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Northwest Arkansas Times Sunday, June 23, 2002 Reprinted with author's permission An ecological treasure More study needed on tech-park site BY ANDREA RADWELL Special to the Times Various proposals to develop the city of Fayetteville's 289-acre parcel at I-540 and Arkansas 112 have been made over the past 12 years. Because the property hosts neither a business nor technology park, I will refer to the 289-acre parcel as the Wilson Springs natural area. The latest proposal for development initiated by the city administration earlier this year raised concerns among naturalists familiar with the site. Having those concerns heard required a concerted effort, but finally I, along with others, began to fan over the property with maps of delineated wetlands and proposed development areas. We spent a lot of time on the site over the past four months, shared information that we had gathered in the past, and visually surveyed virtually the whole property. On June 5, the Environmental Concerns Committee held a special public session to present some of the information gathered by scientists and to air questions and concerns from the public. To sum it up, the parcel was described as truly an ecological treasure. Without a doubt, the effects of humankind are certainly there - Clabber Creek running through the property was channelized in the past and pasture grasses were introduced on parts of the property. But by some quirk of circumstance, the area has managed to retain flowing springs, a lovely spring run inhabited by Arkansas darters (a rare and imperiled fish species), seeps, wooded wetlands, marshes, and grasslands. These habitats support an extraordinarily rich biological community The northwest corner of the property looks from afar like just any old pasture. But it is not: It still has prairie mounds - ancient geological features that have been obliterated from most of the Northwest Arkansas landscape, and most of the rest of the Midwest for that matter. Among the abundant life at the Wilson Springs natural area, rare species have been identified that are declining across the nation as development encroaches on their habitat. At the committee's public session, Dr. Chuck West, an agronomist, talked about rare plant species that are found there. Joe Neal, an ornithologist, talked about the more than 120 bird species that he and Mike Mlodinov have identified on the site over the past two years. Many of these birds are migratory species of concern, and they seasonally nest in the fields. I shared my observations as well. I need not say very much about the Arkansas darter - its imperiled status has received considerable attention. More important than the particulars is the recognition that this site has a rich biodiversity that depends on maintenance of both the quantity and quality of ground water. We carried around those maps showing the 85 acres of wetlands designated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and tried to make sense of it all. There is high, dry land on the south end of the parcel, but much of the remaining land is lowland inundated with water much of the year. Why, then, weren't all the lowlands designated as wetlands? The answer is simple: They didn't meet the Corps requirement for the presence of wetland plants - of course not, someone planted pasture grass on some of those acres. Numerous discrepancies in the delineation of wetlands were noted. Mayor Dan Coody has offered assurances that development on the Wilson Springs natural area site will not adversely affect the seasonal wetland ecosystem. But the most basic questions have yet to be answered - what is the recharge area of the springs on the property? In other words, what area of land receives the rainfall that keeps the springs running? The water table is very high on all but the south end of the parcel. How can that ground water be protected from contamination due to development? With all that water, is building on the lowlands even practical? The biological inventory is by no means complete, and no hydrological study has been done. The mayor has talked of pervious parking lots, grass swales, no curbs. Nice ideas but roads, buildings, bridges, etc are all impervious and not easily constructed on land with a very high water table - which is characteristic of the entire lowland portion of the parcel, not just the 85 acres of wetlands designated by the Corps. The June 5 public session was well attended. Time did not allow everyone the opportunity to have a voice; many concerned, interested, and informed citizens still wish to address both environmental and economic issues. Given the events of the evening of June 5, it is clear that there is no public consensus on what level or type of development, if any, should occur on the 289 acres comprising the Wilson Springs natural area Fayetteville is fortunate to have so many citizens that are dedicated to preservation of the quality of life in their community, and they have been an important part of Coody's constituency. They expect the mayor and City Council representing them to support sustainable economic development, which requires an understanding of the ecological services provided by wetlands and other types of natural areas. To reach consensus on the best course of action regarding the Wilson Springs natural area will require an ongoing, all-inclusive public process. All of us have been entrusted with the responsibility to make decisions that bear on the quality of our lives as well as those that will dwell in Fayetteville in the future. Andrea Radwell is a local resident and a Ph.D. candidate in biological sciences emphasizing on stream ecology. She has been an outspoken advocate for further environmental study and preservation at the proposed site of the Arkansas Business and Technology Park. |