Past Campaigns
It would be difficult to list all the actions that PRA has initiated or supported. Some of the group’s more significant efforts are described below to indicate the scope of the organization’s interests and tactics. Many PRA-led initiatives have ended up as court cases. Legal action is not the preferred mechanism of action but it has proven effective and the PRA does not hesitate to make use of it. One of the organization’s defining characteristics is its tenacity; the PRA does not back down and does not let go. However, gentle advocacy and cooperation are the preferred routes to success.
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Myrtle Point and Public Access to the Water
Myrtle Point is a 192 acre tract of land on the Patuxent River that exhibits the most attractive and interesting aspects of Southern Maryland . It is a beautiful peninsula of pristine and diverse habitats, and contains evidence of some of the earliest habitation by Native American peoples. A portion of the Park is a designated FID (Forest Interior Dwelling) area. Myrtle Point has a great variety of wildlife, from river otters, mink, and cottontail rabbits to diamond-backed terrapins, green frogs, and salamanders. There are hawks, herons, owls, warblers, and eagles. Since the early 1970s the PRA has fought to protect this land and has urged county government to purchase the site. Finally in 1997 a combination of circumstances allowed the PRA to mobilize public interest and the property was purchased using Open Space Funds for the benefit of enjoyment of all. The acquisition of Myrtle Point for a public access natural area was a sweet success for PRA, the culmination of a thirty year effort.
PRA has financed an independent study to identify other waterfront sites that the county should consider purchasing to improve water access for its citizens. Citizens aren’t going to care about protecting the health of the waterways if they cannot experience the waterways.
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Land records
In the 1980s the PRA realized that the county was neglecting to record the subdivision of lots as required by state law. Years of neglect had put the county in the position of not even being able to say how many buildable lots existed in the county. Homeowners were paying lawyers to record the deeds, but the proper paperwork was never filed. For many reasons the PRA saw this as an abdication of responsibility on the part of the county and urged that the proper procedures be re-introduced. Unfortunately, legal action was ultimately required—the St. Mary’s County government rejected PRA’s arguments and PRA financed the case through two appeals. The Court of Appeals of St. Mary’s County ruled the county had to comply with state law and do what PRA had suggested it do four years earlier.
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Stormwater Management
In 1998 PRA contacted the developers of First Colony before they started construction on the shopping center that now includes Lowes, Target and Staples. The two organizations cooperated in designing a water runoff management system for the complex that was more effective than the designs required by local and state law. The PRA financed land analysis and engineering studies as part of this collaboration and was happy to do it. (See also the description on this website of current PRA activities in the area of stormwater management.)
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Quality of life and Cultural issues
PRA was instrumental in the reconsideration of the siting of the St. Mary’s College Science Building. The current location is less threatening to environmental and archeological resources than the site originally proposed.
PRA was instrumental in the county’s acquisition and restoration of the Piney Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse is now recognized as a tourist destination and an asset to the economy and identity of the local community.
PRA has been pushing for the inclusion of natural lighting in school buildings citing studies that show improved academic performance and health in students with schools that have windows. This struggle continues.
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Community issues
PRA has sponsored or supported numerous community groups that wish to take on specific issues. Community members from the Chingville Road area and from Breton Bay, the Friends of Myrtle Point, and others have received financial, legal or research support from the PRA.
In its forty years of advocacy PRA has invested many dollars in research and analysis. The group has commissioned studies on water quality and nutrient loading in the streams and tributaries of St. Mary’s County, the performance and effectiveness of current engineering and regulatory practices, and many other issues. PRA has funded legal counsel to support and advance its mission to protect the environment and encourage enlightened land use planning and management.