FURTHERING MY CASE WITH MY NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL TO STOP ARTIFICIAL LAWNS FROM BEING INSTALLED IN MY LOS ANGELES NEIGHBORHOOD AS A SOLUTION TO THE DROUGHT--"SOMETHING WILL HAVE GONE OUT OF US AS A PEOPLE IF WE EVER LET THE THE REMAINING WILDERNESS BE DESTROYED,,,,,,IF WE POLLUTE THE LAST CLEAN AIR AND DIRTY THE LAST CLEAR STREAMS AND PUSH OUR PAVED ROADS THROUGH THE LAST OF SILENCE"--WALLACE STEGNER; ICONIC WESTERN WRITER; 1958........................... The outdoors is not supposed to look "manicured" and like your mom or grandma's living room, circa 1962---spotless, everything perfectly linear and clean to a fault..............Indeed, our forests, meadows, prairie deserts and chaparral are supposed to be awash with vertical and horizontal "tangles", brush and organic litter-----Writer Joe Rankin calls these complex systems an "ecological orchestra"...........Foresters call it complex vertical and horizontal complex structure (such as large diameter trees, multilayered forest canopy, trees with advanced decay, and elevated large woody debris)---all of these critical in meeting life requirements for a wide array of wildlife from birds to mammals to reptiles and amphibians........

From: "rick.meril"
Date: May 2, 2015 at 2:58:47 PM CDT
To: David
Subject: Fwd: Coyotes,Wolves,Cougars..forever!

David.........While our neighborhood is not technically undeveloped chapparal any longer, we in fact live as part of the Ahmason Ranch State Park,,,,,,,,with additional open space behind the fire station leading into Malibou State Park...........Thought that one of my blog posts might provide additional insight into my discussion with you about not "laying carpet" across our neighborhood outdoors.

Just like in our quest to minimize fossil fuel use via the quick fix of laying solar panels across our open deserts or 300 foot windmills across our undeveloped mountain ranges, this type of "initial feel good" alleged solution to one problem creates a larger problem, the destruction of our remaining open spaces,,,,,,,,,,,a mountain with windmills is now an industrial mountain,,,,,,,,same with a desert with glass laying on top of it..........both destroy wildlife habitat and esthetics........

While a bit "afield" regarding artificial grass carpeting deadening our Mtn View neighborhood of organic breathing life, thought your intellectual curiosity would be further peaked by the articles.

I am not trying to lecture or be a Professor or be the smartest guy in the room,,,,,,,,,I am far from that,,,,,,,,,,But I do feel strongly that in our haste to solve one problem(water usage via drought), we bring on another deadening of our natural systems via "astroturfing".........."Tear down paradise and put up a parking lot"--Carly Simon

"SOMETHING WILL HAVE GONE OUT OF US AS A PEOPLE  IF WE EVER LET THE THE REMAINING WILDERNESS BE DESTROYED,,,,,,IF WE POLLUTE THE LAST CLEAN AIR AND DIRTY THE LAST CLEAR STREAMS AND PUSH OUR PAVED ROADS THROUGH THE LAST OF SILENCE"--WALLACE STEGNER; ICONIC WESTERN WRITER; 1958

BEST

RICK