Greenbelt, MD
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Forest Preserve Advisory Board, Forest Preserve Management and Maintenance Plan, Forest Preserve Stewardship,
The Greenbelt Forest Preserve is 254.8 acres of forested land that are protected and conserved in their existing natural state, for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Forest Preserve serves a vital function by providing a link between residents of the city and nature. The Forest Preserve is part of Greenbelt’s cultural identity, its ambiance and sense of place. It adds to Greenbelt’s air and water quality and ultimately, by reducing storm water runoff, improves the quality of the Chesapeake Bay. By providing a form of passive recreation, it contributes to the health and wellness of Greenbelt residents.
The Forest Preserve consists of five tracts shown on the following map. When the Forest Preserve was created in 2003, it originally contained only two tracts: the North Woods and the Hamilton Woods. In 2007, the Forest Preserve Task Force recommended that the City add four more tracts to the Forest Preserve, three of which were added: Boxwood, Belle Point, and Sunrise. The different ecological characteristics and surroundings of each tract influence the stewardship activities that are appropriate there.
WILDLIFE IN THE FOREST PRESERVE
NORTH WOODS TRACT
Ecological Characteristics: Among all of the tracts in the Forest Preserve, the North Woods Tract contains the greatest diversity of species and habitats and is considered the most ecologically valuable. At its center is Blueberry Hill, which rises 100 feet above the Goddard Branch wetlands and Canyon Creek. The types of habitats within the North Woods Tract include floodplain, cove forest, seep, vernal pools, upland oak-hickory forest, and heath forest. The North Woods Tract also contains a considerable area that is suitable for species that dwell preferentially in forest interiors, a feature of the North Woods that is enhanced because it is adjacent to extensive forest within the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
History: A number of tulip poplars, oaks, and red maples have grown to considerable girth in the North Woods Tract, suggesting that some of these trees may have been growing already before Greenbelt was founded in 1937. Maryland Land Records trace the North Woods Tract to three parcels of land known as Green Spring (on present-day Blueberry Hill), Poplar Thicket (north and west of Blueberry Hill), and Parcel Enlarged (along the east bank of Goddard Branch). The North Woods Tract and Hamilton Woods Tract are a remnant of the eastern portion of the "belt of green" that originally surrounded Old Greenbelt in 1937.
There is a great article on how to navigate the trails of the North Woods posted at https://www.greenbeltonline.org/best-waking-routes-in-old-greenbelt/
HAMILTON WOODS TRACT
The Hamilton Woods Tract consists of 81 acres, making it the second largest tract in the Forest Preserve. The Hamilton Woods Tract has also been called the "South Woods" because it lies immediately south of the North Woods Tract. The Hamilton Woods Tract includes land that is bounded by the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and by GHI woodlands. The narrowness of the southern portion of the Hamilton Woods Tract results in noise pollution from the Baltimore Washington Parkway impacting visitor experience.
Ecological Characteristics: The Hamilton Woods Tract contains stream and upland-forest habitats. The tract is almost entirely forested. One exception is the clearing along the western edge of Northway Athletic Fields where the Public Works Department maintains a road-tailings pile, fill-dirt pile, and large-timber pile adjacent to and possibly within the Hamilton Woods Tract. Public works also keeps a buffer zone free of trees around the community gardens that are located within the Hamilton Woods Tract. The three garden areas are located beyond the end of Hamilton Place, opposite the GHI office building, and near Gardenway Road. Along the northern boundary of the Hamilton Woods Tract and just south of Northway Athletic Fields, a known hazard is the scrap metal and other large, non-biodegradable trash items that have been scattered over several acres. This hazard has existed for a number of decades.
