#4, January 8, 1999
In my last column, I
accounted for the costs to make a park at Lafferty Ranch, two-thirds of which
are for “insurance” against legal challenges from neighbors (see
www.cartsys.com/naturehoodwatch for copies of past columns.) This week, we’ll
consider the potential return on our investment.
The best evidence is
the land itself. Unfortunately, two of the neighbors who don’t want you see the
goods have threatened to sue the City for trespassing if the City allows public
inspections. (The cheapest way around this nonsense is for the City to condemn
the contested strip of land, which must follow completion of the Environmental
Impact Report.) For now, you’ll have to be satisfied with the virtual tour at www.laffertyranch.org.
I won’t elaborate on
the high demand for local wilderness hiking, which has been well documented in
the public record. This demand is, by itself, enough justification for
Lafferty’s cost, especially considering that the City pays more for landscaping
at small neighborhood parks.
Think about what we
could do at Lafferty Park:
Take a hike: Enjoy
solitude, or share the outdoors with family and friends.
Show off our town.
Newcomers to Petaluma, including the current Argus publisher, have asked me
where they could hike to get a good view of the area. As we recruit
“quality-of-life” businesses to Petaluma, the view from Lafferty will give us a
strong selling point.
Visualize our future.
What better place than the top of Sonoma Mountain for people to dream about a
better Petaluma, and be energized to come down and pursue those dreams?
Look after each other.
In October, dozens of volunteers from the Naturehood Watch picked up ten cubic
yards of trash from along the road to Lafferty. Opening the park will bring to
the mountain many more people who are caring, conscientious neighbors. With
guidance from the Naturehood Watch, some of these visitors can help watch out
for the few lawbreakers. (The local
Audubon Society chapter has adopted a similar approach at their Mayacamas
property, where they actively encourage hikers to visit.) Another benefit to
the neighbors is the substantial improvement in fire protection infrastructure
included in the park plan.
See our place in the world. From a city street, Petaluma looks much like any other town.
From the top of Lafferty, you see Petaluma’s place in the watershed, atop the
Bay, nestled in hills by the vast blue Pacific. After hours of peace alongside
a stream, amidst the trees, you grow to feel a part of that place. You belong
to something bigger, stronger, and longer-lived than you ever imagined.
Heal ourselves. This
sense of place, of belonging, is a cornerstone of mental health. It’s a reason
why suicide, mental illness, and drug abuse are absent in so-called primitive
societies. The City’s plan for open access to Lafferty is a significant step
toward a healthy community.
Worship. For many
people, unspoiled nature in high places is a portal to the divine.
Resolve our conflicts and build community (getting there is
half the fun!) In a guest
editorial last summer, I proposed a series of steps to help alleviate the
neighbors’ concerns and reduce the cost of the park. These include a gradual
opening of the park, visitor orientations, and possibly an agreement to forego
legal challenges in exchange for transitional park supervision (i.e. “trade
lawyers for rangers.” The complete editorial is posted on the NW website.) Next
up: we need volunteers to literally and figuratively mend the fence between
Lafferty and the Cheda Ranch (if you can help, attend our next meeting xxxxday,
January xx, 7:30 PM, at Petaluma's Luchessa Center; or call 793-2244.)
“Leave it better than when you arrived.” I hope to see these words at the park’s gate. The
experience at Lafferty, be it a solo walk or a restoration project with
neighbors, can drive an upward spiral, where we are continually improved as we
continually enjoy and improve our environment. We can encourage park visitors
to carry this ethic with them down into the valley, to their neighborhoods,
schools, and businesses.
What’s all this
worth, over the next hundred years? It’s priceless.