Neighbors,
I haven't seen anyone comment on the erosion caused by the herbicides in
Clark Park over the recent years. I think it's an important issue! I
also noticed that the usual bare spot in the bowl was much larger than I
had ever seen it, this spring, because the crabgrass of years past was
gone.
We've heard that overuse of the park caused all of the erosion, and made
privatization necessary! The best place to isolate the impact of the
herbicide caused erosion is near the entrance of 44th and Baltimore.
Location: When you come from Baltimore Ave you are on a hill. The
sidewalk divides and a triangle of sidewalk is formed. A few inches of
the western sidewalk is visible and below the sidewalk on a slight hill,
you will see only barren rocks with no topsoil!
This slight hill never receives use from any park group but it is in the
shade where "weed species" thrive! In the spring before some new weeds
drove through the rocks, I was amazed at the total loss of topsoil on
this shady unused hill! This erosion problem in Clark Park all started
when UCD took control and these chemicals started being used. When I
was fighting with FOCP (1999-2004) about banning all non SHCA festivals,
they were claiming that Clark Park was the most used park in the city.
So the UCD portrayal of an unused park is ridiculous! (But the UCD
portrayal of a deserted park fits into blaming the new erosion on new use.)
In the 1930's, the American dust bowl was caused by the elimination of
vast areas of natural grasses. By allowing the natural grasses or weeds
to live, they protect the topsoil from both wind and rain erosion. This
single species of what I call "suburban lawn" does not have the roots,
etc to protect the topsoil like the diversity which nature provides.
The hearty crab grass in the bowl protected large areas year after year
despite a great deal of soccer use.
Please consider the erosion problem and dust bowl; and the years of
these unknown chemicals. Pleas look at the rocks and missing topsoil
near 44th and Baltimore.
Glenn
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