Red Oak Park in Ward 4 — City's First Ephemeral Park

January 30, 2012, meeting of Ward 4 friends and residents with City Council member Rhonda Adams

2012-02-02T23:22:00.000-06:00

December 20, 2011, meeting of Fayetteville AR city council draws comment on several important local issues on a 3-hour, 37-minute video

2012-01-01T02:24:00.000-06:00

Developers keep chipping away at Illinois River watershed prairies in Ward 4: Second part of video shares photos and comments on wet-prairie destruction north of Fayetteville's Holiday Inn Express PLUS Environmental Action Committee video of Dec. 8, 2011, meeting covers diverse subject list, including the prairie-destruction issue near the end

2011-12-18T23:07:00.003-06:00

Please click on individual images beneath the video file to enlarge view of wet-prairie and tree-protection area slated to become construction site.

More than 100 photos of mounded wet prairie parcel proposed as site for convention center on north side of Holiday Inn Express available on Flickr near bottom of urban infill set. A sample of the photos appears below the meeting video. Discussion of the site occurs near the end of the meeting. A slide bar at the bottom of the video allows a person skip over discussion of other subjects.

Please click on individual images to ENLARGE.

View east shows tiny wooded-wetland tree-protection area on low corner of several acres of remnant of mounded wet prairie.

Mowing vegetation out of swale that carries water north to a creek unnecessary and harmful.

Healthy habitat important especially where it also protects watershed

Existing tree-protection area is best place for natural swale and sheet-flow surface water to soak in.

Ditch and pipe from existing Holiday Inn Express parking lot exemplies outmoded high-impact water management

Existing stormwater pipe causes erosion of big ditch that sends dangerous flow to swale along road toward creek, increasing erosion and flooding of downtream property.

Natural swale through wet prairie takes water to low, wooded wetland at NW corner of property

Park Board approves accepting money in lieu of land that will result in destruction of all habitat on Hollywood Prairie despite plea to preserve bit of wetland in Ward 4

2011-12-13T22:56:00.002-06:00

Ward 4 meeting video from November 28, 2011

2011-12-13T11:46:00.002-06:00

November 14, 2011, quarterly Mayor's Town Hall meeting video

2011-12-06T10:38:00.002-06:00

Jim Bemis provides video from Fayetteville Telecom Board subcommittee meeting of September 30, 2011, because Government Channel has refused to cover subcommittee meetings for nearly two years

2011-10-05T19:53:00.002-05:00

Video of Ward Four meeting at 7 p.m. September 26 includes explanation of importance of renewing sales tax by vote on Oct. 11, 2011. See detail below

2011-09-28T09:24:00.003-05:00

Please click on image below to ENLARGE for reading. Click on the enlargement for even easier reading.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Ward 4 Meeting

City Clerk

Time: 7:00 PM

Location: Room 111

Fayetteville Environmental Action Committee meeting of 15 September 2011

2011-09-24T09:05:00.000-05:00

Ward 4 meeting Monday, August 2011 combined into Mayor's Town Hall meeting at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks at 7 p.m. Town Branch Neighborhood meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m.

2011-08-27T22:38:00.000-05:00

Alderwoman Sarah Elaine Lewis wrote:

Rather than hold a Ward 4 meeting this month (August 2011), Rhonda and I invite you to attend the Mayor's Town Hall Meeting at the Botanical Gardens. The Mayor, City Council Members, and City staff will be in attendance to answer questions.
Hope you can make it!

Town Branch Neighborhood Association meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, August 30, 2011, welcomes everyone who chooses to attend

2011-08-25T15:00:00.002-05:00

to discuss plan for apartment complex adjacent to National Cemetery, streamside-protection ordinance, neighborhood watch, urban wildlife-habitat certification of private property, natural-yard option approved by City Council and anything of importance in our neighborhood and city

Please click on individual images to ENLARGE view. Click on enlargement for easy reading.

Greg Howe has resigned to take a job in a wonderful place to the northwest. His final meeting of Fayetteville's Tree and Landscape Committee, now known as the Urban Forestry Board

2011-08-23T17:05:00.000-05:00

Blake Pennington elected chairman of the Telecommunication Board on August 18, 2011

2011-08-23T07:32:00.002-05:00

Traditional landscapes suck Energy, Water and Money, says Neil Diboll at The Native Plants in the Landscape Conference

2011-08-20T20:29:00.002-05:00

Please click on individual images to ENLARGE. Click on enlargement for closer view.

« Welcome to The Native Plants in the Landscape Conference

The Future of Gardening by Neil Diboll

The Future of Gardening: Why Going Native is the Answer

Presented at the 20^th Millersville Native Plant Conference
Millersville, PA
June 4, 2010

by Neil Diboll
Prairie Nursery, Inc.
P.O. Box 306
Westfield, WI 53964
www.prairienursery.com
800-476-9453 (800-GRO-WILD)
Traditional landscapes suck. They suck Energy, Water, and Money. These three “Future Factors” will determine to a large degree the shape and structure of our landscapes in the coming years.
The old whipping boy, the lawn, indeed deserves a good whipping. It is emblematic of an expensive, unsustainable, energy and chemical hungry landscape that supports few forms of life and consumes valuable resources that could be better invested elsewhere.
Size of the American Lawn
There are over 50 million acres of lawn in the United States, twice the size of the state of Pennsylvania.
The total American corn crop for 2009 was 86 million acres.
The total American soybean crop for 2009 was 77 million acres.
The total American wheat crop for 2009 was 65 million acres.
Lawn is the fourth largest crop grown in America today.
Water Use by the American Lawn
Thirty percent of the water consumed on the East Coast of the US goes to watering lawns. Sixty percent of the water used on the West Coast is dedicated to maintaining green lawns, in a region that is facing looming water shortages.
A 1000 square foot lawn requires an average of 10,000 gallons of water per year to maintain in good condition.
One acre of irrigated lawn requires nearly half a million gallons (435,000) of water every year!
Chemical Fertilizers and Pesticides Applied to the American Lawn
The average lawn receives 10 times as much chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides as the typical farm field, according to a Yale University graduate study.
Over 80 millions pounds of chemical pesticides are applied to American lawns each year according to the USEPA.
More than 70 million tons of chemical fertilizers are applied to American lawns per year.
The USEPA estimates that 40 to 60 percent of the Nitrogen fertilizer applied to lawns ends up in our surface water and groundwater.
Forty four percent of the Nitrogen and 28 percent of the Phosphorus applied in the Mississippi River watershed ends up in the Gulf of Mexico, greatly exacerbating the anoxic “dead zone” that preceded the BP oil spill of 2010.
Solid Waste Created by Lawns
The EPA also estimates that grass clippings and yard debris account for 20 to 40 percent of the landfill space consumed in America.
Energy Consumption by Lawns
The amount of energy required to mow and maintain manicured lawns is surprisingly large, and is used in every phase of lawn care:
Mowing: Gasoline or diesel fuel to is required to power riding mowers and most push type rotary mowers. Electricity that powers electric lawn mowers is produced primarily by fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas, and by nuclear power plants.
Pesticides: Most herbicides and insecticides are derived from or combined with petroleum-based compounds. Of the 80 million pounds of pesticides applied to lawns in American every year, most are synthesized from oil.
Fertilizers: Fertilizers are applied to lawns in staggering quantities. The energy required to mine and transport the 70 million tons of chemical fertilizers that are dumped on lawns every year is significant. Most Nitrogen fertilizers are produced using the Haber Process, in which Nitrogen in the air is converted into a solid or liquid form that can be readily handled and applied. The Haber Process is extremely energy intensive, and vast quantities of natural gas are consumed to produce nitrogen fertilizer for lawns.
Irrigation: Even watering the lawn consumes energy. Electricity is used to purify water at treatment plants, and to pump water to homes and businesses. The underground plastic pipes that are used in lawn irrigations systems are produced from petrochemicals derived from crude oil.
Carbon Footprint of Lawns
As an energy-dependent landscape, the carbon annual footprint consumption of lawns is high compared to prairies and other natural landscapes that require only occasional mowing, no fertilizers, no irrigation, and few if any pesticides. Prairies release carbon into the atmosphere when burned, and when dead organic matter such as leaves and stems decompose through microbial action. However, these releases are offset by new plant growth which absorbs carbon dioxide from the air and incorporates it into new leave, roots, and stems.
The incredibly rich prairie soils of the American Midwest are a result of the accumulation of organic matter in the soil over hundreds and thousands of years. Unlike most forest ecosystems, in which organic matter is sequestered in the upper 12- 18 inches of soil, prairie soils typically exhibit high organic matter content from three to six feet in depth. They also have significantly higher total organic matter content than forest soils. This would indicate that over time, prairies are one of the most efficient plant communities at removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and providing long term carbon sequestration in the soil.
Economic Costs of Lawn
Americans spend over $25 billion per year on lawn care (USEPA).
Americans spend over $2 billion per year on lawn and garden chemicals.
A 4000 square foot lawn (1/10 acre) produces an average of 1200 pounds of grass clippings per year. The City of Philadelphia Streets Department reported in 2005 that it costs $75 per year to dispose of this material.
Wildlife and Lawns
The US EPA estimates that between 60 and 70 millions birds are poisoned annually due to the application of lawn pesticides.
On lawns that receive regular applications of pesticides, 60 to 90 percent of the earthworms in the soil are killed.
Air and Noise Pollution
In summer months, 5 percent of air pollution is attributable to gas powered lawn and garden equipment (National Vehicle and Fuel Assessment Lab, Ann Arbor, MI)
Per hour of operation, a typical lawnmower emits 10-12 times as much hydrocarbons as an automobile.
Health and Safety
Of the most commonly used lawn pesticides, 13 are known to cause cancer, 14 can cause birth defects, 11 can interfere with reproduction, and 21 can cause damage to the nervous system. (US EPA)
111,000 Americans are sickened every year due to exposure to pesticides. (US EPA)
Over 230,000 people are treated in the Emergency Room every year for accident related to lawn equipment. (US EPA)
Time
The average homeowner spends 40 hours a year mowing his or her lawn – the equivalent of a week’s vacation!
HOW DID WE ARRIVE AT OUR LAWN-DOMINATED LANDSCAPE MODEL?
AN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
The New World of North America once appeared to be a seemingly inexhaustible resource that held immense promise for the early colonists and settlers. True to their culture, the northern Europeans that swarmed into the vast hinterlands of America created a landscape in the image of their forebears: cut, grazed, plowed, and fenced into submission. The newly broken land yielded great bounty for a growing nation. As the country expanded, the towns and villages took on the names and character of our former homes across the Atlantic: Amsterdam, Birmingham, Gloucester, Berlin, Warsaw, and Rome, to name but a few.
Our goal as a nation and a culture was to tame the wilderness and make it safe for civilization. In so doing, we re-created the Old Country in the New World. As we brought the wilderness under our heel, we took little time to appreciate its unique character and beauty. Most settlers sought bounty, not beauty. In the rush to convert forests and meadows into farms and fields, the flowers mostly went unnoticed. Unplowed, unproductive wild land was a sign of sloth, savagery, and the devil’s work. Indeed, our mandate was to subdue the earth. And subdue it we did.
When our work was finally done, we sat back to take stock of our immense labors, and it appeared that it was good. Mostly. What we had not considered were the terrible losses associated with our great gain. We had gained ascendancy over our young country. In the process, we lost the character of a continent.
Yea, even unto our gardens, we banished the wildflowers and wild things to the far reaches of the countryside and to the corners of our consciousness. And nothing suffered the utter demise and near-total destruction such as that which was visited upon the American Prairie.
The American Prairie: the once-vast kingdom of flowers, grasses, bison and butterflies. This unbelievably rich, unique ecosystem blanketed millions of acres of America’s heartland. These were the flower gardens of North America. Hidden deep underground, among the intertwined roots of a universe of prairie plants, lay the black gold that was to become the currency of the prairie farmer. Here was the inheritance of a million sunny days, hoarded away in the bank account of the prairie soil.
Agricultural, the Industrial Revolution, and the Rise of the American Middle Class
The farmers that tapped into this prairie trust fund found the dividends to be prodigious. No fertilizers were needed to grow bumper crops. The immense yields increased agricultural productivity to levels previously unheard-of, revolutionizing the farmer’s relationship with the land. Now one family could produce food for dozens of others. The day of the subsistence farm was over. Human labor was set free to tend the factory instead of the field. The dawn of the American Industrial Revolution was reflected in the glow of the forge that John Deere used to construct the first sod-busting steel plow in 1836. With the industrial dawn came the sunset of the American Prairie.
The Eastern Tallgrass Prairie of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska was all but obliterated in the span of a few short decades at the close of the nineteenth century. That which was not plowed under was closed in with fences and grazed to the ground by millions of cattle. What were once wide open spaces became food factories and feedlots. Still, we knew not what we had done.
A full century later, we are just beginning to grasp the scope of the loss. The Eastern Tallgrass Prairie is now one of the rarest plant communities in the entire world. Rainforests are commonplace by comparison. Less than 1/10th of 1% of the Tallgrass Prairie remains today. The small refuges where it can be found occur only in small tattered fragments, ripped from the original cloth. Only those pieces that could not be drained, plowed, grazed, or otherwise turned to the service of mankind remain. There was simply no place for wildness in this new American landscape.
The conversion of the New World into the Old Country was complete. All that remained now was to tend the fields and the gardens of plants brought over from Europe, and to make sure that the lawns that replaced that prairie were kept mown and in order.
Order. The watchword of a Puritanical culture that sought to carve structure from the chaos of wilderness. Everything in control. Nothing out of place. Even our gardens reflect this directive. Designs are precise, with each plant in its pre-ordained place, ensconced in a thick bed of bark mulch. The vegetable world must supplicate itself to our omnipotence. Those plants that fail to stay in their assigned seats are branded as weeds, and banished from the garden. And if they should grow wild in nature, how could such peasant plants of common breeding be sufficiently refined to have a place in our gardens?
If the garden is truly the place where people and nature meet, it is almost always the gardener who determines the terms of the meeting. Will the gardeners of the earth choose to work with Nature to create beauty in the landscape? Or will we attempt to overpower her with an arsenal of chemicals, machines, and “maintenance programs?”
We are finally coming to realize that the practice of paying homage to a uniform, idealized landscape of seamlessly interconnected lawns is an illusion. This becomes eminently clear when one realizes that the centerpoint of this landscape is a nearly lifeless, two dimensional expanse of turf, to which we slavishly devote much of our increasingly rare and precious free time. We pour on the chemicals, mow the grass to within an inch of its life, and kill any and all bugs that have the temerity to share the landscape with us. Perhaps most annoying, this national pastime called Lawn Care is really quite expensive.
For many, their lawns are like an addiction. They will pay almost any price to satisfy the cravings. The price is paid in money, time, environmental degradation, and in some cases, one’s health. We have so completely divorced ourselves from Nature that the only connection to the natural world is by watering and mowing their green carpets!
It is indeed a costly divorce from Nature. Enforcement of our unnatural landscapes consumes billions of dollars every year. Lawns, ornamental plantings, and even perennial gardens require constant attention if the desired order is to be maintained. Without intervention by the human hand on a regular basis, these landscapes soon fall victim to the invading hordes of weeds, trees, brambles and vines. Left unguarded, the walls of the domestic garden are stormed by the Vandals and Visigoths of the Vegetable Kingdom. Without the indulgences of their human benefactors, the meeker and fairer plants of the garden are quickly pillaged and displaced by the roving thugs of the plant world.
History of the American Lawn
The modern lawn has it origin in the country estates of landed gentry in England in the 16^th and 17^th centuries. It was a status symbol of the wealthy, for the working classes typically possessed no land, and could ill afford a lawn eve if they did. With our Anglo-American heritage, we looked to the mother country for our social cues in the 18^th century as the American middle class emerged during the industrial revolution. The newly wealthy purchased homes and estates and installed lawns as one of their symbols of having “made it.” Lawns quickly became one of the status symbols associated with the new middle and upper classes.
The great American landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmstead, referred to the lawn in the late 18^th century as “The Great Democratizer” of a newly ascendant nation. Rather than installing fences and barriers between neighboring properties as was common in Europe, Americans had a seamless carpet of green grass unifying their properties, all sharing in the new ethos of a mutual affluence.
The lawn quickly became a socio-economic symbol, denoting order and devotion to a non-economic crop that only those with expendable income could afford. As the middle class in America grew after World War II, the occupants of newly-built suburbs embraced the lawn as one of their icons of success and comfortable living.
The lawn was now cemented into American culture. Woe be unto he who violated the unspoken contract of “keeping up appearances” and allowing one’s turf to “go native” and grow beyond the socially acceptable four inches in height. An un-mowed, unkempt lawn was a sign of slovenliness and anti-social tendencies. Social breakdown and chaos could not be far behind.
This is why the lawn is so ardently defended by so many. It is a symbol of an entire social class and lifestyle. It is far more than a near-lifeless green expanse that requires an inordinate amount of time, money and chemicals to maintain. It embodies the hopes and dreams of average Americans, and symbolizes the triumph or order over entropy. It is a shared middle class bond that transcends politics, religion, and ethnicity. In many communities you are judged by your lawn first, and your character as a human being second. And do not for one minute believe that the first does not influence the second.
Why do we Persist with Our Addiction to Lawns? What About Wildlife?
1)    It’s simple and easy! We know how to do it: Fertilize it, spray it, and mow it!
2)    You don’t really have to know anything about plants or gardening to grow and manage a lawn – just follow the directions provided by the purveyors of fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides provide you!
3)    Lawn is a cheap fix. Although less costly to install than native landscapes, lawn has a high life cycle cost over a period of many years. Native landscapes typically have low long-term maintenance costs, with lower life cycle costs.
4)    Lawns don’t attract bugs or wildlife (except for geese), so you know you and your family will be safe from snakes, vermin, and those annoying insects! So what if insects are the foundation of the food chain, and support a myriad of birds and other desirable creatures. We’ve been brainwashed that bugs are bad, so we have to make sure they don’t inhabit our outdoor living spaces.
5)    NO BUGS, NO BIRDS!
6)    Everybody says they love Nature, but nobody ever invites her over to their yard.
7)    I knew my prairie was a success when I saw Meadow Jumping Mice (Zapus hudsonianus) and Hog Nosed Snakes (Heterodon platirhinos) in it. These creatures provided evidence that I now had a functioning ecosystem, not just a garden. If you like hawks and owls, you better be able to feed them: rodents and reptiles are some of their preferred foods.
WE ARE NOT A NATION OF GARDENERS:
WE ARE A NATION OF MOWERS!
WHY DO WE CARE WHAT WE PLANT IN OUR GARDENS
AND LANDSCAPES?
Many of us care deeply about the state of our planet and the loss of biodiversity that is occurring on a global scale. Although we all think globally, most of us can only act locally. Together, we can have an impact in our own gardens and landscapes, as well as those of our friends and neighbors. For those of us in the landscape design business, we can promote sustainable landscapes composed of native plants that require little or no fertilizers, pesticides, watering, or mowing (just burning!). This alone, when compounded over time as more people opt for sustainable landscapes, can have an impact.
The looming question for us today is the on-going loss of biodiversity. Restoring native ecosystems is one way we can help support not just native plants, but also invertebrates such as rare butterflies and moths, bees, wasps, and all manner of the generally unloved lower castes of bugs and creepy crawly things. Yet they are all important, and each has an important place in the web of life.
Homo sapiens, is presently presiding over what is believed to be the Sixth Great Extinction. Although we have yet to reach the catastrophic levels of past extinction events, we are well on our way and showing only a few signs of abatement in our drive to subdue and conquer the earth, as we serve our ever-expanding need for food, fuel, water, and living space.
But does it really matter what we do as individuals? A society is composed of all its individuals, and their actions determine the face of that society. Most of us are working to restore the integrity of native ecosystems because we believe it is the “right” and good thing to do, and that we are “doing it for the planet.” But does it really matter? Does the planet really respect our actions? Or is it all irrelevant?
The Earth has been subjected to massive extinctions in the past, some fairly recent in geological history. The planet has always recovered, with the development of new species and a wealth of new life forms. Nature does indeed abhor a vacuum, and she apparently fills it rapidly. All of the work I am doing on my property to control invasive species and restore native plants will someday be negated by the next advance of the glacier, as unlikely as that may seem at this point in geological and meteorolical history. Of course, my landscape will probably be invaded by garlic muster, buckthorn, honeysuckle and other non-native thugs soon after my demise, unless some equally deranged and determined individual picks up where I leave off.
SO WHY RESTORE THE PLANET? DOES IT REALLY MATTER?
If one takes a long-term geological perspective, it doesn’t really matter what we do. Even if we nuke the joint, something will survive and a whole new set of life forms will evolve. Maybe the next sentient beings will be smarter than us, and actually take care of the planet.
We Restore the Earth Because It Is Good for Us!
We need a quality of life that includes clean air, clean water, trees, flowers, ferns, birds, and all the wonderful life forms with which we share the planet. We aren’t just preserving habitat and restoring native plant communities out of the goodness of our hearts – Our very economic and psychic survival depend upon it!
We have yet to fully value the economics of a healthy environment. But as the planet is further degraded, the value of high quality living spaces only increases.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Ultimately, our future landscapes will be in large part determined more by economics than ecology. This is an unfortunate consequence of the human condition. As a quality living space becomes more valuable, more value will be placed upon it. We will protect it more diligently. It will sell for a higher price. People will begin to view the natural environment more as an asset, rather than as a resource to be exploited.
All of this will most likely be precipitated by shortages of water, rather than a shortage of oil or other energy source. You can live without oil, but you cannot live without water. As the price of water increases, the incentive to conserve it will increase. We will need landscapes that do not require huge inputs of water and chemicals to sustain them. We will need to overcome our cultural taboos of “messy” natural landscapes and move beyond viewing lawns as status symbols and a rite of passage into the middle and upper classes.
Someday pride of place will belong to those with the least lawn, lowest water bill, and no chemicals in their garages. Society will value those who work to preserve our environment, rather than those who can make the most money by despoiling it. I personally cannot wait much longer for that day to come.
AT A GLANCE:
TODAY: LAWN, an ecological and economic disaster

