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Homewood council clears right‑of‑way permission for vernal‑pool work to reduce salamander crossings
Summary
The council authorized permission for Dr. Megan Gibbons (UAB) and partners to work in the Forest Preserve right of way, contingent on grant funding, to create or restore vernal‑pool habitat intended to reduce salamander road crossings; the motion passed unanimously.
The Homewood City Council on July 13 approved a resolution that will allow researchers and nonprofit partners to undertake vernal‑pool restoration work in the Homewood Forest Preserve right of way if the project secures grant funding.
Mayor Andrews described the effort as led by Dr. Megan Gibbons of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Friends of Shades Creek. The mayor said the group, along with Sanford and the Freshwater Land Trust, hosted a vernal‑pool specialist (Tom Big Bendhausen) who recommended improvements to recreate vernal pools inside the preserve to avoid salamanders crossing the road to reach adjacent wetland habitat.
Mayor Andrews told the council the request is preemptive to Dr. Gibbons’s grant application and that "she actually messaged me and said that the deadline was sooner than she thought," indicating the team submitted the application ahead of the council meeting. The resolution (recorded as Resolution 26‑70) authorizes permission to work in the right of way only if the grant is awarded.
The council approved the measure 4–0. Mayor Andrews said the project partners included UAB, the Friends of Shades Creek, Sanford and the Freshwater Land Trust and that the city’s permission would be used only if external funding is secured. The item was presented as a preliminary authorization rather than an appropriation; staff noted no funds were being committed by the city at the time of the vote.
Why it matters: If funded and implemented, the work aims to reduce road crossings by vernal‑pool‑dependent salamanders, a localized ecological concern with direct implications for park stewardship and traffic safety where wildlife cross public roads.
Next steps: The resolution ties further activity to an external grant award; staff and partner groups will need to coordinate permits, right‑of‑way access and a public‑notification process if the grant is successful. Council set a July 27 meeting date for other pending items but did not schedule further council action specifically for this authorization unless grant conditions change.
