It can be found on the Greenbelt, south side of the Boise River. (Between the Veterans Parkway bridge, and the Riverside Motel.)
It's on a gate that can be used to block access to the Greenbelt, to keep pedestrians and cyclists from disturbing the fragile ecosystem.
Now check out what's behind the sign.
(I pulled the gate out just far enough so the sign could be read. You can see my bicycle behind the sign.)
Nearby, there's an ACHD equipment yard surrounded by chain link fence. The first time I encountered the closed gate, there were big dump trucks and front-end loaders scurrying about in that yard, loading sand. (There's a 30-foot high pile of sand, that's used to sand the roads in the wintertime.) You could hear the incessant roar of big diesel engines, and the beep-beep-beep backup warning signals.
Immediately beyond the ACHD equipment yard, you can see a fabulous new housing development towering up. Those tall structures are condos or apartments - I saw a big crane stacking prefab sections a week ago. It's truly startling how fast they've gone up. (There used to be an old, abandoned mill of some kind on the property.)
So, why does it seem "funny"?
- Where's the wildlife habitat? Is it that little 3-foot strip of grass between the fence and the Greenbelt path? (On the other side of the path is a thin strip of land between the path and the river... but it couldn't be more than 5 or 10 feet wide.)
- How is it that pedestrians and bicyclists will spoil everything for our feathered and furry friends, but they are oblivious to roaring dump trucks, beeping heavy equipment, and stacked-up housing units?
Perhaps all those pesky critters have finally been driven off. (To be honest, the gate hasn't been closed for probably 2 or 3 years now.)
3 comments:
I recommend removing the offending sign. Nobody should notice.
Actually I hope it stays up forever as a monument to unmitigated growth (a BIG problem in my community), and our community priorities.
Someday kids will see it and ask, "Mommy, what's a wildlife habitat?" If Mommy answers the question, obviously there will be additional questions about that particular wildlife habitat.
if the Peregrine falcons can nest downtown then ducks and deer should not have a big problem in the ACHD yard.
Another great sign is on the way to Lucky Peak Res./lake. It points to the Fish and Game Wildlife management area. But the sign maker must of not known the name of the area. So a big question mark(?) is on the sign instead.
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