City Accidentally Mows Native Prairie That Took 5 Years To Grow

[matcom]

<snip>

It took five years of tender loving care to create a native prairie in the middle of Minneapolis.

It took about 15 minutes for the city to mow most of the waving grasses and flowers to stubble.

The prairie around the YWCA at 2121 E. Lake St. in south Minneapolis was cut because an eagle-eyed city inspector noticed that the grass was higher than the 8-inch maximum allowed by city ordinance.

The same inspector -- and the mower contracted by the city -- apparently didn't see the substantial sign in front of the Y that explained these tall grasses were intended. This was natural prairie, created because it's environmentally friendly and because it was a wonderful teaching lab for city kids.

"Why Don't We Mow?" the sign reads in large letters. In smaller letters there's an explanation of the landscape. "... A mature prairie is a showcase of beautiful grasses and flowers. Prairies take up to three years to mature."

The sign also pictures the native species that were growing at the site.

Fortunately, people at the YWCA were able to stop the contractor before he mowed down the sign and a small portion of prairie around it.

The landscape designer said it won't be known for a few weeks how many of the species were wiped out by the zealous mowing. In the meantime, herbicides have been sprayed on the area to control weeds that would be able to move into the buzz-cut prairie.

"Do you want to know what a bad day is?" asked City Council Member Gary Schiff. "It's when you're told by the chief executive of the YWCA that a beloved wildflower garden has been mowed down by your city. This was the pride and joy of a lot of people, and it had never looked so good as it looked this year."

http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5475508.html

[GOPisEvil]

1. Quiet please, genius at work.

:eyes:

[Brewman_Jax]

2. That figures

notice that the same government will let trash lay on the roadside for weeks and weeks. Oh, that's for a...research study. Yeah, that's the ticket! Yeah! :eyes:

Makes you want to :puke:

[Trigger Hippie]

3. Oh, jeez

I guess these people were illiterates. Read the signs, people!!!

:crazy:

[DS1]

4. Big Government is Anti-Environmentalist!

:crazy:

[koopie57]

5. what I couldn't understand

is why didn't the inspector contact the Y and ask them to mow? This sounds like my mother-in-law. I had started a wildflower garden that had just gone to seed. I went to work and came home and she has pulled every plant out of the ground while smoking a cigarette.

[sam sarrha]

6. That was not and accident, F'n Freepers getting even with grass huggers !!

piss poor excuse,.. they are supposed to post and give the occupant time to reply or do it themselves... I have gotten those notices because of one blade of burmuda grass inside a chain link fence from the neighbor who turned me in..

the city isnt going to mow anything for free, they give you a notice and in 2 weeks they charge you to do it..

this was just payback for being a Grass Hugger and they should sue the city for any damages, cost for replacing specimins or for specimens destroyed and the labor to replace them.. F's freepers

[benburch]

7. I HATE code inspector assholes.

Loathe them.

Petty tyrants.

Like the BTK serial killer; He was a code inspector asshole.

[lpbk2713]

8. "I am from the government....."

"..... I'm here to help you."