Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association

Dedicated to Conserving the Natural Areas of Fayetteville and its Environs for the Benefit of Present & Future Generations

What's Happening

Plan for Green Infrastructure | Green Infrastructure Working Groups' Reports and Maps | REPORT - Green Infrastructure Planning-Linking Arkansas Communities | | Calendar | Current FNHA Activities | Other Community Events |

Plan for Green Infrastructure

FNHA Wins Major National Award for Green Infrastructure Plan
Arlington, Va. — Three community-based programs will be honored during Conservation Fund's inaugural National Green Infrastructure Conference, Feb. 23-25, 2011 for their efforts to employ cutting-edge strategies to address local environmental and economic challenges. The National Green Infrastructure Implementation Awards will be presented on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011 at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, W.Va. to:

• Green Infrastructure Planning: Linking Arkansas Communities is a partnership between the Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association, the Arkansas Forestry Commission’s Urban and Community Forestry Program and Beaver Water District to evaluate priorities for natural resource conservation in Northwest Arkansas communities in order to create a Green Infrastructure Network Map. This map provides valuable data for future decisions on local land use and green infrastructure strategies.
  
• Oakland County, Mich.’s Green Infrastructure Initiative reflects the collective conservation threats and opportunities brought forth by 61 local communities. This countywide green infrastructure vision presents goals, objectives and basic strategies to help communities create partnerships, build local support and embrace green infrastructure as an investment in a sustainable future.
   
• Carroll County Agricultural Land Preservation Program’s Leveraged Installment Purchase Agreement (IPA) is a one-of-a-kind financing program designed to significantly increase the pace of conservation easement acquisition. IPAs enable Carroll County, Md., to secure conservation easements at a fraction of the cost of cash payments while simultaneously providing numerous financial benefits to landowners. Employing one of the most successful agricultural land preservation programs in the country, the county has protected more than 60,000 acres of farmland from urban sprawl since 1979. 

Plan for Green Infrastructure - Linking Arkansas Communities 2008-2009

Project Description
A grant in the amount of $25,000 has been given by the USDA Forest Service to the Arkansas Forestry Commission Urban and Community Forestry Program to develop a Plan for Green Infrastructure-Linking Arkansas Communities, 2009-2010.  Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association and the Beaver Water District are partners.  We will collaborate with elected officials, planners, businesses, economic development groups, landowners and other stakeholders in Farmington, Johnson, Greenland, Fayetteville and surrounding areas of WashingtonCounty.  The plan is one of four Green Infrastructure pilot studies supported by the Southeast Region of the National Forest Service.

The Green Infrastructure Plan will take a strategic approach to provide a rational, scientific, and predictable planning tool for coordinating both conservation of natural resources and encouragement of growth.

The final Green Infrastructure Plan will be a blueprint for our future that combines economic, social, and environmental concerns to link protection of our land and water resources with our future growth.

►Project Brief
►Introductory Presentation 
►Green Infrastructure Planning Initial Stakeholder Meeting Presentation August 21, 2008

In March the Working Groups met to present project reports and show Informational Maps to the stakeholders.  The next step will be to hold a number of public forums to determine what's improtant to each community.

Green Infrastructure Working Groups' Reports and Maps
►Environmental Working Group Report
►Environmental Working Group Map
►Heritage Working Group Report
►Heritage Working Group Map
►Parks and Trails Working Group Report
►Parks and Trails Working Group Map
►Land Use Working Group Report

