What has helped sell the idea of beneficial landscaping?
The long-term cost savings were used to promote beneficial landscaping because maintenance is less expensive. Mowing is two times more costly compared to burning natural landscape once every 3 years (natural landscape is established in 10 years). The site has 50,000 annual visitors and trails have been installed with interpretive signs which also improves public relations of natural landscaping. While cost estimates were critical, other factors included stormwater quality and downstream flow rates. Native plants provided the answer to both quality and flow concerns. The native landscaping effort opened a marketing opportunity both for the site to be distinctive and ecologically sound, which promotes good public relations. The 35-acre site was not accessible. We needed to reduce steep banks to improve access to site. Since 1987, bridges were installed for maintenance activities and fish were stocked then left alone. While not open to the public, the site is available for employee use an
