The Cliffs' Blog

I don’t know whether or not you caught the article in Sunday’s (April 29, 2007) Idaho Statesman: “There's more to Xeriscaping than rock and cacti.” It was a well-written article which really caught my eye – in part because we’ve been working with Stew Churchwell (featured in the article) on native plant restoration at The Cliffs, and also because this week (April 29) is Idaho Native Plant Appreciation Week.

If you live in Idaho, chances are you have a little bit of environmentalism in your blood. I know I do. Does that surprise you? Some people think development and the environment are mutually exclusive – I couldn’t disagree more! Developers can be an important part of the solution by providing necessary resources state agencies lack to restore the land.

Let me give you an example. Did you know Idaho has some 3,000 native plant species? At the Cliffs, our biologists found a bunch -- native grasses like squirreltail and bluebunch wheat, native forbs including yarrow, arrowleaf balsamroot, and crepis, just to name a few. The problem is, they’re under threat from noxious weeds. In Idaho, damages from noxious weeds cost an estimated $300 million annually (from reduced productivity on agricultural and rangelands and reduced property values).

We know the problem all too well. The habitat study we commissioned for The Cliffs reported at least 80 percent of the site is highly degraded, consisting of noxious weeds, invasive foreign species and fire-damaged range, and this has significantly reduced the land’s historic ability to provide food and shelter for a variety of wildlife.

As part of our commitment to correcting past abuses of the land that have left it overrun by weeds, we are excited to begin restorative efforts at The Cliffs, which involve removing weeds and planting native shrubs grown from seeds taken from existing healthy plants at or near the site.

In announcing Native Plant Appreciation Week, Gov. Otter said “Native plant species are an important part of Idaho’s natural heritage, providing valuable aesthetic, economic and ecological contributions that make our state a special place to live.”

We couldn’t agree more. Stay tuned for more news on our plant restoration efforts.

One of the things I’ve always loved about the Treasure Valley is what an incredible place it is to raise a family. While I believe it is still a very safe place, a string of heinous crimes in the news lately has caused quite a stir around the water cooler.

Our family has strong ties to this valley. My 10 brothers and sisters and I were born and raised here, and many of us are now raising our families in the area. As we look to our children’s futures, public safety is certainly an important issue.

My dad Ted, who started Skyline in the late 1960s, taught me a great deal about community involvement. Because of his example, giving back to the community where I live and work has never been a question. As a former county judge, my Dad has kept close ties to the law enforcement community, and, as a result, we’ve heard our share of harrowing stories about the men and women who serve and protect us over the years. It’s hard to ignore the heroic efforts of individuals who are willing to risk life and limb for people they don’t even know. They deserve our support. That’s why we’ve repeatedly donated to several organizations including the Ada County Sheriff’s Association, Boise Crime Stoppers, the Boise Police Association, the Idaho State Police Association, and many more.

I want to encourage you to consider supporting our local law enforcement to help maintain the quality of life we’ve come to appreciate in this beautiful valley. They need our encouragement.

My apologies for not posting more frequently. But we have been buried in the details of designing a new community! Since the Ada County Commission approved The Cliffs in December, our development team has been busy designing the first phase of the development – the essential nuts and bolts of streets, water lines and lots. With its well-tested Planned Community Ordinance, Ada County has applied some 70 conditions of approval on The Cliffs which we are working hard to satisfy in an expedient manner.

While this (literal) groundwork might seem unglamorous, it is exciting for all of us. Our vision for the most environmentally conscious master-planned development possible is now starting to take shape.

Assuming things move forward as planned, we are hopeful that the first homes will be under construction by early 2008. That would be about right for a project of this size. By contrast, we are just now starting construction of streets and pipes on Hazelwood Village, a 605-home neighborhood at Lake Hazel and Five Mile roads that was approved by the county last summer. So, if it seems things aren’t moving along, they are actually right on schedule.