Green Infrastructure Links 
► Article by Doug James:  Why Establish and Preserve Greenspace
► New Link - FNHA produced Green Infrastructure Planning video on City of Fayetteville website  
► Article by B. Broberg, Journal of National Association of Realtors
► Heritage Conservancy - Growing with Green Infrastructure
► FNHA's Urban Forest Conservation Assessment for Fayetteville, Arkansas
► The Conservation Fund provides training in Green Infrastructure Planning and is a great source for case studies using the Green Infrastructure Approach.
► State of Maryland's Department of Natural Resources Green Infrastructure Planning
► Prince George County, Md., Planning Department's Countywide Green Infrastructure Functional Master Plan
► EPA Green Infrastructure
► Article: Green Infrastructure" Smart Conservation for the 21st Century.This monograph by Mark A. Benedict and Edward T. McMahon (authors and architects of the Green Infrastructure concept and training) predates the main Green Infrastructure text, Green Infrastructure: Linking Landscapes and Communities, but serves as an excellent resource for the basics.
► Go Native When You Go Green - Consider Replanting Northwest Arkansas with Native Trees and Shrubs - PDF Article and List of Native/Non-Native species by Bruce Shackleford, President ECO, Inc
► The Sustainable Sites Initiative: Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks, Draft 2008; a collaborative effort of the American Society of Landscape Architects, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas at Austin, and the United States Botanic Garden.

The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation website has two versions of its report Water Issues in Arkansas on its website.  
►The Summary Report corresponds to the printed version
►The Companion Report is more extensive

  "Those who want to further both the beauty and bounty of America must constantly search for the right balance between development and preservation of resources."  Stewart Udall - Secretary of the Interior 1961-1969  

Green Infrastructure Working Groups' Reports and Maps

►Environmental Working Group Report
►Environmental Working Group Map
►Heritage Working Group Report
►Heritage Working Group Map
►Parks and Trails Working Group Report
►Parks and Trails Working Group Map
►Land Use Working Group Report

REPORT - Green Infrastructure Planning-Linking Arkansas Communities

FNHA is really excited to announce the successful completion of the Green Infrastructure Planning - Linking Arkansas Communities grant project. The final report has been written and published and will soon be available in PDF format right here on our website!

The maps that were produced from data gathered by the working groups are published in the report body with each map linked to a co-responding PDF file that may viewed with the zoom feature or may be downloaded and printed.

The Green Infrastructure Network Map is the primary result. It is a science based assessment and summary of the communities’ shared vision of how conservation and development can be mutually beneficial. Over 200 people participated in the project; many contributed a significant amount of time.

The area covered by the Grant included Johnson, Fayetteville and Greenland on the east to Wedington Wildlife Management Area on the west. Implementation efforts include working with local leaders to include the Green Infrastructure Plan in each community’s Land Use Plan and beginning regional discussions on tools available to build green infrastructure. Since ecosystems and gray infrastructure projects come in a wide range of sizes, we are pursuing opportunities to expand the Green Infrastructure Plan to all of Washington County and Benton County.

Because of the amazing detail in the maps that were prepared by our very newest Board Member, Barbara Boland, the file size for the complete report, including appendices and maps, is quite large so it will be uploaded to the site in sections.

Calendar

COMPLETED!!  Plan for Green Infrastructure - Linking Arkansas Communities 2008-2009

The Arkansas Forestry Commission Urban Forestry Program, the Beaver Water District, and the Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association (FNHA) have received a $25,000 grant to develop a Plan for Green Infrastructure-Linking Arkansas Communities.  Green Infrastructure is a strategic conservation planning approach designed to produce a planning tool that incorporates input from many diverse vantage points and uses Geographic information Systems (GIS) mapping.  Participation of elected officials, planners, businessmen, economic development groups, landowners, environmentalists, natural resource scientists, and many other types of stakeholders is being sought.  These community members will collaborate to identify the networks of natural and working lands that support the biological, cultural, and economic vitality of our region.  Our project area encompasses the cities of Farmington, Johnson, Greenland, and Fayetteville with their planning areas and surrounding lands in Washington County.  We have already received the support of the County Judge and the mayors or planning staffs of these cities. 
      Our intent is to facilitate the formulation of the Green Infrastructure Plan by providing forums, guidance, and a comprehensive data set to help community members envision the retention of an optimal green network in Northwest Arkansas.  We expect that the completed map of our most precious natural and cultural resources will provide a valuable strategic tool for guiding growth, and we will seek its adoption as part of local community landuse plans.  
          Our initial meeting :
      • Explained the concepts of Green Infrastructure Planning
      • Explored the compelling reasons for developing a Green Infrastructure Plan in NW Arkansas
      • Had maps to view 
      • Outlined the next steps
      • Gave an opportunity for discussion
      • Had sign-up sheets for those interested in participating
Nationally, green infrastructure planning projects have succeeded as a result of committed visionary leadership and significant citizen input combined with scientific conservation knowledge and practice.  This project is one of four pilot studies in the Southeast Region of the USDA Forest Service and will serve as a prototype for the development of other plans in the state of Arkansas.  Stay tuned!

