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. . DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT - XERISCAPING summary of Xeriscape Demonstration and Education project proiect Description. San Miguel County proposes a demonstration xeriscape project to encourage high-elevation, minimal-water-use landscaping for residential uses. This project would be composed of three parts: xeriscaping one duplex lot in a newly developed residential subdivision, producing educational materials to inform homeowners about high-elevation xeriscape methods, and xeriscaping a bus turn-around in the same subdivision to serve as a demonstration site. The proposed project is located at Lawson Hill, a new Affordable Housing subdivision for local employees, in which the County Housing Authority owns six duplex rental units. The County proposes to revegetate one of these lots using practical xeriscape design to stimulate interest in low-water-use, low- maintenance, low-cost landscaping. The bus turn-around, about 120 feet long and 80 feet wide, is centrally located in Lawson Hill near hiking and biking trails and the primary bus stop. Native species easily adaptable to xeriscaping would be planted and clearly identified at this site. Finally, the County would produce an educational brochure describing xeriscaping in general and at Lawson Hill, as well as plant species appropriate for xeriscaping, costs, maintenance requirements, and sources for technical assistance. proiect Need. About 50 Lawson Hill homes completed by Summer 1993 will require revegetation. The County and Lawson Hill developer Telecam, Inc. encourage maintaining the natural forest environment surrounding the subdivision and revegetating with native species requiring little or no irrigation. As owner of six of the Lawson Hill units, the County Housing Authority believes it important to set the example of using environmentally appropriate landscaping. Xeriscaping is not promoted currently in the Telluride Region, where elevations range from 8,500 to 10,000 feet above sea level and the growing season is severely limited. In addition, Local businesses have not focused on selling native plants appropriate for low-water-use landscaping. Therefore the county believes that awareness of the need to utilize xeriscaping with environmentally appropriate native vegetation must be encouraged. Implementation. The duplex and bus turn-around xeriscaping projects would begin Spring 1993 as soon as weather permits. Appropriate species would be chosen and planted by Summer, and the educational brochure would be completed by Autumn. The plants would be tended actively for at least three years. Both the residential sites and the bus-turn around site would be