TOMORROW: SUSTAINA LE ECOSYSTEMS, composed of native plant
communities that require little or no fertilizers, pesticides, or irrigation, o
TODAY: MONOCULTURES of mowed lawns

TOMORROW: DIVERSE ECOSYSTEMS that support a wide variety of life
TODAY: FEAR and mistrust of the natural world and its attendant organisms (bugs,
mice, snakes, etc)

TOMORROW: RE-INTEGRATION of people into nature and an understanding that
everything is connected and interdependent
WE MUST ENTER INTO A JOINT VENTURE WITH NATURE TO PRESERVE OUR PLANET AND THE SYSTEMS UPON WHICH ALL LIFE DEPENDS.

ONLY THEN WILL WE LIVE IN HARMONY WITH OUR FELLOW CREATURES ON THIS PLANET.

OUR QUALITY LIFE AND LONG-TERM SURVIVAL DEPENDS UPON THE SURVIVAL OF THE SYSTEMS AND ORGANISMS THAT SUPPORT US.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 26th, 2011 at 3:39 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

University of Vermont Extension
Department of Plant and Soil Science

Summer News Article
FUEL-EFFICIENT LAWNS AND LANDSCAPES
Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont
With the price of gasoline and natural gas on the rise, most are looking for ways to cut their costs and save energy. If you have a lawn or garden, you may not realize just how much fossil fuels you are using. By knowing where these are used, you can look for ways to reduce consumption. This will reduce your costs, and help the environment.
In a recent PPPro online newsletter Paul Tukey, editor of People, Places and Plants magazine, provides some sobering facts and helpful suggestions. Each year, a family with a one-third acre lawn will on average:
*consume five gallons of gas for mowing and trimming;
*apply the equivalent of seven gallons for fertilizing;
*burn up to five gallons for watering; and
*consume an additional gallon for cleanup.
That’s 18 gallons of fuel per household. With 120 million U.S. households, that’s the equivalent of almost 2.2 billion gallons of fuel used just for lawn care each year. This does not count other landscaping activities. So just how do we use so much?
Yale University has estimated that the United States uses more than 600 million gallons of gas to mow and trim lawns each year — about two gallons of gas for every man, woman and child, or five gallons per household. Mowers also consume engine oil in their crankcases, and two-stroke mowers consume oil in their fuel.
In addition to fuel consumption, mowers and outdoor power equipment contribute heavily to air pollution. Operating a typical (4 HP) gasoline-powered lawnmower for one hour produces as much smog-forming hydrocarbons as driving an average car between 100 and 200 miles under average conditions. Gasoline-powered string trimmers are actually more polluting than many lawn mowers. One estimate (mindfully.org) states that “the 20,000,000 small engines sold in the U.S. each year contribute about one tenth of the total U.S. mobile source hydrocarbon emissions, and are the largest single contributor to these non-road emissions.” These include power blowers, rakes, and brooms.
Creating synthetic nitrogen for fertilizers requires the heating of natural gas to combine atmospheric nitrogen and hydrogen into ammonia. The amount of natural gas required to make approximately 200 bags of lawn fertilizer would heat your home for a year. Each 40-pound bag contains the fossil-fuel equivalent of approximately 2.5 gallons of gasoline. Transporting these bags of fertilizer from the factory and to your home requires additional fuel.
According to a California study, in many areas — especially in the West, where water must be moved great distances from reservoirs — the amount of fuel needed to pump the water is at least equal to the fuel used in mowing.