Contacts:
Pete Heinzelmann, PR contact, FNHA, petemarg@cox.net, (479) 841-3404 cell
Bob Caulk, Chairman, FNHA, bobcaulk@cox.net, (479) 973-2968 home
Karen Rollet-Crocker, Vice-Chairman, FNHA, krollet@uark.edu, (479) 790-5539 cell
Barbara Boland, Project Coordinator, FNHA, barbaraboland@hotmail.com, (479) 521-2801 home

October 27, 2011, Tuesday, 6:00 PM Monthly FNHA Board Meeting, call Bob Caulk for info 973-2968

We're waiting for the water level to drop a bit in the FNHA-sponsored section of Scull Creek so we can get our Fall Stream Cleanup on the schedule before November 6th (the end of DST).  With easier accessibility we'll have better access to the "treasures"! Stay tuned

August 20, 2010, Friday, 7:00 PM FNHA is really pleased to have the opportunity to co-sponsor this Doug Tallamy presentation.  Doug has inspired and influenced countless gardeners, home owners, landscapers, and even school children with his compelling book, Bringing Nature Home.  Tallamy will have you rethinking about the interactions between insects and the plant world, and how by planting the widely accepted exotic, non-native (or non-local) landscape we are, in fact, contributing to the decline of our own native species that depend on the natural order for their survival.  You won't want to miss this super program.  Active FNHA members will receive a discount on their admission.  See pdf flyer for details

September 26, 2010, Sunday, 5 pm - 7 PM  Annual Fall Members Party.  

Our Fall Fundraiser this year is a deviation from our past functions because all proceeds, above the cost of the food for the party, will be earmarked for our newly formed Founders Scholarship Fund Endowment at the Ozark Natural Science Center. We’ve come a long way since 2003, and our theme, Fete the Founders, is to honor FNHA founders Pete Heinzelmann, Duane Woltjen, and Kay DuVal by naming this scholarship for them and having it permanently endowed. Our momentum, success and accomplishments since 2003 are owed to these three individuals who had the courage step up and create an awareness of what could be lost forever and to pitch in and start saving important natural areas for everyone and all of the great-grandchildren who have not yet been created.

Because we have focused the last 2 years working on our USDA/USFS/ASFC Green Infrastructure Planning grant, we do not have a specific piece of property for which we are actively raising funds to purchase. It occurred to several of the current Board members that there is little point in saving natural areas for future generations if the future generations do not know that there are natural areas out there! To date we have funding available for scholarships to ONSC Nature Camp for two deserving local-area children who would otherwise be unable to pay the tuition. Many, if not all of our member's children know the wonder of being in a forest and hearing a hawk calling to its mate, seeing a salamander, tadpole or crawfish in one of our clear-running streams, or smelling fresh pine needles as they stroll along a footpath. There are way too many children who are not so fortunate, and we’d love to see today’s kids become tomorrow’s activists. If today's young people do not have the opportunity to experience our natural areas first hand, who will be left to educate future generations about the necessity of preserving our natural areas? Their lives will depend on it. Stay tuned!

