The City of Burlington recently released plans to expand the parking lot at LaSalle Park. The proposed expansion will include the removal of a little green "island" that exists adjacent to the current parking lot. The greenspace contains an old willow that a small screech owl has been nesting in for a number of years. This is an example of a "death by a thousand cuts" that slowly over time as so-called "improvements" are made to ur parks and natural spaces, diminshes their usefulness as habitat for wildlife and destroys their ability to work as a healthy, functioning ecosystem. Would the parking lot expansion be considered necessary if they weren't planning to expand the marina? Could the City reconfigure the planned changes to the parking lot to spare the existing small greenspace? This would be a great question to put to the City of Burlington's Mayor and Council who can be reached at [email protected] 

Proposed Parking Lot Expansion

Momma screech owl with baby in the willow that will be taken down under the proposed parking lot expansion at LaSalle Park.