Ordinance No. 20513 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Design and Management Strategies for Wildlife and People The full report next contains a 19 -page section of text and illustrations devoted Design and Management Strategies for Wildlife and People (p. 32 -50). It begins with a brief introduction to management species and riparian habitat followed by nine key design and planning recommendations intended to guide master plan implementation. The section ends with five pages of site design critique and commentary. Given that this summary report is intended primarily for assessment and implementation of the master plan rather than design guidance, we present only selected highlights here. The reason they are included is to illustrate the complex relationships between the spatial layout of a design, its vegetation structure and species composition, underlying ecological processes that are often invisible to the human eye, and the dynamic nature of how living systems change and develop over time. Because of these features, it is one thing to describe an area as a "green space" or "natural area" on paper, as is done in a plan or design. It is another to actually achieve the intended ecological functions, particularly when they are being integrated with other human use functions. Such issues can be counterintuitive. For instance, in the report we stated: "Designers will need to be careful not to integrate wildlife habitat with stormwater functions where runoff from streets and parking lots is initially being processed... Bioswales receiving such inputs not only carry polluted water but also may build up sediments with high levels of toxic materials. To the degree that some plant species, particularly those used for bioremediation, may accumulate heavy metals or other chemical compounds in their tissues, the plants themselves may become unsuitable forage and habitat for wildlife species. For this reason we recommend that any initial aboveground biological cleansing of stormwater from streets and parking lots be done with vegetation that provides little attraction for wildlife... On the other hand, water that comes off inert roofs and sidewalks without motorized vehicles should be relatively clean and may be suitable to use in detention and infiltration wetlands that also serve as habitat for native wildlife species. For these reasons we recommend that stormwater from roofs and other clean surfaces be kept separate from runoff from roads and parking lots. Development of such a planned stormwater infrastructure from project inception will allow for much safer integration of ecological and stormwater functions and much greater potential to adapt the system efficiently in the future as stormwater technologies improve." (p. 46, full report) For reasons such as these specific benchmarks and best management guidelines are an essential component of project implementation. We have highlighted several of other key issues from the report here and refer the reader to the full report for further detail. Upper Bank Modification (p. 45) "...achieving a desirable physical alignment of the bank and stabilizing it with materials and technologies that promote robust plantings and efficient vegetation management may be the most critical part of "getting it right" for the long term viability of the site as an urban river experience. Without such attention to the river's edge in the initial stages of site development it is likely that the site will never achieve its desired endpoints, experientially or ecologically. Likewise, its adaptability to future modifications of plantings or people's access would be seriously constrained for the foreseeable future. " 2S