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The American Elm Park
From Kathleen Michels, 19 May 2004
Dear friends and neighbors,
We had questions from someone yesterday about American Elm Park at the
corner of Ladd and Luttrell St. which we will try to answer quickly here.
For more information please go to the UpperSligo CA web site:
www.uppersligo.org (Stein Langlie has made it
even better- check it out!) or the Friends of Sligo Creek web site:
http://www.fosc.org . Please pass on to anyone you
know who may have similar questions but is not on this listserve:
- Q: Who does the Park belong to?
-
A: The Park is county property (an unused right of way in the Easecrest
subdivision) and everything in it is county property including all the
plants.
- Q: Can anyone go into American Elm Park?
- A: YES, the county encourages all to walk or sit in and enjoy the park,
- Q: Can anyone, on their own, plant, build, remove or tamper with plants or
structures in the park?
- A: NO, Unless a person is specifically designated or given permission to do
so by the county depts. responsible (Dept of Environmental Protection -Right
of Way coordinator, Dept. of Permitting services ROW coordinator), they
cannot plant, build, remove or tamper with plants or structures in the
park. Such actions, particularly if destructive, are considered vandalism.
Destruction of or tampering with county property is a crime.
- Q: So who can work in the park planting, weeding or building, and how can I
get involved and help?
- A: ONLY County employees and those they designate. In the case of American
Elm Park the county has designated Kathy Michels and Ed Murtagh as
representatives for the volunteer organizations that have been helping them
for many years with their projects in American Elm and Sligo Creek Parks
(the Upper Sligo Civic Association, The Sligo Headwaters Civic Association
and Friends of Sligo Creek). In addition the Izaak Walton League (Wild-Life
Achievement Chapter) is a designated partner and responsible for the
American Elm restoration project. If you would like to help and get involved
please contact Kathy or Ed (call 301-922-3816) or call the phone number
on the green Park sign (301-253-2384). Also call those numbers or the
police if you see any suspicious activity.
- Q: What is going on in the Park?
- A: Several projects sponsored by the county with volunteer help are to deal
with the fact that the Park was clear-cut in the 1990s and used as a
construction dump. It also receives a huge amount of run-off from the
properties above it and drains to Sligo Creek which is undergoing
restoration. For more information check out the web sites above and also
check out www.askdep.com.
- American Elm Restoration project- four disease-resistant Valley Forge
American Elms have been planted by the IWLA with the County and are being
monitored in the Park. They will both beautify the neighborhood as they grow
- Rain Garden Project: with funding from the Chesapeake Bay Trust the
county has been helping to create "rain gardens" on public and private land
throughout MoCo watersheds. The rain garden at American Elm Park will
beautify as it grows in, will intercept the huge quantity of water that
flows into it from above and will help to infiltrate it into the ground
instead of all running off into the road and Sligo Creek. The Garden
currently consists of two "cells" to intercept the run-off flow from above.
- other plantings: providing butterfly, bird and wildlife habitat and
helps to absorb the extensive run-off not intercepted by the rain gardens.
- fence: A low, open bamboo fence with gaps is being erected by volunteers
for the county to help delineate the Park and rain gardens.
- Q: I'd like to know everything that is growing in the park.
- A: One project is to label all the plants in the park for educational
purposes. You can both help and learn at the same time! Please call the
contact number above. Some small number of the plants are non-native weeds
but to learn which ones are and help with removing or killing them only you
must contact a representative above.
We hope this helps. Again here are contacts and information: