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The following is a letter written to Vice President of Administrative Affairs Ann Wylie, from the Maryland Native Plant Society. In the letter, they note the relative absence of invasive species on the Hillock, and the value of the Oak-Heath plant community.
Maryland Native Plant Society
P.O. Box 4877
Silver Spring, MD 20914
17 June 2009
Dr. Ann G. Wylie
Vice President
University of Maryland
Main Administration Building
College Park, MD 20742-5025
Dear Dr. Wylie:
We write on behalf of the Maryland Native Plant Society, Inc. (MNPS) regarding the University’s plans to remove forest acreage known as the “Hillock” in order to relocate a shed and a parking lot from the east campus.
We urge the University not to destroy the Hillock forest. That acreage constitutes a significant and valuable remnant of a type of forest known as “terrace gravel forests” that once occurred in a band along the fall line and supported a series of globally rare magnolia bogs. Many of these have fallen to development and unfortunately, the University itself has already removed a large remnant of such a forest for the Archives II building, parking lot and other paved areas. However, the Hillock that remains is still very much worthy of preservation, and it is more valuable than ever because so little of these once-extensive forests are still in existence. In a recent survey of the property, the full complement of representative plant species was present along with a notable absence of invasive plants. The Oak-Heath plant community at the Hillock is uncommon and should be preserved.
Located on the main part of the campus, the Hillock is much more valuable as a teaching tool for university classes than for the site of a shed and parking lot. We hope that the University, as a public institution, will safeguard the natural assets found on its properties for the education of current and future generations.
Representatives of the Maryland Native Plant Society would be happy to meet with your staff to discuss the significance of the Hillock and why it should be preserved.
Yours truly,
Kirsten Johnson, President
Linda Keenan, Conservation Advocacy Chair
