Downs Park and Homeport Farm Park Good News For 2018

[Lisa]

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Here's two pics from last week of the new Downs Park launch onto Locust Cove and the Bodkin. I don't know about the Bay but by now Locust Cove has to be frozen over.

Lisa

[Mark]

Lisa,

The fish there deserve a rest under the ice. They have no idea what's in store for them this spring when kayak anglers start using that beautiful new launch at Downs.

[J. Rentch]

Lisa,
You guys are life savers, that hike back up will be a breeze, looking forward to using it this spring!

[Memory Maker]

Lisa ......... YOU ROCK !!!!!!!

[moc]

Yes she does. Excellent work. I will have to try this launch this year.

[DanMarino]

Homeport improvements look like a winner. I've fished there several times and enjoyed it each time. I'll have to revisit in 2018.

[Lisa]

Thank you all, and thank you for all the emails and phone calls and photos you sent to ask for public access to our Bay and rivers. Without outspoken public demand this public access wouldn't have happened.

Putting a big "capital footprint" on the new parks makes it harder for future, non-water access friendly elected officials to close these parks. It would be real hard to close Homeport now that the county put real public money into improvements.

I'm worried about Spriggs right now because there's a strong neighborhood effort to force the county to put a permanent conservation easement on Spriggs that would restrict public access. They testified before a state House of Delegates committee and the county Water Access Commission in December 2017.

Steve Schuh, the current County Executive, is passionate about public water access. I couldn't ask for better support for public water access from an elected official.

However, both the County Executive and County Council members are limited to 2 four year terms. Steve Schuh, the County Executive, and three of the current County Council members (Pete Smith District 1, Andrew Pruski District 4, Michael Peroutka District 5) are in their first terms and can run for reelection in November 2018.

Four of the current County Council members are in their second term and can't run for reelection in the November 2018 election (John Grasso District 1, Derek Fink District 3, Chris Trumbauer District 6, Jerry Walker District 7). Some are running for other positions.

The neighbors around Spriggs are already out lobbying council candidates, both incumbents and challengers, about limiting public access to Spriggs. The neighborhoods around Spriggs are rich, savvy and water privileged and I'm worried.