For over a year now NeighborSpace has been part of a committee working on a major collaborative project in Dundalk. The project, previously known as the “Maryland Line Trail”, has been given a new name to reflect the exciting steps being taken to bring this community development to fruition. The trail, an offshoot of the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail will now be called “Bear Creek Heritage Trail”(BCHT), a nod to the trail’s environmental and historical importance.

NS Board Member and now BCHT Steering Committee Member, John Alexander, ponders the invasive phragmites on the edge of Bear Creek.

This change followed from a pre-holiday meeting between committee members at the home Rob Zacherl, a member the-five person steering committee for the project. Other members include Bud Staigerwald, Patricia Paul, Barbara Hopkins and John Alexander. Other outcomes of the gathering included an in-depth discussion about the current status of the project and a short-term plan for moving the project forward. In this plan, was bringing closure to the work of the Neighborhood Design Center, which worked with the Steering Committee and local stakeholders to develop a concept plan for the trail over the last year.  That plan includes the trail’s proposed route, nine proposed interpretive areas, and five proposed areas for taking in beautiful and historically significant views of Bear Creek. You can find a larger version of the completed concept plan, shown below, and accompanying booklet on  the web here.

Three staff from the National Park Service were in attendance who helped to organize a work plan for the next year.  The project received a grant of technical support from the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program in November.

Long-term goals were also discussed at the meeting and included: (1) A Community Outreach Strategy consisting of events that will bring the community to the site and larger scale marketing to communicate plans for the trail. (2) The necessity of meeting with County Agencies. (3) The technical feasibility, engineering and cost of the project, including central aspects such as (a) signage (b) water access & (c) the trail itself, including amenities and security. (4) A long-term management strategy including the conception of a “Friends of Bear Creek Heritage Trail” group. You can keep track of what’s happening as these plans are implemented at:   https://www.neighborspacebaltimorecounty.org/projects/bear-creek-heritage-trail/