[Advocacy-outreach] Weedkiller sprayed on prairie land at 63-67th S Knox!

[M Toy]

Hi Mary Kay,

Thank you for reaching out to CCGA.

There are a number of options to help protect the land depending on who
owns the land.
Do you know for sure that the land belongs to the City of Chicago or does
part of the land belong to the railroad?  Usually part of the land near the
tracks is owned by the railroad.

It sounds like you and your neighbors have been helping to take care of
that area which is great!   Most of the possible solutions involved turning
the land into a community garden where neighbors like you would manage and
help to take care of the garden. CCGA did help recently to pass a Native
and Pollinator registry ordinance that helps to protect community gardens
from action from Streets and Sans.

If the land belongs to the City, there is a possibility of the City turning
the land over to the Park District and building a native garden
there...this garden can either be a park district community garden where
the community would maintain the garden or just a native garden park where
the park district would maintain the land but this will be harder to
achieve.  If the Chicago Park District is not interested in taking over the
land, the other option is to have the City transfer the land to
Neighborspace, a land trust for community gardens.

If the land belongs to the City, we can also help to advocate for city
funding to convert the land to a community garden.  There is no funding for
on-going maintenance which is why there needs to be a group of neighbors
from the community who are willing to help maintain the garden.

If the land belongs to the railroad, we could help to get an agreement to
allow the community to run a community garden on that land but City funds
are not typically available for railroad land.  CCGA's resource committee
has many plant distributions throughout the year for community gardens.

Please let us know if this sounds like something you and your neighbors
would be interested in pursuing.

Thanks.
May





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On Thu, Sep 23, 2021 at 7:09 PM Amy Olson <akeo at me.com> wrote:

> Hello Mary Kay,
>
> I’m connecting you with our Advocacy and Outreach team and May Toy, a CCGA
> member who has been instrumental in the creation of a new ordinance
> protecting native gardens in Chicago. Do you happen to know who owns this
> land? Do you have any photos of the site?
>
> May and advocacy team - below is Mary Kay’s message to us about the
> unfortunate spraying of weed killer on the prairie land near the railroad
> at S. Knox from 63rd to 67th.
>
> Hi, I live at 6408 S Knox for 40 years. Our garage alley is up against the
> prairie land now owned by the city and part near railroad is railroad
> owned. From 63rd -67th st behind S Knox. When we first moved in beautiful
> grass was being maintained by the previous owner then we and many other
> neighbors maintained theirs. Prairie grass grew snd they use to tractor cut
> it couple times a year. It was beautiful. I recently planted perennial
> plants snd seeds way out there for next year. I was so upset the other day
> when the city, ordered by Moe the super of them 14th ward ordered it be
> sprayed with poison. I had a lengthy discussion with him yesterday and he
> “was sorry” but said the weeds need to be sprayed so they don’t grow. I’m
> so upset obviously because between the airport, railroad, cars, lack of
> trees or evergreens we are living in a very toxic environment. Thankfully I
> diffuse DōTERRA essential oil’s indoors but I don’t see why prairie grass
> can’t grow then perhaps again like before. I need your help to fight back.
> I have several interested neighbors and people from along the railroad
> property that runs east and west by 60th or so. Nobody wants poison
> sprayed. A pregnant lady had a headache he another neighbor was sneezing.
> It’s not ideal in our climate now to be spraying toxins to stop greenery.
> If anything they need evergreens [image: 🌲] out there which would
> prevent weeds. I spoke to him about it. Of course he sounded like he was
> interested but I’m not enough of a voice, although I do know Moe a little
> as my husband works for the ward office part time. Moe said prairie grass
> is a place for rats to hide. Too me, that is not enough of a reason to
> spray poison. What say you and how can you help? Please!!! Mary Kay Rosado
>
> Have a good evening,
> Amy
>
> on behalf of the CCGA communications team
>
> ….
>
> amy olson (she/her)
> designer + grower
> akeo at me.com
> 312.925.2148
>
>
>
>
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