Our wilderness--even if it's private property--is under attack RIGHT NOW.

Lately there has been a huge increase of "good ole boys" mud bogging on the Parker property. A couple weeks ago, I confronted a mud bogging young man and another couple of younger dudes dumping trash. I tols both that they were on private property, and I think I scared them just enough that they were super apologetic, and the trash dumpers loaded up their trash and left.
But the four wheel pickups have really taken over. I live in the neighborhood just west of the lower Turkey Mountain parking lot, and drive 61st Street multiple times every day, so I see what is going often while it is going on. If I were a bad ass cop, I could make several arrests every week.


Since it has been so super muddy lately, I guess sloshing around in the mud must be fun. I have a four wheel drive but I just don't see the fun in it. The truck above is partially burried, and has made deep ruts even deeper. 


This Dodge was stuck for two days, but I guess Bubba(s) helped him drag his SUV out.


Abd then there's the dumping issue. This has been an ongoing problem over the years. It is so frustrating to have our clean-up days and see over 100 people work hard for hours, and really making a difference--only to have some low-life slimebags dump their crap right on OUR wilderness. 


Ok--it's a hot button for me. maybe I shouldn't let my blood pressure spike over this. And even though this is NOT actually city or Riverparks property (yet), I still feel some ownership in it.


What would it take to put up NO LITTERING or NO DUMPING signs on 61st Street? Does the city even give a flip about this? Does the owners care at all about their property being trashed??


Seven fairlu new dump piles are on the acrage, and this does not count the office furniture that has been there for a few months, or the limbs and leaves dumped. (I am sort of ok with leaves and limbs.)


Here's some construction trash. I take a load of construction trash to the lamdfill almost weekly. Costs me $30 per trip. The fine for dumping should be at least triple that.


More crap. This location makes it so easy for dumping.


As an advocate of the Turkey Mountain Wilderness Area--whether you are a part of a formal organized group or not, we need to make our voices heard and come up with some workable ideas to stop the raping of this wilderness area. True--an outlet mall is a bigger travesty, but the trashing of the land is inexcusable as well.

Can the tide be turning?

The "battle" for Turkey Mountain is heating up. Now more than ever, YOU can make a difference. The Tulsa World reports that some of the city counselors are not supportive of the mall in this location. The article is pasted below.