 Follow-up:  Annual Fall Fundraiser/Members Party 2008  FANTASTIC!!  Many thanks to Brian & Bonnie Runnels for hosting our party this year.  Their home and garden were transformed into a magical autumn setting ...  beautifully decorated with candles, freshly cut flowers and greenery. They even provided moonlight, stars and a perfect 62 degrees.  We had such a great mix of guests, and food that was out of this world... well at least from beyond our US borders.  Thanks to Lisa and Abhijheet Purkayastha and their son, Ian, for adding their time and culinary expertise in making authentic Indian fare.  They worked tirelessly for days and cooked nearly non-stop all evening so the food would be hot off the griddle.  Gabi Schafer helped Bonnie with the set-up and decorations even tho she was unable to attend the party due to another engagement.  Thanks, also to Barbara Boland for the heavenly creampuffs and to Roger Henry for bar-tending and assisting Barbara with the food prep.  We really appreciate Beverly Norton Walker and board member Deborah Coody for sharing their expertise and time by helping Chairman/chef Bob with some of the cooking chores this year.  Liquor Mart graciously provided the wine again this year which helped to make our event even more successful.  Thank you to everyone who attended and also to those who helped.  We were successful in raising a few dollars, but more importantly we wanted to have a good time and a chance to show our supporters that they are really special.  Our successes have been achieved because of their willingness to help us in so many ways.  Also, thanks Pete and Margo for having the vision to get this organization started.  Burp

Follow-up:  Woolsey Wetland Prairie Clean-up  Invasive species removal/trash pick-up.
What an amazing area!  For those who slathered on the bug repellent and helped pull up some of the invasive species, thanks for your help.  For those unable to be there, you missed quite a treat.  Worth noting --- the many killdeer flying about, a good representation of dragonflys and butterflys, several scissortail flycatchers, a flock of ducks, the somewhat elusive grasshopper sparrows, and some really gorgeous wildflowers and nifty native plants not seen in Northwest Arkansas in decades.  Thanks, Julie McQuade for organizing the work party and Bruce Shackelford for the enthusiastic and educational crash course on Woolsey's wealth of plants and wildlife!  We are so fortunate to have this reclaimed area as part of our enduring green network. This natural area restoration success story will most certainly be a huge draw to Fayetteville

Follow-up:  Arbor Day 2009 Scull Creek Trail Clean-up   
FNHA's adopted section of Scull Creek Trail was spiffed up on Wednesday, April 22nd, by a group of FNHA members. There are still a few sections of the creek that have log jams from the ice storm debris.
All in all, the litter was not too bad this time, and a couple volunteers planted some annuals in a few spots along the trail.  The plants were given to Fayetteville In Bloom, and we offered to help plant them.  Thanks to Mike Adelman for organizing the event once again, and special thanks to FNHA member Joyce Richards who arrived with her 14-year old grandson, Sly Richards, who happened to be in town visiting Joyce.  Joyce said, "Sly and his brother, Felix, have been helping us clean since Sly was 3 or 4 years old.  They like getting in the trenches --- you can really see the results with that kind of work."

This time it paid off for Sly...  he won a $50 Pack Rat gift certificate!  Trail clean-up participants were entered into a drawing.
Congratulations, Sly, and thanks for helping out!

Follow-up:  Fall 2009 Clean-Up on Scull Creek
Members of the Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association once again took the opportunity to tangibly improve the environment in Fayetteville on September 28th.  This clean-up was a continuation of FNHA's commitment to clean the Scull Creek Trail right-of-way, the adjacent creek bed, and the waterway.  This Fall we were joined by a co-sponsor -- the UofA Cooperative Extension Service -- who provided refreshments and door prizes for the volunteers.  Past trash-removal efforts have resulted in bagging up of thousands of plastic bottles, flash-flood and construction debris, and even an old tire or two.  The payback?  A cleaner stream and nicer parkway trail for local residents and visitors to Fayetteville to enjoy -- walking, biking, even roller skating and skate boarding!  Past volunteer efforts have provided more than 250 hours of service toward a cleaner community environment.  Is Fayetteville great place to live or what?!!!  

Current FNHA Activities

FNHA Named Project Winner by National Arbor Day Foundation 

 At a two day celebration at Arbor Day Farm, National Arbor Day Foundation headquarters in Nebraska City, Nebraska, FNHA was among the twenty national conservation-minded organizations or individuals winning this year's awards for work inspiring people to plant and celebrate trees.  Each year the Arbor Day Award Foundation honors exemplary environmental stewards or tree planters who make a difference around the world by planting trees or through education.  Representing FNHA at the Awards Banquet were Chairman Bob Caulk, Vice-Chair Karen Rollet-Crocker and Urban Forestry Coordinator Patti Erwin from the Arkansas Forestry Commission.

