We NEED you and members of your organization to educate and and to pressure politicians in Columbia City Council and in Richland County Council about the urban forested area in Owens Field Park for the purpose of saving it from a plan by Richland School District One to raze and grade 2.4 acres of the wooded area. The school district has planned to build a track for a high school there in the public park.

City Council asked the school district to look into options that would save the trees and tree line, but we still need to have an educational publicity event before the second reading of the school's proposal. People need to know how important this urban forest is, and why no part of it should be cut, let alone graded. If the school district and the City do decide to retain the forested space, an publicity event should still be held--it would be celebratory as well as educational. We would appriciate your help in putting on such an event.

I have attached a copy of the resolution by the Keep Rosewood Green group. Unfortunately, the time is very short, as the City Council will be revisiting and most likely voting on the proposal, whether revised or not, this coming Wednesday at 10 AM at City Hall. We need people to call City Council members to ask them to vote "NO" on option #1, the original plan that would eliminate these 2.4 acres of forest.

The local John Bachman Group of Sierra club has already been involved in this vital effort to preserve this urban forest intact.

Please forward this and the resolution to members of your societies and organizations. Ask them to attend the City Council meeting if at all possible in support of preserving the 2.4 acres of wooded intermittent wetland.

Pass it on to others who may not be members, as well.

If you and others wish to sign the petition requesting that Richland County, the owner of the property, hold public hearings on the matter, please come to the Keep Rosewood Green group meeting this coming Sunday, Sept 24, at 3PM at Owens Field Center located on Jim Hamilton Drive. At this point the petition has about 126 signers, and we would like to quadruple that number before Wednesday.

Contact me by phone this weekend at 736-2977 as I have limited access to the computer through the public library.

Log onto www.KeepRosewoodGreen.com and/or www.rosewoodcommunitycouncil.com under the link "Track Topics" for more information.

Exploring, Enjoying, Protecting,

Pam Greenlaw
Co-Conservation Chair of
John Bachman Group of Sierra Club

Resolution