Whetstone Run, before stream restoration  

Natural Places Committee is sponsoring this Stream and Water Issues Work Meeting for members interested in changing the regulations about how our stream issues are managed, focusing on managing stormwater by more sustainable, effective means such as tree preservation and planting, replacing concrete and asphalt with water-absorbing alternatives, and using tree trunks and other alternatives for less disturbance to natural places. At the meeting,  participants will discuss developing a template letter to educate local officials when areas  are threatened by inappropriate management and trying to address issues before the bulldozers are stream side.

Bulldozer engineering stream bed with negative impact on habitat. 

At the August Natural Places Committee meeting environmental scientist and ecological restoration specialist Rod Simmons gave a powerpoint presentation and described problems with some of the standard techniques used for dealing with stormwater and pollution issues in Maryland. Heavy equipment is often brought into delicate habitats, and mature canopy trees and forest stands are destroyed. For example, instead of clear-cutting an area, proven best practices such as the selective armoring or stream banks with boulders and wood and creating log jams and wood snags that mimic natural processes are recommended. However, frequently concrete culverts or non-native boulder rock types replace riparian meadows, native plants are destroyed, and soil erosion and invasive species that don’t host wildlife take over.