The Potomac Highlands Dispatch - the online newspaper

Planting a seed
ORV trail users plant more
than 250 trees to 'give back'

By Kevin Spradlin
PhDispatch.com
OLDTOWN, April 16 -- It's not all about running the trails.

On Saturday morning, during a sometimes steady, soaking rain, several members of the FJ Bruisers Off-Road Club gave a little bit back by planting approximately 250 tree seedlings near the southeastern edge of Green Ridge State Forest.

The political issue of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources plan to close several Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) trails - including the immensely popular trail at Green Ridge - was set aside, at least for a few hours.

The FJ Bruisers is a nonprofit group whose members share a love of riding their Toyota four-wheel-drive vehicles over designated trails. Though DNR plans to close both the Green Ridge and Poplar Lick (Savage River State Forest in Garrett County) trails as of April 24, Saturday was a time to focus on giving back - and riding the 16-mile trail loop "one last time," members said.

Doug Dobrynski, of Sterling, Va., and his son Sebastian were among those who tilled the earth and planted trees on what previously was an abandoned farm. The state acquired the 200-plus acres about 10 years ago, Green Ridge State Forest Manager Mark Beals said.

Dobrynski, FJ Bruisers trails and safety coordinator, said members of his group travel to western Maryland "a couple times a year" for trail clean-up and tree-planting activities. Dobrynski said volunteers have hauled out a lot of rubber tires, a row boat and car parts.

"It's getting harder for (Beals) to find some trash for us to get out of here," Dobrynski said. "We're making somewhat of a dent, which is good."

Beals said the forest had two general options. It could have allowed the land to be dominated by mature forestland. Instead, officials chose to convert the grassland into an "early succession wildlife habitat."

Smaller trees and shrubs, such as the chinkapin and persimmons, will "add diversity to the forst overall" while bearing new food opportunities for wildlife, Beals said.

The club's future relationship with Green Ridge State Forest could be in jeopardy if DNR follows through on its planned closure of the ORV trail which, it says, is necessary to be designated "sustainable." Sensitive areas are being damaged by the heavy use of all-terrain vehicles both on designated trails and, according to a DNR report, on illegal or unauthorized trails.

The conversation has not yet finished. There is a Citizens Rights and Heritage Group meeting planned for Sunday, April 17 at 6 p.m. at the Avilton Community Association Building on Avilton-Lonaconing Road. The meeting is open to the public.