Establishing Realistic Standards for Homeowner's Landscape Treatments Adjacent to the Markham Ravine Open Space

Bill Plumb

Upon completion of the Markham Ravine 2005 Creek Week cleanup on April 9th, the MRNC received an email complaint from a distraught homeowner who lives adjacent to the Western portion of the ravine. Although the homeowner states in his email that he would be contacting the City of Lincoln and the Boy Scouts he has not yet done so as of July 1st. The MRNC believes that the complaint raises a larger significant issue regarding educating owners of homes adjacent to the ravine regarding appropriate landscaping and maintenance activities. The major points raised in the homeowner's email include the following:

"My backyard adjoins the Markham Ravine Marsh, and the water of the marsh is less than 10 feet down a hill from my back fence line. To control weeds along that side of the fence line, I do not like to use chemicals so close to the marsh water, so as an alternative I laid 2 feet of landscaping material along the length of the fence and put a layer of grass clippings as a natural way of controlling growth so close to the fence. On Saturday, April 9th, I returned home from work to find that your organization and it’s volunteers had decided to throw large amounts of the grass clippings back into my yard on top of planter beds and the lawn. I can only assume this was done in protest due to the fact that no one came to my door to consult my wife, who was home at the time. I am outraged at the audacity of your organization and it’s volunteers. This area was well within my property line and this was a case of trespassing and invading my privacy. I would have discussed options if approached. Your organization and it’s project no longer have my support and I am urging all of my neighbors to do the same. I will also be contacting the City of Lincoln and the Boy Scouts of America as they were part of the clean up crew at this location."

The MRNC would like to address the issues raised in this incident as follows. The actions cited by the homeowner were in no way an approved activity taken by the MRNC as a whole. Obviously, it would have been more prudent for the individual involved to have approached and educate the homeowner when his potentially damaging weed control activities within the ravine were discovered.

This incident raises a critically important question which must be addressed as the Markham Ravine Corridor Enhancement Project is being implemented. How can the homeowners who live adjacent to the ravine best assist in maintaining the restored riparian habitat thereafter? We believe that it would be useful for all these homeowners to work with the Project developers, Foothill Associates and Restoration Resources, regarding the establishment of recommendations for desired yet appropriate backyard landscaping. We have heard from a number of people who are concerned about weeds invading their backyards from the open space. Perhaps these folks should also be shown existing site locations where non-native invasive species of ornamental plants have been planted in the open space corridor. These invasive species actually choke off the native plant species which are much more beneficial to maintaining a balanced and healthy ecosystem within the ravine. These invasive plants must now be removed at City expense.

We are not sure that one back yard landscaping standard will address all situations. For instance, we should try to develop some specific standards for plantings of weed barriers within or immediately adjacent to the open space which meets the needs of the habitat restoration goals and the aesthetic desires of the greatest number of homeowner stakeholders. The delineation of responsibilities will be addressed throughout the next year as the Markham Ravine Enhancement Project is being implemented. During the public hearing process we encourage residents, especially property owners living adjacent to the ravine, to participate with their ideas regarding ravine maintenance.

Another issue of concern is that mulch consisting of lawn grasses, and other debris, oftentimes contains pesticides or other chemicals which can leech into the ravine, thereby critically harming or destroying native wildlife. There does not appear to be any current City ordinances which specifically restricts placement of debris materials, even within one's own property, if it could possibly be ecologically harmful to the habitat below. Homeowners are advised by the City when asked to refrain from such placement. As our Project progresses it will be important to educate the community living adjacent to the ravine regarding appropriate disposal of debris materials, so as to best protect the ecological balance of the habitat within the ravine.

We also must address the issue of wildfire protection. At this time the City of Lincoln requires that there be a 10 foot firebreak extending out from the homeowner's fence line into any open space ravine, regardless of actual homeowner property lines. Such a firebreak must not include any debris materials at all. The creation of an effective firebreak usually necessitates the use of string trimmers to cut down all the vegetation within this required setback. The cut vegetation and weeds must then be raked out of the required firebreak perimeter. The City has been contracting with the Civilian Conservation Corps to perform this task of creating such firebreaks. We believe that the mulching techniques utilized by the disgruntled homeowner, as he described, are in conflict with the City requirements. But, that would ultimately be up to the City to clarify and decide during this next year.

Another issue which has been raised during this past Spring of 2005 is the decision made by several homeowners living adjacent to the Markham Ravine to extend their backyards beyond their fence line down to their property line. Another resident has also constructed a retention wall at the end of their yard at the property line. These actions raise concerns of soil erosion, planting of invasive species of plants, and disruption of the Markham Ravine ecosystem balance.

All of the above issues are critical to the maintenance of an ecologically balanced riparian habitat. Education and working together are key elements as the Markham Ravine Enhancement Project is being implemented. In conclusion, we can certainly understand the homeowner's Creek Week complaint, and the desire of homeowners to enhance their own property backyards, but it is critical that we all come to an agreement on acceptable standards for pursuing such activities. It is also hard to believe that the action of any one creek week cleanup volunteer was in anyway malicious. Over-zealous on the part of one individual perhaps, but not malicious for sure. We hope that the value of all the work the Markham Ravine Neighborhood Committee has done over the last three years for the benefit of all the citizens of Lincoln is not lost in this needed discussion, and perhaps debate, about the best way to address long-term backyard landscaping along the ravine.

We ask that homeowners try to understand the real and benevolent intentions of hard working volunteers who will continue to give up their Saturdays to improve the value of the open space behind his residence. Perhaps homeowners who live adjacent to the Markham Ravine would even choose to join the MRNC efforts to preserve and enhance our huge back yard, which in actuality extend significantly beyond any one individual's property lines.

Thursday, June 30, 2005 07:57 PM -0700