Fair Hill NRMA

Some secrets are worth sharing. Located in the northeast corner of Cecil County, within a one-hour drive of Baltimore City, is one of them Ż 5,613 acres of some of Maryland's most remarkable countryside, the Fair Hill Natural Resource Management Area. Acquired by the State in 1975, Fair Hill is a unique rural landscape that provides notable habitat for a diverse array of wildlife and plant communities. Although its popularity is growing, many outdoor enthusiasts have surprisingly never heard of Fair Hill nor discovered its multitude of recreational opportunities.
Fair Hill's devoted manager and guardian, Edward L. Walls, blames the area's anonymity partly on its name. "People don't realize that, while a Natural Resource Management Area (NRMA) has many purposes, the land belongs to the citizens just like any state park, and offers tremendous outdoor experiences."
Bordering Pennsylvania to the north and within a half-mile of Delaware to the east, Fair Hill offers visitors a true oasis of natural beauty in a rapidly urbanizing corridor. One of 15 designated NRMAs across Maryland, Fair Hill supports a wide-range of land management and recreation activities. Historically, the focus has been on supporting equestrian activities and hay production; however, with public input over the past few years, other recreation and management priorities have developed, including: spectacular hiking and mountain biking, abundant wildlife viewing, expanded fishing opportunities and the introduction of ecosystem-based resource management strategies.
Sharing Fair Hill
When Ed Walls was first assigned management of Fair Hill seven years ago, he was faced with a tradition of near exclusive use by the equestrian community. He recalls that, "Some groups had locks on the gates for which I didn't have keys." His charge was in many respects a formidable one Ż to open Fair Hill to broader public use.
The equestrian tradition was inspired by William du Pont, Jr., who began amassing Fair Hill by acquiring farmland in 1927 as a means of enjoying his favorite pastimes, including a love of fox chasing. Since the du Pont family sold Fair Hill to the state, the equestrian tradition has continued, providing horse lovers throughout Maryland and the region with an outstanding recreation facility.
Equestrians, however, have had to increasingly share the trail as the department strives to attract more recreational users. As is the case with most Maryland public lands, equestrians, hikers, anglers, hunters, birders and mountain bikers have had to learn how to co-exist. Reducing tensions and promoting harmony among the different user groups at Fair Hill was accomplished over time the old-fashioned way Ż largely through the development of personal working relationships between staff and individual visitors and recreation groups. Concerns were consistently addressed with public input, and a trail protocol was developed with support from all users. It was an enormous task that, as Ed will admit, "did not make everyone happy," but earned the respect and support of all user groups.
Things to Do

Trails: An extensive 75-mile trail system of single track and dirt roads offer hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. A trail map is available at the Fair Hill office.
Equestrians: Three equestrian organizations maintain a permanent presence at Fair Hill. Individual horse owners lease more than 53 paddocks and buildings. Events occur year-round, including fox chasing, organized trail rides and steeple chase races.
Fishing: 2,500 anglers are regular users of Fair Hill's diverse fishery resource. The main attraction is five-miles of Big Elk Creek, which is managed as both a seasonal put-and-take and cool water stream fishery. Up to 10,000 adult brown and rainbow trout are stocked by DNR each spring and fall. Self-sustaining populations of other game fish, including small mouth bass, redbreast sunfish, bluegill and white sucker are also available year-round.
Hunting: Hunting at Fair Hill is by permit only. A three-month bow season starts September 15 through January 31 on a designated 650 acres. The state's largest managed deer hunt (shotgun) is scheduled annually in January.
Birding: Fair Hill is an attractive site for birders. Grassland species such as the Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, and the Grasshopper Sparrow are regular breeders. Bottomland woods hosts forest dwellers, like the uncommon Cerulean Warbler. For information on organized field trips, contact the Ornithological Society of Cecil County at: 410.398.4909.
Interpretive Programs: Environmental education programs and Junior Ranger activities are offered at the Fair Hill Nature and Environmental Center. Contact the non-profit Fair Hill Foundation, Inc. at 410.398.4909.
Camping: Fair Hill offers primitive camping for recognized youth groups at several areas near Big Elk Creek.
Special Events: A recently constructed Visitor Center provides a modern indoor facility for events, such as banquets and wedding receptions.
Directions to Fair Hill: Fair Hill is located eight miles north of Elkton, Maryland in Cecil County. Take exit #100 on Interstate Route 95, follow Route 272 north for five miles. At stop light, turn right onto Route 273. Follow Route 273 east for six miles to Fair Hill. Call the visitors office for details at 410.398.1246
A New User Discovers Paradise
Ed likes to tell a story (one of many) about how several years ago there were very few mountain bikers using the area's 75 miles of trails and dirt roads. "The mountain bikers were very apprehensive at first. They would see me or my rangers and stop and look guilty, like they thought we might ask them to leave. Instead, we would just smile and wave, and after awhile word kind of spread that we liked mountain bikers and more of them began to use the area."
Today, Fair Hill is supported by a very active mountain bike group led by volunteers like the Delaware Trail Spinners, who organize special events, trail maintenance and one of the state's most popular mountain bike races every July. Several years ago, volunteers and The Maryland National Guard began working on the area's first trail map using a high-tech global positioning satellite device. The map was printed last year and distributed with the support of yet another partnership with Wooden Wheels, a local bicycle retail shop. As a result, the area's scenic and challenging single track trails and dirt roads have become more accessible, offering some of the best off-road cycling in Maryland.
Stewardship Goals
During a recent tour of the dirt roads that crisscross Fair Hill's hayfields, Ed stopped his truck and softly honked the horn. Pointing excitedly, he proudly identified the Bobolinks that flush out of the hay and fly swiftly across the grass. Harvest of this hayfield has been delayed in order to provide suitable habitat for wildlife such as these grassland birds, a species in decline throughout the Mid-Atlantic states due to habitat loss. Other wildlife, including hawks, owls and foxes that prey on meadow voles and grassland birds, benefit as well from this management strategy. It is part of a new challenge at Fair Hill, which was chosen as a pilot project for implementing ecosystem-based land management planning.
A team of DNR stream ecologists, botanists, wildlife managers, foresters, resource planners and University of Maryland soil experts, are working with Fair Hill staff to examine ways in which the stewardship of the land can be improved for the long-term benefit of wildlife, plants, water quality and recreation. During a public workshop in January 1997, support for this approach was voiced by Fair Hill's Citizen Advisory Committee and nearly 200 citizens, who expressed a desire to ensure that future generations could enjoy the natural, cultural and recreational resources at Fair Hill.
At DNR headquarters in Annapolis, Regional Planner John Wilson pulls out a binder nearly six-inches thick of field research that has been documented about Fair Hill over several years. John is responsible for coordinating and managing the data collection and analysis of Fair Hill's ecosystem. According to John, "We know more about Fair Hill than any other public land in history."
Stream surveys, soil samples, reptile and amphibian studies, wetland maps, plant and forest community inventories, and wildlife habitat surveys combined with historical and cultural data have created an incredible holistic view of the land. This unprecedented research effort has set the stage for the development of ecosystem-based strategies that are underway or being considered, including:

