RESTORATION; AN INCLUSIVE AND PRACTICAL APPROACH

BY PEG STAEHELI
SvR Design

Last fall, the number of participants (over 1000) attending the 1995 Society for Ecological Restoration Annual Meeting at the University of Washington reflected the importance of restoration in today's construction climate.

The conference title, "Taking a Broader View," represents restoration concerns ranging from (construction site) to the stream bed, from the watershed, to the "landscape."

The three day conference offered an approach to restoration that incorporates modern science, human interaction with the environment, historical patterns and time.

Ecological restoration is typically associated with large areas affected by environmental issues. The conference handbook reads "restoration is the science of ecology applied to the art of healing a wounded planet."

However, ecological restoration is an approach that belongs in the typical sitework of most consultants.

Many projects today involve renovation or replacement of existing facilities. These can be as varied as a residential remodel, a historic renovation, a new building, a road widening or utility replacement. Common to all of these projects is the desire to leave the "place" in equal or better condition following construction. The need is to develop a restoration approach and carry it through from project programming, budgeting, design and construction.

The approach should include direction for data gathering, earthwork, surface restoration and plant selection.

First, the owner and design team should be familiar with the existing site conditions and how they relate to adjacent uses. This means a focused site visit and data research. Second, the history of the site should be considered. What was the built history? Neighbors and old city records often can give a glimpse into the former character of a site. What was the natural history? Historical patterns and uses are sometimes obscured, but may impact future improvements. A preliminary determination defining elements to be retained and adjacent uses to be protected is critical. Elements to consider include trees, walls, unique topography, views and vegetation. This requires good data, especially topographic survey and soils. The basis and scope of the survey should be a high priority. The topographic survey should extend beyond the property lines and across right of ways. The survey is an important investment.

A limited survey results in design and construction frustrations. An analysis of existing soil conditions is important to establish parameters in earthwork design and drainage during construction and final restoration. Extensive photographs of existing conditions combine with the site survey and soils information as critical tools for analyzing the site.

Once the site features and limiting factors of adjacent conditions are identified, techniques to protect them can be considered. This is where creativity can save money. It is also the point where the client goals, philosophy and budget need to be integrated into the approach to the site. Good restoration requires a long term view.

Techniques to retain existing features include:

1. Careful consideration of grades so that transitions do not inadvertently undermine existing features for walks, walls, footings, tree roots, etc.
   
2. Installation of rigid fencing placed to limit areas of work, save significant trees, and protect built features from damage;
   
3. Spreading wood chips and leaf debris over soils and small vegetation to minimize compaction from construction equipment;
   
4. Examining the possibility of locating the ubiquitous erosion control fence to both protect downstream vegetation and retain sediment;
   
5. Considering trenchless utility installation where a line intersects a feature that is expensive or impractical to replace.

Sometimes existing features cannot be saved at a site. However, good restoration practices investigate opportunities for reuse elsewhere. Reuse doesn't always have direct financial benefits to an owner, but the rewards can include community spirit and possibly some free public relations. King County Surface Water Management is working with developers to salvage native plant material prior to clearing for use on County restoration projects where native material can be both scarce and expensive. Allowing commercial tree movers the chance to take healthy medium sized trees (8 inch to 14 inch caliper) instead of bulldozing them should be considered. Contacting neighborhood groups to see if there is a project in the area that might have a use for an existing feature is another way of looking at the big picture when developing a individual site. A landscape contractor in Humboldt County California keeps his eye out for projects in the county that may provide or exchange materials. His firm has done this with dirt,broken concrete, large trees, vegetation from cleaning drainage ditches and road widening. This has kept "debris" out of dumps and directly and indirectly saved public dollars.

On a less organic level, restoring hard surface features in built environments requires attention to detail by the designers and the contractors. The patch work we regularly see in our City sidewalks indicates that this area needs attention. Concrete texture, color and scoring should reflect the adjacent conditions. Roadway restoration should blend into the edges and not stop at the curb or the line of newly installed vegetation. Brookside Boulevard in the City of Lake Forest Park was widened by using an alignment with broad radius curves and a natural tree and shrub planting. This allowed the "road improvement" to reflect the residential character and not an urban street corridor.

Restoring clearings for utility corridors is often ignored or just reseeded, leaving the open alignment as a visible scar. At the University of Washington Olympic Natural Resources Center in Forks the utility alignment bisected the Forks Timber Museum. This museum is both a wetland and an old growth forest. Working with a Department of Corrections /Department of Natural Resources Work Crew, the area was hand cleared and branches, debris and plant materials were set to one side. Following utility installation, the alignment was restored by replanting and replacing the forest debris. This technique is viable, but requires discussion and coordination by the owners, designers and contractors beyond routine. I read of a group of Vashon Island residents who volunteered to replant an area that was mistakenly cleared. This type of volunteer effort can be applied in the clearing as well as the restoration phase.

Selecting plant materials for restoration is site specific. The first consideration is whether or not irrigation will be available. If it is not then the timing of installation is critical for establishment, even if materials are considered drought tolerant. This is where the clients' goals and their budget often diverge. Many projects have failed because they lacked irrigation and the paid or volunteer maintenance fell through. It is difficult to deny an Owner or a citizen his/her favorite ornamental. After seeing a few too many stressed plants I recommend erring on the side of very hardy material and demanding fall installation for unirrigated landscapes.

Some pointers for native material selection were given by R. L. Franson during a talk at the Ecological Restoration conference. He stressed selecting material you find in similar growing conditions within a nearby area. Request locally grown material. If major changes are made to site conditions consider specifying that material be purchased from more than one source to increase survivability. Native seed collection can be tricky and it is recommended that a long lead time be given to allow a viable collection process.

In summary, proper restoration requires an understanding of the long term plan for the site and the natural forces affecting the site. It requires discussion, listening, patience, and time. The rewards are integrated design, smoother construction, and more complete projects responding to its surroundings. Hopefully, future rewards will include direct financial, tax and permitting incentives.

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