City councilors hesitant about proposed outlet mall near Turkey Mountain

Many of the city councilors who hold the fate of a proposed outlet mall near Turkey Mountain in their hands aren’t thrilled with the location or how the project has been handled.
At least two are on record as saying they could not support Tulsa Premium Outlets in its proposed location on the corner of U.S. 75 and West 61st Street, and another has scheduled a public meeting on the proposal.
The meeting, arranged by Councilor Jeannie Cue, will be held at 6:30 p.m. March 17 at the Marriott Tulsa Hotel Southern Hills, 1902 E. 71st St.
“I want (the developer) to answer the questions that all concerned residents have,” Cue said. “We want to get their input because we have not heard a public comment from them on their plans.”
That meeting will be held the day before the developer of the mall, Simon Property Group, is scheduled to present its rezoning application to the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission.
The commission is a recommending body. The City Council will have the final say on whether the rezoning request is approved or rejected.
Cue, who represents the district where the mall would be built, said her constituents have generally been supportive of the project, but that the overwhelming majority of people she’s heard from are opposed to it.
“I have been getting numerous emails from all over Tulsa County and the surrounding area who are not in favor of it,” Cue said.
She is the only councilor to hear from Simon, and that wasn’t until Friday. Still, she has plenty of unanswered questions.
“I would like to know the cost (to the city),” Cue said. “And have they done a study of the infrastructure needs? What are they asking, because this has not been discussed with the council on what their actual ask is of the city.”
Les Morris, director of public relations for Simon, on Friday provided a list of organizations the company has met with to discuss its project.
They include River Parks, the YMCA, Tulsa Urban Wildlife Coalition, Saint Francis Tulsa Tough, Lee’s Bikes and Tatur Racing as well as other users of Turkey Mountain.
Simon also has met with ODOT, various utility companies, and city Engineering and Planning Commission staff. It also plans to meet with other city councilors before the company goes before the Planning Commission, Morris said in an email.
Clay Bird, director of the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, said he believes Simon is reaching out to interested parties.
“To the best of my knowledge and from what they’ve told me and what I’ve heard from other groups, they are,” Bird said.
Simon, owner of Woodland Hills Mall, announced plans to construct the upscale outlet mall last year.
It would cover more than 48 acres of private property and include more than 350,000 square feet of leasable space, according to project plans. The only entrance to the mall would be off 61st Street.
The proposal has drawn criticism from Turkey Mountain enthusiasts who are concerned the mall would encroach on trails and spoil the pristine wilderness setting.
Council Chairman Phil Lakin said he and his family have spent countless hours exploring the wilderness area.
“I will always do what I can to support smart development because it’s good for our citizens and government services,” Lakin said. “But this development, in its present form, seems to unnecessarily encroach on a highly unique Tulsa treasure.”
Lakin is CEO of the Tulsa Community Foundation. The foundation is affiliated with the George Kaiser Family Foundation, which owns 139 acres on Turkey Mountain.
Councilor Anna America said she would love to see Tulsa get an outlet mall — and the sales-tax revenue that comes with it — but that it shouldn’t be built in its proposed location.
“It’s an absolute asset for Tulsa,” America said. “I would love to see this mall in Tulsa — just somewhere else.”
America, like other councilors, has heard from constituents concerned about how the proposed mall would affect Turkey Mountain. She said she shares those concerns, but is also troubled by the prospect of the city’s providing tax incentives for public infrastructure needed for the project.
Bird has said previously that the city has had discussions with Simon about creating a Tax Increment Finance District to fund the work.
TIFs allow developers to repay government entities for the construction of public infrastructure related to their projects, often using sales- and property-tax collections.
America said she would rather see a TIF used in another part of town, given that Tulsa Premium Outlets would be built a mile north of Tulsa Hills Shopping Center, which was built using a TIF.
“We have used it in that area,” America said. “I want to be more judicious about where we use those.”
Councilor G.T. Bynum said his experience has shown that developers who reach out to the parties affected by a project are the ones whose projects succeed.
“On this proposal, on something this controversial, the first I heard of any public outreach was in the last few days after plans had already been submitted to the Planning Commission,” Bynum said. “And I have yet to hear from a single Tulsan who likes the proposal. I am keeping an open mind until we see what the Planning Commission recommends, but am so far not very impressed by the approach.”

Our speaking out, letters to the counsel and mayor, and Facebook posts are working AND we need to keep it going. 

Before the mall fiasco, I did not know who my city counselor was. Look at the map below, and see what district you are in.

Then email them a courteous letter expressing your desire to see Turkey Mountain natural--as it should be. Don't know their emails? CLICK HERE

Turkey Mountain is in District Two. I live in District Two (2/10 of a mile from the Turkey Mountain parking lot) and Jeannie and I have exchanged emails a few times. She is not at all sold on the mall going on Turkey, and she can be quite influential with the other eight counselors. Take a few minutes to send an email. If you're lucky and they respond, keep the dialogue open. These city officials work for us, and want to represent us.

If you are so inclined, make this your profile picture on FB. :-)

The ugly Simon Mall details

The latest plans that Simon submitted to the planning commission included the following drawings.


The one above really doesn't look that different from ones previously published, except there seems to be more parking. Compare the drawing above to one posted a few months ago. From the detail showing the hundreds of parking spaces, you get a feel as to how big this is. How far north does this extend?

It extends several hundred yards further north than I thought. I think the early sketches were purposely vague.