So what can you do? Here are ten tips to have a “fuel-efficient” landscape.
*Use an electric or non-powered push mower. An electric mower maintaining one-third of an acre for a season consumes only $3 of electricity on average. Electric mowers are 75 percent quieter than gas mowers. Push mowers, of course, consume no fuel and make little noise.
*Similarly, use traditional hand rakes and brooms instead of power ones and blowers to save fuel, and at the same time reduce air and noise pollution. If you employ a landscape maintenance firm, encourage their use of these too. Minimize the need for string trimmers. Mulch along walks and around structures such as lamp posts to avoid having to trim weeds in these areas.
*If you have an old mower, consider replacing it. Newer small engines run much cleaner. EPA emission standards for such engines, to be in effect by 2007, are expected to reduce ground-level ozone emissions by 70 percent or 350,000 tons each year.
*Reduce the area mowed through use of groundcovers. This is especially true in areas with water shortages. Allow parts of large areas to grow, only mowing once or twice a season, creating a natural meadow. You can still mow areas near drives and homes to maintain the more formal manicured effects in such highly visible and high traffic areas.
*Save rainwater and gray water. Gray water is that water from home use, except from toilets, and can make up from 50 to 80 percent of home waste water. It comes from sinks, showers, and laundry and can be used for irrigating landscapes and lawns.
*Water deeply once per week on average, rather than frequently. Drip irrigation and mulches also conserve water. Using less water saves on energy use, whether you’re buying water that has to be pumped, or are paying an electric bill to pump your own.
*Use natural, organic fertilizers not derived from fossil fuels.
*Recycle grass clippings, mow higher and mix 5 percent clover into your lawn seed. All these help recycle nutrients back into the soil. Mulching-type mowers allow you to leave grass clippings on the lawn. If you don’t have such a mower, and remove the clippings, add them to compost or use them to mulch gardens.
*Compost all yard wastes, except for diseased plants and plant parts. They can go into compost piles, saving gasoline hauling such to landfills and recycle centers. If your landscape generates many twigs and other brush, consider buying or renting a home-size brush chipper.
*Finally, consider landscaping to reduce up to 25 percent of home energy consumption. Foundation plantings can lessen heat loss from buildings. Evergreen windbreaks can reduce heating costs in winter in windy areas. Deciduous shade trees can reduce energy needs for cooling in summer. According to the Department of Energy, only three properly placed trees may

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"You can't learn much from a lawn,
but a garden has a whole world of wonders."

history

Lawns started out as grazing areas around the manors of the landed gentry. Having a nice lawn around the house was a sign of power as you owned sufficient land to raise sheep and cow.
As the industrial revolution took hold and animals were less a sign of wealth, the lawn itself became the status symbol. You could indulge yourself in sparing land and time to recreational grounds.
As people moved to the cities so did the grass, on ever smaller plots. First lawns were cut by hand and later with the mechanical lawnmower, (an automated, resource depleting, pointless cow.)
The 20th Century saw an explosion of lawn making as commercial interests produced endless grass seed, fertiliser, pesticides, mowers, spreaders and irrigation equipment whilst developers discovered they could pass off cheap ‘gardens’ by spreading 3 inches of soil over hard subsoil and laying turf on top.
Nowerdays, many lawns are rarely used and some are so covered with chemicals children have been permanently injured after walking barefoot on them.[1]

the modern lawn - a waste of resources

The modern pure grass lawn is artificial... you need effort and chemicals to maintain a monoculture.

Misuse and the inherent toxicity of standard pesticides cause short and long term poisoning, cancer and disease in people and wildlife. [a]

Extensive use and overuse of fertilisers (due to lack of restrictions) causes water pollution problems and wastes resources. [b]

Endless summer irrigation to keep lawns green wastes massive amounts of water and depletes water tables. [c]

Lawnmowers, strimmers and other lawn machinery unregulated for environmental emissions, use vast amounts of petrol and are a significant factor in urban air and noise pollution. [d]

The lawn is the worlds third agriculture. It is probable that westerners spend more person hours, energy and resources on their lawns than any agricultural resource of the third world.[8]

In the early 1990’s in the United States…

$ 25 billion a year was spent on lawn care products.
Of this,
$ 5,250 million was spent on fossil fuel-derived fertilisers and...
$ 700 million was spent on 28 million kgs of poisonous synthetic pesticides.

Meanwhile 20 million acres were planted in residential lawns
and the average city sprayed its lawns with 30 to 60 % of its fresh water supply.[2]

The lawn is a green desert. Adoption of a monoculture for a garden drastically reduces the habitats available for wildlife. Birds, bees, butterflies and other animals all begin to disappear. Often leaving an unstable ecosystem where common ‘pest’ species seem to flourish.

alternatives

Aside from keeping animals or ripping up the turf to plant trees and bushes, build vegetable beds, a pond or a greenhouse there are many things you can do to keep the same purpose of a lawn whilst adding diversity and removing chemical and mechanical dependence. (Unless the area you have is subject to heavy traffic and abuse, where turf is probably the most suitable thing to use.) If you just want somewhere to sit, try making a bench a focal point of your garden.
Lawns can be made more edible, medicinal, beautiful and nice smelling by adding low growing aromatic herbs and flowers. The plants below have been specially selected because they will tolerate at least infrequent mowings. For best results don’t cut as often or as short as a normal lawn and try to lay off for at least 3 weeks in the summer to let the taller plants flower and set seed. You could try sowing them into small gaps in the grass or better still plant them out. For low maintenance choose plants that will like your local conditions.

	lively lawns Apart from the obvious dandelions (Taraxacum officinale), daisy (Bellis perennis) and plantains (Plantago major, plantago media) which are all excellent in lawns, freely self seed, add variety and can also be eaten once you get past seeing them just as ‘weeds,’ try… White Clover, Trifolium repens: 10cm H, spreads, adds nitrogen to the soil, attracts bees and butterflies. You can eat the flowers and leaves, (bit fiddly though) Camomile, Chamaemelum nobile: 15cm H 30cm W, Plants for a future[9] recommend for smell but not for medicine, (no flowers), a cultivar called ‘Treneague’ which is low growing, spreads and will succeed if the grass is cut low and often, however you'll have to find a cutting, there are no seeds. Wild thyme, Thymus serpyllum: 10cm H 30cm W Forms spreading clumps, pink flowers attract bees in summer, drought tolerant, needs sun. High in antioxidants and an essential kitchen herb. Lemon thyme, Thymus x citiodorus: 10cm H 30cm W. Likes light well drained soil and full sun, can be planted by division. Coltsfoot, Tussilago farfara: 25cm H, spreads invasively. Tolerates shade, does well in all soils, flowers edible mar-apr, leaves appear afterwards, used for treatment of respiratory problems. Rough Hawkbit, Leontodon hispidus: 40cm H 30cm W. Similar to dandelion, prefers chalky soil, flowers all summer, attracts bees & butterflies, edible leaves most of the year.
	Salad burnet, Sanguisorba minor: 55cm H 30cm W. Prefers chalky soil and slightly longer grass, flowers May-Aug and provides edible young leaves all year round. Self Heal, Prunella vulgaris: 15cm H spreading to form clumps 30cm W. Prefers moist soil, tolerates low cutting and shade, flowers mid to late summer, attracts bees & butterflies, eaten in salads and an healing herb for cuts and wounds. Yarrow, Achillea millefolium: upto 60cm H spreads, hardy, drought resistant, good in poor soils, and a very useful medicinal herb. beautiful bulbs By lengthening the time between mowings you can also grow taller plants such as bulbs. Planted surreptitiously they are a nice surprise. All below are edible and most spread naturally. It is advisable to plant bulbs of similar flowering times together to make any lawn maintenance more straightforward. Field & Crow garlic, Allium oleraceum & A. vineale: 60cm H, 5cm W. Both almost invasive in grass if left to form bulbils in jul-aug, tolerant of mowing, leaves edible autumn to following summer. If cows eat them, their milk is tainted. Quamash, Camassia quamash: 50cm H 10cm W. Does well in short grass and under trees, flowers late spring, very edible bulbs when cooked.
	Dog's Tooth Violet, Erythronium den-canis: 15cm H 10cm W. appears in spring for a few months each year. bulbs edible raw or cooked, also try E. revoltum 'pagoda' for a bigger, version. Tassel Hyacinth, Muscari botryoides: 40cm H clumps 20cm W. Easy to grow, does well in short grass, almost invasive, 3.5cm bulbs edible, but a little bitter. Or for beauty, there are many other bulbs, such as daffodils, bluebells, crocus etc that can be planted into the lawn. wonderful wildflowers Perhaps you could turn some of your lawn into a ‘wildflower meadow’. This will attract butterflies and insects as well as bringing nature a bit closer to home. Choose a sunny position on poor soil to get the most flowers. Mow only after the seeds have set (around August) and remove the clippings to keep fertility low. Sow a mix of wild flowers into bare earth, or if grass is already established, grow in pots and plant out in Autumn or Spring, this is more work but gets better results. Most of the above taller lawn plants will do well as these edible ones below... Meadowsweet, Filipendula ulmaria: 120cm H. Likes moist rich soil non acid soils, a useful medicinal and culinary herb. Sheep sorrel, Rumex acetosella: 30cm H. prefers suny and moist spot, sharp edible salad leaves all year round. Red clover, Trifolium pratense: 60cm H. attracts butterflies, moths and bees, put round apple trees for better fruit, edible leaves, fixes nitrogen. Alternatively you could purchase a conservation wildflower mix from a local supplier, you won't be able to eat them though. For some more lawn fun see the guerrilla gardening pages. Notes [a] Many pesticides have never been adequately tested for toxicity to humans or wildlife. According to the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides, 13 of the most commonly used lawn care pesticides can cause cancer, 14 can cause birth defects, 21 can damage the nervous system, 15 can injure the liver or kidney, and 30 are sensitizers or irritants. [3] The pesticide MCPA, used as an ingredient is some lawn pesticides, has been found to damage the blood brain barrier which protects against neurological illness.[4] Organophosphate pesticides have been shown to cause memory loss and short attention spans.[5] Other studies have linked long term pesticide use with prostate[6], brain and lung cancer.[7] It is estimated that each year in the US, 67 million birds are poisoned by legally used pesticides.[3] Pesticides are often misused especially by homeowners, increasing the risks. [b] Fertiliser is often over applied, causing runoff problems in nearby watercourses, as well as the obvious waste of fossil fuels in its manufacture and transport. [c] It is estimated that 44% of domestic water consumption in California is used for lawns[8] In many areas ground water tables are being depleted. [d] The manufacture of garden machinery uses energy, depletes resources and creates pollution as do the engine fumes or the power plants producing the electricity they run on. In the early 90’s it was estimated that 580,000,000 gallons of petrol were used to run lawnmowers in the US every year.[2] References [1] The Pesticide Scandal, Sayan, Kathyrne, Family Circle 2 April 1991. [2] Redesigning the American Lawn, F. Herbert Bormann, Diana Balmori, Gordon T. Geballe, Yale University Press, 1993 [3] Spring, 1997 edition of The Arlington Environment, Volume Four, Number Four [4] Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 65:23, 1982 [5] Annual Reviews in Public Health, 7:461, 1986 [6] Occupational Environmental Medicine, 56(1):14-21, 1999 [7] Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 71(1), July 1983 [8] Permaculture a designers manual, Bill Mollison, Tagari publications, 1988. [9] Plants for a future- edible and useful plants for a healthier world, Ken Fern, Permanent publications, 1997.

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"You can't learn much from a lawn,
but a garden has a whole world of wonders."

history

the modern lawn - a waste of resources

The modern pure grass lawn is artificial... you need effort and chemicals to maintain a monoculture.

Misuse and the inherent toxicity of standard pesticides cause short and long term poisoning, cancer and disease in people and wildlife. [a]

Extensive use and overuse of fertilisers (due to lack of restrictions) causes water pollution problems and wastes resources. [b]

Endless summer irrigation to keep lawns green wastes massive amounts of water and depletes water tables. [c]

Lawnmowers, strimmers and other lawn machinery unregulated for environmental emissions, use vast amounts of petrol and are a significant factor in urban air and noise pollution. [d]

The lawn is the worlds third agriculture. It is probable that westerners spend more person hours, energy and resources on their lawns than any agricultural resource of the third world.[8]

