While I support the restoration of native habitat at Shalawa Meadow / Hammond’s Meadow for the sake of biodiversity, I strongly oppose installing construction-grade plastic netting over approximately 2.25 acres of this public open space, which is adjacent to shore and reef habitats. It will end up in the ocean, eventually, or need to be removed in a destructive and costly manner.
The justifications provided for burying hundreds of pounds of polypropylene “geogrid” do not hold up to scrutiny. The first is load distribution (of a 10-wheel dump truck, primarily). The material is supposed to ensure that items of cultural significance buried several inches or feet deep are not damaged. Surely there are other ways to achieve this. For example, temporary tracks of perforated steel plating (aka swamp mats) could be placed on top of the 10” of imported soil. It’s worth noting, too, that there is a layer of galvanized steel mesh already being installed; that, along with rooted topsoil, make the geogrid redundant.
The second justification is soil stabilization. But geotextiles and geogrids are typically used after excavation and grading, where the ground is uniformly flat or sloped, lacks vegetation, and may be sandy or muddy. None of these conditions describe the meadow.
Was this the only plan on the table that satisfied the interests of the BBCI council? If so, perhaps Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens should have walked away from the project. Environmental organizations should be role models for the reduction of plastic waste.