July 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 29

The Second Street Trail was installed
to connect the Mountain
View community, as well as the
larger Albuquerque community,
to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service Valle de Oro Urban Wildlife
Refuge. Located seven miles
south of downtown Albuquerque,
the Valle de Oro refuge is the first
urban wildlife refuge in the southwest.
Many community partners,
including Bernalillo County, recognized
the value of having a
wildlife refuge in our urban area
and advocated, partnered, funded
and supported its establishment.
To connect the Mountain View
community to the Valle de Oro refuge,
the Second Street Trail, located
between Second Street and the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
Railway, was installed - but the
trail was exposed and lacked any
kind of cover or vegetation. Tree
canopy in the project area is less
than 2 percent. This made consistent
use of the trail, especially in
the warm summer months, unappealing
to residents.
With support from NRPA in
the form of the GUPC grant,
Bernalillo County installed vegetation
and other amenities, which
provide green spaces and green
stormwater infrastructure landscaping
along the trail to mitigate
existing air quality impacts, heat
island effects, and contaminant
and sediment transport into the
Rio Grande - improving water
quality and wildlife habitat.
Although this neighborhood is
adjacent to one of the largest
green spaces in Albuquerque, the
bosque (the riparian forest along
the Rio Grande), just a few hundred
feet from the river has heavy
industrial uses mixed with residential
areas and minimal tree
canopy. This project connects the
community to the Valle de Oro
refuge and the bosque by making
the trail more accessible by providing
shade from native vegetation,
as well as helping mitigate
inequity in parks, trails and green
spaces available to this underserved
community.
The Mountain View community
came together in its request
for improvements for the neighborhood
due to lack of sidewalks,
trails and crossings, limiting safe
access to schools and park facilities.
Walking for pedestrians and
children is hazardous along Second
Street. Thanks to this project,
a vegetative barrier has been created
between the trail and Second
Street, improving pedestrian safety
for all trail users.
Economic and environmental
justice
issues disproportionately
impact the Mountain View neighborhood.
This project promotes
green job opportunities through
our partnership with the Rocky
Mountain Youth Corps. Youth
conservation crews will build and
improve the Second Street corridor
with vegetation and landscape
maintenance, as well
as
conduct community education
and outreach.
Overcoming the Challenges
Green stormwater infrastructure
(GSI)/low impact development
(LID) facilities require specific
maintenance practices with which
many maintenance staff and practitioners
may not be familiar. This,
among other reasons, such as perceived
increased costs, have been
identified as impediments in the
use of GSI in our communities.
This may be due to lack of training
in the use of GSI/LID by project
engineers and developers. This
project has allowed the county to
install a GSI facility and use it as
an example of how and where to
use and maintain GSI.
Maintaining GSI features is
essential to ensure its continued
intended function, so features
remain attractive and are viewed
positively by the public. NRPA
has promoted and supported the
National
Green Infrastructure
Certification Program (NGICP)
(previously through the Water
Environment Federation, but
now housed under EnviroCert
International)
to
enhance
the
knowledge of GSI for park
professionals. This program can be
used for workforce development,
to train staff and contractors,
and to provide professional
development opportunities.
Although 2020 had its challenges,
I was fortunate to apply for
and receive a scholarship for the
NGICP training program. This
program improved my growing
knowledge and understanding of
GSI installation, functionality
and maintenance. We needed this
capacity within Bernalillo County
as we push to include more GSI
in public and private projects. As
we incorporate more GSI features
into our own projects, I am using
this knowledge to ensure proper
selection and installation, and to
inform planning for GSI maintenance
capacity as we work toward
creating a more sustainable
future in our watershed.
Kali Bronson is Stormwater Program Compliance Manager
for Bernalillo County Natural Resource Services.
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | JULY 2 0 2 1
| Parks & Recreation
29
July 2021 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2021 - Parks & Recreation
