Flower Mound Urban Forest Slated for Development

[winningspirit]

To see the next huge area of the urban forest being cleared, please go to Flower Mound Tree Massacre on You Tube.,

[winningspirit]

I heard that the developer went bankrupt. The medical facility (several buildings and an ER) was built. The rest of the forest is safe--for the moment. And we have a new Town Council that might be more open to preserving more of the natural area.

[onionofdeath]

at the very least I hope they preserve older tree specimens. Most if the fauna will be displaced, but water fowl and most insects will return, since they are keeping the water bodies. Unfortunately new development= habitat disruption (not necessarily full destruction in this case). Its too bad Flower Mound is just another sprawling suburb that wastes most of its land on low density zoning.

[calamagrostis88]

As the development proceeds please try to get and post video of what they are doing, especially violations of whatever plan they have for environmental protection, erosion, dead animals etc. Then get people from your community to view the video, so that they can really see what is going on.

[winningspirit]

The ground-breaking ceremony for the development took place October 8, 2008. Twelve acres of the 158 acres will be developed during Phase One. It's a multi-phased project with a 10-year timeline.

[winningspirit]

Wildlife that will be killed, displaced, or driven into nearby neighborhoods: beaver, frogs, toads, fish, birds, raccoons, armadillos, turtles, snakes, butterflies, dragon flies, insects, rats, moles, mice, possums, rabbits, foxes, squirrels, mollusks, bees, wasps, spiders, scorpions, bobcats, coyotes, and others. All living things—plants and animals—are part of an interconnected web of life and vital to an ecosystem. Destroying one can adversely affect the whole.

[winningspirit]

The 158-acre tract of land with its ancient forest, three lakes, native prairie, abundant wildlife, and environmentally-sensitive areas has a theme song now, Mariah Carey's "Bye Bye." And sadly, that would be an appropriate soundtrack, too. Please visit again; more details will be posted.

[videotubeuser]

We are faced with a similar situation in Lewisville from possible gas drilling in Central Park off off Corporate Drive and S. Edmunds. I think will make a video of this area as well.

[winningspirit]

The urban forest is northwest of the Post Office (2300 Olympia Drive, Flower Mound) between Morriss Road and Long Prairie Road. Timber Creek and College Parkway are at the north end of the forest. The 8- to 10-acre old-growth forest (the remnants of a vast, ancient forest) starts at Cross Timbers Road and is bordered by Euclid Lane and Forums Drive.

[RPGonline2]

Oh]: I know where that is.

[RPGonline2]

Is that the place right across from McKamy?

[motherearthlover]

Oh it really isn't pretty what a Town without pity - caaaaaaannnnn do! Wilderness is a gift. A prairie is a work of art. An urban forest is a miracle because it has survived longer than the Town itself. Decent people form an alliance with nature. Oh! It really isn't pretty what a TOWN WITHOUT PITY, CAAAANNNNN DOOOOOO!

[VotersUnited]

There should only be appropriately scaled and designed development that preserves our unique community character and quality of life. Courts support the right of communities to determine how they develop and protect residents. Flower Mound created SMARTGrowth 2000, Master Plan 2001, and the original 2003 Gas Drilling Ordinance. These protections should not be waived for speculators who just want to maximize their profits. -- Voters United to Preserve Flower Mound.

[WeLoveFlowerMound]

Do our town leaders really want to trade this treasure for more apartment buildings and shopping areas? Some of these trees have been around since before the 13 colonies united to become America. We all need to remember that concrete truly is the last "crop." Once the forest is gone, it's gone forever.

[WeLoveFlowerMound]

To see an aerial view of the urban forest, go to Google Earth and enter 2300 Olympia Dr Flower Mound, which is the Post Office. You can then move the view around to see the whole 158-acre forest, which is north of the Post Office between Morriss Rd and Long Prairie Rd (2499).

Using Google Earth, you can zoom in and see the lakes. The 8- to 10-acre old-growth forest (the remnants of a vast, 200-300 year old ancient forest) starts at Cross Timbers Rd and is bordered by Euclid Ln and Forums Dr.

[winningspirit]

There isn't any sound in this video. The original "soundtrack" was traffic from 1171, birds chirping, and low-flying planes overhead. I had a tight deadline and opted to meet it rather than spend time trying to find music. I think the absence of sound adds an eerie quality to the scene, like the "quiet before the storm," the silence before the bulldozers come.

[winningspirit]

You can contact David Madden with the US Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth, to ask the COE to protect this area. One of the COE's main responsibilities is to "regulate the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the US under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act." Timber Creek in the Flower Mound urban forest is considered a "water of the USA" because it finds its way into major rivers and impacts them. Wetlands and floodplain issues within the forest must comply with COE guidelines.

[winningspirit]

If you want this ecological area preserved please contact the Flower Mound Town Council and let them know. For contact information, do an Internet search for "Flower Mound Town Council." If you email, reference "Flower Mound Urban Forest" in the "Subject" line. And please include your name, address, and phone number in the body of your email for it to be taken seriously.

[my3boysonly]

We moved here in August 2007 and one of the reasons we chose this town was for the "master plan" and the tree preservation plans as described on the town's website. With the rush of the "Riverwalk" and the Gas Drilling propaganda, it is becoming a different town. I hope the town doesn't lose its charm due to greed.

[lynnehurstbridge]

I visited the Flower Mound Urban Forest last year while traveling in America researching for my book, Spiders, to be published early next year. I found the invertebrate wildlife there to be stunning. One of the photos I took of a funnel-weaver spider in the Flower Mound Urban Forest will be in the book. I cannot believe that such a treasure as this reserve could be sacrificed to development. Have the local administrators got no vision at all?

[4flowermound]

Flower Mound's logo has a tree and a horse on it. Let's hope the powers that be in Flower Mound respect the citizens and the meaning of the logo. A beautiful urban forest with ponds is a legacy to leave behind for generations not more potential empty retail buildings.

[VeriSheri]

There are some things more important than condos and parking lots.

[jkknoch]

We moved here because of this beauty. There is no reason big enough to take it all away.