Fairview Park Decomposed Granite Path Remediation Begins

PATH REMEDIATION BEGAN TODAY
Today, Friday the 13th - which somehow seems appropriate - remediation of the illegally-installed decomposed granite (DG) path in Fairview Park along the fence line that separates Jim Scott Stadium and the Waldorf School from the park began today.

MENSINGER STARTED THIS WHOLE THING
In case you've forgotten, this all began when Mayor Pro Tem Steve Mensinger prodded Director of Public Services Ernesto Munoz to "do something" about the user-defined trail that ran along the Waldorf School fence line.  Seems he was concerned about the children navigating through the weeds that bordered that path to get to Estancia High School.    This is what it looked like then:

STAFF RESPONDED
The city staff then responded to the request and graded the trail and applied an herbicide to kill the weeds and it ended up looking like this:

WHO APPLIED THE DG?
Then, mysteriously, some "DG Fairies" apparently applied a thick layer of that material to the paths and nobody seems to know who did it.  Men were seen doing the work by park users, but were combative when approached by observers.  The City officially says it did NOT do it and doesn't know who did it.

ENCROACHED ON VERNAL POOLS
However, this process managed to encroach onto federally protected vernal pools that are part of Fairview Park.  The city is required to be a good steward of the park and protect those pools.  It didn't.  Now the Federal Department of Fish and Wildlife is involved and, among other things, is demanding that the DG be removed and the vernal pools be properly restored.

(Ernesto Munoz and Christine Medak of US Fish and Wildlife)

 (Medak, Dickson, Nerheus and other biologist)

REMEDIATION TEAM ARRIVES

Today members of the City Staff, U.S. Fish and Wildlife and contractors, including biologists, all arrived around noon at the site to discuss the proper method of removal and to begin the work.  Munoz and Parks Project Manager Bart Mejia represented the City.  Barry Nerheus is with the contractor, Endemic Environmental Services, and was joined by one of his biologists, Crysta Dickson, in pink.  That organization has done a lot of work in Fairview Park and is familiar with the sensitive nature of the sites in question.  USFWS was represented by Christine Medak.  Councilwoman Sandra Genis - and avid lover of Fairview Park -  also showed up to observe the process.

THE WORK BEGAN
Test holes were dug in a couple spots along the DG path and methods of removal and possible restoration was discussed.  Eventually the team from the contractor began carefully removing the DG from the path closest to the Parsons Field/Waldorf School fence line near the intersection with the path that runs parallel to the Jim Scott Stadium fence line, taking the DG down to the original underlayment.  Once the shoveling is complete brooms will be used to remove ALL the DG from the path.  The same process will be repeated on the other leg of the path - with the logs (old telephone poles) that line the path carefully removed before the DG is shoveled away -  and it is hoped that this process will be complete next week - before Christmas.

RESTORATION MAY BE NECESSARY
Once the DG is removed sightings will be made to determine what measures, if any, will be necessary to adjust the level of the pathways so water will, once again, flow into the vernal pools adjacent to them. 

NO MORE PATHWAY!

According to the officials onsite today, one thing is certain.  Because the city is required to maintain a 10 foot buffer around the perimeter of the vernal pools, there will be NO ROOM for a pathway along the fence.  The kids will just have to find another way to school - like walking another 100 yards around the pools.

INVESTIGATION CONTINUES - PENALTIES UNKNOWN
In the meantime, an investigation is under way to determine just who is responsible for the application of the DG on the pathways.  So far, nobody has admitted responsibility for it, although there is much speculation around the community.  And, it is still unclear what, if any, kind of penalties the city faces from the federal government from this broach of its responsibility to properly maintain this natural habitat.  That part of the drama continues to percolate.