alternatives

	lively lawns Apart from the obvious dandelions (Taraxacum officinale), daisy (Bellis perennis) and plantains (Plantago major, plantago media) which are all excellent in lawns, freely self seed, add variety and can also be eaten once you get past seeing them just as ‘weeds,’ try… White Clover, Trifolium repens: 10cm H, spreads, adds nitrogen to the soil, attracts bees and butterflies. You can eat the flowers and leaves, (bit fiddly though) Camomile, Chamaemelum nobile: 15cm H 30cm W, Plants for a future[9] recommend for smell but not for medicine, (no flowers), a cultivar called ‘Treneague’ which is low growing, spreads and will succeed if the grass is cut low and often, however you'll have to find a cutting, there are no seeds. Wild thyme, Thymus serpyllum: 10cm H 30cm W Forms spreading clumps, pink flowers attract bees in summer, drought tolerant, needs sun. High in antioxidants and an essential kitchen herb. Lemon thyme, Thymus x citiodorus: 10cm H 30cm W. Likes light well drained soil and full sun, can be planted by division. Coltsfoot, Tussilago farfara: 25cm H, spreads invasively. Tolerates shade, does well in all soils, flowers edible mar-apr, leaves appear afterwards, used for treatment of respiratory problems. Rough Hawkbit, Leontodon hispidus: 40cm H 30cm W. Similar to dandelion, prefers chalky soil, flowers all summer, attracts bees & butterflies, edible leaves most of the year.
	Salad burnet, Sanguisorba minor: 55cm H 30cm W. Prefers chalky soil and slightly longer grass, flowers May-Aug and provides edible young leaves all year round. Self Heal, Prunella vulgaris: 15cm H spreading to form clumps 30cm W. Prefers moist soil, tolerates low cutting and shade, flowers mid to late summer, attracts bees & butterflies, eaten in salads and an healing herb for cuts and wounds. Yarrow, Achillea millefolium: upto 60cm H spreads, hardy, drought resistant, good in poor soils, and a very useful medicinal herb. beautiful bulbs By lengthening the time between mowings you can also grow taller plants such as bulbs. Planted surreptitiously they are a nice surprise. All below are edible and most spread naturally. It is advisable to plant bulbs of similar flowering times together to make any lawn maintenance more straightforward. Field & Crow garlic, Allium oleraceum & A. vineale: 60cm H, 5cm W. Both almost invasive in grass if left to form bulbils in jul-aug, tolerant of mowing, leaves edible autumn to following summer. If cows eat them, their milk is tainted. Quamash, Camassia quamash: 50cm H 10cm W. Does well in short grass and under trees, flowers late spring, very edible bulbs when cooked.
	Dog's Tooth Violet, Erythronium den-canis: 15cm H 10cm W. appears in spring for a few months each year. bulbs edible raw or cooked, also try E. revoltum 'pagoda' for a bigger, version. Tassel Hyacinth, Muscari botryoides: 40cm H clumps 20cm W. Easy to grow, does well in short grass, almost invasive, 3.5cm bulbs edible, but a little bitter. Or for beauty, there are many other bulbs, such as daffodils, bluebells, crocus etc that can be planted into the lawn. wonderful wildflowers Perhaps you could turn some of your lawn into a ‘wildflower meadow’. This will attract butterflies and insects as well as bringing nature a bit closer to home. Choose a sunny position on poor soil to get the most flowers. Mow only after the seeds have set (around August) and remove the clippings to keep fertility low. Sow a mix of wild flowers into bare earth, or if grass is already established, grow in pots and plant out in Autumn or Spring, this is more work but gets better results. Most of the above taller lawn plants will do well as these edible ones below... Meadowsweet, Filipendula ulmaria: 120cm H. Likes moist rich soil non acid soils, a useful medicinal and culinary herb. Sheep sorrel, Rumex acetosella: 30cm H. prefers suny and moist spot, sharp edible salad leaves all year round. Red clover, Trifolium pratense: 60cm H. attracts butterflies, moths and bees, put round apple trees for better fruit, edible leaves, fixes nitrogen. Alternatively you could purchase a conservation wildflower mix from a local supplier, you won't be able to eat them though. For some more lawn fun see the guerrilla gardening pages. Notes [a] Many pesticides have never been adequately tested for toxicity to humans or wildlife. According to the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides, 13 of the most commonly used lawn care pesticides can cause cancer, 14 can cause birth defects, 21 can damage the nervous system, 15 can injure the liver or kidney, and 30 are sensitizers or irritants. [3] The pesticide MCPA, used as an ingredient is some lawn pesticides, has been found to damage the blood brain barrier which protects against neurological illness.[4] Organophosphate pesticides have been shown to cause memory loss and short attention spans.[5] Other studies have linked long term pesticide use with prostate[6], brain and lung cancer.[7] It is estimated that each year in the US, 67 million birds are poisoned by legally used pesticides.[3] Pesticides are often misused especially by homeowners, increasing the risks. [b] Fertiliser is often over applied, causing runoff problems in nearby watercourses, as well as the obvious waste of fossil fuels in its manufacture and transport. [c] It is estimated that 44% of domestic water consumption in California is used for lawns[8] In many areas ground water tables are being depleted. [d] The manufacture of garden machinery uses energy, depletes resources and creates pollution as do the engine fumes or the power plants producing the electricity they run on. In the early 90’s it was estimated that 580,000,000 gallons of petrol were used to run lawnmowers in the US every year.[2] References [1] The Pesticide Scandal, Sayan, Kathyrne, Family Circle 2 April 1991. [2] Redesigning the American Lawn, F. Herbert Bormann, Diana Balmori, Gordon T. Geballe, Yale University Press, 1993 [3] Spring, 1997 edition of The Arlington Environment, Volume Four, Number Four [4] Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 65:23, 1982 [5] Annual Reviews in Public Health, 7:461, 1986 [6] Occupational Environmental Medicine, 56(1):14-21, 1999 [7] Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 71(1), July 1983 [8] Permaculture a designers manual, Bill Mollison, Tagari publications, 1988. [9] Plants for a future- edible and useful plants for a healthier world, Ken Fern, Permanent publications, 1997.

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Next week's shortakes on public-access television previewed on You Tube: See link below

2011-08-12T22:15:00.002-05:00

Lioneld Jordan, mayor of Fayetteville, Arkansas, thanks Doug Bryson, manager of the Pinnacle Foods Inc. food-processing facility just across the railroad from Ward 4 for the corporation's many years of protecting a large, unplowed wet-prairie parcel that provides an important link in the city's wildlife corridor and green infrastructure

2011-08-05T16:46:00.000-05:00

Fayetteville Council of Neighborhoods' meeting July 28, 2011, video

2011-08-05T11:08:00.002-05:00

Veteran speaks about threat of big buildings and dense population near Fayetteville National Cemetery

2011-07-16T18:25:00.002-05:00

Planning Commission passes the sale-barn rezoning to the City Council at June 27 meeting despite comments of neighbors and veterans

2011-07-08T12:03:00.002-05:00

Video of slide show to run June 27-July 1, 2011, on Fayetteville Public Television

2011-06-24T20:48:00.002-05:00

Shortakes recorded Monday, June 13, 2011, to run June 20-24, 2011, on Public Access Television at 218 on Cox Cable and U-verse 99 on AT&T as well as simulcast on the Your Media Web site

2011-06-17T17:47:00.000-05:00

May 16, 2011, Ward 4 meeting in Fayetteville, Arkansas, includes discussion of upcoming City Council consideration of the proposed change in public-smoking ordinance

2011-05-26T07:58:00.002-05:00

February 28, 2011, Ward 4 meeting in Fayetteville, Arkansas

2011-03-05T08:55:00.004-06:00

October 2, 2007, video of part of Fayetteville City Council meeting features discussion of proposed plan for reducing erosion in Red Oak Park

2011-01-07T12:19:00.000-06:00

Ambrosia trifida feeds many birds in September and October and a few persistent ground-scratchers all winter

2010-12-27T09:21:00.002-06:00

Please click on individual images to ENLARGE view of immature and adult male cardinals feeding on Ambrosia trifida in September 2010.
September and October are feasting months for locally fledged birds as well as the hoards of migrating birds that find Ambrosia trifida a special native treat in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The importance of allowing native plants to go to seed and remain standing as "feeders with legs" cannot be overemphasized.

Rhonda Adams creates blog in preparation for replacing outgoing Shirley Lucas on the Fayetteville, Arkansas, City Council in January 2011

2010-12-23T16:32:00.000-06:00

Rhonda Adams' Ward 4 Web log.

Jim Bemis speaks at Telecom Board meeting on December 16, 2010

2010-12-18T21:43:00.002-06:00

GOVERNMENT CHANNEL SCHEDULE published Friday, December 17, 2010, the day following Telecom Board meeting, does not include Telecom Board meeting video to be run during week of 12/17/2010 through 12/12/2010. Bemis' comments, therefore, will not be shown on Cox Cable or AT&T U-verse until long after the Fayetteville City Council meeting at which the CAT contract will be voted on Tuesday, December 21, 2010.
Please click on individual pages to ENLARGE for easy reading.

Shirley Lucas chairs her final meeting as a member of the Fayetteville City Council

2010-12-14T23:58:00.001-06:00

Cox Cable changes of interest to viewers of Fayetteville's public channels

2010-11-21T20:44:00.002-06:00

aubunique: Please fill out online survey of opinion of perfor...

2010-11-09T20:40:00.000-06:00

aubunique: Please fill out online survey of opinion of perfor...: "Greetings Everyone! CAT Performance Survey 2010 As we reach the end of 2010, Community Access Television (CAT) requests the favor of yo..."

Cox Cable pulls surprise on city of Fayetteville, Arkansas, with plan to move public-access, government channel and educational channel to EXPENSIVE digital tier of channels: So much for open government when thousands of people will not be able to afford access to the public channels

2010-11-08T22:01:00.002-06:00

Please click on image to ENLARGE view of Cox Cable advertisement in recent issue of The Northwest Arkansas Times.

For several years I have been able to turn away phone and online salesmen wanting me to take the satellite systems and later the Uverse TV system of AT&T.
But now Cox has set up a situation that will require me to drop their service and take the Uverse, which will automatically cut my cost because I have AT&T phone service already.
Cox has one thing the others don't have: The local public stations at minimal cost.
This is the time for the city administration to begin negotiating with COX. This is a draconian measure that will hurt COX in the long run.

Election-eve comment from David Whitaker, Northwest Arkansas' candidate to take seat in House of Representatives from 3rd congressional disctrict

2010-11-01T19:52:00.002-05:00

Comments on riparian ordinance during meeting of Fayetteville Planning Commission

2010-11-01T11:58:00.001-05:00

aubunique: Comments on riparian ordinance during meeting of F...

Democratic signs in Ward 4

2010-10-27T23:26:00.000-05:00

Please click on image to ENLARGE.

August 30, 2009, photo of Question Mark butterfly, the Polygonia interrogationis, at Red Oak Park

2010-10-16T11:14:00.000-05:00

aubunique: Insect Festival coming up

2010-10-06T20:21:00.000-05:00

aubunique: Insect Festival coming up: "Please use live links on site to navigate and read more detail. Bumpers College Home Entomology Home O..."

aubunique: Insect Festival coming up

2010-10-06T20:19:00.000-05:00

aubunique: Insect Festival coming up: "Please use live links on site to navigate and read more detail. Bumpers College Home Entomology Home O..."

http://kbimages.blogspot.com/post-template.jpg

aubunique: Tree and Landscape Committee sets annual city tree...

2010-10-06T11:14:00.000-05:00

aubunique: Tree and Landscape Committee sets annual city tree...: "12th Annual Celebration of TreesSaturday October 9, 2010 7:00 am Town Center entrance on the Fayetteville SquareEvery year the Tree and Lan..."

Northwest Arkansas Ducks Unlimited banquet in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on September 24, 2010

2010-09-10T22:36:00.001-05:00

Start the celebration early for the Alabama game by attending the Northwest Arkansas Ducks Unlimited membership banquet at the Washington County Fairgrounds. Lots of great food, unique auction items and plenty of prizes.
Individual, couple, Sponsor and Corporate tables for eight are available. To purchase your tickets online please click the Buy Tickets link below.

If you're interested in becoming a volunteer on the committee, or would like more information on the banquet, please contact me at the email address shown. Be sure to forward this email to friends and fellow duck hunters who would also like to attend the banquet.
Please click on image to ENLARGE view of Illinois River waterfowl on January 6, 2010.

Jim Bemis photographs Red Oak Park work and asks how people are to cross the stream and about other details

2010-09-06T09:31:00.000-05:00

Please click on individual images to ENLARGE photos of Red Oak Park made on September 4, 2010, by Jim Bemis, longtime resident of Ward 4.

WARD TWO Fayetteville, Arkansas: aubunique: Volunteers to be honored at 5:30 p.m. T...

2010-09-01T09:39:00.000-05:00

WARD TWO Fayetteville, Arkansas: aubunique: Volunteers to be honored at 5:30 p.m. T...: "aubunique: Volunteers to be honored at 5:30 p.m. Thursday on ...: 'Fayetteville to Celebrate Community Volunteers September 2 The City of Fa..."

Aug9 aubrey.asf

2010-08-27T09:10:00.000-05:00

http://kbimages.blogspot.com/post-template.jpg

Please attend tonight's meeting of the Council of Neighborhoods: Agenda below

2010-08-26T13:37:00.000-05:00

Please double-click on the image to ENLARGE and widen view of swallowtail on World Peace Wetland Prairie in the Town Branch neighborhood on August 25, 2010, or scroll down to read about Fayetteville's Council of Neighborhoods and Thursday night's meeting of that group in city hall. Please see agenda for the meeting at the bottom of the post.

Please check the agenda and notice that there are two significant presentations slated for Council of Neighborhoods for August 26, 2010. In addition, all people who attend may report on anything of interest to them or others in their neighborhood or on any matter of importance to residents of the city. Many important issues have first surfaced when one person showed up and shared at Council of Neighborhoods. Chances are good that you may get to meet the people who are running for half the positions on the the City Council. And other candidates for public office also may be there. People who attend are not required to speak but have the opportunity to speak on Government Channel or simply meet representatives of other neighborhoods before and after the meeting and suggest subjects for future agendas. If you have never been contacted by anyone from your neighborhood association or don't believe there is an organization in your neighborhood, you can give your address to Julie McQuade, whose contact information is at the bottom of the agenda below, and she can tell you whether one exists and who to contact or how to form one if none exists. Everyone is always welcome at Council of Neighborhoods and often multiple city employees are on hand to answer questions and offer advice on problems people may mention during the meeting. I hope to be early and help create a "quorum." If you have never attended, please give it a try. If you can't attend, watch for the broadcast on Government Channel starting Friday, Saturday or Sunday or one day next week. The Government Channel schedule for the coming week usually is online on Friday afternoon. Of course, if we don't show up, there may not be a quorum and the meeting won't be recorded and shown on City 16.

AGENDA FOR A MEETING OF THE

FAYETTEVILLE COUNCIL OF NEIGHBORHOODS

Thursday, August 26, 2010, 6:00 p.m.

Room 326, City Hall

Call to Order

1. Introduction of neighborhood representatives

2. No minutes from July meeting to approve.

3. Eco-Logical Communities - Michele Halsell

4. Certified Community Habitat

5. Chairman’s report

6. Treasurer’s report

7. Neighborhood Updates & Announcements

8. September 30, 2010 Meeting - Candidate Forum

Adjourn

Julie McQuadeCommunity Outreach Coordinator
City of Fayetteville

113 West Mountain, Suite 320

Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479) 575-8302

www.accessfayetteville.org

TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) 479-521-1316

Two such wetland plants growing together are a strong indicator of wetland

2010-08-15T21:38:00.001-05:00

Please click on image to ENLARGE and widen view of Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed) and Verbena hastata (swamp vervain) growing together on south Fayetteville wetland.

Land-use and green-infrastructure committee of Fayetteville forward to meet at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 28, 2010, in Room 11 of city hall to discuss stormwater managment and erosion-control ordinance being considered by City Council on August 3, 2010

2010-07-24T10:11:00.001-05:00

To the Fayetteville Forward Land Use Planning and Green Infrastructure Committee-------

Not much has been happening this summer with our committee, but that doesn't mean green infrastructure matters aren't moving right along. One in particular will be on it's third and final reading at the next City Council meeting on August 3, 6pm, City Hall.