Look at the above map closely. (You can click on it to enlarge it.) See the gray ribbon that ends right above the 2NEWS? That is the usually dry creek that feeds the ponds at the Westside YMCA. The end of the gray ribbon is the concrete bridge that crosses to the Y--with the small pond to the south and below the dam Lake Logan. Just south of the small pond made by the concrete dam/bridge is the property boundary line shown by the obnoxious lime green. The YMCA will have neighbors--very CLOSE neighbors. But it gets worse.


CLICK HERE for a PDF of the above map that you can enlarge. You need to study this. They put the heights of the retaining walls they are building around the perimeter. Near 61st Street, there will be a 10 foot retaining wall right at the edge of the Pipeline Trail. This wall runs north and very slightly west along the top of the ridge, and this wall gets TALLER the further north you go. Around the area where the Old Boys Trail starts, the wall is 15 feet. Not much further north the wall is 45 feet tall. If you follow the wall to where it starts curving around to the west, the wall gets up to 75 feet!!!


The YMCA is obviously very concerned. All the kids attending summer camp will have this 7 story tall wall staring them in the face. Goodbye to the wilderness feel of this YMCA camp.


A bit of humor here I suppose, but I am serious. This mall will never get one cent on my business. All trail users and nature enthusiasts should be of a like mind.

But we can and are still fighting this. We CAN win this. Why? Because building a MALL on this land is just plain WRONG. What can you do to help this cause? Visit the Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition. Join their Facebook page. And join Turkey Mountain Strategy on Facebook as well. And WRITE AND CALL your city counselors.

I live in district 2 where the Simon wants to build this mall. Jeannie Cue is my counselor, and she returned my email. I get the feeling that the tide may be turning in our favor. Let's keep the momentum!

My letter to my city counselor

Dear Counselor Jeannie Cue,

We have met at a couple of meetings last summer/fall just after Simon Properties announced their intent on building an outlet mall at 61^st/HWY 75. At both meetings, there were several Turkey Mountain trail users in attendance. I was greatly encouraged by your statements of how you loved and grew up visiting Turkey Mountain, and you referred to it as “our Central Park.” J Indeed there are very few cities in the US that have protected urban wilderness areas such as this.

It does seem like Simon Properties has been quietly moving toward constructing this mall and it greatly saddens me. I live in your district—532 W 68^th St, and the influx of traffic since Tulsa Hills has went in has quadrupled. So many commuters from west of HWY 75 use 61^st and Elwood to bypass all the stoplights on 71^st near Tulsa Hills. I don’t blame them—it truly seems like these stoplights are not at all synchronized. When the intersection at 71/Elwood was “improved” with no left turn lane, there is a log-jam there every morning and evening. Commuters from the south needing to cross the 71^st river bridge also bypass at Tulsa Hills, complicating matters by creating line of cars turning east of Elwood onto 71^st.  Making left turns is slow going with only 2-3 cars turning per light cycle. Now, if the mall is built, I can see the traffic quadrupling again.

My objection to the Simon outlet mall is not unlike the trail runners/mountain bikers/hikers.

·         It is an encroachment to what is our park. No amount of “buffer zone” will hide the high rise buildings, light pollution, noise from the traffic, and litter.

·         I am deeply concerned that the traffic issues will lead to beautiful 61^st Street and Elwood being widened to 4 lanes—6 lanes and added sidewalks and many more acres of the shrinking Tulsa Urban Wilderness will be lost.

·         Tulsa is interested in economic growth. Having recreational areas and green spaces is more attractive to young professionals and prospective industries than shopping centers. I am not at all against an outlet mall in Tulsa, even in west Tulsa—but not right next door to Tulsa’s best park

·         Another valid concern is the affect that construction of the mall would have on the West Side YMCA. Right now, the Y is a magical place—right off 1-44, yet seems so far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. This summer camp has been a life changing experience for hundreds of children for over 50 years. With the sight of concrete buildings on the horizon, the noise and encroachment of an access road along HWY 75, the pollution of their ponds is a strong argument for locating the mall at another place.