altering the management of certain hayfields to coincide with grassland bird nesting seasons;
increasing interior forest habitat through afforestation;
managing deer herds to protect forest habitat;
eliminating exotic invasive species;
and conducting soil tests on every hayfield to gauge accurate nutrient requirements.
These management strategies, however, can require trade-offs that compromise Fair Hill's income generating potential. For example, while the area's hayfields represent the best opportunity in the entire state to manage a grassland community, revenue from harvesting the hay generated a net profit of $274,000 last year. Altering harvest schedules or changing the hay's composition for wildlife could impact revenue that has supported Fair Hill as a self-sufficient public land operation and a multitude of improvements. Overgrown dirt roads have been reopened, barns painted, parking lots built and fences replaced Ż major accomplishments in an era of shrinking state operating budgets.
Nonetheless, sound stewardship of the land is foremost in DNR's mission. To ensure a balance, however, with other competing objectives, new ecosystem management planning efforts are carefully scrutinized for their practicality, cost-effectiveness in meeting desired goals and impact on the land's ability to support itself. While this has created what Ed calls a "healthy tension" at times between land mangers and ecosystem management planners, the end result will mean a better and more practical model for local governments and private land owners.
Fair Hill Belongs to the People
Standing on a cobblestone bridge arching over picturesque Big Elk Creek, Ed stares into the water and looks for signs of fish. This is one of Ed's favorite spots, where he comes to enjoy the quiet and reflect after a typical 12-hour work day. "You know," he says, "This place makes me melt it's so beautiful. And, to me, it's even more beautiful when I see people enjoying the open space we have here."
Ed upholds the philosophy of DNR's State Forest and Park Service that Maryland's public lands belong to the people. It is a philosophy that has attracted some 200 dedicated volunteers who help with maintenance, organizing events and raising money. Donations topped $29,700 for trail stewardship since its inception, representing an unparalleled pride of ownership felt by visitors and the local community. As Ranger Mel Adam explains, "Like most public lands today, we could not accomplish our mission without our volunteers. Not only do they help with the work load, they also provide valuable input on our management strategies and act as goodwill ambassadors with visitors and the community."
A Special Place for Future Generations
Looking over a vista of rolling fields and forest at sunset, Ed confides that despite the hard work and occasional conflicts associated with managing the area's natural resources for both human needs and ecological values, Fair Hill has been a "labor of love." It is a mission shared by all who feel a sense of ownership in and responsibility for Fair Hill to ensure that future generations will enjoy the same beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities that exist today. v
Nita Settina, DNR's Manager for Marketing and Intergovernmental Relations, can often be found exploring Fair Hill's trails on her mountain bike. John Wilson from DNR's Resource Planning and Ed Walls from DNR's State Forest & Park Service contributed to this article.
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