Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association
Dedicated to Conserving the Natural Areas of Fayetteville and its Environs for the Benefit of Present & Future Generations
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Plan for Green Infrastructure | Calendar | Current FNHA Activities | Other Community Events |Plan for Green Infrastructure
Plan for Green Infrastructure - Linking Arkansas Communities 2008-2009
►Project Brief
►Introductory Presentation
►Green Infrastructure Planning Initial Stakeholder Meeting Presentation August 21, 2008
Green Infrastructure Links
► 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.
"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
Calendar
On-going Plan for Green Infrastructure - Linking Arkansas Communities 2008-2009, Meeting schedule dates and details will be posted as they become available.
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
November 19, 2008, Wednesday, 6-7 PM, League of Women Voters to Discuss Using Tax Incentives for Land Preservation, Fayetteville Public Library
If you’ve wondered about how to set aside land for preservation and do it with economic concerns in mind, then there’s a free program you’ll want to attend. The League of Women Voters of Washington County invites the community to hear presentations on the use of tax incentives for land preservation from 6-7 p.m. on Nov. 19 in the Walker Room of the Fayetteville Public Library. The discussion is part of a statewide League study on this topic. Presenters will be LWVWC member Joyce Hale, Bob Kossieck representing property rights concerns, and University of Arkansas graduate student Dorothy Effa, who will discuss her survey on conservation easements. League
members will participate in a consensus exercise following the public program. For more information call 527-2777.
December 2nd, Tuesday, 6:00 PM, FNHA Monthly Board Meeting, call Bob Caulk for info 973-2968
Follow-up: Annual Fall Fundraiser/Members Party
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.
Current FNHA Activities
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Progress has stopped on the CCC-style rock and timber Underwood-Lindsey pavilion in the southeast corner of Mt. Sequoyah Woods. The rock work on the walls is complete and the timber structure has been assembled. The shingles have been installed, the floor is nearly complete, and the site has been cleaned up, Flora refurbishing, and the dedication ceremony are being planned. The site is accessible by following the path for approximately 300 yards from the park entrance at the intersection of Paddock Lane and Happy Hollow Rd.
Lift Off!!!!
Isn't she a beauty? Robert Runyon finished the work on the Underwood-Lindsey Pavilion early in November 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.
* 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.
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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.
Respectfully,
Barbara Boland
Other Community Events
TRAIL BUILDING & MAINTENANCE
From October through December there will be further opportunities to help Ken Smith in the building of the Buffalo River Trail extension from Tyler Bend to Hwy 14. You can call Ken at (479) 443-4098 or send an e-mail to trailsmith1@yahoo.com for information. Ask to be on his e-mail list to get up-to-date schedule information.
This 6-mile hike in the Upper Buffalo Wilderness is rated difficult due to scrambling over rough terrain and a 850-foot elevation loss down to the Buffalo (and the corresponding elevation gain coming out). However, the waterfalls and bluffs should be spectacular. Meet at Root School at 8:00 am or at the Cave Mountain Church at 9:30 am. Call Terry Fredrick at (479) 442-3812 for information.
This easy to moderate hike, 8.4 miles long, has nice views of Beaver Lake. We will also pass some interesting sinkholes and experience an Ozark hardwood forest. There is little elevation gain. Marty Kerns and Brenda Brown guarantee numerous deer sightings. Meet at Root School at 8:00 a.m. or at the Pigeon Roost trailhead at Hobbs at 9:00. Send an e-mail to Marty at martykerns@juno.com for information.
Okay, you have emptied the stores and the pantry with your Thanksgiving shopping and feasting weekend. Now work off a few calories with the second annual appreciation of Fayetteville's newest trail along Scull Creek. This trail connects Wilson Park near downtown Fayetteville with the Mud Creek Trail near the NWA Mall area. The City has installed numerous bridges and even a tunnel under the Freeway. So come and enjoy an outing on an entirely paved surface close to home. After the hike, come to the Adelman's for holiday refreshments. Start time will be 8:30 a.m., at a location to be announced in a future notice. Total 5.4 miles, rated Easy. Call Mike Adelman for details, 571-1488.
Introduction to Lincoln Lake Trails: This will be approximately a 6 mile hike but will be rated difficult because of bushwhacking and scrambling over boulders and such. Around 4 miles of the trail are completed and an easy hike. This is a beautiful area and a must see. Let's meet a 9:00 am at the Lincoln Lake parking lot. To get there take Hwy. 62 from Fayetteville through Prairie Grove, continue on 62 another 6 or 7 miles to Lincoln. Watch for county road 669 [there is a Lincoln Lake sign] and turn north. Go about 4 miles and you will be there. To carpool from Fayetteville meet at the Wal-Mart parking lot on 6th Street at 8:15 a.m. Send an e-mail to djustice@fayar.net for information.
We tried this hike two years ago and ran into yellowjackets with very serious results. In winter the little devils should be deep underground. This is one of the most scenic areas in the Ozarks with too many spectacular views to count—waterfalls, bluffs, deep gorges and great vistas. We’ll probably be able to find the famous “Bear Crack.” The distance is less than 5 miles but the rating is “difficult” due to the scrambling that’s required during steep ascents and descents with elevation loss and gain of about 700 feet. Meet at FirstCare Medical at 8:00 a.m. or at the country store in Deer (at the water tank) at 9:30 a.m. Call Bob Cross at 587-8757 for information
Walk through history at this largest Civil War site west of the Mississippi. Though 9 miles long, the hike is easy and generally follows old roads with little elevation gain. There are cut-offs that provide shorter options. At one very scenic overlook you will see almost the entire battleground and can follow the battle that kept the Confederates from invading Missouri. Meet at Root School at 9:00am or at the Visitor Center at l0 am. There will be a small admission charge unless you have a National Park pass. For information send an e-mail to Marty Kerns and Brenda Brown at martykerns@juno.com
These are two of the most famous trails in the upper Buffalo region and with a total length of 5.1 miles and an elevation gain of less than 500 feet they are rated easy. There will be great waterfalls and bluffs at Lost Valley. Bring a flashlight if you plan to enter the cave. You will need a camera for Hawksbill Crag. Meet at Root School at 8:00 a.m. or at the Lost Valley trailhead at 9:30 a.m. Call Sally Stone at (479) 521-4062 for information.
Lake Wilson Trail was built by Ozark Society members and honors early leaders, Joe and Maxine Clark. We will see evidence of beavers and sometimes spy eagles. This is a great way to get out of the house on Christmas afternoon, so bring the kids and grand- kids to see a Fayetteville City Park with lovely woodlands and bluffs. Meet in the parking lot of the IGA store at Rt 71B and 15th Street, for a 1:30 p.m. departure for the trailhead. Total: 2.5 miles, rated Easy on awoodland path. Call Mike Adelman for details, 571-1488.
We continue our popular tradition of starting the New Year with an outdoor experience, walking around Lake Fayetteville. We will be paying some attention to the springs at the East side of the Lake, as well as looking for bald eagles and other waterfowls. Get the kids and grandkids going in 2009 with a great outdoor experience. Meet in the parking lot by the ball fields near Lewis & Clark, for an 8:30 a.m. start (note the change from earlier years). Tomato and orange juice will be available at 8:00 a.m. to assist slow starters recover from ringing in the New Year. Total: 5.1 miles, rated Easy to Moderate on paved surfaces and on woodland paths. Call Mike Adelman for details, 571-1488.