Environmental Concerns
Environmental Concerns
Home to bald eagles, foxes, and diverse wetlands.
The Primary Threat: Dredge Spoil Dumping
Risk to the Paleochannel Aquifer
The southern portion of the Connelly Mill property lies directly over the Paleochannel, the region's primary water source. Wicomico County Public Works has proposed filling the site's pits with forest slash and encapsulating them with dredge spoils from the industrialized sections of the Wicomico River.
Dredge sediment likely contains contaminants like PCBs, nickel, and cadmium. Dumping this material over our water supply is an unacceptable risk. Even with encapsulation, the long-term risk of toxic leachate reaching the aquifer cannot be ignored.
While the Administration claims that this plan will provide positive environmental benefits through carbon sequestration and wetland mitigation, many environmentalists believe this is simply a case of "greenwashing"- much more carbon will be created than sequestered and delicate, valuable, environmentally sensitive existing habitat will be put at risk.
Why This Location is Unsuitable
The US Army Corps of Engineers held a public meeting in 2021 regarding Wicomico River dredging. Their presentation highlights that trucking material inland is contrary to "Beneficial Use" (which usually implies coastal resilience) and increases the carbon footprint.
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References are from the: Wicomico River Maintenance Dredging Project (US Army Corps of Engineers).
An Ecological Treasure Worth Protecting
The affected property (Parcels 167, 168, and 169) is a place of profound natural beauty. It encompasses large hubs of green infrastructure and protected non-tidal wetlands. The Biodiversity Conservation Network identifies these lands as:
- Tier 4: Moderately Significant for Biodiversity Conservation
- Tier 5: Significant for Biodiversity Conservation
It is home to bald eagles, foxes, turkeys, white-tail deer, and migratory waterfowl. It also contains Targeted Ecological Areas (TEAs), making it a prime candidate for conservation funding, not dredge spoil storage.
History of Mismanagement: The "Jeep Fest" Threat
Prior to the dredge proposal, the Administration attempted to turn this habitat into an off-road vehicle course ("Safari at the Quarry"). Promotional videos showed jeeps driving through tall grasses and natural habitats, demonstrating a lack of understanding of the land's ecological sensitivity. While those events have paused, they highlight a pattern of disregarding the original vision for Connelly Mill Park in favor of any other use.
Letters from Environmental Groups
Note: While the following letters were written in response to the "Safari at the Quarry" off-road events, the ecological facts they cite—specifically regarding the Paleochannel, wetlands, and green infrastructure—make an even stronger case against dumping dredge spoils on the property.
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Natural Resource Conservation Advisory Committee (NRCAC)
The NRCAC sent a letter (dated June 17, 2024) to the County Council and Executive offices advising them on appropriate use of the future Connelly Mill Park. This letter states that the property should only be used for passive recreation such as hiking, biking, etc, due to its high ecological value. They also sent a letter of support in 2017 (near the end of this page). Excerpts from the recent letter:
On behalf of the Wicomico County Natural Resources Conservation Advisory Committee (NRCAC), which was established to advise the County on matters related to conservation of Green Infrastructure (GI) and other natural resources, we submit this letter regarding plans for the Connelly Mill property.
The NRCAC developed the County’s green infrastructure plan, and also assisted with other sections of the Land Preservation, Parks & Recreation Plan (LPPRP). Within the public review process for the LPPRP, respondents expressed a desire to see an increase in public spaces including: Trails (75% of respondents), and Outdoor Water Recreation (33.3% of respondents). The NRCAC believes that the Connelly Mill property has the potential to provide the public of Wicomico County both functions upon its completion as a borrow pit for the landfill.
Furthermore, the immediate area in which Connelly Mill sits is identified on p. 206 of the LPPRP as a highly sensitive ecological area and on p. 207 as a green infrastructure hub. It is also designated as a MD Department of Natural Resources Targeted Ecological Area. These natural features indicate the need for limiting the use of the site to passive recreation as described in the LPPRP to include nature hikes, heritage tourism, nature or outdoor-based education, wildlife observation, photography, painting, and wild lands experience.
At the time the property was acquired, it was presented to the Council and to the NRCAC as a valuable candidate for development as a passive recreation area once the extractive mining of landfill material had ended. Continuation of intense use of the property has caused concern to nearby residents and other citizens who had reason to believe on precedent the property would be used for passive recreation. In light of the recent decision to license vehicular activities at the Connelly Mill site, the Committee recommends that the County develop a long-term plan for this property that includes a strategic timeline for excavation of the current borrow area. In the last three years of that timeline, a master plan should be developed for conversion to a passive recreation facility with the existing forest areas conserved, consistent with past public communications.