Last Saturday at 3:30 pm, after my hike of Mooser Creek, I returned to my car. I was parked very near the “entrance” of the proposed mall. Counting my car, there were 19 vehicles parked there. I counted 29 more cars and SUVs parked on 61^st right by the curve at the top of Elwood. Then I counted 92 (yes 92) cars parked alongside Elwood, and on 67^th and 68^th Street. (I live on 68^th, and they were parked in front of my house and well beyond. J) I then drove the parking lot and counted 115 more cars on the lot and around 20 parked up on the grass. That’s 275 cars—with maybe an average of two people per car. 550 folks were enjoying our Urban Wilderness at that very moment—3:30 pm. I bet there were 1,500 trail users during the day Saturday, and Sunday was almost as busy. That’s maybe possibly as many as 3,000 people who oppose having an outlet mall at 61^st Street/HWY 75.

I bet if 1,000 random Tulsans were surveyed, over 90% would favor having an outlet mall in our city. But if a follow-up question were on that survey—would you favor saving this plot of land for Tulsa’s Urban Wilderness and locating the mall on a more suitable site—90% would favor the alternate location. IS this a pipe dream? Could this even be possible to have a scenario where Tulsa gets the outlet mall, and Tulsa’s Urban Wilderness does not lose, but in fact gains? I would love to see the land SOUTH of 61^st Street become park land—I am a dreamer, aren't I?

Jeannie, thank you for reading this. I truly appreciate all you do for our district.

Ken Childress

532 W 68^th St

Tulsa, OK 74132

Runners, hikers, mt bikers everywhere. Where to park?

Yesterday, Jake and I did some exploring. I parked on the west side near the outlet mall site, and I was not the only one. There were 19 cars there when we got through with our run, 29 cars parked alongside the road near the old upper parking lot, 92 cars parked on the side of Elwood, 67th and 68th Streets, 115 in the main parking lot, and at least 20 cars parked in the grass. That's 280 cars. With an AVERAGE of 2 people per car, that's 560 people on the trailz on Turkey Mountain just at 3:30 pm. with all the people coming and going during the day, I am sure there were at least 1500 trail users here yesterday. It was 70°, and tomorrow (Sunday) it is also gonna be in the 70s.

A side note--two cops were walking the road issuing parking tickets. I think this sucks. Maybe they were just warning tickets--I hope so. It is wonderful that 1500 people come out to hike, run, bike, picnic, have family outings, and because of the lack of parking are ticketed. The way I see it, there are four possible solutions for this parking problem.

1. Expand the existing parking lot. There is enough unpaved land adjacent to the existing parking lot to double the amount of parking spaces. (I am not totally in favor of this as the sight of too much pavement makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit.)

2. Open the old parking lot at the top of the hill. It was closed because it’s a blind corner, but it they moved the entrance a little to the west, I think it would be safe.

3. Open the overflow lot that is off 71st. They could do that right now at zero cost. The concern is the huge trucks speeding down the steep hill. But if they simply opened it on the weekends, there would not be trucks on these days.


4. My favorite solution--buy/acquire the Parker property, put in a parking lot, bathrooms, and refine a couple of trail heads. And leave the rest of the 60 acres alone

Turkey Mountain is a hot spot right now. 1500 people yesterday loved their urban wilderness. They see the value in keeping it wild. Ask all 1500 of them, and you would get unanimous support for what we have, and at least 90% disapproval of the proposed outlet mall. I am sure of that. The powers that be need to know this. Call and email your city counselors. Keep abreast of the upcoming development. Join the Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition. Visit the TUWC Facebook page. Nothing will change if no one expresses the need for change. Let our voices be loud and clear.

Exploring Mooser Creek

I was at a meeting where a map was passed around to illustrate a point--basically showing where the Mooser Creek watershed is. This is a very critical issue to me as well, as the proposed Simon Outlet Mall would have a devastating affect on this often overlooked stream on the north end of Turkey Mountain.

