Maryland Ornithological Society
8.2 Acres - Maynadier Creek

Interview with Dotty Mumford (DM)
Chairman, Sanctuary Committee, MOS

SRLT:

When did the Maryland Ornithological Society come to ownership of the Maynadier Creek property?

DM:

The land was originally donated to the Society in 1974 by Colonel Bodenstein, a former President of MOS. His wishes were that it be maintained intact and undisturbed as a wild life sanctuary.

 

 

SRLT:

Just how did the Maryland Ornithological Society come to establish a conservation easement on their Maynadier property?

DM:

Well, in 1989, I had read in the newspaper about the establishment of a land trust on the Severn River, and thought, "What a neat idea." We knew we had an ecologically important parcel, and we wanted to preserve it, not just for our enjoyment but for future generations.

SRLT:

the concept of a conservation easement a new one for your organization?

DM:

Oh, no. In fact, just two years earlier, we had established a conservation easement on a large property called Irish Grove near Crisfield in Somerset County, in part to reduce our large tax burden in that jurisdiction. We also have two other easements in Garrett and Talbot Counties.

SRLT:

Why did you decide to donate a Conservation Easement to the Severn River Land Trust?

DM:

We realized that, while our property was relatively small in the scheme of things that it was important in and of itself and that it represented an important part of the whole. That's one of the problems of the Severn - most of its natural areas are broken up into multiple owners. I knew from my reading that the Severn River Land Trust was taking Conservation Easements on parcels as small as a few acres as long as they had intrinsic environmental value.

 

 

SRLT:

your donation of an easement in this case give any financial benefit to MOS?

DM:

Unlike private landowners who realize local, state, and federal tax savings with such transaction, MOS is a tax-exempt organization. Our donation was purely conservation-motivated.

SRLT:

do the Maryland Ornithological Society and the Anne Arundel Bird Club support the activities of the Severn River Land Trust?

DM:

Well, we have seen a tremendous decline, just over the past decade, in the number and variety of bird species in our area. Habitat destruction is the main cause for this decimation of the woodland migrating species. It's one thing to oppose the burning of rainforests in South America or the clearcutting in the Northwest, but it's even more important to do something about overdevelopment in our own backyards.