Despite the human impacts to the landscape, the property is an important ecological resource, with significant migratory bird forest habitat, including nearby headwaters of Connelly Mill Branch, Wood Creek, and Leonard Pond Run. These valuable features justify the limitation of activities on the property to low-impact passive recreation, which would provide a strong public benefit to the many County residents with access to the site.
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Wicomico Environmental Trust (WET) and Friends of the Nanticoke River
WET and Friends of the Nanticoke River sent a letter (dated April 16, 2024) to the County Council and Executive offices. Excerpts from the letter:
We are writing to share our concerns regarding the proposed change in use of the Connelly Mill property and to urge fuller consideration of the environmental issues this proposal raises.
The County agreed only a few years ago to accept a donation of the 234-acre Connelly Mill property in Delmar. As many of you will recall from the discussions in 2017 and 2018, the Natural Resources Conservation Advisory Committee (NRCAC), the County’s elected officials, and local organizations and neighbors all supported this acquisition on the understanding that it would serve public purposes and its significant ecological value would be protected by creating a low-impact park for the use and enjoyment of our residents. The County had already budgeted Capital Improvement Program funds and was preparing to seek additional federal funds to create the planned Connelly Mill Park. However, we understand that these plans have been set aside in favor of a proposal to use the property instead for at least four commercial off-road vehicle events a year, with tracks, fences, and other alterations to be made by the County.
This property has particular ecological value. It contains the confluence of the three creeks, Connelly Mill Branch, Wood Creek and Leonard Pond Run, which represent the headwaters of the Wicomico River. Therefore, preventing its degradation is important to protect the water quality of the River. The southern portion of the Connelly Mill property lies over the Paleochannel, so its protection also safeguards the quality of our drinking water and groundwater supporting local agriculture and other business. The property also includes non-tidal wetlands and significant forest resources for migratory birds.
The Connelly Mill property also includes forests with extensive natural trails, creeks, and a 22-acre lake ideal for low- impact boating. As the only county in Maryland without a single one of the State’s almost 70 public parks, and with very limited water and park access for our growing population, we sorely need more natural recreation areas of the sort that was planned for this property.
The current proposal to develop the property fails to take into account the public access and enjoyment purposes for which the property was donated to and accepted by the County. It similarly disregards the need to protect our water quality and conserve the property’s other important ecological features. We urge you to take steps to preclude this conversion from a park for all residents to a commercial off-road motor event site.
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Lower Eastern Shore Group, Sierra Club MD Chapter
The Sierra Club sent a letter (dated April 30, 2024) to the County Council and Executive offices. Excerpt from the letter:
We do, nonetheless, strongly urge the parties involved to resolve this matter in a way that preserves the natural surroundings of the contested property, that respects the urgent need in our urban communities to protect what land remains undeveloped, and that elevates the interests of the residents of Wicomico County, who are the intended beneficiaries of the donation of this property, over any claim that any private entity makes to profit from and disrupt this property at the same time.
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Natural Resource Conservation Advisory Committee (NRCAC)
The NRCAC sent a letter (dated September 13, 2017) to the County Council and Executive offices. Excerpts from the letter:
It was recently brought to my attention that the County has been approached by the owners of the Connelly Mill Limited Partnership to potentially donate the property known as the Connelly Mill Partnership property along Connelly Mill Road to Wicomico County. I further understand that this donation would be for the use and enjoyment of the residents of Wicomico County.
As you are likely aware, the subject properties are shown as parcels 167, 168 and 169 on Wicomico County Tax Map 20. The properties are located at the headwaters of Connelly Mill Branch, Wood Creek and Leonard Pond Run which all feed into the North Wicomico Prong of the Wicomico River. This area, as you also know is located strategically in and abutting the Paleochannel aquifer which has been of concern over recent years. We have discussed the importance of this area in great detail and are very excited to have heard of the potential donation and acquisition of the property for the County.
We would like for you to accept this letter and an understanding of full and complete support of the Natural Resources Citizens Advisory Committee (NRCAC) to please accept the donation and allow us to provide input on the future use of the property. Providing enjoyment and use of the property with a low impact development plan, would not only provide additional recreation opportunities for the County, but equally as important, a way to provide headwater protection of the Paleochannel aquifer and headwaters of the Wicomico River.
Our Committee is in full support of the acceptance of the property and willing and able to provide insight and recommendations on a responsible low impact use on the property. We will also be sending a letter to Mr. Bob Culver, County Executive expressing our deepest support on acquisition and donation acceptance.
Many thanks for your leadership and allowing our voice and support in this matter. Please contact myself of any other member of the committee if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Judith Stribling - Chair