For the Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has selected only one of the three off-road vehicle trails proposed for state-owned lands in Western Maryland. St. John’s Rock in Garrett County’s Savage River State Forest was the single property selected for ORV use based on comments gathered during the recent public input period.
“We are thankful to the citizens who took the time to share their input through the public process both at the meetings and through our online system,” said DNR Secretary Joe Gill. “This is a great example of the department working with our professionals in the field to craft sound proposals and using public input to help guide the ultimate outcome. We also recognize the great work of the ORV Stakeholder Workgroup in helping lead us to this proposal phase and promise to continue coordinating with them to find alternative locations for this type of recreation.”
Ecologists and trail experts will work to establish paths and boundaries for ORV use to develop a system for St. John’s Rock that will have minimal impact on surrounding natural resources, DNR said. The system, slated for completion in the summer of 2014, will be monitored and its regulations enforced to ensure ecological best management practices.
“Our trails team is looking forward to implementing the new paradigm of ORV management on St. John’s Rock,” said John Wilson, manager of the Statewide Trails Development Office. “Working with our peers in land management, enforcement and information technology, we are confident that this trail, and all future ORV trails, can be well-regulated, safe and sustainable. We are committed to that end and look forward to demonstrating our plans for success.”
The other two proposals — Sideling Hill North and South trails, within the Woodmont Natural Resources Management Area near Hancock — have been withdrawn and removed from further consideration as ORV trails.
The former ORV trail at Green Ridge State Forest remains closed.
DNR will continue to fortify efforts to develop public/private partnerships on potential private land ORV trails, and further evaluate opportunities to acquire access to other private land locations for multiuse recreational facilities.
A number of ORV trails developed within the state forests in the mid 1980s had to be closed in 2011, as some of the activity began to threaten environmentally sensitive areas. With only a few small ORV trails still open, DNR began a comprehensive two-year study to assess its landholdings and develop a plan that would incorporate these trails in a manner that would have minimal impact on sensitive natural areas.
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A 72-year-old Piedmont, W.Va., man was located alive and in good condition in the Savage River State Forest by searchers on Sunday, June 6, at 8:30 p.m., according to a report from the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP).
James Lewis Alt had been missing since June 5 at 4 p.m. when he failed to return to the vehicle after he had been hunting for ginseng on state forest property. He was located approximately one mile from where he was last seen and 1½ miles from the nearest road. Alt was suffering from back pain and dehydration. He was removed from the location by a wheeled stokes basket.
Alt and two other companions separated from each other at 11 a.m. on Saturday in the area of Savage River Road. The group was to meet back at the vehicle at 4 p.m., but Alt failed to return at that time. Alt was reported missing at 8 p.m.
The search continued for Alt throughout the night. The NRP Search Support Unit coordinated the search. The following organizations assisted in the search: NRP K-9, Maryland Park Service, Maryland Forest Service, Appalachian Search and Rescue Conference, Mid Atlantic Search Dogs, Mountain Rescue Group, Horse Base Search Group (TrotSAR), Potomac Valley SAR, and Bloomington Volunteer Fire Department.
A total of sixty–five searchers looked through 6,000 acres of steep terrain and heavily wooded forest on foot and on horseback. An NRP spokesperson expressed his appreciation to the following organizations for their food donations to the participants during the search: Oakland Wal-Mart, Grantsville Subway, Grantsville Arby’s, Grantsville Exxon, and Keyser’s Ridge McDonald’s.
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