This is what is being considered for the council's vote:

Amend Chapters 169: Physical Alteration of Land and Chapter 170: Stormwater Management, Drainage and Erosion Control: An ordinance amending Chapter 169: Physical Alteration of Land and Chapter 170: Stormwater Management, Drainage and Erosion Control of Title XV of the Code of Fayetteville (Unified Development Code), to clarify stabilization requirements, require phased construction for sites larger than 20 acres, clarify re-vegetation requirements, clarify requirements for cut and fill slopes and retaining walls, define maintenance responsibility for stormwater management systems, restrict location of dirt and topsoil storage and define stabilization practices for dirt and topsoil storage, define a qualified inspector for erosion and sediment control best management practices, and require site plans for one and two family residences to contain a plan for erosion and sediment control and final on-site drainage. This ordinance was left on the First Reading at the July 6, 2010 City Council meeting and on its second reading, July 20.

Amend Chapter 177: Landscape Regulations: An ordinance amending Title XV: Unified Development Code of the City of Fayetteville, to amend Chapter 177: Landscape Regulations in order to modify existing requirements and regulations that address perimeter landscaping for development. This ordinance was left on the First Reading at the July 6, 2010 City Council meeting.

THE COMPLETE TEXT CAN BE ACCESSED FROM THE FRONT PAGE OF THE CITY'S WEBSITE www.accessfayetteville.org OR DIRECTLY AT:

http://www.accessfayetteville.org/government/engineering/documents/CHAPTER_169_final_draft_May4.pdf

The yellow highlighting on the document is where changes have been made, and which are being voted on . Members of this committee with interest in land use should pay special attention to this amendment so please look over it . Sarah Wrede, from the city's engineering department and who handles matters involving storm water, will be available to explain the amendment and to answer questions. We will be meeting with her next week so please come if you can.

Thanks, Fran

Wednesday, July 28, 3:30 pm in Rm 111, City Hall

Also don't forget the conference next week June 29-30 that I sent notice out about last month.

THE IRWP INVITES YOU TO JOIN US FOR THIS IMPORTANT WORKSHOP ON GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE ILLINOIS RIVER WATERSHED TMDL.   EARLY REGISTRATION BY JUNE 30, $35.
SPONSORED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS, IRWP, AND BEAVER WATER DISTRICT.

Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure
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Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure Workshop
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Workshop Information
Date: July 29 and 30
Location: Fayetteville Town Center, Fayetteville, AR
Cost: $35.00 until July 1, and $50.00 after July 1
Agenda
Contact Us
EPA Region 6, the Northwest Arkansas Stormwater Education Group, the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension, the Illinois River Watershed Partnership, and the Beaver Water District are proud to announce the "Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure" Workshop to be held July 29th & 30th at the Fayetteville Town Center in beautiful downtown Fayetteville, AR.
What is Green Infrastructure?
Green infrastructure is an approach to wet weather management that is cost-effective, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. Green Infrastructure management approaches and technologies infiltrate, evapotranspire, capture and reuse stormwater to maintain or restore natural hydrology. Additional information on EPA's green infrastructure program is available at www.epa.gov/greeninfrastructure.
Why attend?
Participants will leave the conference with knowledge of tools and practices needed to effectively implement GI and different approaches to linking GI to prevent/mitigate water quality impacts. This meeting will be highly informative and will benefit all participants. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) may be available.
Suggested Attendees

Anyone interested in improving their quality of life is welcome! Employees, managers and supervisors of organizations interested in learning about new opportunities and initiatives to "green" their communities. This includes, but is not limited to, those who work in:

City, County and Regional Governments including:
Environmental or Sustainability Departments
Energy offices
Departments of Public Works, Solid Waste, Parks and Recreation
Water Departments
Mayor’s Offices and Planning Departments
Tribal Governments
DOD Base Planning and Military Installation Administrators
School Districts
College and Universities
Places of Worship
Engineering and Architectural Firms
Landscape Architecture
Landscape Design
Real Estate Development
Construction
Vehicle Fleet Maintenance and Operations
Energy Service Companies
Renewable Energy Technology
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) working with local cities
Homeowners’ Associations

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Agenda
Day 1
7:45 - 8:30 Registration
8:30 - 8:45       Welcome, Introductions, Purpose
8:45 - 9:15       Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure
      Overview of stormwater dynamics and defining the concepts of Green Infrastructure/LID
      Nelly Smith, EPA Region 6
9:15 - 10:00       Benefits of Green Infrastructure and Retrofit Opportunities
      Dan Christian, Tetra Tech
10:00 - 10:15       Break
10:15 - 11:00       Prevention, Listing, and De-listing of 303(d) Impaired Waterways
      Jim Wise, ADEQ
11:00 - 12:00       TMDLs - What does it mean for the Illinois River Watershed?
      Phillip Massierer, FTN Associates
      Claudia Hosch, Associate Director, Water Quality Division, EPA Region 6
12:00 - 1:00       Catered Lunch
1:00 - 1:45       Local Codes and Ordinances
      Dan Christian, Tetra Tech
1:45 - 2:30       Construction Site BMPs, Inspections, and Effluent Limitation Guidelines
      Jamal Solaimanian, ADEQ
2:30 - 2:45       Break
2:45 - 3:15       MS4 Reporting and Program Audits
      Nick Willis, ADEQ
3:15 - 3:45       Managing Nutrient Runoff through Arkansas' Nutrient Regulations
      Patrick Fisk, AR Natural Resources Commission
3:45 - 4:30       Fayetteville's 5-Year Nutrient Management Plan
      Bob Morgan, Beaver Water District
      Sarah, Wrede, City of Fayetteville
4:30 - 6:00       Green Infrastructure Reception - sponsored by the Illinois River Watershed Partnership
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Day 2
8:00 - 8:15 Welcome
8:15 - 9:30       Panel Discussion: Building a Case for Green Infrastructure - Clear Creek Stormwater Management and Flooding
      Mayor Lioneld Jordan, City of Fayetteville (moderator)
      Mayor Doug Sprouse, City of Springdale
      Jerry Davison, Clear Creek property owner
      Charles Rhodes, Clear Creek property owner
      Beth Breed, FTN Associates, Ltd.
9:30 - 9:45       Break
9:45 - 12:00       Incorporating Green Infrastructure in Northwest Arkansas:

Bioretention (bioswales, rain gardens and green roofs)

Kyle Engler, Sam's Club

Brandon Nikolish, Wal-Mart

Eco-Vista Landfill

Kirby Thompson, Waste Management

Green Infrastructure Planning Project

Bob Caulk, Fayetteville Natural Heritage Commission

Bob Morgan, Beaver Water District

Patti Erwin, AR Forestry Commission

Sager Creek Project

David Cameron, City of Siloam Springs
Registration
To register for the workshop, please download the registration form here (PDF) (1 pp, 92K).
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Location and Parking
For more information and directions to the Fayetteville Town Center, visit http://www.twncenter.com . A parking deck is available below the building.
There are many hotels in area but the closest hotel (a one block walk) is
The Cosmopolitan Hotel70 Northeast AvenueFayetteville, AR 72701(479) 442-5555
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Contact Us
If you have questions about the workshop or would like more information, please contact:
Nelly SmithEnvironmental EngineerPermits & Technical Assistance Section (6WQ-PP)NPDES Permits & TMDLs BranchWater Quality Protection DivisionUS EPA Region 61445 Ross Ave.Dallas TX 75202Phone: (214) 665-7109Fax: (214) 665-2191
This workshop is offered to all persons regardless of race, sex, marital status, age, or any other legally protected status. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (large print, audiotapes, etc.) should notify the Washington County Cooperative Extension Service office as soon as possible prior to the program at (479) 444-1755.
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Springs beneath Bates School may be dug into to create underground storage of stormwater after Bates is demolished to make space for new high-school buildings

2010-07-23T19:13:00.003-05:00

Springs beneath Bates School may be dug into to create underground storage of stormwater after Bates is demolished to make space for new high-school buildings

2010-07-23T19:13:00.001-05:00

Diana fritillary on butterfly milkweed on June 21, 2010 CATRO_Title_03_0...

2010-07-22T19:35:00.000-05:00

Watershed News from EPA now online. Use live links on page to gain access directly to site

2010-07-13T15:49:00.002-05:00

Watershed News

July 2010

Watershed News Index

Watershed News is a publication of EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds. It is designed to provide timely information to groups working at the watershed level.

In this month's newsletter

1) Bureau of Reclamation Announces Three WaterSMART Grants
2) NAWCA U.S. Standard Grants
3) National Environmental Education Training Program
4) Environmental Training for Youth
5) Watershed Intern Program
6) EPA Releases Implementation Guidance on CAFO Regulations
7) EPA Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds (OWOW) Celebrates Lakes Appreciation Month
8) EPA Seeks Public Comment on Strategic Plan of Agency Priorities
9) NCSU Rainwater Harvester Computer Model
10) Healthy Lakeshores Through Better Shoreline Stewardship July 15th
11) The T.R.U.E. Blue Program: Teaching Rivers in an Urban Environment
12) Ask the Bioretention Researchers Summit
13) International SWCS Annual Conference
14) EPA Region 6 to Co-Host the Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure Workshop
15) StormCon
16) Watershed Management Conference
17) National NPS Monitoring Conference

Funding/Technical Assistance

Bureau of Reclamation Announces Three WaterSMART Grants

The Bureau of Reclamation announces the availability of three WaterSMART Funding Opportunity Announcements: System Optimization Review Grants; Advanced Water Treatment Pilot and Demonstration Project Grants; and Research Grants to Develop Climate Analysis Tools. The WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow) program is intended to address the most significant challenges facing our water supplies in the 21st century, including population growth, climate change, rising energy demands, environmental needs, and aging infrastructure. The closing date for applications is July 2, 2010.

NAWCA U.S. Standard Grants

Through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides matching grants to organizations and individuals who have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico for the benefit of wetlands-associated migratory birds and other wildlife. The standard grants program is competitive and requires that grant requests be matched by partner contributions at no less than a 1-to-1 ratio. Funds from U.S. Federal sources may contribute towards a project, but are not eligible as match. These grants support projects in Canada, the United States, and Mexico that involve long-term protection, restoration, and/or enhancement of wetlands and associated uplands habitats. The application deadline is July 30, 2010.

National Environmental Education Training Program

The EPA funds the National Environmental Education Training Program to deliver environmental education training and long-term support to teachers and other education professionals across the U.S. to enable them to teach effectively about environmental issues. EPA awards one cooperative agreement to fund this 5 year national program. U.S. institutions of higher education, 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, or a consortia of such institutions are eligible to apply. The funds are expected to be awarded for this program by September 30, 2010. Applications are due by July 26, 2010.

Environmental Training for Youth

USFWS is offering an opportunity for youth to be introduced to natural resource careers through "hands-on" work with natural resource professionals employed by the USFWS. On-site activities will be located at a variety of field stations, including wildlife refuges, fish hatcheries, and ecological services offices. Each selected individual or group is given the opportunity to serve a seasonal on-site assignment, usually between April 1 and November 1. The USFWS invites submission of proposals from all potential sources willing and able to cooperatively administer a program for identifying and recruiting youth for assignments at field stations in the Mountain-Prairie Region states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Utah. The closing date for applications is September 30, 2010.

Watershed Intern Program

The Office of Surface Mining within the U.S. Department of the Interior will assist watershed groups by providing funds to hire interns to work on specific projects. The project must clearly enhance the sustainability of the watershed organizations and contribute directly to the remediation of acid mine drainage. Private nonprofit institutions, public nonprofit organizations, and established watershed organizations in the following States are eligible to participate: Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Undergraduate and graduate students, throughout the United States, interested in helping to clean up the environment are also eligible. The closing date for applications is September 30, 2010.

News

EPA Releases Implementation Guidance on CAFO Regulations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released to the public a guidance document, "Implementation Guidance on CAFO Regulations – CAFOs That Discharge or Are Proposing to Discharge," that the Agency has developed to assist in implementing the 2008 Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) rule. In 2008, EPA promulgated revised regulations for CAFOs to require that CAFOs that discharge or propose to discharge must seek coverage under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The rule also clarifies that a CAFO proposes to discharge if it is designed, constructed, operated, or maintained such that a discharge will occur. Developing guidance that provides additional explanation for how to implement regulations is a routine part of how EPA fulfills its responsibilities to carry out Clean Water Act programs. This guidance will assist EPA and States with program implementation.

EPA Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds (OWOW) Celebrates Lakes Appreciation Month

Following the release of the National Lakes Assessment (NLA) in April 2010, EPA has begun a variety of outreach efforts to disseminate the results of the NLA. During the month of July, EPA will join the North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) in celebrating Lakes Appreciation Month. Get involved and volunteer to protect your local lakes by participating in the Secchi Dip-In , a volunteer monitoring program to give states data on the health and water quality of lakes. Follow OWOW on Twitter (@epaowow) all month long to get tips and information on healthy lakeshore management.

EPA Seeks Public Comment on Strategic Plan of Agency Priorities

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comment on its draft FY 2011-2015 strategic plan, which helps advance Administrator Lisa P. Jackson's priorities and the mission to protect human health and the environment. Administrator Jackson's seven priorities are: taking action on climate change, improving air quality, protecting America's waters, cleaning up our communities, assuring the safety of chemicals, expanding the conversation on environmentalism and working for environmental justice, and building strong state and tribal partnerships.

The draft plan identifies the measurable environmental and human health benefits the public can expect over the next five years and describes how EPA intends to achieve those results. The public comment period begins June 18 and closes July 30. EPA will use stakeholder feedback to prepare the final strategic plan, which will be released by September 30. Comments on the draft strategic plan (http://www.regulations.gov) may be submitted.. The Docket ID number is EPA-HQ-OA-0486. The agency will use the feedback provided (https://blog.epa.gov/strategicplan) as it implements the cross-cutting fundamental strategies and takes actions to change the way EPA does its work.

