From
Patricia D. B. Redfearn, Ph.D., Solid Waste and Recycling Division
Title
Professional Services Contract with University of North Texas's Institute of Applied Sciences for the production and management of a diverse native plant community for the wetlands project at the Grand Prairie Landfill at a cost of $74,000
Presenter
James R. Cummings, Environmental Services Director
Recommended Action
Approve
Analysis
Since 2001, the City of Grand Prairie Landfill has had a 77-acre deed-restricted mitigation area within a Section 404 Wetland Mitigation Plan - Permit No. 8700107 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This permit is included in the Site Permit 996C on file with the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality. Compliance activities associated with the Wetland Mitigation Plan include planting activities, compliance reporting, long-term protection and long-term management.
To date, the City of Grand Prairie has constructed a 6-acre wetland at the landfill and has overseen the planting of hardwood and understory vegetative species, the collection of baseline information relating to the ecological function of the property and the removal of noxious exotic/invasive vegetative species in the eastern oxbow as well as the planting of several beneficial species of higher functioning wetland obligates. In the next phase of this project, we will continue the construction of the area as outlined in the plan. Since March of 2008, the University of North Texas (UNT) Institute of Applied Sciences (IAS) has been assisting with the tasks of maintenance, long-term management and invasive vegetation control and removal in accordance with responsibilities outlined in the Section 404 Wetland Migitation Plan.
This part of the project focuses on management of existing vegetation to ensure continued survival and spread, eliminating non-target vegetation including baloonvine, Johnsongrass and other weedy plants, adding native plants to replace any lost by drought, e...
Click here for full text