you can read here) is wonderful news, and we'll be keeping our fingers crossed that nothing happens between now and midnight when the confetti falls in Annapolis.

Also tucked away in the capital budget is matching money for expansion of the Ocean City Convention Center, one of the premiere venues in the state for a multitude sports-related and other uses.

So even in a tough (make that VERY tough) budget year, there are bright spots for the Maryland sports and recreation scene.

Embarking the Great Eastern Trail

Now that the sock-burning ritual has occured, it is considered socially acceptable (at least in some cultures) to don flip flops.    (Note:  fashion cops will bust you for wearing sandals before a seasonal pedicure, but flip flops fly.) 

Thus with freed phalanges, my mind turned to hiking and all the opportunities Maryland presents for those who don't have bunions. 

Traditionally, the vernal equinox is when hard core hikers start their annual migration up the Appalachian Trail.  Starting in Georgia, many are passing through Maryland when summer solstice, aka "Hike Naked Day," occurs.  Unfortunately for modest Marylanders and au natural hikers, the two frequently collide because the Appalachian Trail through Maryland is a popular and well traveled route.

This is merely one example of the drawbacks that popularity of the Appalachian Trail -- the most famous of all long distance trails -- has brought to the rugged outdoorsmen who love the solitude of nature.  The Appalachian has become, well, too pedestrian.

Which brings us to the efforts to blaze a long distance trail for the hardiest of hoofers, extending 1,800 miles from Alabama to the Finger Lakes of New York, threading through some of the most remote regions of the mountain chain and connecting nine states.  Of all the states comprising the Great Eastern Trail, Maryland is the only one that has its entire segment (with two options) complete.

(Disclaimer:  Maryland is only one mile wide at this point between West Virginia and Pennsylvania, but that isn't the reason our portion is complete.  Read on.)

Benton MacKaye’s original vision for an Appalachian Trail in the 1920's showed a network of “braided” trails running the length of the Appalachian Mountains.  Blazing the original trail was accomplished almost entirely through volunteer efforts.  When a route for a new trail was identified about ten years ago, the same model was incorporated.   Implementation of this path will involve existing volunteer trail clubs, augmented where necessary by new volunteer groups.

Governmental entities are involved, of course (particularly where $$$$ and easements are needed) but the emphasis will be on volunteerism.
 
Maryland is fortunate because the pass through routes were already in place -- the C&O Canal towpath in Hancock is accessed via the Tuscarora Trail which splits from the Appalachian in Shenandoah National Park and extends 220 miles into Pennsylvania, and the 43 miles circuit trail system through Green Ridge State Forest near Flintsone.
 

Maryland Department of Natural Resources declared the Green Ridge trail system part of the Great Eastern Trail in 2007.  This map shows the options for accessing the trail and continuing into Pennsylvania.  (Pennsylvania's webpage brags their Mid State Trail is so wild you are likely to encounter more bears than people, which probably makes it a good choice for summer solstice.)
 
One of the largest volunteer groups responsible for building and maintaining these trail systems in our watershed is the Potomac Appalachian Hiking Club.  They were among the original visionaries who made the Appalachian Trail possible and they are taking the lead in blazing the Great Eastern Trail through our region.
 

The development of this trail is good news for Maryland, as it creates more interest in Western Maryland and our natural resources there.  Hancock is a wonderful destination for exploration because of the hiking trails and the Western Maryland Rail Trail -- one of the most beautiful in the country.  Small restaurants and bed and breakfasts cater to trail travelers, so the popularity of these outdoor adventures has a significant economic impact on the communities along the route.
 
So now that it's officially spring, try hitting the happy trails to enjoy what Maryland has to offer in natural beauty and healthy recreation.

Die Fledermaus

No, not the farcical Strauss operetta, but an enteraining tale nonetheless.  At its heart is a humble mammal with some pretty savvy advocates and powerful opponents.  And so far, Die Fledermaus has defied them all.

As you recall, several months ago I was lamenting the delay in incorporating the old Indigo Tunnel that passes under the mountains near Hancock into the Western Maryland Rail Trail.  The mile-long tunnel and the bridge over the Potomac would provide a breathtaking experience for the many thousand hikers and bikers already attracted to the Maryland mountainside for outdoor recreation.

Unfortunately, the Indigo Tunnel has some very influential squatters -- a colony of bats who have adapted it as their winter quarters.  Among their ranks is the well-connected Indiana Bat, who roosts very prominently on the Endangered Species List.  And you don't mess with anyone on the Endangered Species list, as the Snail Darter (who stopped the $100 million Tellico Dam) will attest.

The feds are still exploring a compromise over tunnel use, where bats and bikers share custody by dividing months of use.  However, the Indiana Bat and its delicate status have now weighed in on a bigger (and more controversial) environmental issue -- wind farms in Garrett County.

A federal judge has just ruled that the operation of wind turbines would sustain heavy Indiana bat casualties.  (I guess their sonar isn't as good as claimed.)  Maryland Daily Record had the story about the decision Tuesday  (the first in federal court)  that a wind power project violates the federal Endangered Species Act.   U.S. District Judge Roger Titus's opinion could have implications for other wind projects in the United States.

(This begs the question --  if these Hoosier bats are so at risk in Maryland, why don't they go back to Indiana?  Maybe it's the same lousy sonar that lures them into wind turbines.)

