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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />monitored regularly to evaluate vigor, suitability of species and <br />growth rates. Input from residents would be gathered to <br />determine how much the residential xeriscaping had reduced their <br />maintenance responsibilities and water usage. <br /> <br />Participants. The duplex renter would be responsible for <br />maintaining their individual xeriscaped yard. Telecam would <br />provide the bus turn-around site and would help provide <br />educational material to all Lawson Hill homeowners. With grant <br />funds the County would hire a xeriscape consultant to design the <br />project, purchase and plant appropriate vegetation, and conduct <br />research and provide data for the xeriscape brochure. <br />Maintenance could be performed primarily by local volunteers, <br />including Lawson Hill homeowners. The Upper Colorado <br />Environmental Plant Center in Meeker has agreed to provide some <br />plants for the project. The County Road and Bridge Department <br />would provide equipment and staff time for contouring, <br />transporting material, and site preparation. The County <br />Environmental Health Specialist and Soil Conservation Service <br />Staff would lend technical planning and monitoring assistance. <br />County Planning Department Staff would provide overall project <br />management. <br /> <br />Methods to Measure Change in Water Use <br /> <br />The county will monitor the total amount spent on landscaping and <br />maintaining the project (per square foot) and compare those costs <br />to landscaping and maintenance costs for other County-owned <br />properties and other residential properties without xeriscaping. <br />Metered water usage would be compared at xeriscape sites with <br />varied species and environmental regimes, as well as to <br />conventional landscaped areas on a cost-per-square-foot basis. <br /> <br />Research and Resources Used in Developing project Idea <br /> <br />Research sources include local landscape designer Elizabeth <br />Gauche, Lawson Hill Developer Telecam Inc., County Environmental <br />Health Specialist Dave Schneck, Telluride Institute Program <br />Director Linda Luther, USDA Soil Conservation Service Resource <br />Specialist Dean stindt, the Upper Colorado Environmental Plant <br />Center, and officials from Colorado municipalities such as <br />Steamboat springs and Colorado Springs that have implemented <br />xeriscape projects. <br /> <br />community Involvement <br /> <br />Community involvement would be encouraged and solicited through <br />the local media and local community groups. Xeriscape brochures <br />would be distributed widely throughout the community, especially <br />to homebuilders. Volunteers would maintain the xeriscape <br />projects. <br /> <br />2 <br />