History: The Hamilton family owned this land from the mid-1700s to the mid-1800s. Since the late 1930s, community gardens have existed at approximately their present-day locations within the Hamilton Woods Tract. Community gardens in roughly this area were part of the original New Deal era design for Greenbelt. Since the creation of the Forest Preserve, the northern portion of the Hamilton Woods Tract has often been used for the annual pumpkin walk. Greenbelt's volunteer-run pumpkin walk was originally envisioned as a way to introduce residents to Greenbelt's forests in 1988 during the campaign to have the city purchase Parcel 1 at the heart of the North Woods Tract. While the North Woods and northern portion of the Hamilton Woods have for decades contained an informal network of trails, the southern portion of the Hamilton Woods Tract currently lacks clear trails. FPAB takes the lack of informal trails as evidence that hikers visit this area less often than other areas of the Forest Preserve.
BOXWOOD TRACT
Physical Description: The Boxwood Tract consists of 8.8 acres located north of Greenbelt Lake and across the street from the main entrance to Buddy Attick Park. The Boxwood Tract is bounded by Crescent Road, Lastner Lane, Ivy Lane, and Ridge Road. The tract contains approximately two acres of mowed lawn, a playground, and a small basketball court, all of which pre-date the creation of the Forest Preserve program and are excluded by City Code from Forest Preserve regulations. These features are shown on Map 3.
Ecological Characteristics: The Boxwood Tract is mostly wooded but includes approximately two acres of fields that are regularly mowed by Greenbelt Public Works. A stream flows through the middle of the Boxwood Tract, from east to west.
History: The Boxwood Tract is named after the Boxwood subdivision of Greenbelt that was built during the 1960s. The City of Greenbelt acquired this tract in March, 1970.
[1] Along with the parkland around Greenbelt Lake, the Boxwood and Belle Point Tracts are remnants of the western portion of the "belt of green" that originally surrounded the residential areas of Old Greenbelt. The Boxwood Tract was added to the Forest Preserve following the recommendation of the Forest Preserve Task Force in 2007.
BELLE POINT TRACT
Physical Description: The Belle Point Tract consists of 10 acres. It is immediately south of the parkland that surrounds Greenbelt Lake and lies north of the 495 Capital Beltway. Within the tract, there is a small playground for the adjacent Belle Point Subdivision. The Washington Suburban and Sanitary Commission (WSSC) maintains a non-forested strip that passes through the Belle Point Tract to provide WSSC access to the underlying water main.
Ecological Characteristics: The tract is forested other than the clearing associated with the WSSC right of way.
History: During the construction of Greenbelt (1935-1937), federal relief workers cleared a path from Greenbelt Lake through the Belle Point Tract heading southwest to Indian Springs. The path was a popular one during the early years of Greenbelt, as residents walked from the residential areas of Old Greenbelt to Indian Springs, where many arrowheads were found. The construction of the Capital Beltway in the 1960s isolated Indian Springs from the Belle Point Tract and the rest of the forested area around Greenbelt Lake. The Belle Point Tract is named after the adjacent Belle Point subdivision and was acquired by the City of Greenbelt in November of 1987.
[1] The Belle Point Tract was added to the Forest Preserve following the recommendation of the Forest Preserve Task Force in 2007.
SUNRISE TRACT
The Sunrise Tract consists of 10 acres. It is located immediately to the east of the Capital Beltway, north of Hanover Apartments, west of Hanover Parkway, and immediately west of the Greenbelt Dog Park
Ecological Characteristics: The Sunrise Tract is entirely forested. A stream flows just outside the Sunrise Tract's eastern and southern boundary and within a strip of land that is owned by the City of Greenbelt. This stream flows west into Still Creek in Greenbelt Park, a tributary to the Anacostia River.
History: In 1991, the City worked to prevent the Sunrise Development Corporation from constructing high-rise buildings on this tract. As a result of negotiations related to the construction of a nearby post office, the City purchased the Sunrise Tract using Program Open Space Funds in October, 2004.
[1] The Sunrise Tract was added to the Forest Preserve following the recommendation of the Forest Preserve Task Force in 2007.[1] Greenbelt News Review, 14 Feb 1991; 12 June, 2003; 14 June 2007; Maryland Land Records, Liber 20449, Folio 716.