"The winners honored this year are doing their part to inspire the next generation of tree planters and conservationists across the United States," said John Rosenow, chief executive and founder of the Arbor Day Foundation.  "The work done with their hands and with their hearts will have a significant impact on the world today and for generations to come." 

The Foundation has given out Arbor Day awards since it was founded in 1972.  Past winners include Wangari Maathai, who also won a Nobel Peace Prize; Chicago Mayor Richard Daly; Stewart Udall, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior; veteran journalist Bill Kurtis; Toyota Motor Company; and the Walt Disney Company.

The 2009 Arbor Day Awards given at the ceremony were: 
   The Frederick Law Olmstead Award for extraordinary work on a regional level - Robert Thibodeaux, Church Point, Louisiana 
   The Lawrence Enersen Award for work done on a community level - Michael Hardy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
   Media Award for outlets that capture the attention and imagination of people - Louisiana Public Broadcasting; and International Society of Arboriculture (2 awards for separate entries)  
   Rachel Carson Award for providing nature education opportunities for children and families – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; World Forum Foundation, Redmond, Washington  
   Project Award for a wide range of conservation, tree planting and tree care efforts - Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association, Fayetteville, Arkansas; the Village of Wilmette, Illinois; Reforest the Bluegrass of Lexington Kentucky; the Hardwood Forestry Fund of Reston, Virginia; Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, Inc.  
   Education Award for providing excellent educational programs that are models for other to follow - Tacoma High School's Outdoor Academy, Kent, Washington; Kirkwood Junior TreeKeepers of Kirkwood, Missouri 
     Celebration Award honors schools, communities and state programs that best capture the spirit of the tree-planters holiday - the City of Minneapolis; the City of Olympia, Washington  
   Good Steward Award for tree planting and conservation efforts on private property - Blue Valley Ranch of Kremmling, Colorado  
   Lady Bird Johnson Award for roadside beautification effort - The Streetscape Program of Fort Myers Beach, Florida   
   Promise to the Earth Award gives recognition for sustained commitment and leadership by a corporation that partners with the Arbor Day Foundation on special projects - Allstate Insurance Company; Citi Cards

Recently 
►FNHA's adopted section of Scull Creek Trail was spiffed up on Wednesday, April 22nd, by a group of FNHA members.There are still a few sections of the creek that have log jams from the ice storm debris.  All in all, the litter was not too bad this time, and a couple volunteers planted some annuals that were given to AIB in a couple spots along the trail.  Thanks to Mike Adelman for organizing the event again.

►Pete Heinzelmann and Mike Adelman have been making great progress on their quest to remove the invasive honeysuckle from Brooks-Hummel.  If anyone wants to deal with their frustrations  by wielding clippers and a machete,  contact Pete or Mike and they'll be sure to call you when the next work day is scheduled!

Lift Off!!!!  

Isn't she a beauty?  

Master stone-mason Robert Runyon finished work on the Underwood-Lindsey Pavilion in November 2008 and we couldn't be more proud.  This facility will be the  cornerstone of a yet to be determined natural education program for area students and the picnic/gathering place in Mt. Sequoyah Woods.

There was a ceremony at the pavilion where FNHA was presented wih the paperwork for the easement. A trained group will do the annual monitoring for the easement.

*  FNHA has completed the second annual monitoring on the city-owned conservation easement on Kessler Mountain. 

*  Work is continuing on establishing the baseline report for the conservation easement held by FNHA on the Brooks Hummel Nature Reserve.

*  FNHA and nine other non-profits were selected by the Home Depot Foundation to submit a final grant application for the 2008 Awards of Excellence for Community Trees. The top prize of $75,000 awarded to a city our size went to Camden, New Jersey this year.  It is always an honor for a small organization such as ours to be among the top groups in the country. We'll try again.

