WORCESTER COUNTY, Md. – Tucked just off Route 113 lies a little-known walking path called the Blue Bike Trail — a quiet, forested area now at the center of a debate.
"They don't put any signs out there by the road so people can find it or anything,” said Dr. Joan Maloof, founder of the Old-Growth Forest Network.
She led us down the trail into a densely wooded area she believes is on the verge of being recognized as an old-growth forest — a term used to describe forests with large, mature trees and rich biodiversity.
"It's like a gene bank here," Maloof explained. "We need to preserve it, not just sell it to become two-by-fours or something."
However, Maryland's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) sees things differently. Anne Hairston-Strang, State Forester, says the area in question — known as the Hunter Tarr Tract — doesn’t meet the state's criteria for old-growth classification.
"You see the red-hashed area here, those are the parts of the state forest designated for old-growth ecosystem management," Hairston-Strang said, highlighting an area on a map she showed to WBOC during a Zoom interview. "This green block down here is the Hunter Tar Tract that people are calling the Blue Bike Trail."
DNR argues that responsible timber harvesting can promote sustainability and biodiversity.
"If you do it right, if you’re doing good forestry, you’re able to harvest timber, meet resource needs, and at the same time set the stage for forest regeneration and improved wildlife habitat,” Hairston-Strang said.
Still, the proposal is facing opposition from some community members and environmental advocates who want to preserve the forest in its natural state.