Bacon Ridge Update
We wanted to take a moment to provide our members and stakeholders with an update of the Bacon Ridge (BR) project in Anne Arundel (AA) County.
This initial phase of the project intends to deliver approximately 2.5 miles of “pilot” single-track multi-use trails. The complete length of the system, if successful, will amount to nearly 12 miles of multi-use trails.
County representatives, including Chris Trumbauer (D-Annapolis), met with interested stakeholders, including MORE, US Fish and Wildlife, and the South River Federation on September 10, 2014 to continue to move this project forward and determine the key next steps in the process.
Below is an abstract of the key players, specific roles, and next steps to move this project along to obtain the necessary approvals to begin building trails in the Bacon Ridge property.
Key County Players:
- Anne Arundel (AA) County Parks and Recreation – Leading Agency, Co-owns the land and manages it.
- Scenic Rivers Land Trust (SRLT) – Primary volunteer organization working at BR; working to making it become a park.
- National Park Service, Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program – Retained to assist AA County and the SRLT in the planning process.
Key Local Organization and representatives.
- Mid Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts – interested in building and maintaining multi-use trails on the property; Will be primary builder and trail maintenance organization.
- US Fish and Wildlife – addressing “invasive” species.
- South River Foundation – Oversee water issues since BR is in the South River Watershed.
MORE’s role
MORE will be one of the primary trail builders and maintainers for the BR trail system. A formal document (MOU) outlining MORE’s official role in the process needs to be drafted.
MORE’s official representative and primary point of contact for this project is MORE Member and AA County resident Phil Rollison. Phill will work directly with the County to obtain the necessary approvals to begin building trails.
MORE Member and AA County resident and business owner Michael Klasmeier will co-lead the project with Phil and work with MORE’s trail advocacy team to recruit volunteers and build the trails once MORE obtains the necessary approvals.
Next Steps, Meeting Take aways.
The overall outcome of the meeting was positive; The process is now in motion. AA County remains committed to making the Bacon Ridge trails a reality and looks forward to working with MORE to build and maintain the trails once approved.
The County will provide MORE with a list of key points so that MORE can draft an Executive Summary and Scope Document for the construction of the trails.
The document will be used by the County representatives to obtain the necessary approvals to begin construction and secure the necessary grant funding to finance the project. As of this time there is no funding programmed for this project and there will not be until MORE gets approval in writing.
Although there is no definitive timeline for the submission of the Executive Summary and Scope Document it is our understanding that we are within very close reach of obtaining approvals to build the trails.
We remain committed and positive that the Bacon Ridge trails will become a reality sooner than later and ask you that you trust in the process that has already given us hundreds of miles of trails in the Mid-Atlantic Region.
We will provide additional information as it becomes available.