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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Ashland monitor reads 'unhealthy' ... Police Reports ... Ticket Availability ... Ashland monitor reads 'unhealthy' ... Police Reports ... Ticket Availability ... LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, Aug. 5 Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Aug. 5, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Aug. 5, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Violence against nature Resorting to artificial turf is like resorting to violence against Mother Nature. There is nothing natural about it. The very idea is obnoxious to the environment. The mayor and city councilors should first obtain professional arboretum advice rather than succumbing to artificial turf profiteers who want to make a buck selling the city a product derived from biological pesticide GMOs or Big Chem plastics. Do you not recall the dirge about turning paradise into a parking lot? "When in doubt, don't." We are one of the Bee Cities USA, and the very idea of artificial turf is odious to the pollinators. Truly, it would behoove the city fathers to call the county arboretum in Arcadia, Calif., to found out which cold-hardy and drought-tolerant landscaping options and choices there are for our botanical zone. Low-maintenance, cold-hardy and drought-tolerant perennials, shrubs and trees are the best choice for roadway medians. The solution for drought is to let the grass go brown. Refrain from ripping it out and replacing it with gravel, rock or awful artificial turf. Those will only amplify the heat effect by increasing daytime and nighttime temperatures. The increased heat from pavers also amplifies drought intensity without solving it. Any water-thirsty grass that goes brown should be replaced in the autumn with low-water varieties of groundcovers such as perennials, shrubs and trees that do well in Oregon. These provide food for precious pollinators, habitat for songbirds and shade. According to an article in The Oregonian July 18, "Drought-tolerant perennials: Saving water can be pretty," there are smart options. Red Hot Poker (knipho-fia uvaria) is a durable flower that is highly attractive to hummingbirds. May Night (salvia sylvestris) has purple flower spikes. English Lavender (lavandula angustifolia) has flowers. Moonshine Yarrow (archilles hybrid) has silver-gray foliage and yellow flowers. Lamb's Ear (stachys byzantine) has silver leaves and a uniform, mounding habit. The city's landscaping department should set this example in watering less frequently and more deeply. During this drought transition, expect plants to wilt and look unhappy, but most will survive if you refuse to use chemical fertilizers that make the plants thirstier. Simply switch over to the many natural surfactants that can be sprayed over the ground every few months to improve the soil's ability to absorb water, and start feeding the soil with organic, natural fertilizers to improve the soil's ability to absorb and store water. Nancy Nelson, Ashland Garden Club member Ashland Prevent war with Iran The U.S. and its allies have secured a watershed agreement with Iran. This historic achievement keeps Iran from the bomb and keeps the United States from yet another devastating war in the Middle East. I have suffered the devastating affects of a war in the Middle East, the war in Iraq. That war cost me everything that I loved in this world. The only people who want more war are the people whose lives have not been destroyed by a past war. Urge your representatives to prevent war with Iran. The life you save might be your own. Stacy Bannerman, executive director, Peace House Ashland Protect wildlands Situated in southwest Oregon and extending almost to the California border is a remarkable area noted for its wild, clear rivers and incredible plant diversity, the Kalmiopsis wilderness and adjacent South Kalmiopsis roadless area. This area is currently under threat by two foreign-owned nickel mining companies. How could this be, in this era of environmental awareness? It all goes back to an 1872 law designed to promote development and settlement of publicly-owned lands by allowing mining interests to take valuable minerals without royalties or remediation. Until this archaic law is repealed, we must do what we can to protect sensitive areas from what amounts to desecration. To that end, Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Rep. Peter DeFazio, and California Rep. Jared Huffman have introduced legislation — The Southwestern Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Act of 2015 — that would permanently withdraw threatened areas from new mining activities. Please go to Kalmiopsiswildrivers.org to learn more. Then sign on in the public comment section to support this important legislation. Dianne Fristrom Ashland DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Aug. 5, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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