The good stuff - A Wildlife Plan
Our first Wildlife Plan is approaching the finish line!
A pic I took of a Swainson’s Hawk that spent the summer in Old Town in 2023
If you’ve caught a couple of my posts on Nextdoor over the last few years you might have seen one about Lafayette’s first Wildlife Plan. It’s in the final draft stages now and will be presented to the Planning Commission at their next meeting on January 10th at 6 p.m. at City Hall. That will be followed by a workshop with the City Council later in January before final adoption. Here’s some background for those who are not aware of this plan.
I’m a big animal and nature lover. I’ve attended all but a few of the Lafayette Open Space Advisory Committee’s (LOSAC) meetings since 2015 so I can stay updated on all the open space happenings in the city.
There had been talk within the committee for a few years about the need for a formal Wildlife Plan that, as our former Open Space Superintendent Rob Burdine put it, will be written from the wildlife’s point of view, focusing on what they need. Yippee!
My apologies here, there was an open period for a few weeks to provide time for public input on the draft. I should have written about it but it happened right before and over the holidays and honestly, I didn’t have the time or energy to write it! I ended up reading it the night before LOSAC’s discussion on January 4th.
However you can still send comments to:
Lexie Sierra-Martinez Lexie.Martinez@lafayetteco.gov
It’s not a public hearing at the Planning Commission but you can speak or call during public input or send comments.
If you send written comments to lauren.fichtner@lafayetteco.gov by 1pm on the day of the meeting, they will be given to the Planning Commission prior to the meeting and submitted into the record.
Council dates to be determined.
THE DRAFT PLAN!
Here’s the draft plan online
Here’s a PDF
MISSION, FUNDING, AND WRITERS
In 2022 all the ducks were in a row and the process began. With a budget of $120,000 Biohabitats was hired to write the plan. Half the funding came from our open space funds and the remainder from the general fund.
During the presentation to the council prior to the vote to approve the funding, our Natural Resources Coordinator (and current Interim Open Space Supervisor) Lexie Sierra-Martinez gave an example of how the plan will view wildlife by saying if you were a red fox living in Old Town what kind of protections would you want in place that would preserve your habitat, your food source and that would protect your relatives. This plan is going to address that. ( Happy dance from me!)
Here’s a 2022 video I took of one of those red foxes in Old Town.
STAFF REPORT GIVING BACKGROUND INFO, PURPOSE, AND PROCESS
From the council presentation:
Executive Summary
Biohabitats, Inc. has been selected to develop a Wildlife Plan for the City. The purpose of the plan is to address wildlife and habitat conservation holistically in order to preserve and protect local ecosystems. Development of the plan begins with a series of ecological assessments within the urban growth boundary to determine current habitat conditions, inventory vegetation, as well as wildlife and ecological resources, and assess climate vulnerability. With the data collected, Biohabitats will create a Wildlife Plan that provides guidelines, ecological principles, restoration recommendations, and an overall framework to address conservation through the lens of wildlife equity.
Public engagement is a major component of the plan development and Biohabitats has outlined a robust community outreach plan in their proposal that ensures all members of Lafayette’s community will have an opportunity to provide input. The finalized Wildlife Plan will be utilized by land managers to make informed decisions and ensure that Lafayette’s native flora and fauna will be prioritized and protected long-term.
City Council Strategic Outcome (most applicable): Environmental Stewardship
Background Information
In 1999, a council-appointed Wildlife Task Force created a brief report consisting of wildlife-related strategic recommendations to Council. This report created a foundation of management practices for staff to build upon for over 20 years. In 2019, the Prairie Dog Advisory Working Group (PDAWG) began discussions of a formalized Wildlife Plan and Council identified this project as an immediate need. Strong organizational and community support allowed Open Space to begin formalizing the report into an official Wildlife Plan.
SOME INFORMATION GATHERED FROM THE PUBLIC SURVEY
Biohabitats and city staff were very pleased with the participation numbers for the survey.
