5.3. SR 05-21-2007 - Laserfiche WebLink

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May 10,2007 "-.-: ~ Cc \~Gf~'~ sl JJIO? J5C'<,-- S.j Honorable Mayor and City Council Elk River Parks and Recreation 1104 Lions Park Drive Elk River, MN 55330 To Whom It May Concern, I was devestated to learn of the possibility of tearing out the natural native prairie from the meidians surrounding the city hall in Elk River. I'm an 18 year old student at Elk River High School and throughout the last three years I have been involved as a volunteer and as an employee of the city, working on prairie restorations and matinence throughout the city, such as at including my prairie restoration of the Handke Stadium for my Eagle Scout Project Out of all the prairies that I have worked on during this time, the median prairies have been the most beautiful by far and have required the least amount of matinence, The prairie required lots of effort to plant, and now only requires an annual mowing or burning (can you mow your lawn just once a year?) and minimal matinence, I spent just two days in the early summer last year removing non-native plants and that was all the prairie needed in order to be self-substaining for the entire summer. I would estimate that 99% of all plants in the medians are native prairie plants, and any matinence that is needed can be gladly done by many volunteers, I have recieved many complements for my work on the prairie because of how appealing it is during the summer months, and the time the plants are dormant and not in bloom is the same time yard grass would be brown, I do not know what your plans are for the medians once the natural prairies are destroyed, but I assure you, the natural prairie is far less work-intensive and less expensive than other things such as grass or concrete, It is far more resistant to drought than yard grasses and is far better for the environment If Elk River is making a commitment to becoming an energy efficient city we should start by protecting native prairies, which are some of the most effective C02 reducing plants on the planet If allergens are a factor in your decision to destroy the prairie, I would like to point out that natural prairie grasses and flowers choke the growth of plants that are responsible for spring allergies, such as ragweed and other non-native plants, I strongly encourage you to rethink your decision to destroy the native prairie, And I speak for dozens of volunteers who have worked on this and the many other prairies in Elk River. It's horribly frustrating to find that years of hard work to finally make this beautiful native prairie self- sustaining could all be wasted and replaced with expensive and unappealing grass and concrete, Please do not senselessly and needlessly destroy this beautiful prairie. Spencer Wigmore 18913 Boston St Elk River, MN 55330 (763) 241-0071 ~ C!CISO~tE MAY 2 0 2riOl ~