Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 05/07/2012

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We've all seen the swath of destruction underneath powerlines. Areas that have been cleared of trees to protect the lines. In an effort to increase the reliability of their lines, power companies are now being ordered to clear trees to the full width of their easement, which is often a departure from past practice. They want to cut more trees. The scar will get worse. I am a landowner with a Great River Energy easement. Part of my woods is directly affected. My reaction was typical: "See you in court." Upon further reflection, I changed my mind. My woods is typical of former farmland: lots of boxelder, green ash, prickly ash and gooseberry but with some spring ephemerals. Most of my yard- admiring time is spent walking through my front yard which has been mostly converted to prairie garden. The fall color of my little bluestem was better than ever, this year. I therefore decided to convert the easement land, which consists of prairie garden, pasture grasses and woods, to prairie garden and woodland margin shrubs such as nannyberry, arrowwood, etc. As I looked down the hideous scar of the easement, it became apparent that easement land could serve a greater good with the right plantings. It could be mile- after -mile of prairie and flowering shrubs / small trees. It could be a haven for a wide variety of habitat - strapped wildlife. It could be spectacular. Project and Goals 1) Encourage landowners, whether public or private, to convert at least some of their easement property to native or other plantings that could benefit wildlife. Long stretches of appropriately vegetated land might also serve as a wildlife corridor. Even if only a very small percentage of landowners have an interest, the project could result in a significant increase in habitat for non -game species. Common milkweed, for instance, is widely regarded as a weed and has often been destroyed as such. This would be an opportunity to return it to general availability. Long stretches of east /west or north /south habitat could provide a good transect for biology proj ects. 2) Set the stage for the collection of volumes of biological data. 3) Introduce landowners to the community of phenologists and others with biological interests. This would ideally be done at the time of GRE / landowner contact. 4) Support the movement away from resource - intensive turf lawns. 5) Encourage the commercial development of additional types of habitat.