Scouts Improve Heron Haven - Autumn Festival Pending

Boy Scouts and friends were busy about Heron Haven Wetland on September 7th doing projects to get the natural area ready for an autumn festival next weekend. Several efforts being done to improve the nature sanctuary for the pending festival, included:

• Cleaning up around the nature center;
• Restaining the kiosk and some benches along the trails;
• Widening a bridge and providing a hand-rail; and
• Replacing the fence at the dragonfly pond.

Two Eagle scout candidates, and supporters along with others of Boy Scout Troop 395, were instrumental in getting the tasks done. Twin brothers Micah Waskowiak and Erick Waskowiak were doing the public service as a part of the requirements to receive the highest rank achievable by a Boy Scout. Helpers included their older brother, Justin Waskowiak (already an Eagle scout) and proud father Eldon Waskowiak.

Justin Waskowiak sawing lumber for a project.

This effort is greatly appreciated by Ione Werthmann, the matriarch of the haven, which she was instrumental in getting established 22 years ago.

Ione Werthmann and Erick Waskowiak at the nature center, discussing a project.

"I really appreciate the work today, as it so significantly improves our sanctuary!" she said, also noting that there have already been 35 Eagle scout projects done at the area.

Replacing the fence at the dragonfly pond.

The Heron Haven Wetland Festival on Saturday afternoon September 14th from 1 to 5:30 p.m., is an opportunity to celebrate the splendors of this 25-acre wetland in urban Omaha.

It is the big event of the year for the haven, at 118th and Old Maple Road, in western Omaha.

Events will include a close look at wildlife as presented by "Wildlife Encounters" at 2 p.m. At 4 p.m., live raptors will be shown by people from Fontenelle Forest Raptor Recovery. This will include an close look at wild birds of prey.

Other events are also scheduled to occur during the afternoon. Free prizes, admission and refreshments will be available.

A final highlight of the day will be a butterfly release at 5:30 p.m. of the butterflies which had been kept within a tent for a close look by visitors, and which will then be released into the wild.

The wetland festival sponsored by the Friends of Heron Haven. Members of the board of this organization will be present during the day to help, and to answer any questions about the sanctuary.

The event will be opportunity to continue to celebrate the special features of this urban nature haven, which most significantly has seen a recent renovation of the marsh, and improvements to the nature center.

Following the completion of the wetland renovation project during the summer of 2012, disturbed native vegetation has regrown this season. During recent months, the deeper wetland has become a place for previously unseen waterfowl to visit, including diving ducks such as the Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Canvasback and Common Goldeneye. Other new additions to the site's bird list include the Sora and Virginia Rail.

In the spring, Werthmann was excited to make her own addition to the tally. A different looking dove was present at the nature center, and she eventually determined that it was a White-winged Dove, species number 158 for Heron Haven. Since then, the Clay-colored Sparrow has also been added. Many other species occur among the waters and woodlands, and the site bird list includes 159 species.

A new heating and cooling system has just been installed for the nature center. The Papio-Missouri Natural Resources District, which owns the property, paid the cost. Propane is no longer required.

Presently, numerous flowers with their exquisite colors are blooming beautifully in the Butterfly Garden. Native grass species are ripe with seeds in the area where they have been planted.

It's a grand time to visit Heron Haven!

OPPD Response to Tree Clearing Concerns

This email was the response received to multiple concerns regarding the tree clearing at the Northwest Pond Natural Wildlife Area at Levi Carter Park, and as conveyed to a representative of Omaha Public Power District at their downtown Omaha office. Among the questions asked were: 1) Who did OPPD contact at Omaha Parks and Recreation Department prior to the tree clearing?; 2) What is the specific legal mandate that allows OPPD to remove park trees?; 3) Why didn't the tree contractor remove all of the tree debris from the natural wildlife area work site?; 4) Why did the contractors take several limbs and shove them into two animal burrows; 5) Why was tree debris thrown into the pond?; 6) How come Omaha Forestry staff had to remove the debris left at the site?; 7) How does OPPD tree removal consider the potential presence of bird nests and/or young; and 8) How will OPPD mitigate for the trees cleared at the natural wildlife area. The response is presented in its entirety, and verbatim as received August 22, 2013.

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"We appreciate your concern regarding tree trimming work done at Levi Carter Park. OPPD management and Forestry personnel also value the many benefits trees bring to our communities and the wildlife that benefits from trees. Since 1989, OPPD has provided approximately $1.08 million to fund OPPD’s Tree Promotion Program in our 13-county area, resulting in the planting of rightly 115,600 trees and shrubs. That program also helps educate the public about the value, selection, placement and welfare of trees.

