Creating | Managing | Invasive Plants (pdf)

Planning.

Snow Creek begins every project with a thorough

assessment of current conditions and plans for imminent improvements.

Highly qualified naturalists, arborists, botanists, and horticulturists from our
own natural resource management (NRM) staff will work closely with the
landscape design professional of your choice, be it one of Snow Creek’s in-house
professionals or a Registered Landscape Architect (RLA) from another firm,
to generate a complete picture of the site’s natural resources and their ability to
adapt to changes brought on by the development.

We review the entire project for environmental impact, giving special consideration to the best management practices (BMP) of controlling surface water, and the protection of rare endangered species and their sensitive habitats. Sound data, combined with a strong sense of environmental responsibility, enable you and the design team to create a viable plan for a sustainable long-term, low-impact landscape.

Once the project plan is finalized, our operations manager maps out the costs so that you can make an informed decision whether the project will be best served by single- or multi-phase development.

Creating.

Though each project is unique, Snow Creek’s comprehensive
process recognizes common variables in creating an environmentally-friendly
sustainable landscape. Some of these variables are the negative impact of grading
on trees, the danger of soil erosion & compaction around building sites, surface water management, stream bank preservation, and the invasion of exotic species,

which must be removed to develop landscapes that support sustainable native bio-diversity.

Snow Creek uses integrated methods and best management practices (BMP) such as the injection of specialized chemical treatments and erecting tree protection fences for trees affected by grading. By using layers of mulch or gravel, the effects of soil erosion and compaction can be lessened. Restoration plantings and creating special structures for stream bank preservation are used to keep wetlands and riparian corridors in order.

Openings left by drain fields and other disturbances can be transformed into small meadows or no-mow lawns, and then sealed from invasion by exotic species that threaten indigenous plants and shrubs. Some properties also benefit from the addition of trails, picnic areas, campsites and fire rings, which Snow Creek creates either from materials found on site or by using imported materials in keeping with the character and spirit of the project.

Managing.

The ultimate aim of every Snow Creek project is to maintain a sense of

harmony within the natural landscape that surrounds any manmade development.
We realize that any development affects wild lands to some degree, and therefore Natural
Resource Management (NRM) is necessary for a completed project to reach its long-term potential.

Every project has its own management needs, from the upkeep of meadows to caring for individual trees. Snow Creek cares for meadows in their earliest stages through controlled burning or yearly mowing. We also remove invasive exotics from forest edges and bottomlands, thin and harvest woodlots, and keep view lines open through judicious pruning.

Fallen trees are promptly removed from paths following storms. Our staff provides arboricultural care for tree species with unique treatment needs. We also manage and restock ponds and small lakes. No matter the NRM needs, Snow Creek provides solutions.