An Attractive Nuisance?

Dear Editor:

Regarding the Ashland Water Department’s plan to pipe the 2-mile stretch of open water, (estimated cost: $4,000,000) I will attempt to raise the Project Team’s awareness on behalf of the wildlife that frequents our treasured canal.

This riparian trail and the wildlife are, for many, the reason we love Ashland. How fortunate we are to be surrounded by wildlife and large trees! If the project moves forward, the Project Team has identified needing to remove 286 trees, many of which are established Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine.

Have you ever experienced the canal at dawn or dusk and spied a mother bear and her cubs playing in or near the Ashland canal? Or, can you imagine how lucky you’d feel to be on a sun-dappled trail to witness three Evening Grosbeaks drinking water in unison? Or have you ever come upon a doe lying peacefully in the cool water? Or, the most magical sight for me, to watch Western Screech Owl parents teaching their juvenile owlets how to hunt in a riparian setting? It’s truly awe-inspiring!

The Water Project Team called wildlife “an attractive nuisance,” and said the wildlife will just seek other water sources elsewhere.

Why the grim attitude towards wildlife? This would fundamentally change our Ashland landscape and our enjoyment of the natural world. How much is this riparian treasure worth? It’s priceless! Celebrate what makes Ashland unique – don’t cover the water!

 

Leigh Hood

Ashland