I am a map nerd. No genius, I just like maps. I have a DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer by the commode for quality bathroom reading. I have found awesome places to run by studying the many pages of this stapled conglomeration of lines and dots, with the Pumpkin Holler course being a good example.

The blue lines represented Existing Trails, and I was bedazzled--could there actually be trailz unknown to me so close to where I always run?? Of course, I had to find out.


I know a little about Mooser Creek, having published pictures of the clear pools of water running under 60' bluffs on the northern edge of Turkey Mountain. I know Mooser Creek runs under the Pepsi Bridge, and on the northern edge of the YMCA property. I also understand that the creek originates a few miles to the west, but I had never seen it any further west than from the YMCA. So, with Jake by my side, we went exploring. Jake takes his second swim in Mooser Creek via the Westside Y.


I could not find a trail at all from the YMCA, but we followed the creek westward as it hugged the I-44 service road. Jake again sampled the water, which is crystal clear. On a blue skied 70° day, even I gave thought to taking a dip.


Crossing under HWY 75, we followed the creek--no trailz--but we hugged the edge of the creek and crossed several times on rocks. I managed to keep my feet dry, while Jake managed to get his whole coat wet. This house, which had it's own bridge over the creek, looked to be 100 years old. We passed by unnoticed, but I would love to get to know these folks.

By now, I realized the map was just "proposed" trailz, but I wanted to see more.


(Click on the above picture to enlarge it. Should be readable.)
In 2006, the City of Tulsa published future plans for southwest Tulsa, which included a lot of trail work. Part of the plan was for a trail system along Mooser Creek. I am in favor of this, although it looksd like they are doing a paved trail on the north bank and just a trail on the south bank. Would we really need both? Just the dirt trail would be fine by me. :-)


We kept going, bushwhacking at times, and I knew I wanted to eventually head south to Riverfield or Lubell Park. Climbing a decent hill through lots of green briers did a number on my morale, arms, and legs. AT the top, we ran into a neighborhood, and I did not feel like waltzing through someones back yard. We headed back north and west, and eventually hit the creek again. I thought it was Mooser, but looking at some online maps, it was another creek. Can't find the name of it..

Just around the bend, the banks were high and the water was deep, so we scrambled through the tall grass and briers. We followed what looked like a deer trail, but obviousl these deer were not at all bothered by wicked thorns.


Finally we were able to get back to the creek and cross. Heading south, we ran into another fence, but a huge tree had fallen on it making crossing over easy. A few more yards of bush whacking (a machete would have been nice) and we popped out on a wide trail. :-)

This trail took us right to the NE corner of Riverfield, and instead of trekking right through the grounds, we backtracked and took a utility easement clearing south to 61st Street. Along the way, I tossed a basketball and soccer ball back over the Riverfield fence--my good deed for the day.


Battle scars for the day: a dozen puncture wounds to the arms, and slashed legs. These are a trail runners badge of honor.

First and foremost--this stream should be protected. Construction uphill (outlet mall, etc) will pollute this clear free flowing water. 

I wonder if these plans for a trail system along Mooser Creek have been scrapped? This is such a beautiful place, and would be a huge asset to our city. I'd love to see these built!!

Urban Wilderness (from Wikipedia)

Urban Wilderness

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Where appreciation for the importance of biodiversity meets the New Urbanism movement, one can find the pursuit of the creation of urban wilderness. Key traits of urban wilderness that differentiate it from lawns and other ecologically questionable forms of plantings are:

1.    Biodiversity - a wide range of species, both of plants and animals

2.    Minimal maintenance required for viability - plants that can survive without frequent watering, can withstand local pollution levels, and do not depend on infusions of fertilizers or other periodic soil amendments (see xeriscaping)

3.    Deep beds - deep soil allowing the creation of mature root growth, protection from drought and destructive temperature changes, and the development of a healthy colony of microorganisms, worms, and other beneficial small lifeforms

4.    Native species - considered use of local varieties rather than exotic species

5.    Unstructured aesthetic - plants allowed to grow as they wish, where they wish, with minimal space devoted to paved walkways, trimmed grass, or other artificial environments

6.    Tolerance of ground-cover and thick undergrowth - healthy ecosystems depend on "messy" micro-environments like decaying logs, thick brush, and muddy ground.

