Clearing the boundary

Did another Great American Cleanup today, this time on the section along Hobbs Road on the south tract. We collected 30 bags of trash, half a dozen tires etc. It obviously hadn't been touched in a while. I even found a 1971 Michigan license plate. Interesting..

LUPINE IS COMING!

This is some of the best news ever. I have been informed that work is planned to develop a test plot at Lake Blue to introduce scrub lupine. This had been recommended because the only protected site is over by Lake McLeod and if something zaps that site, we've lost a significant portion of the world's scrub lupine population. I can hardly wait.

Preservation zoning stalls over TDRs

My efforts to turn the presrve into a preserve on the county's growth map has stalled because the Division of State Lands wants to bank the land's industrial land use for trade under a transfer of development rights that doesn't exist yet.

There's a framework here for TDRs for residential densities, which is calculated on the basis of units/acre, but not for commercial densities, which is calculated on floor:area ratio. I just hope no mischief results from this decision.

The fences are cleared

Today I finished the last section of fence clearing along the streets adjoining the preserve. It took 10-12 hours altogether, I think. I'm done. I went home and had a couple of beers to celebrate.

Yesterday I saw a Blue Curls blooming. It wouldn't be unusual to see Blue Curls blooming here except for the fact that it's March, not September.

Some work to do this weekend

I found the fence near the substation had been cut again, just short of the last splice. On purpose undoubtedly. I plan to reinforce that section with more posts and I think I've found a place to get rid of some brush, if you know what I mean.

Nolina is beginning to bloom everywhere. Liatris is starting to pop up. No surprise there. Today's the first day of spring.

I saw the first Carolina anole I had seen in some time today. Always a treat.

One of the neighbors told me he had stopped some dirt bikders from coming in. Still curious who cut the fence and who is making the paths I find.

Exploring down the line

I've been intrigued by the patch of scrub to the east in the industrial area, so I decided to explore in case a surpise lay there. There's POMY, NOBR, PACH and LECE as well as more common stuff, but no bonus species. Now I know.

Clearing another fence line

I'm gradually clearing the fence line on the south side of the south tract. I found a water heater in the right of way and pushed ite out to the road shoulder to retrieve it later for recycling, but someone beat me to it. Good for them. Most of the other trash in the section I worked on was minimal. I had cleaned up some of it previously.

Conservation rezoning advances

My push to get this site recognized as Preservation on the county growth map is moving ahead. The Development Review Committee met today and had no objections. If all goes well, it will happen by the end of the year.

Two vines, one grass and more

Exotic invasive species are the enemies of conservation land managers. I'll start the discussion with two vines and a grass. Lygodium can be a problem, but I've found only two spots and eliminated both quickly. Abrus is everywhere, but it has always been around and I can live with it, I think.

Natal grass is a major nuisance. It has taken over major sections of the fire lanes that aren't already taken over by something else. There are other exotic problems. I'll post their mug shots later.