Watershed Tool of the Month

NCSU Rainwater Harvester Computer Model

North Carolina State University developed a model to assist homeowners, architects, and planners in developing and installing effective rainwater harvesting systems. The model works to help facilities properly size cisterns to meet the average rainfall and water needs of the building. In addition, the model includes cost and usage estimates. The model can be downloaded for free. NSCU is continuously modifying the model and is open to feedback.

Webcast

Healthy Lakeshores Through Better Shoreline Stewardship July 15th

Join us for this exciting Webcast in honor Lakes Appreciation Month and lean about improving lakeshore habitat through better shoreline stewardship. EPA's first-ever assessment of the ecological condition of the nation's lakes, the National Lakes Assessment, identifies poor lakeshore habitat and high levels of nutrients as the leading stressors affecting the biological health of lakes. Experts from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Maine will share innovative local and statewide lakeshore protection initiatives, touching on both voluntary and regulatory measures. All those who care about lakes—lake and homeowner associations, natural resource agencies, state and local governments, anglers, realtors, and others—are invited to learn about threats to our freshwater lakes and ways to make a difference. Webcast participants are eligible to receive a certificate for their attendance. Participants are encouraged to download presentations prior to the Webcast.

Watershed Spotlight: Local Leaders

The T.R.U.E. Blue Program: Teaching Rivers in an Urban Environment

Watershed education is a crucial component to watershed protection, and the Blue River Watershed Association's T.R.U.E. Blue Program addresses the need to incorporate sound environmental principles into school curricula. Since the inception of the program thirteen years ago, the group has visited hundreds of schools in the Kansas City area to deliver environmental education to 5th through 12th graders. During the four-lesson curriculum, a BRWA representative comes equipped with a Hach kit to train the students on how to conduct chemical tests for assessing water quality. After an overview of the testing protocols and safety procedures, volunteer water quality professionals from the area assist the students in water sampling of a local stream. The results of the stream sampling are thoroughly discussed at the end of the curriculum and classes are even encouraged to plan and implement water quality improvement projects. The impact of the T.R.U.E. Blue Program lasts beyond the four-lessons; many students continue to participate in stream cleaning and restoration activities with the BRWA. As exhibited in the Kansas City community, there is truly a strong relationship between environmental education and environmental stewardship.

To nominate a group for our Spotlight feature, please contact Alison Keener (keener.alison@epa.gov) or Allison Gold (gold.allison@epa.gov).

Upcoming Conferences and Workshops

Ask the Bioretention Researchers Summit

July 15-16, 2010. Annapolis, MD. For the first time, three national experts in bioretention research are joining forces to present the "Bioretention Research & Design Summit: Ask the Researchers." Drs. Allen Davis (University of Maryland), William (Bill) Hunt (North Carolina State University), and Robert Traver (Villanova University) have a combined over 30 years of bioretention research among them. The three researchers will discuss many of the most pressing design issues associated with bioretention including: (1) choosing appropriate hydrologic and water quality design targets, (2) benefits of the bioretention bowl and internal water storage features on performance, (3) the importance of fill media and how to craft a media that infiltrates and removes pollutants, (4) optimal design configurations for TN, TP, TSS, pathogens, and thermal removal/mitigation, and (5) various construction methods to improve performance. In addition, the summit will feature a ½-day tour to local bioretention research sites upon which much of the presented-findings are based.

International SWCS Annual Conference

July 18-21, 2010. St. Louis, MO. Join your colleagues in St. Louis for the 65th annual international conference of the Soil and Water Conservation Society. The conference includes workshops, concurrent sessions, symposia, posters, plenary sessions, and technical tours designed to raise awareness of conference participants to recent developments in the science and art of natural resource conservation and environmental management. The 2010 conference will take place at the Hilton at the Ballpark in downtown St. Louis.

EPA Region 6 to Co-Host the Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure Workshop

July 29 - 30, 2010. Fayetteville, AR. EPA Region 6, the Northwest Arkansas Stormwater Education Group, the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension, the Illinois River Watershed Partnership, and the Beaver Water District are proud to announce the Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure Workshop to be held July 29 - 30, 2010. Green infrastructure (GI) is an approach to wet weather management that is cost-effective, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. Participants will leave the conference with knowledge of tools and practices needed to effectively implement GI as well as different approaches to link GI with prevention and mitigation of water quality impacts. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) may be available.

StormCon

August 1-5, 2010. San Antonio, TX. The 9th annual North American Surface Water Quality Conference and Exposition, StormCon will be held in San Antonio, TX on August 1-5, 2010. This is an opportunity for stormwater managers, regulators, engineers, consultants, and contractors to learn about the latest stormwater innovations and technologies. StormCon features the largest exhibition of stormwater equipment and technologies in one place. Online registration is open.

Watershed Management Conference

August 23-27, 2010. Madison, WI. The American Society of Civil Engineers' Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI) is sponsoring the 2010 Watershed Management Conference: Innovations in Watershed Management Under Land Use and Climate Change. The conference will highlight innovative approaches for managing water resources under climate and land use change. Relevant topics include hydrologic measurement and modeling, integrated and/or adaptive water management, aquatic ecosystem restoration, risk-based design, and the use of regional predictions of climate change.

National NPS Monitoring Conference

November 16-18, 2010. Milwaukee, WI. The Annual Nonpoint Source Monitoring Workshop is an important forum for sharing information and improving communication for controlling and monitoring NPS pollution issues and projects. The focus of the 18th National Workshop is on nutrients and what lessons we have learned that can be factored into the projects funded under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). A number of technical workshops and interactive learning sessions will be offered to build knowledge and skills, transfer technology and promote innovative evaluation/documentation techniques. This conference will bring together NPS monitoring and management personnel from state, federal, Tribal and municipal governments, private sector, academia, environmental groups and local watershed groups. Early bird registration ends September 17, 2010.

Water | Wetlands, Oceans & Watersheds

This buckeye butterfly was on nonnative butterfly bush in the peace-circle portion of the World Peace Wetland Prairie on June 11, 2010. You may be able to see it and many other pollinators Saturday June 12, 2010, at some of the 8 private gardens on the OMNI Tour of Peace Gardens

2010-06-11T18:49:00.002-05:00

Please click on image to ENLARGE view of Buddleia with
Precis coenea nectaring on it on June 11, 2010, at World Peace Wetland Prairie in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
For interactive map and information about 2010 OMNI Peace Garden Tour, please see OMNI Peace Gardens blog.

'New report shows aquatic life declines at early stages of urban development'

2010-06-03T12:30:00.000-05:00

'New report shows aquatic life declines at early stages of urban development'

Green infrastructure still being destroyed: Boozeman, Lincoln and Pryor all promised in 2009 to cooperate to get federal money appropriated to buy sale-barn property; instead, their failure to act has resulted in wet-prairie land north and west of the National Cemetery being dredged and filled for burial sites

2010-04-24T09:34:00.002-05:00

Fayetteville National Cemetery photo set. Scroll to bottom of set for more of today's photos This didn't have to happen. Could it be related to the fact that none of the three is a U.S. military veteran? Or did they have more important people's votes in mind? The percentage of veterans who vote is pretty high. The right to vote has always been a reason for many to agree to fight to protect our Democratic form of government. Please click on image to ENLARGE view of land dredging at Fayetteville National Cemetery on April 23, 2010.

Earth Day Festival began Friday night with Caring for Creation at Mount Sequoyah; Earth Day at World Peace Wetland Prairie from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 18, 2010, offers eduction and fun for all ages

2010-04-16T23:45:00.003-05:00

Please click on image to ENLARGE for closer view of sample photos from WPWP.

PLEASE double-click the image to ENLARGE view and ENLARGE further with your computer's tools to read small type. For more about World Peace Wetland Prairie please see www.flickr.com/photos/7295307@N02/collections/ www.flickr.com/photos/7295307@N02/collections/

PLEASE double-click the image to ENLARGE view and ENLARGE further with your computer's tools to read small type.

MANY REASONS TO PROTECT LAND SUCH AS WORLD PEACE WETLAND AND PINNACLE PRAIRIE FOREVER:

World Peace Wetland Prairie is the riparian zone of a small stream that historically was fed by seep springs and rainwater from three directions when the first westward immigrants settled Fayetteville, Arkansas. World Peace Wetland Prairie has the deepest layer of dark, rich soil in its subwatershed because leaves and other vegetative matter accumulated as the flowing water slowed and soaked into the absorbent soil and enriched that soil. Pinnacle Foods Inc.'s mounded wet prairie to the west is the main source of clean water flowing to World Peace Wetland Prairie at this time. Before the railroad was built, water flowed off Rochier Hill to the northwest and from the prairie and savannah to the north of WPWP that has been replaced by fill dirt and paving for apartments. Water from the east and north slopes of the high land where Pinnacle Foods Inc. now sits flowed to WPWP along with all the water from the high ground near 15th Street, which moved north to WPWP before flowing east to the Town Branch of the West Fork of the White River. Such remnants of prairie help keep the water where it falls and recharge the groundwater. Like the many similar remnants of such prairie in our diverse geographical area, WPWP and Pinnacle Prairie are the surface manifestation of a significant bedrock fault. Such sunken wetland is a characteristic feature that appears above geological faults worldwide. The Karst map of Washington County Arkansas shows the WPWP watershed in red, meaning that it is a critical groundwater recharge area. Preserving such depressional wetland in our city is the least expensive way to reduce downstream flooding and siltation of our water supply. Hundreds of native plants grow. Many birds and other wildlife prosper on healthy wetland vegetation. And prairie vegetation sequesters carbon dioxide and cleans the ground water.

KEEP the WATER where it FALLS!

Ask Congress to restore Clean Water Act now

2010-03-22T11:15:00.002-05:00

Please double-click "view as webpage" link near top right to see full post.

March 22, 2010	View as Webpage \| Forward \| Subscribe

	Dear Aubrey, If you think the Clean Water Act protects your drinking water from pollution, think again. Please take action today to ensure fundamental safeguards for clean water in our streams, rivers, and lakes. A confusing 2006 Supreme Court decision on the Clean Water Act has left the fate of 60 percent of the nation’s stream miles -– that provide drinking water for 117 million Americans –- in legal limbo. As a result, as reported in The New York Times, polluters are now claiming complete exemptions from reporting what they dump into local streams. Congress can resolve this problem by passing legislation to restore full federal protection for all our waters. Help us ensure that all of our nation’s waters are protected under the Clean Water Act. Urge your representative to support introducing and passing the Clean Water Restoration Act today. Thank you for your support. Sincerely, Katherine Baer Senior Director, Clean Water Program

To contact American Rivers, email us at outreach@AmericanRivers.org. To update your profile or change your preferences click here. To unsubscribe click here.

I would like to express grave concern over the loss of protection for many of our small streams that provide clean drinking water for 117 million Americans in communities across the country. Supreme Court decisions in the Rapanos and Carabell cases have made it confusing and burdensome for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to protect small streams and wetlands under the Clean Water Act. As a result, enforcement actions against polluters have declined sharply the EPA estimates that over 1,000 cases have been shelved or dropped altogether. More recently it has become clear that some polluters are using the decisions as a justification to avoid any permitting and reporting requirements for discharging pollutants into our waters. For the Clean Water Act to fulfill its goal of restoring the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters, all waters must receive protection corresponding with Congress' original intent when passing this landmark law. Upstream waters must be protected from pollution and destruction if we expect downstream waters to be fit for swimming, drinking, and fish and wildlife, and downstream communities to be safe from flooding. I urge you to act in the interest of preserving clean water for healthy communities and wildlife. Please support introduction and passage of the Clean Water Restoration Act, which would clarify the definition of waters to eliminate uncertainty and ensure clean water in accordance with the goals of the Clean Water Act. Thank you for your consideration.

Ward Four meeting at 7 p.m. today, after the Planning Commission meets

2010-02-22T17:20:00.001-06:00

PUBLIC MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 22, 2010
(* Meetings scheduled to be televised by the Government Channel are indicated with an asterisk)

Monday -- February 22

7:00 PM Ward 4 Meeting * Room 111

Discussion topics include traffic calming on Cleveland Street.

All Wards welcome!

Photo montage of World Peace Wetland Prairie

2010-02-09T11:59:00.001-06:00

Please click on image to ENLARGE and navigate up and down, right and left, to see whole montage.

Montage by Lauren D. Hawkins with photos by Aubrey James Shepherd

OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology invites all to open house from 3 to 6 p.m. today

2010-02-06T11:32:00.001-06:00

View Larger Map OMNI Center for Peace Justice and Ecology opens new house to all TODAY! Office Phone: (479)935-4422 omni.center.for.pje@gmail.com “OMNI Center for Peace, Justice & Ecology educates and empowers people to actively build a non-violent, sustainable and just world.” Saturday, February 2010 3:00—6:00 PM 3274 N. Lee Ave OMNI CENTER for PEACE, JUSTICE & ECOLOGY You are invited to celebrate the dedication of OMNI Center’s new building! Enjoy music, re- freshments, good fellowship, speakers, and tours! Learn more than 35 ways to be involved in OMNI. Help build a culture of peace in an earth restored, that includes everyone. Children Welcome! Handicap Access Refreshments Will Be Served! Open House!