Urban wilderness has been created by programs as varied as the New York City Parks Department's Green Streets program (which converts median strips and other micro-environments into planted areas) and small programs in such places as Davis, California and Portland, Oregon to reintroduce native species.

History

The nineteenth and twentieth centuries saw the creation of vast regions of concrete and asphalt, with minimal space set aside for living things beyond humans and their pets. Jacob Riis and other reformers fought for parks in urban areas, but the resulting parks, while a vast improvement, were formalized, rectilinear arrangements of artificially orderly lawns, bushes, and walkways.

While many societies had traditions of intense urban plantings, such as the famously lush rooftops of pre-conquistador Mexico City, such traditions did not reemerge on a larger scale in the industrialized world until the creation by Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted and others of naturalistic urban parks. The rise of the City Beautiful Movement enhanced this trend as American, European, and other cities worked to bring natural settings back into urban areas.

In recent decades activists have sometimes seized the lead from architects, social planners, and horticulturalists as groups like squatters and Reclaim the Streets have engaged in guerrilla plantings, from work done in or on abandoned buildings to more symbolic acts like tearing holes in highway asphalt and then filling the holes with soil and flowers. These actions have been particularly effective in creating new planted zones in economically decimated areas like urban eastern Germany where abandoned buildings are occasionally reverting to forest. However, this trend can carry its own doom as beautified areas can work so well that they become targets for gentrification, with thirty foot (ten meter) trees grown over building foundations being torn down for yet more high density development. 

A short venture into the wonderland known as the Westside YMCA

I met a couple of friends today over at the Westside  YMCA to hike a little and just look around. We walked around Lake Logan, and I tried to get a good picture of some mallards on the pond. 

By the time I got my camera on and pointed, most of them had swam behind a small island. 


I maneuvered closer but must have sounded like a moose crashing through the thicket, because they vacated the premises.

This small finger of the lake is unnoticed to most trail runners and mountain bikers, but is a beautiful place nonetheless.

On the way back to the main trail, I found this birds nest uninhabited but in perfect working order. I gave it a wide enough berth so as to not disturb it. What might seem like a useless sapling is home to another creature. Visiting the urban wilderness is a privilege, and up-heaving it is just plain wrong.

We wandered uphill around the upper pond, and into the woods, up the hill,, meeting a couple of trail runners and a mountain biker enjoying the trails on this cool overcast day. We found some old faded orange ribbons left possibly from a past trail race or mountain bike race, and gathered it up as well as some other litter.

A water bottle, an old pop can, a FULL CAN OF BEER UNOPENED (notice the big smile on Mitch's face), and quite a bit of old ribbon.

 Oh, and a dead fox. I'm not sure how it died. [A good photographer would not have chopped a head off   :-/   ]

I told my friends I was gonna try one more time to shoot the ducks. (Of course I meant photographing them!) They were again on the upper part of Lake Logan, but flew to the other side of the lake when they saw me coming.

You have to zoom in real close to see them. I liked this reflection pic, so I walked again around the lake to get another reflective pic. 

This is the upper pond--almost completely still. All of the above pics are on the Westside YMCA property, which for decades has hosted hundreds of kids each summer in it's day camps, creating the ideal summertime environment for kids and teens. Tulsa needs to remember what a special place this is.

Uninformed comments

Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition  delivered a petition to City Hall today with 6500 signatures and comments against the proposed Simon Outlet Mall being built on the 60 acre plot of land at 61st and HWY 75. This land, referred to as part of Turkey Mountain by local mountain bikers, trail runners, hikers, horseback riders, and area residents is actually privately owned land, The owner has allowed use of trails across the property which connects the RiverParks property with trails on the YMCA property. Area runners and bikers have held clean up days on this property over the years, and have been good stewards, treating it as if it were their own. 

