A Fort Wright-based environmental non-profit is looking to possibly expand further into the city.
Representatives from the Banklick Watershed Council attended this month’s Fort Wright city council caucus meeting. They came seeking information about a 6.8-acre plot of land adjacent to the TANK Park-n-Ride and Highland Pike. Banklick Creek runs through this area.
“Our goal tonight [was] to introduce ourselves and ask the city what they know about the property and what they plan to do with it,” Clements said.
Nicole Clements, the watershed coordinator for the council, explained that this tract of land is majority floodplain and floodway. Floodplains and floodways work together to store floodwaters. This keeps the watershed from becoming overwhelmed by floods or runoff.
The Banklick Watershed Council is interested in preserving ecological features like these. Matt Wooten, district director for the Kenton County Conservation District also attended the meeting to speak on the current state of the land.
“There are a lot of healthy trees down there,” Wooten said. “Sycamores, black walnuts, silver maples, and box elders. It’s the understory that needs work. There are a lot of invasives, a lot of honeysuckle. It needs additional native species planted.”
Council plans to discuss the issue more at future meetings.