Commission hears plan for pollinator corridors; $5,000 seed funding set aside

Commissioners discussed a nascent pollinator program intended to create pollinator corridors across parks, select city-owned sites and potentially participating private properties. The initiative already has roughly 10 volunteers expressing interest and a preliminary volunteer and expert list that includes Master Gardeners, the Rotary Environmental Services Commission, Xerces Society contacts and a retired WSU plant expert.

"There is funding set aside for this. The other goal of the $5,000 in funding is to leverage that and see if we can grow it to $10,000 through some community grants and other donations," Staff member said, describing the initial financial plan. Commissioners discussed choosing drought-resistant, low-maintenance native and noninvasive plants such as Shasta daisies, Rudbeckia and Russian sage.

Staff said the program will prioritize low-maintenance, drought-resistant species so plantings require minimal ongoing care and asked commissioners for help identifying initial park sites. The group agreed to continue planning and to present site recommendations at a future meeting once a basic site-assessment and volunteer-training plan are developed.

No formal appropriation was approved in the meeting transcript; the $5,000 was described as money set aside by staff, and commissioners discussed leveraging it through grants and donations.