Keep the Trinity Wild.

The city should seek to prove the concept of re-wilding: with the help of naturalists, botanists, and biologists, this part of the Trinity can preserve the natural blackland prairie right in the city center.

In 2017, the Dallas City Council killed a toll road that would have been built between the levees of the Trinity River. The decision was more than two decades in the making, and its death opened an enormous opportunity for Dallas to realize the potential of thousands of acres of green space that cuts through the center of town on its way to points south. One is already underway, the 200-acre Harold Simmons Park between Interstate 30 and the Ron Kirk Pedestrian Bridge. It is an effort that will likely manicure the space, including widening the river, adding trees and other flora and fauna, and includes the creation of a side channel. More traditional amenities like playgrounds and cafés and trails will be placed out of the way of the floodplain. But that is a subsection of a space that spans more than 2,000 acres. There is room for something else.

Where We Stand.

The city should allow for other possibilities within the levees, beginning with the neighboring acreage between the Sylvan Bridge and the Ron Kirk Pedestrian Bridge. This is where the city should seek to prove the concept of rewilding: with the help of naturalists, botanists, and biologists, this part of the Trinity can preserve the natural blackland prairie right in the city center. We believe invasive species should be removed and replaced with plants that can attract water flow, butterflies, and other forms of wildlife. Residents should be able to engage in the natural environment, to observe the flora and fauna that can thrive with the right conditions. The Army Corps of Engineers has already approved what’s known as the Balanced Vision Plan, which will guide the determination of species that can live within levees while still allowing for effective flood control. If done correctly, this portion of the Trinity can become a destination for ecotourism while offering educational opportunities for our school children. It will be complementary to the Harold Simmons Park; our residents can spend time in nature, then walk over to the other side of the bridge for recreation.  Most importantly, what is ultimately done within the Trinity should be leveraged to reach across the levees in order to help the city re-engage with the river.Here is a description of your campaign.