In any case, the recent news reminds me that I want to check with the Western Maryland Rail Trail folks to see how they're doing in their negotiations with the Feds to share the tunnel.    It's also makes me realize that if I ever get in a jam, I should get the same legal representation as the bats.

Tales of the Trails (where money's not the only object)

When Arlene and I were returning from Cumberland we stopped in Hancock, a lovely town on the Western Maryland Rail Trail. Like Allegheny Highland, the Western Maryland follows the eponymous railroad that hauled coal through the mountains of Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia in the last century. In some places, the bed followed the C&O canal as it weaved along the Potomac. In others, it cut through the mountains and over the river to avoid the rival B&O line.

It is this part of the rail bed that piqued my interest. While the 23 mile existing route is beautiful (especially during fall foliage) and historic (Fort Frederick dates to the French and Indian War,) the proposed 14 miles extension from the Pearre terminus into West Virginia and back to Little Orleans is stunning in its scope. It consists of six trestles across the Potomac and three tunnels under the Alleghenies. I picked up a brochure produced a citizen advocacy group and decided to check on the progress of this proposed rail trail. The pictures are truly breathtaking and I could just imagine what an asset this would be for outdoor recreation in Western Maryland.

I checked the website, where the most recent news dated to a commitment for funds from the Ehrlich Administration. Before delving any deeper into the status of a rail trail on the other side of the state, I decided to check on the one nearest to my heart (not to mention my home) in Anne Arundel County – the South Shore Trail between Odenton and Annapolis.

As mentioned previously, the South Shore has been on the county’s to do list since the prior millennium. A notice on their advocacy group’s website indicated there was to be some kind of groundbreaking this summer. Since this is August and I haven’t seen any shovels, I called to inquire. Ken Alban, director of capital projects for the rec department, gave me an update.

Like the Potomac, the status meanders -- between good and no so much with mountains in between. Good news is Mr. Alban’s enthusiasm for trail construction. First thing he mentioned was the completion of a long awaited portion of the WB&A trail between Odenton and Bowie that will eventually (that word again) connect to Washington. As for the South Shore, (here comes the discouraging part) the information about the summer groundbreaking was erroneous. That wasn’t going to happen. But the good news (just around the bend) is that the engineering and design are continuing and money is available if it can be transferred from one segment of the trail to another. It seems that the portion scheduled to be completed first encountered a little difficulty (back to the bad news) with wetlands. (Oh, dear. I know what that means) that might require more property acquisition ($$$$) to work around.

There are tougher obstacles in Anne Arundel County than wetlands (like maybe an Indian burial ground) and worse things than environmental permits (the Corps of Engineers comes to mind.) So the current challenges facing the South Shore Trail are not deal breakers, not even in this economy. After talking with Mr. Alban, I felt a lot better about the South Shore Trail. It wasn’t happening this year, but the tedious groundwork – permits, design, easements, purchasing – is underway. It is a work in progress, not a dead issue.

So what happened to the Western Maryland trail extension? It seems money has been committed, and support from the community is ongoing. Where are we there?

A call to the DNR office overseeing the existing trail was certainly the most interesting of the day. It seems the project has encountered an obstacle more daunting than the mountains or river (or even the Corps of Engineers.)

During an environmental impact survey of the proposed trail, scientists learned the Indigo Tunnel – built in 1904, abandoned in 1975 and nearly a mile long – is now the premiere winter quarters for several species of bats. Hundreds and hundreds, maybe thousands, of bats. In fact, the Indigo Tunnel is the one of largest hibernaculums in the East.

Why don’t they just go to Florida for the winter? (No, I didn’t say that.) I did, however, politely inquire if perhaps the bats could find a nice cave in nearby West Virginia or Pennsylvania to hole up if they didn’t want to migrate to warmer digs.

That’s where the story takes a turn for the worse. It seems that not only is the linear shaft of the Indigo tunnel a convenience, it is also a sanctuary from the dreaded White Nose Syndrome responsible for killing hibernating bats throughout East Coast caverns. Maryland, with its lack of caves attracting spelunkers (one theory is humans spread this fungus on their equipment) has thusfar managed to avoid contamination of White Nose Syndrome. Bats who winter Chez Indigo emerge healthy in the spring.

Adding to the urgency of this hibernation haven is that two of the species identified in the survey (that’s right – they took a bat census during nap time) are endangered. The Eastern Small-footed bat is on Maryland’s list and the Indiana bat is a federal endangered species.

I have great sympathy for the plight of the bats. They are good environmental citizens (really tough on mosquitos) and don’t deserve terminal White Nose Syndrome. But can’t they share? Do they have to have all the tunnel all the time?

Evidently, they do. In addition to snoozing, they also propagate in the intimacy of the Indigo. Baby bats cling to their mothers, who get very skittish when disturbed (I remember those days.) Problem is, bats don’t have nests to park their young. If they fall off mom, it’s over for the already-endangered next generation. So protecting the privacy of mother bats is another reason to keep humans out of the tunnel.

The nice lady told me the Feds were expected to have their environmental study completed this fall. At that point they should have a better idea about minimizing disruption to the bat community -- if possible.

Until then, the much anticipated Western Maryland Trail extension will just have to wait. Some obstacles are even higher than mountains and more convoluted than the Potomac.