This story from KJRH Channel 2 says essentially the same as KTUL, KOTV, and Fox 23. 
KJRH also posted this video on their Facebook page along with this question: Are you for or against the proposed west Tulsa development? 

Taking out the long argument from some moron who tried to bring up Turkey Mountain being a gay hangout and the arguments back and forth--there were 83 people AGAINST the mall, and 26 For the mall.

Some of the comments by the pro-mall people: 

"The land is privately owned and Turkey Mountain was bought by the Kaiser foundation to keep it as a wildlife refuge for hikers and animals. People just want to gripe about anything and everything. Tulsa Hills has been a great success and it's relieved some of the congestion at Woodland Hills Mall. Bring on the out let mall can't wait for it to be built up and running and putting people to work."

Blah blah blah. ANYONE who has followed this story knows the land is privately owned. Kaiser did indeed buy a large amount of land between the Riverparks land and the proposed mall site and intends to keep it wild. Putting this mall next door to existing wild area, as well as paving 60 acres of wild area is devastating to this wilderness. And the mention of congestion?? This mall brings with it the worst traffic problems the sity has ever seen. Already, thousands of commuters bypass Tulsa Hills and speed down 61st Street and Elwood. Throw in this outlet mall and the two lane bridge over HWY 75, and this will be a major bottle-neck. This is a very sensitive issue to me, as I live in the neighborhood just west of the Turkey Mountain parking lot, and have to deal with traffic that has tripled since Tulsa Hills was built..

"Totally FOR it. Turkey Mountain is going to be just fine. The Kaiser Foundation purchased the land around the proposed outlet mall to prevent expansion, which means the true Turkey Mountain area will stayed preserved."

 How does paving 60 acres preserve the YMCA property downhill and downstream? And how does the added noise from the mall and 75  not affect the wildlife 100 yards away?

"Oklahoma is full of nature all over and whatever animals that are living there will probably just relocate, as most animals would do when they realize an invasion has begun. Yes we need animals to a certain extent but Tulsa needs more jobs. They're so worried about animals and their habitats but honestly I'm more worried about the people I see on the streets who are willing to work and families struggling to stay afloat. West Tulsa really needs it and I'm not a part of a "coalition" or group but i sure would sign something that's all for building it!"

 Okay--all the deer need to vacate this property and head to the wild area west of Sand Springs. REALLY? The relocation will be most visible as road kill.

 I think it also would COST a lot of people their jobs. AN outlet mall would put the squeeze on many of the businesses in Tulsa Hills. When these stores go out of business because of over-satuation, will you also feel sorry for them?

"Urban wilderness? Urban wildermess if you ask me... mountain bikes have eroded the trails so badly that the trees' roots are exposed. Wilderness areas are limited to foot traffic usually. Calling Turkey Mountain Park a wilderness is laughable."  

 There is so much you need to learn. There are schools who bring their classes here to study wildlife. There are eagles, snails, beetles, and a variety of opther animals worth protecting. Yes, the trails are well travelled in places, and there are bike groups who spend hours several times a year maintaining and  preserving these trails.   

"I am, most certainly, all for keeping Turkey Mountain as it is. That being said, have they changed the location of where the, proposed, outlet mall will be? Because, when I first saw the article, I thought it was where TM is, but it's actually not...it wouldn't touch TM at all."

 Clearly there needs to be some education, informing, enlightening. I am betting that the majority of the people favoring the mall and being smart-assed about it have never set foot on the trails deep in the woods at Turkey Mountain. There was a time when I might have been one of them. Spending hours roaming the hills in this enchanted woodland, I have come to love it. It has become a part of me.

sad sick heartbreaking

I ran with the Tuesday Night TOTs over the Old Boys Trail to the Westside Y, and in the dark saw what looked like a massacre of trees along the trail. Today I got home from work before dark and took a quick run with my camera.

