FORR blog update – August 2021

The Friends are mounting a campaign to make citizens aware of DPW’s proposed Draft Mowing Policy and encourage their input on the issue. So many people love our little gravel and tar and chip roads for the opportunity they provide for biking, running, horseback riding, bird watching, photography and just driving slowly and enjoying the view. We believe applying highway mowing standards to these roads will result in the loss of their multi-use functionality and make them less safe for all users.
The proposed policy has many issues that need to be addressed, here are a few –

1. While many jurisdictions throughout the Country and in Maryland have separate procedures for mowing rural roads as opposed to higher speed roads with more traffic, this proposed policy does not make any distinction between road types and context.
2. Excessive mowing destroys important habitat and food sources for birds, insects, and small mammals.
3. Removing trees and other roadside vegetation causes vehicle speeds to increase, making the road less safe for all users.
4. The County Executive has begun to seat a committee that will address Scenic and Rural Roads in Frederick County and we believe this group should have the opportunity to comment on the proposed policy.

We ask that if you email comments about the proposed policy that you also please copy us susanhanson@qyp.izs.mybluehost.me since the Roads Board address is a new one and we want to be sure all comments are received by the Board.

The Roads Board meeting is on September 13th at 7:00 pm and comments need to be received on or before that date. Thank you for your support.
You can find the proposed policy at:
https://frederickcountymd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/332191/Draft-Mowing-Policy-with-Exhibits

The link to the Roads Board meeting where this will be addressed is here:
https://frederickcountymd.gov/252/Roads-Board

And the email address to submit comments is here:
RoadsBoard@Frederickcountymd.gov