072-24 RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A POLICY TO PROMOTE THE USE OF NATIVE PLANTS AND THE ELIMINATION OF INVASIVE PLANTS AT CITY-OWNED AND MAINTAINED SITES AND FACILITIES
WHEREAS, the City of Greensboro has the opportunity to preserve its historic natural heritage as well as promote sustainable landscapes by choosing native plants, i.e., plants native to the Southeastern United States;
WHEREAS, native plants enhance the beauty of the landscape, maintain and restore biodiversity, support native pollinators, butterflies, birds, and other wildlife, protect local ecosystems, and environmental health;
WHEREAS, native plants minimize maintenance costs, fertilizer applications, mowing, and irrigation;
WHEREAS, native plants have historical and cultural value that preserve the City of Greensboro’s regional identity and definition of place;
WHEREAS, the city’s use of native plants promotes public awareness and can be a catalyst for the increased use of native plants in private and commercial landscaping;
WHEREAS, invasive plants disrupt the ecology of native natural ecosystems, and displace native plant and animal species;
WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council of the City of Greensboro do hereby resolve that, from the date of passage of this resolution, it shall be the policy of the City of Greensboro that when new or replacement plant materials are installed by the city, or by its contractors or subcontractors, in outdoor landscaped areas at any city-owned or -maintained site or facility, the following standards shall apply:
- To the maximum extent practicable, the seeds and plants used shall be those classified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other appropriate regional resources as native to a state or county in the Southeastern United States, until a list specific to Guilford County can be adopted. Installation of new and replacement plant materials shall have a minimum native plant species composition of 50 percent by 2025.
- This resolution shall apply in all instances, except where it is determined that installation of a native plant species would not be practicable, including but not limited to:
- Plantings deemed, and intended to be, edible, including fruit-bearing trees and plants, vegetables, nuts, and seeds;
- Non-native turf grass species used on athletic fields and lawns;
- Plant species required or prohibited by state or federal regulations;
- Plant species uniquely suited for soil or water remediation functions;
- Plant species uniquely suited for care and feeding of animals in zoological exhibits;
- Plant species used in botanical gardens for demonstration or educational purposes.
In cases when the use of non-native plant species is determined to be appropriate, only drought-tolerant, non-invasive plant species of a suitable type may be used.
- No plant species identified as invasive in North Carolina by the North Carolina Native Plant Society and the North Carolina Invasive Plant Council shall be planted in outdoor areas of any city-owned or maintained site or facility. The City recognizes the negative impacts of invasive plants, and will continue its efforts to eradicate invasive plant species.
- To the maximum extent practicable, all plantings shall conform with generally accepted “right plant – right place” principles, to avoid potential conflicts with utility lines, infrastructure, and public safety.
- The City shall, through various means, educate the public about the importance of native plants and the negative impacts of invasive plants; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GREENSBORO:
That this “Policy to Promote the Use of Native Plants and the Elimination of Invasive Plants” is hereby established.
(Signed) Marikay Abuzuaiter