A drilling outfit has been roving around drilling holes I assume to see how far bed rock is as part of a land survey. There are newly smashed down dirt roads everywhere on the 60+ acre plot.

This once was a thick tallgrass--quite beautiful in it's own way.


This drilling rig drills holes every 100 yards or so all the way to the northern boundary of the property. They have to plow through trees to get where they want to drill,


It seems as though falling trees has become more of a sport for these mindless oafs., I would say upwards of 300 perfect trees have been chainsawed or bulldozed over.


This 20 yard swath is a common sight as you run or bike northward. What was once a nice single track trail is now a 10 yard wide dirt road. A trail no longer--as we knew it anyway. A trail of tears--yes.

Another 100 yards and another huge deforested patch.


This made my heart break. Way down at the bottom of one of these plowed down areas, they had fallen this once tall proud and mighty oak. It was not even in the direct path to their drill mark. WHY???


This tree was huge. I would have guessed 3 feet in diameter. I took off one shoe then both to have a point of reference

Then I found a stick and broke it to length so I could measure the diameter.


Almost 31 inches. With a 30.75 inch diameter and a circumference of 96 1/2 inches, this webpage  calculates  the age to be around 100 years old. This was one of the oldest trees on Turkey Mountain. There was no need to cut it down. If the lovely mall were to be built, they would not build on the side of a hill so near the pipeline trail. This should have been one tree they kept.


Bob Doucette asked about his favorite vista on the Old Boys Trail. Here it is.


And here is the road these idiots made right through the area.


Stepping just 20 feet to the north, here is Bob's vista through the branches of a once healthy but now hacked down tree.


More senseless slaughter.


This is on the trail overlooking HWY 75.  This is almost a 10th of a mile north of where this trail pops out above the highway. I turned back here. I had seen more than I could stand.


It seemed they wanted to cut down the healthy trees first. I just don't understand the logic--oh wait--there IS no logic. This story of this tree gets worse.


Way up in the top of this tree was a squirrel nest. I am sure of this. As a teenager, I used to go with my dad squirrel hunting. I don't hunt anymore.


A closeup of the nest. 


Here is the machine that does the drilling. 


A person sits here and plows through the woods to dig holes. It's a job.


They had to get the help of a land scraping front end loader. This small piece of machinery can knock over small trees scrape land so fast it'll make your head swim.


Hate. Hate is a strong word, but I hate the people behind this. I realize the people driving this machinery and slaughtering trees are just doing their job, but it seems like a hate crime.
Midwest drilling, you and the people who hired you, are raping our forest.

For the record. I am NOT AGAINST an outlet mall in Tulsa. I am not even AGAINST an outlet mall in west Tulsa, although if it made the traffic any worse around my house worse, I would be cranky. But Turkey Mountain is the worst place in Tulsa for a development like this. Put it across HWY 75, put it further down HWY 75. Put it in Jenks (I know I know--Tulsa does not want to lose the sales tax $$$.) 

Take away 100 year old trees, pave a portion of a longtime "wild" area, and we lose far more than 60 acres. Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness is something that sets Tulsa apart from so many metropolitan areas. Hikers, trail runners, mountain bikers, bird watchers, geocachers, horseback riders--ALL come from miles away to enjoy this special area. These out-of-towners also eat and shop in our city while they are here. 

Slicing off 60 acres takes far more than 10% of the land we call Turkey Mountain.It brings the noise of the city further into the quietness of the woods. It drives what remaining wildlife that we still have away. Widened roads take away even more of our quiet wilderness. (The road widening is a HUGE CONCERN.)


If you love the wild area that we have, do not sit by quietly while the so-called progress crams a huge eyesore of concrete and storefronts down our throats. Contact your city counselor, write your state representative, post your thoughts on Facebook, and MAKE SOME NOISE!