Times reports council allows Red Oak Park planning to continue

2010-01-14T10:10:00.000-06:00

NWAOnline.com

PARK WILL RECEIVE RESTORATION

By Skip Descant

Thursday, January 14, 2010

FAYETTEVILLE — A washed out drainage ditch at Red Oak Park that has kept Fayetteville officials in hot water with neighbors will get a combination of pipes, “plunge pools” and natural restoration to repair eroding banks.
The repair comes after a series of talks with occasionally frustrated residents in the neighborhood who have said they wanted the flooding and erosion fixed. However, many urged an approach that didn’t entirely rely on piping and allowed the channel to handle the large flow coming through the narrow park since the development of subdivisions such as Bridgeport.
Carole Jones, a park planner with the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Division, told the City Council on Tuesday staff had developed a $218,000 plan to deal with the park’s water woes.
“There were a lot of interested people, with different goals,” said Jones. “We’ve tried this concept so that it meets all of those goals as best we can,”
Roughly $56,000 of the cost will be covered by the Parks Department and the remaining balance will be paid for through the city’s drainage fund.
In earlier discussions about resolving the problems, costs of nearly $500,000 were cited.
The park over the years has largely been split in two by the drainage ditch that grew as nearby development caused more runoff.
Under the proposed plan, the water’s path in the park will see the addition of ponding areas designed to slow the water down, allowing it to drop its load of sediment before moving on in a more controlled manner.
“The plunge pools are intended to take the energy out of the water, and take the silt out, and let it go on to Hamestring Creek,” said Chris Brown, chief engineer for the city’s engineering division.
On the downstream side — the area beyond New Bridge Road — 42-inch pipes will be installed to aid with drainage during mild storms, Brown said.
The project design is expected to be complete by the end of the month, Jones said. However, it then gets turned over to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for review. The City Council gave verbal permission at the agenda session to proceed with the project, she added.
“We cannot determine how long the review process will take,” Jones said, but added construction will begin soon after the corps’ review and approval.

City engineering and park departments team up to create plan to "restore" channel of stream in Red Oak Park to present on January 12, 2009, to city council during agenda session

2010-01-05T15:47:00.002-06:00

Citizens were shown two proposed options for restoring the stream bank
through Red Oak Park located at 4600 West New Bridge Road at a Public
Meeting held November 19, 2009. The item was also discussed at the
November 30, 2009, Ward 4 meeting.

The City of Fayetteville collected 23 comments from the public on the
two options presented at these meetings. Ten citizens preferred Option 1
which included channel restoration through the majority of the park;
three citizens preferred Option 2 with minimal improvements other than
check dams and a control structure at New Bridge Road; and ten citizens
preferred “other” options.

City Engineering and Parks staff have evaluated an alternative that
would provide and preserve park area on the north side of New Bridge
Road by utilizing piping in this area of the channel (approx. 300 feet
in length). This would preserve the existing basketball court and
provide an area where a new pavilion with ADA accessibility could be
constructed.

The control structure and check dams that were previously proposed in
Option 2 would still be proposed on the south side of New Bridge Road.
The goals achieved by this alternative would provide park area on the
north side of the park and provide slowing, infiltration and recharge of
storm water in the park area south of New Bridge Road.

A drawing of the proposed combined option is attached. A presentation
will be given to the City Council at the January 12, 2010, council
agenda session. The meeting will be held at City Hall located at 113
West Mountain Street in Room 326 at 4:30 PM. City staff are working to
place this information on www.accessfayetteville.org as soon as
possible. For more information call Fayetteville Parks and Recreation
at 444-3471.

Ms. Carole Jones, P.E.
Park Planner
Fayetteville Parks & Recreation
113 West Mountain Street
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Phone (479) 444-3472
Fax (479) 521-7714
www.accessfayetteville.org

Democrat/Gazette December 21, 2009, editorial advocating saving sale-barn land for Fayetteville National Cemetery pleases majority of veterans and neighbors, but the problem is that saving Town Branch homeowners from flooding downhill from the cemetery is still being ignored: VA already at work preparing to dredge and fill wetland and pipe stormwater directly to Hill Avenue and thus to the 11th Street bridge on the Town Branch

2009-12-22T22:21:00.002-06:00

Please click on individual photos to ENLARGE view of wetland area along the north edge of the Fayetteville National Cemetery being prepared for dredging and filling for grave sites. The depressional wetland developed over centuries because it is above a bedrock karst area where groundwater sinks into the underground caverns and aquifers and reduces surface-water flooding. When it is piped to the Town Branch it will further aggravate the flooding danger between Ellis and Van Buren avenues already created by the University of Arkansas' failure properly to manage stormwater on the campus and by paving and development along Martin Luther King Boulevard and on the Aspen Ridge/Hill Place project.

Save acres for vets

Now buy the land for the cemetery

Monday, December 21, 2009

Print item

LITTLE ROCK — LIKE WARM Arkansas Christmases, dry eyes after It’s a Wonderful Life, and little boys from the Natural State scribbling “LSU gear” on their annual wish lists, some things are just not meant to be. That’s the way it seems with the controversial student apartments that apparently won’t be built in south Fayetteville. You know, where Washington County’s historic livestock auction house operated until June. A lawsuit that sought to override the city’s denial of a rezoning request seems to be kaput. Campus Crest developers of North Carolina wanted to buy the property from the auction house’s owner, Bill Joe Bartholomew, and build 500 apartments on the property. But the drawn-out legal ordeal surrounding this purchase became just too much to bear. Mr. Bartholomew now wants his suit dismissed. The proposed sale to Campus Crest became a flashpoint for veterans and others last summer. They wanted to secure the site across Government Avenue from the city’s National Cemetery so they might preserve the sacred nature of that location. They basically argued that more student apartments in an overbuilt Fayetteville wasn’t an appropriate use of the land. They had a point. The former auction barn parcel does provide an ideally located space to enlarge this rapidly filling cemetery. Fayetteville’s council denied Mr. Bartholomew’s request to rezone his property. The rezoning would have sealed the sale and enabled Campus Crest to purchase and develop the property. That’s when Mr. Bartholomew filed his suit against the city.

This latest development means the corporation that oversees the cemetery’s operation, Congress, the national office of Veteran’s Affairs, and veterans’ organizations need to find a way to purchase this property. The space needs to be preserved and protected as a final resting place for our veterans in the decades to come.

Audubon Arkansas open house from 4 to 7 p.m. today; Environmental Action Committee at 5:30 p.m. in Room 326 of city hall

2009-12-10T14:42:00.001-06:00

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2009

Audubon Arkansas open house from 4 to 7 p.m. today; Environmental Action Committee at 5:30 p.m. in Room 326 of city hall

The Holiday Season is a busy time so here's a little reminder about our Holiday Open House! If you have not yet RSVP'd don't forget to drop us a line and let us know your are coming! We are looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Please Join Us

Thursday, December 10, 2009
From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at
34 East Center Street
Fayetteville, Arkansas

For the
Audubon Arkansas
Holiday Open House

The staff and board of Audubon Arkansas invite you to join us for food, refreshments, conversation and conservation. Spouses, children, and friends welcome.
Please RSVP to mviney@audubon.org
Wishing You Happy Holidays!!!

Correction and addition to my previous comment

2009-12-02T23:26:00.000-06:00

Rain gardens need NOT be raised areas. Raised areas can collect water only from higher ground. Defeats the purpose if one is trying to use as much ground as possible and makes them cost time, labor and money.

No doubt grants can be grabbed for retrofitting badly designed and built neighborhoods to correct stormwater problems. But the money the landowners save on watering, fertilizing and mowing their English-manor style lawns will quickly pay them for whatever they might invest in turf removal and planting some native tall grass and wildflowers and some extra roof gutter and whatever is needed to route their driveway, sidewalk and roof water to an appropriate area.

Grants may be needed for curb cuts to route water FROM the streets to the lawns and similar work. But that kind of work would be lagnaiappe.
Public education could bring about a time when homeowners look out their windows and admire their yards and say such things as "Look, honey, the water is pooling up in our yard and will be filtered as it soaks in and won't rush down to erode the banks of the stream that runs through our neighborhood nature park."

If you could be in our kitchen every time heavy rain comes, that is pretty much what you would hear!

Phil Penny's comment after attending Ward 4 meeting, seeing plans proposed for Red Oak Park and hearing public comment

2009-12-02T15:47:00.000-06:00

The comment below Phil Penny basically mirrors my thought: Why are we ignoring the need and real possibility of helping every landowner upstream hold water on his property. People hear the term "rain garden" and think of the engineered "rain gardens" built to show people how they can work. The fact is that rain gardens should be raised areas and need not cost much except for gutters to route roof and driveway runoff to appropriate parts of each lot. While many of the lots were covered impervious red dirt and then with turf, many others have plenty of the original absorbent prarie soil available to serve as natural rain-catching areas.

And why has Dave Evans not been brought back to show his plan and utilize the state's most experienced team of stream-restoration workers: The Game and Fish Commission's Stream Team.

Phil Penny says:

After hearing the comments made regarding the drainage area of Red Oak Park, I was very concerned. I have spent several years of my career remediating problems caused by humans trying to control nature without recognizing they are working with a functioning system.

First of all, we need to think of the perception of the public when we call something a “ditch” as this first order stream was being called at the meeting and by the Northwest Arkansas Times on Tuesday.

Ditches are human contrived, straightened waterways typically next to roads. Most people do not “value” ditches. However, this waterway is an extremely important component to the watershed. After looking at aerial photos prior to development and the topography of the landscape, it meet the hydrological criteria of a first order ephemeral stream, which feeds into Hamstring Creek, a second order stream, and then into Clear Creek, a third order stream etc. It needs to be treated as a first order stream, which is part of a larger system, even if it has been heavily impacted - all of these systems have been impacted do to this development. We need to make sure that our future impacts are sustainable and that they are in best interest of the public. Public perception depends upon us making clear what is at stake – like the health of our water.

After listening to the two proposed plans, my concern is they both have a piping system incorporated in them. Have we not learned what happens when we pipe water? Velocities and increase. Plug pools will dissipating energy. However water absorption is nonexistent in pipies. Won’t this just put the issue in someone else’s neighborhood?

The water has to be slowed. Dave Evan’s plan will stabilize the bank and it will slow water and increase absorption rates. However, Peter Futterknecht talked about slowing these impacts before they enter the system. This can help mitigate these impacts naturally. Since the area of absorption or the watershed is now a residential area, slowing water with rain barrels, cisterns, rain gardens, bio swales, check dams, and detention ponds up stream of this first order stream would have the greatest most positive impact. Piping water is not the solution. However, Low Impact Development is the key to not having this happen in the future. Just some of my thoughts.

Phil

Council member Sarah Lewis talks with constituents, Peter Futterknecht and Phil Penny, after Ward 4 meeting

2009-12-01T15:02:00.003-06:00

2009-12-01T14:27:00.002-06:00

2009-12-01T14:24:00.002-06:00

2009-12-01T14:19:00.000-06:00

2009-12-01T14:13:00.000-06:00

2009-12-01T13:43:00.001-06:00

Residents Want Park, Not Pipes

OFFICIALS SEEK INPUT ON BANK REPAIR

By By Skip Descant

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Print item

FAYETTEVILLE — Restoring the banks of a washed-out drainage ditch in Red Oak Park can be done in several approaches.

Or, not at all.

“Do you want something done?” asked Shirley Lucas, a Fayetteville City Council member, during Monday night’s Ward 4 meeting where residents met to discuss the future of the small park.

“It’s a nice little natural area,” said Pete Futterknecht, who lives in the area, and wants the bank restoration not to appear overly engineered.

City park and engineering officials used the ward meeting to gather feedback from residents regarding how they would like to see the eroded drainage ditch that flows through the small park near the Bridgeport, Willow Springs and Fieldstone subdivisions restored.

One of the city’s restoration options would use pipes to channel the water to nearby Hamestring Creek. The piping and “plunge pools” would cut down on erosion, said Chris Brown, Fayetteville city engineer.

“We really didn’t like that idea,” said Carole Jones, a park planner for the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Division.

This solution is expected to cost about $490,000, according to city documents.

The second option presented Monday night would use less piping and instead create a series of “ponding areas,” where the water would collect, drop its debris load and hopefully slow down. This solution would likely mean the removal of an existing park pavilion. This proposal could cost about $215 000.

Neither of these options seemed to be wholly embraced by residents who were clear in their desire to have a natural wooded park accessible to the dozens of homes in the nearby neighborhood.

“If you remove the pavilion, Bridgeport has lost its park,” said Paul Johnson, president of the Bridgeport Property Owners Association, and who views existing features like tables, benches, grills or basketball courts as essential to his community having a neighborhood park.

The amount of water flowing through the drainage ditch is not likely to drop. The area is heavily built with new subdivisions and Oakbrook Phase III is planned on an adjoining 30-acre plot. So residents are looking for a solution that slows the water down.

“I know there’s got to be something that we can do to slow this velocity, upstream,” Futterknecht said.

That “something” is what city officials will be looking at in the coming weeks as they draft a concept plan to be accepted by the City Council and then the U.S. Corps of Engineers. Public comments are due by the end of the day Friday, and should be sent to the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Division.

News, Pages 1 on 12/01/2009

Rerouting some water from Red Oak Park subject of today's 7 p.m. public meeting of Ward 4 in Room 111 of City Hall

2009-11-30T09:35:00.001-06:00

Photos of Red Oak Park at link below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7295307@N02/sets/72157603838883972/
Photos of Red Oak Park

Red Oak Park To Be Discussed At Ward 4 Meeting
By Skip Descant
Monday, November 30, 2009
FAYETTEVILLE — City park officials are looking for public comment and review for drainage improvements slated for Red Oak Park.
The work to repair the washed-out stream bank in the park, located at 4600 W. New Bridge Road, is being reviewed by Fayetteville engineering and park officials. Additional public comment will come tonight during the Ward 4 meeting.
Aerial-photo map of the park area below is view with North to the left. Water enters the park from the right and flows to the left and into Hamestring Creek, which flows west to the Illinois River.