*  Great trail marking progress has been made by Duane Woltjen in the Brooks Hummel Nature Preserve.  There is a lot of new Japanese (non-endemic, invasive) honeysuckle growth that needs to be dealt with, but the trails are usable and awaiting all of you nature enthusiasts.  It's a great place to take the kids.

 

 

 

 

  

 



Green Infrastructure Planning Course    Please see Green Infrastructure Planning work info above
One of the early steps toward fulfilling the recently received US Forest Service/Arkansas Forestry Commission pilot study grant entitled Green Infrastructure: Linking Arkansas Communities was taken on behalf of FNHA by Karen Rollet-Crocker and Barbara Boland when they attended a 5-day course on Strategic Conservation Planning using a Green Infrastructure Approach.  The course was offered on the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s beautiful rural campus, the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.  The campus is bounded on one side by the Potomac River and is crisscrossed by miles of trails.  The Virginia bluebells were carpeting the forest floor, a family of Bald eagles is nesting near one of the buildings.

The course attendees this spring turned out to be a fairly “green” group representing the conservation interests of the US Fish & Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service, US EPA, US Department of Transportation, US Army Corps of Engineers, and a few city and county planners; FNHA was in good company with several other NGOs like “Chicago Wilderness” and “Defenders of Wildlife”.  The course defined Green Infrastructure as both the network of natural areas and working lands that constitute the essential fabric that sustains both human and wildlife populations, and then conceptually, as a science-based, long-term, collaborative, organizational strategy for conservation planning at any scale from national to local, regional to landscape.  Through lectures, review of case studies, and group projects the attendees were introduced to tools and strategies for developing and implementing the goals, objectives, and progress metrics that a group of stakeholders might envision.

All-in-all the week was an intense, stimulating, and ultimately hope-inspiring introduction to an approach that endeavors to bring the diverse interests of our complex society to bear on the shared need to conserve our many faceted natural heritage.  The next step for FNHA is to meet with our grantors to lay out the shape of our work together.  The plan will include setting up public forums and educational presentations and will provide ample opportunity for your involvement; I hope you will join in the effort.   -Barbara Boland

Other Community Events

OUTINGS

Date:  Saturday, November 12, 2011
Name of Hike:  Secret Valley, Upper Buffalo Wilderness
Trail or Bushwhack? Bushwhack
Mileage:  5 to 6
Total El.evation Gain:  400 to 500 feet
Rating:  Difficult
Features:  Bluffs, waterfall, Buffalo River views, historic features
Coordinator:  Ron Foldvary (479) 442-5248
Meeting Place and Time:  Root School at 8:00 a.m. or BRT Boxley Trailhead on Rte. 21 at 9:45 a.m.
Comment:  Spectacular V-shaped hollow and watefall,  See the Hedges house site

Stay tuned.  More hikes to come
Bob Cross
(479) 587-8757
Cell: (479) 466-3077
 

OSHC Hikers:
Last Saturday, JB Clark led a bushwhack into Devil’s Canyon in the Ozark National Forest near Fern AR.
Pictures of Ozark Society hikes can be seen at: http://www.picasaweb.google.com/LukeParsch and at http://picasaweb.google.com/millett4
Below is a reminder of the next upcoming OSHC hike on New Year’s Day, Jan 1.

Day, Date: Sunday, January 1, 2012, New Year’s Day
Name of Hike: Lake Fayetteville
Trail or Bushwhack: Trail
Distance: 5 miles
Total Elevation Gain/Loss: 50 feet
Rating: Easy
Features: Waterfowl, eagles, lake views
Hike Leader: Mike Adelman
                       -Telephone & Email: (479) 571-1488 H; (479) 283-4212 M; jrzadelman@aol.com
Meeting Place and Time: Lake Fayetteville parking area near Lewis & Clark, 9:00 a.m.
Comments: Children are welcome for this hike

Luke Parsch

Lucas D. Parsch
OSHC Outings Chair
479-442-3817 (home)
lparsch@uark.edu

 

© Copyright 2012 Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association, Inc.
PO Box 3635 - Fayetteville, AR - 72702