"Many service outages and interruptions are caused by tree limbs that fall into power lines, causing damage to wires, short circuits and other problems. That creates potential damage for customers and customer’s property, as well as disruption of home and business operations. In 2012, trees caused 10 percent of the outages on OPPD’s system. OPPD proactively works hard to prevent such interruptions.

"Reliability is a key component of OPPD’s mission, which is to provide affordable, reliable and environmentally sensitive energy service to our customers.

"OPPD’s Vegetation Management Program is committed to controlling vegetation growth within power line rights-of-way to maintain the safe and reliable operation of the electric system. This minimizes adverse impacts on the environment. As part of the program, OPPD trims trees around power lines on a three- to five-year cycle. If birds are nesting in the area at the time trimming is scheduled, work is delayed.

"Additionally, federal, regional and electric industry regulations and standards require minimum safety clearances to ensure vegetation doesn’t come into contact with high-voltage overhead transmission lines. If vegetation located in the transmission right-of-way is not compatible with the safe operation of the system, it can result in widespread electric power outages or unsafe conditions for the public.

"Easement rights allow OPPD to enter the easement area to trim or remove vegetation and to trim trees adjacent to the right-of-way to eliminate danger trees that could potentially fall within 15 feet of the conductor. Right-of-way widths depend primarily on the size of the power line and typically range from 50 to 200 feet.

"As for the recent work at Levi Carter Park, an OPPD tree contractor worked this area last week. City of Omaha was notified and permission granted to remove brush and undesirable trees as needed. The contractor cleaned up after their work, and returned to pick up some logs they had to leave temporarily. The logs in the water have been there for quite some time, possibly years, and were not part of the recent trimming.

"Again, thank you for your concern."

Sincerely,

John Buckley

Manager T&D Integrated Work Management

Trees Destroyed at Levi Carter Park Natural Area

Signs posted by City of Omaha officials only recently indicated public property adjacent to Levi Carter Park as a "natural wildlife area," and yet, within five weeks afterwards, the first action at the area was complete removal of many valuable trees.

Every tree, especially the willows, along the majority of the south side of the pond were cleared during the past week. Only one tree remained on a portion of the eastern side which was also cut-back.

The removal was done by a tree removal company which trims and obviously remove trees along powerlines, based upon a contract with the Omaha Public Power District.

The trees were cleared since some one had the opinion that they were too tall for the overhead powerline, though there had been no known issue or concern in this regard.

The area would have benefited from some selective trimming, but entire removal or more than a dozen trees is simply absurd and a travesty.

A natural area doesn't mean clear-cutting of the native vegetation, especially without any consideration of the property designation, and without any known notification or consultation with park management. The trees had provided nice habitat and also provided a natural visual barrier for traffic along adjacent Carter Boulevard.

On Saturday morning the 17th, there were limbs, portions of branches and other debris strewn about, with some within the pond water. To add insult to injury, some of the sawn limbs had been purposely shoved into two animal burrows.

About ten trips were required to move the debris elsewhere, and that was a pile to the south, within the park, and across the boulevard. This was necessary in an attempt to ensure eventual removal.

Obviously the men that cleared the area couldn't finish the job suitably with a proper, and thorough, cleanup! It was instead, a half-done effort by the company. Tree destruction gets lots of directed effort, but cleanup seems to be an arduous chore?

A couple of pieces of trash were also moved so they would get picked up, as was done by mid-afternoon. One of them was a window sash which had been along the train tracks, but was thrown from there, and into the adjacent grass. Were railroad men involved?

There is a known track record for trash removal from Union Pacific Railroad property here. It has been one of neglect, since the city had to remove trash from an adjacent parcel, because the railroad didn't make the effort. The only thing the railroad dealt with was the bill.

Disconcerting here during the past weeks has been the dead vegetation due to personnel from the Union Pacific Railroad spraying herbicide on the park property, adjacent to their limited right-of-way. There were also at least two saplings which had been destroyed through the use of some equipment to push at them until they broke over.

Illegal spraying was done several feet onto the city property, and adjacent to where the natural wildlife area sign is posted. It appears that the over-zealous railroad workers had an especial issue with the thistle growth here.

After the effort to get this bit of green-space recognized as city property, then to get illegal motor vehicles excluded, and then have it given recognition as a natural habitat in mid-July, to see the area cleared was more than disappointing.

This tree-cutting raises a greater issue... What might happen next? How will the area be managed in a manner which reflects its character and designation? Further degradation or encroachment needs to be prevented.

Tree debris left in the natural area pond by the Omaha Public Power District contractor.

The south side of the natural area pond showing where the most extensive tree destruction occurred.

Stump remnants, indicating the size of the destroyed trees.

Dead vegetation due to spraying done associated with the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way.

Perspective showing where the tree clear-cutting occurred.

Pile of tree debris personally removed from the area.