The sections of washed-out bank should have been completed months ago. However, funds were diverted from that project to become the matching funds needed for a Water Conservation Resource Center grant to restore the bank of the Niokaska Creek in Sweetbriar Park.
The diversion of funds to Sweetbrier Park, located at 2645 E. Sweetbrier Drive, irked residents and City Council members.
“Obviously, we want to take grants where we can get them, and Sweetbriar’s important,” said Kyle Cook, a Ward 2 alderman, speaking about the project at a September City Council agenda session. “But I don’t want to take money from Red Oak after we’ve already made commitments to these people.”
Money from the city’s drainage fund will be used to fund the Red Oak project, which is moving forward, officials said.
“So from our opinion, they’re both going to be funded,” said Don Marr, Fayetteville chief of staff.

MEETING INFORMATION
Ward 4
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Room 111, Fayetteville City Hall, 113 W. Mountain St.

Red Oak Park plan to be repeated at Ward 4 meeting in city hall at 7 p.m. Monday, November 30, 2009

2009-11-20T12:31:00.000-06:00

Public Meeting
Hamestring Tributary Restoration
through Red Oak Park
5:30 PM Thursday, November 19, 2009
Public Meeting Handout.11-19-09 Page 1 of 3
I. Existing Conditions and Explanation of Problem:

• The approximately 100-acre watershed that is draining through Red Oak Park COMPRISES
mostly 1⁄4-acre residential lots. Predevelopment land use was undeveloped pasture.
Undeveloped pasture 20% to 30% storm water runoff
Residential development 60% to 75% storm water runoff
• The average storm water velocity within the park area and the downstream property computed
by the City Engineering staff in 2004 was approximately 10 feet per second.
• The soils (cherty silt loam) are highly susceptible to erosion and the stream will likely continue to
erode due to the geology of the adjacent soils, the volume of storm water and the resulting high
velocities. However, survey data obtained in 2009 shows minimal changes in the stream
channel when compared to the data collected in 2004 which may indicate that the erosion is
stabilizing somewhat.
• Several mature trees that are in close proximity to the channel are in danger of falling due to the
erosion within the root systems. Approximately 15 trees were removed within the park after the
January 2009 ice storm.
• The railroad ties in the upstream portion of the channel are washing downstream.
• Severe erosion has occurred around the gabion structures located in the northern area of the
park. The Parks and Recreation staff has removed one gabion structure to alleviate flooding and
erosion.
• Severe erosion is also occurring on the property downstream from the park. The downstream
property owner removed approx. 35 dump truck loads of gravel from a manmade dam area in
2002. The same level of sedimentation returned in less than two years.

II. Where Have We Been?

1986 Aerial photographs show the immediate area around what is now Red Oak Park as wooded.
The aerial shows the land use from Wedington Drive north to Hamestring Creek and from 51st
Avenue east to Rupple Road was undeveloped. A small subdivision existed just north of
Wedington Drive, and a few chicken houses were scattered throughout this area.

2004 A drainage study was performed by the City Engineering staff. Recommendations included 400
feet of 60” diameter storm pipe and 600 feet of creek stabilization using native stone boulders,
compacted hillside material and colored concrete on the section south of New Bridge Road. On
the section north of New Bridge Road, 275 feet of 66” diameter storm pipe with a small grass-
lined swale was recommended.

2007 Mr. Dave Evans, Region 1 Stream Team Coordinator of the Arkansas Game and Fish
Commission (AGFC), provided another design to attempt to resolve the erosion problems that
exist in the stream that bisects the park. A permit for this design was obtained from the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Proposed project included:
♦ Removal of the existing concrete, railroad ties and gabion structures;
♦ Significant tree removal (approximately 55 to 70 trees);
♦ Modification of the existing channel to create a larger area to handle runoff events which
included shaping one or both banks to increase the total channel area;
♦ Construction of approximately 20 pairs and 14 individual rock plunge pools within the newly
shaped channel; and
♦ Tree and shrub planting plan to establish vegetation.

Parks and Engineering staff began to reconsider the natural stream channel approach after the
stream restoration project was completed at Gulley Park.
Public Meeting
Hamestring Tributary Restoration
through Red Oak Park
5:30 PM Thursday, November 19, 2009
Public Meeting Handout.11-19-09 Page 2 of 3
II. Where Have We Been? (continued)

2009 Additional drainage calculations and analyses were performed by the City Engineering staff.
Recommendations include two options as shown in the drawings and as described below:

Table 1. Comparison of Design Options
Description Pros Cons Cost Estimates*
Option 1
Debris collection at south end of
park; channel restoration thru
park; one 24” dia. pipe and one
36” dia. pipe in park; stilling
basin on north end of park; two
42” dia. pipes and plunge pool
on adjacent property north of
park.

Design will resolve the
erosion problems in the
park

Will allow for some
reclamation of park land
near New Bridge Road

Significantly less tree
removal within park than
AGFC design

More expensive than
Option 2

Will not provide
significant infiltration
of storm water

In Red Oak Park -
$320,000

Downstream -
$170,000

Total $490,000
Option 2
Control structure with debris
collection in park south of New
Bridge Road; removal of
existing park pavilion; no
channel restoration thru park; no
pipes in park; stilling basin on
north end of park; two 42” dia.
pipes and plunge pool on
adjacent property north of park.

Will allow for some
infiltration of storm water
in the park south of New
Bridge Road

Basically no tree
removal within park

Less expensive than
Option 1 allowing for
park funds to be utilized
at Bryce Davis Park
(new Community Park
under design) or at the
southernmost 2.25 acres
of Red Oak Park

Design will not
resolve the erosion
problems in the park

Existing park will be
reclassified and used
only as a natural
greenway area
In Red Oak Park -
$65,000

Downstream -
$150,000

Total $215,000

* Cost Estimates include construction by outside contractor(s)

III. Funding Items:

• This project is funded with Sales Tax funds. The cost estimates shown in Table 1 above include
construction by outside contractor(s). Cost estimates of materials only for each option are:

Option 1 (Materials Only): In Red Oak Park-$166,000; downstream $96,000 Total $262,000
Option 2 (Materials Only): In Red Oak Park-$35,000; downstream $85,000 Total $120,000

• Earlier plan included partnering with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The cost
estimate for Materials Only was $99,530. The project was financially viable because of the
assistance of AGFC staff (at no cost to the City) and the use of City staff and equipment for tree
removal, excavation, placement of stone and revegetation with grass. The use of volunteers for
the planting of the shrubs and trees also kept the project cost low.
Public Meeting
Hamestring Tributary Restoration
through Red Oak Park
5:30 PM Thursday, November 19, 2009
Public Meeting Handout.11-19-09 Page 3 of 3
IV. Where Are We Going?

• Storm water detention in the upper area of the watershed is most likely not possible due to the
development. Engineers from the local USDA offices performed a preliminary assessment of the
site to determine the size of detention basin that would be required to contain the flow. Their
preliminary assessment concluded that there is not enough area available for detention.
Additionally. City Engineering Staff confirmed that detention is not an option without significant
tree removal and earthwork (i.e., removal of all trees and several feet of excavation of the entire
park area).
• The use of rain gardens is not likely feasible due to the fact that the City cannot require
residents to install and maintain the gardens on their properties. Additionally, a comprehensive
study must be performed to determine the best placement of rain gardens, etc. The bulk of the
storm water flow into the channel that runs through Red Oak Park is coming from the streets
and underground piping associated with the surrounding subdivisions. In addition, rain gardens
are typically designed for two-year or smaller rain events, and larger storm event flows and
velocities are not affected by rain gardens.
• Any work in the channel requires a Section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE), and any new or different design will require a new application to the Corps.

Proposed Schedule of Events:

• Select an option based on public input.
• Complete the construction documents for the chosen design and re-submit to the USACE for
approval and permitting.
• After approval and permitting by USACE, the project may be advertised for bids.
• Construction can begin after a qualified contractor is selected.

V. Questions and Comments

Public Meeting
Hamestring Tributary Restoration
through Red Oak Park
5:30 PM Thursday, November 19, 2009

Please use this sheet to submit your written comments to the Parks and Recreation Department. You are not
required to include your name and address, but we have provided a space for you to do so if you would like.
Please send your completed form to the address at the bottom of this sheet by December 4, 2009. Thank you
for taking time to comment on this important issue.

Do you prefer proposed Option 1 which includes channel restoration through Red Oak Park or proposed
Option 2 which does not include any channel restoration through Red Oak Park or “Other” option(s)? (Please
mark one below)

___________ I prefer Option 1.

___________ I prefer Option 2.

___________ I prefer “Other” option(s).

Please write any additional comments below as to these two options or other ideas/options you wish to offer:
Name Address Phone E-mail

Return to: Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Department
113 West Mountain Street
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Phone: (479) 444-3471 ext. 471
Fax: (479) 521-7714
Email: parks_and_recreation@ci.fayetteville.ar.us

Red Oak Park plan would tear up the ground and displace mature trees and other significant vegetation but do nothing to protect the park from the huge upstream flow of water from the south, east and west

2009-11-13T18:36:00.002-06:00

Red Oak Park Plan

MAYBE, this plan would help protect the property of the landowner downstream to the north toward Hamestring Creek. But it will totally miss the point of trying to protect the existing mature trees and will allow an incredible increase in erosion during construction and have only a minimal chance of improving the park in any credible way.

The only worthwhile and effective use of the money set aside for this plan would be KEEPING the water WATER WHERE IT FALLS: On the lots in the subdivisions to the south, east and west in raingardens created in the yards and in the treeless portion of the park at the southeast corner.

Helping people create raingardens using the natural soil remaining in the area and encouraging NOT to mow but to protect native vegetation there would decrease the dangerous runoff to a manageable level.

It is illogical to spend money doing some that won't meet the goals of the people who originally began complaining about the situation.

Fayetteville's engineering and park departments team up to create plan to "restore" channel of stream in Red Oak Park

2009-11-13T12:09:00.003-06:00

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Red Oak Park in Ward 4 — City's First Ephemeral Park

January 30, 2012, meeting of Ward 4 friends and residents with City Council member Rhonda Adams

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Video of Ward Four meeting at 7 p.m. September 26 includes explanation of importance of renewing sales tax by vote on Oct. 11, 2011. See detail below

Please click on image below to ENLARGE for reading. Click on the enlargement for even easier reading.Monday, September 26, 2011

Fayetteville Environmental Action Committee meeting of 15 September 2011

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Town Branch Neighborhood Association meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, August 30, 2011, welcomes everyone who chooses to attend

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« Welcome to The Native Plants in the Landscape Conference

The Future of Gardening by Neil Diboll

University of Vermont ExtensionDepartment of Plant and Soil Science

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Fayetteville Council of Neighborhoods' meeting July 28, 2011, video

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Shortakes recorded Monday, June 13, 2011, to run June 20-24, 2011, on Public Access Television at 218 on Cox Cable and U-verse 99 on AT&T as well as simulcast on the Your Media Web site

May 16, 2011, Ward 4 meeting in Fayetteville, Arkansas, includes discussion of upcoming City Council consideration of the proposed change in public-smoking ordinance

February 28, 2011, Ward 4 meeting in Fayetteville, Arkansas

October 2, 2007, video of part of Fayetteville City Council meeting features discussion of proposed plan for reducing erosion in Red Oak Park

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Rhonda Adams creates blog in preparation for replacing outgoing Shirley Lucas on the Fayetteville, Arkansas, City Council in January 2011

Jim Bemis speaks at Telecom Board meeting on December 16, 2010

Shirley Lucas chairs her final meeting as a member of the Fayetteville City Council

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Cox Cable pulls surprise on city of Fayetteville, Arkansas, with plan to move public-access, government channel and educational channel to EXPENSIVE digital tier of channels: So much for open government when thousands of people will not be able to afford access to the public channels

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Democratic signs in Ward 4

August 30, 2009, photo of Question Mark butterfly, the Polygonia interrogationis, at Red Oak Park

aubunique: Insect Festival coming up

aubunique: Insect Festival coming up

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Northwest Arkansas Ducks Unlimited banquet in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on September 24, 2010

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Please attend tonight's meeting of the Council of Neighborhoods: Agenda below

Two such wetland plants growing together are a strong indicator of wetland

Land-use and green-infrastructure committee of Fayetteville forward to meet at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 28, 2010, in Room 11 of city hall to discuss stormwater managment and erosion-control ordinance being considered by City Council on August 3, 2010

Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure Workshop

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Springs beneath Bates School may be dug into to create underground storage of stormwater after Bates is demolished to make space for new high-school buildings

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July 2010

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Webcast

Watershed Spotlight: Local Leaders

Upcoming Conferences and Workshops

This buckeye butterfly was on nonnative butterfly bush in the peace-circle portion of the World Peace Wetland Prairie on June 11, 2010. You may be able to see it and many other pollinators Saturday June 12, 2010, at some of the 8 private gardens on the OMNI Tour of Peace Gardens

'New report shows aquatic life declines at early stages of urban development'

Earth Day Festival began Friday night with Caring for Creation at Mount Sequoyah; Earth Day at World Peace Wetland Prairie from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 18, 2010, offers eduction and fun for all ages

Ask Congress to restore Clean Water Act now

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Photo montage of World Peace Wetland Prairie

OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology invites all to open house from 3 to 6 p.m. today

Times reports council allows Red Oak Park planning to continue

NWAOnline.com

Red Oak Repair To Move Forward

PARK WILL RECEIVE RESTORATION

City engineering and park departments team up to create plan to "restore" channel of stream in Red Oak Park to present on January 12, 2009, to city council during agenda session

Save acres for vets

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Monday, September 26, 2011

University of Vermont Extension
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