OAKLAND — The state’s most recent known approval of activity within the protected Wild Youghiogheny River corridor is among topics to be discussed at a public meeting next week.
The Youghiogheny Scenic and Wild River Advisory Board at 9 a.m. Monday will discuss how it can get notice in advance of actions that could harm the environment the group was formed to protect.
The event will be held at the County Commissioners Meeting Room, Frederick A. Thayer, III Courthouse, 203 South Fourth St. in Oakland.
It will also be live-streamed at https://www.facebook.com/garrettcountygovernment/.
The purpose of the meeting is “to discuss the development of a protocol for timely notifications regarding activities and projects within the river corridor to foster communication and collaboration between the Local Youghiogheny River Advisory Board, Garrett County, and the Department of Natural Resources,” a public notice for the event stated.
“This initiative is vital for ensuring that all parties are aligned and that our actions are consistent with the Youghiogheny Scenic and Wild River: Study and Management Plan,” it stated.
“My concern is (for) plans and activities to be presented to the advisory board and discussed before action is taken,” Donald Sebold, chairman of the advisory board, said via email. “This is why the (Youghiogheny River) management plan calls for an advisory board.”
Steve Storck, who owns property in the Wild Yough scenic corridor, said he was pleased to hear the advisory board will meet.
“It is great to hear that the board has decided to take initiative to investigate and discuss recent actions by Maryland DNR in regards to their management of the Wild Youghiogheny,” he said via email. “From what I understand it was always envisioned that this group would be a partner in management of the Yough and their meetings a place to discuss and resolve issues related to its management.”
Bridge
Contributing factors that prompted the advisory board’s upcoming meeting include decisions made by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources in the last few months.
DNR in August conditionally approved Garrett County’s application to build a new bridge and road in an offset alignment of the Swallow Falls Road bridge.
Prior to that decision, DNR requested the Youghiogheny River Advisory Board’s recommendation on the issue.
In response, the board said the bridge should follow the same alignment as the existing structure with the road closed for the construction project.
DNR’s subsequent conditional approval contradicted the board’s recommendation.
Cables
DNR also approved installation of apparatus, including cables that cross the Wild Yough, by the United States Geological Survey last month.
“Placement of the survey equipment by the USGS was approved by DNR staff, who determined it is not prohibited by the Scenic and Wild Rivers Act,” DNR Media Relations Manager Gregg Bortz told the Cumberland Times-News at the time.
On Friday, a U.S. Geological Survey spokesperson said The Deep Creek Watershed Foundation requested the agency’s assistance to install the instrumentation and monitor water flow on the Youghiogheny River within the Deep Creek Lake Area.
“The cost of the installation including the cost of the equipment and labor was approximately $900 and was funded by the Deep Creek Watershed Foundation as part of the technical agreement,” USGS said and directed questions about how the data will be used to DCWF.
The Times-News on Monday emailed questions to DCWF. As of Tuesday evening the newspaper had not gotten a response.
Meetings
According to the DCWF’s website, DNR Secretary Josh Kurtz visited Deep Creek Lake on July 26.
“This visit included a boat tour of the lake and a buffet at Ace’s Run hosted jointly by the Deep Creek Lake Property Owners Association … and the Deep Creek Watershed Foundation,” the website states.
Topics discussed at the lunch included future funding for the lake, and the successful relationship between DCWF, DCLPOA, and DNR, the website states and quotes Kurtz as saying “the number of people that are investing their money to make the lake better really stood out.”
In response to questions from the newspaper, Bortz on Tuesday said the owners of Savage River Lodge on Sept. 12 met with Kurtz “and others in DNR leadership” in Annapolis to discuss their operations.
“DNR management routinely talks with landowners of tracts that abut or reside within DNR properties on their potential future use of their lands,” he said via email. “As this was an informal meeting there was no agenda nor minutes taken.”
DNR doesn’t discuss potential transactions, “but if one moves forward it would become a public process before the Board of Public Works,” Bortz said.
Opposition
Storck is among petitioners who in September asked the Garrett County Circuit Court to review the decision Kurtz made that would allow the new Swallow Falls bridge.
DNR asked the court to dismiss that request.
The petitioners persisted, however, and asked the court to deny DNR’s attempt to stop their request for the review.
Storck talked of exhibits that accompany the department’s latest court filing on Dec. 5.
They include meeting minutes from GPI, Garrett County’s engineering consultant for the bridge project, with statements from DNR staffers that include their preference to close the bridge and use its existing alignment for the improved structure.
DNR staffers “raised all the same concerns that I have been making, as well as the community,” Storck said.
Other folks also oppose the bridge project.
Paul Durham was a career professional with the Maryland Park Service and for many years oversaw regulation and management of the Youghiogheny Wild River, Deep Creek Lake and Deep Creek Lake State Park.
“I have reached deeply into my soul to articulate what I am feeling about the actions of DNR,” he said of the department’s recent decisions. “I gave my life and career to protecting and managing these special places and it is sad to see decades of that work tossed aside for political convenience.”