-J. ■Un' r: Wilderness Park must not crumble to slowly expandins urban sprawl GRAHAM JOHNSON#* a graduate student in German, environmental and social studies, and is Co-Director of the University of Nebraska Environmental Resource Center. Wilderness Park is nationally rec ognized as one of the best examples for flood management for an urban setting. The Salt Creek that has flood ed Lincoln many times in the past still flows, but since the 1970s, the Wilderness Park section South of town has encased it in a forest of dense trees and grasses. This foliage, along with wide buffer areas of agriculture and the nat ural meander of the Salt Creek, com- % bine to create a highly absorptive and effective means for flood control near the park and downstream. Furthermore, this extremely lush and protective area has since been the habitat for hundreds of species of birds, mammals, amphibians and insects. Nowhere in Lincoln is biodi versity as rich as it is in Wilderness Park. Wilderness Park is a recreation and educational area for those who want to experience “wild” nature, but may not have the opportunity to travel far. The park hosts bicyclists, hikers, horseback riders, naturalists of many sorts, and the youth population of Lincoln for field trips and summer activities. Now, all of these attributes of Wilderness Park are under severe threat of the expanding girth of Lincoln. Wilderness Park, as well as the entire Lincoln/Lancaster flood plain are becoming victims of unsus tainable and manipulated expansion. Development of the city is good, but “developmenf’ is.not what Lincoln is pursuing. Rather, Lincoln has become the victim of incongruent, dis located growth and expansion. “Developmenf’ implies a different meaning than simply “expansion” or “growth.” “Development” means evolving into something better. To “expand” or to “grow” implies an increase in size, but not necessarily something’s evolu tion into something better. Flowers develop. Weeds and can cer grow and expand. Sprawl faces Lincoln just as it faces: Minneapolis; Seattle; Portland; Omaha; Austin, Texas; Boulder, Colo, and the rest of die medium to large cities in this country. The question of how to manage development for the long-term rests in the hands of the local citizens, city managers and plan ners and private and public enterprises. Each city is unique and therefore must remedy their unique situation in the best way they see fit But there are also overarching principles and prac tices that are becoming universally understood and fall under the umbrella of “sustainable development.” In Lincoln, applying sustainable philosophies and practices means developing the city with the long-term future in mind, but acting in the short term with a comprehensively responsi ble approach. As it now stands, the anticipated urbanization on the east side of Wilderness Park (including a high school, industry, business offices, lighted ball paries, and residential) will continue to apply significant pressures upon the attributes of Wilderness Park and it’s environs. This Will cause the parks dynamics to change severely. Animals around the park, that are accustomed to grazing farmland will be pushed in and confined, forcing diem to graze on park foliage. Migratory tendencies for other animals and insects will be reduced because of u Development of the city is good, but ‘development’ is not what Lincoln is pursuing. Rather, Lincoln has become the victim of incongruent, dislocated growth and expansion. a decrease in habitat - Light and noise pollution, toxic effluents (including but not limited to oil, gasoline, and rubber residues), and solid wastes will flow freely into the park and into the Salt Creek from adja cent buildings, industry, and the pro posed underground'gasoline holding tanks. Increased amounts of impervious surfaces (parking lots, streets and roofs) will send more rain faster into the Salt Creek along with large amounts of silt (fine mud). This increased rate and amount of water and silt will damage not only die park, but Lincoln’s Haymarket and Waverly are also under threat of prop erty damage. Increased population near die park will apply internal pressure as more, people visit and use the park. All together, the situation looks grim, especially increased develop ment continues as planned. The loss of biodiversity, the lo^ of floodwater retention, the loss of “natu ralness,” the loss of agricultural land, the loss of serenity. The tarnishing of a gem. We are not alone in Lincoln when it comes to issues of development and sprawl. Lincoln is abigplace and there are plenty of other places to develop, besides adjacent to Wilderness Park. The preservation of Wilderness Park could be as much of a national example just as its creation was for flood control in the 1970s. : Together, We're Making Lives Better 621 Rose Street, Lincoln www.mdsharris.com/rcrt/recruit.htm Parr Ml ■ riAnV SinniPO DnimAU ■