Project
Falling Branch Falls
With the leadership of students of the Ecology Club of Harford County and the financial support of Program Open Space and hundreds of citizens, organizations, firms, and schools, the Trust purchased the 23-acre tract on Falling Branch, a tributary of Deer Creek, to preserve "Kilgore Falls," the second-highest waterfall in Maryland, for permanent ownership and management by the Maryland Park Service.
The campaign
to save Kilgore Falls on Falling Branch was a spectacular
success. The principal expense was the contribution
of $17,500 to Maryland's Program Open Space to enable
the state, to purchase the 23 acre Falling Branch property.
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Photo: Harford Land Trust
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It was a great pleasure for the Trust to work on this
campaign. It was clear from the volume and enthusiasm of the
donors and participants that the combination of the Falls
itself, the second-highest waterfall in Maryland, and the
initiative and leadership of the students of the North Harford
Recreational Council Ecology Club inspired hundreds of people
around the county, state and region. There are less difficult
ways to raise money, but this was the best way.
On March 6, 1993, HLT assigned its contract with the Grimmel
brothers to Program Open Space with a check of $17,500. On
March 10 the State of Maryland contributed state funds of
$115,000 and took title to the 23-acre tract containing Maryland's
second highest waterfall.
There were more than 500 identifiable donors from all sources. Individual donations ranged from $3 to $1,000. Many others contributed bills and coins without identifying themselves. Although almost all the income came directly to the Trust from individuals, substantial donations came from business firms, organizations, and county schools including:
Bel Air Rotary Club
The Gap, Inc.
Susquehannock Environmental Center, Inc.
Harford Glen Foundation
Schools:
North Harford Recreational Council Ecology Club
Edgewood High School Nature Club
C. Milton Wright High School
John Carroll School
North Harford Elementary School
Fallston High School
Deerfield Elementary School
Bel Air High School
Havre de Grace High School
Harford Technical High School
The students of North Harford Elementary School contributed $609 by organizing a reading campaign. Sponsors were recruited who agreed to pay $1 to the campaign for each book that the students read!
Photo:
Irene Kern
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Anticipating the need to raise $2,000 more, HLT and The Manor Conservancy (TMC) started in late January to plan the auction of nine paintings donated by seven professional artists. HLT and TMC had agreed that any surplus (more than $5,000) from the auction would be divided equally for other land projects. The auction was highly successful with a total income of $18,718.
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The success of the General Campaign and the art auction would not have been possible without the contributions of many individuals, organizations, and firms, some of which we do not know by name:
Seven public spirited artists donated nine works to the art
auction without compensation or reserve price: Eugene Leake,
Raoul Middleman, William Chewning, Jean Fulton, Jack Robbins,
Beth Secor, and Larry Wheeler.
Auctioneers James Russo and Lee Dance donated their professional skills. Members of the Greater Baltimore Group of the Sierra Club donated much time and talent in preparing mailing lists and invitations. These volunteers also provided planning and personal services for the auction.
Framing by Ray Benson of Manor Art Services, Inc.; auction
refreshments from members of The Manor Conservancy; artwork
for the T-shirt by Teresa Walden of Main Street Graphics,
Bel Air; production of the T-shirt by Dan McClure's East Coast
Screen Printers, Baltimore; photography, design and printing
of 2000 Falls posters without charge by Ron Solomon, Jon Roll,
and Eichhorn Printing; production of a Phase One Environmental
Assessment of the property by HTS Environmental Group, Columbia;
auction refreshments from Ronald and Karen Mowl of the Hess
Country Store and Rodney Fingles of the Milton Inn, Sparks;
the hospitality and accommodations of the Elkridge-Harford
Hunt Club; and all profits from the sales of Josh and Ellen
Pons's Country Life Diary at the auction.
The net surplus of this highly successful campaign has been
used for succeeding land projects. The North Harford Recreational Council Ecology Club, in later years, evolved into the Friends of Falling Branch Foundation, which retained $8,000 of the net-receipts for contributing building materials for bridges and benches, tools, and other things to facilitate usage of the now 45-acre part of Rock State Park.
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