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To: Joel White, Earthworm Soil Factory
Cc:
From: Thomas Burke – Bisho Firth Landscape Architects, Inc. (BFLA)
Pages: 1
Date: 4-28-2025
Project: Earthworm Soil Factory
BFLA #: 2489
Landscape Basis of Design
The Landscape Basis of Design for this project aims to provide the Client with safe and
aesthetically pleasing outdoor spaces while keeping with the character of the locality and
minimizing ongoing maintenance requirements. The landscape is being designed to comply with
AB-1881 and the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) and Butte Counties
Building Standards and Design Guidelines.
The use of native and adaptive plant species well suited to the rigors of the North Valley
environment and will minimize the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides as well as the
consumption of water. The facility will be buffered from the road using vegetative screening that
matches the existing vegetative screening to the north side of the facility to give a continuous and
cohesive feel to the project. Some appropriate additional species may be proposed to enhance
the visual appeal of the landscape. Prohibited and Invasive plants have been excluded from the
plant palette.
Landscape areas will be irrigated by means of an automatically controlled, low volume drip
irrigation system capable of making real-time adjustments based upon evapotranspiration data
to optimize the use of water to irrigate the landscape. BFLA will work directly with management
to ensure that the system is precisely what they want and that it is operating properly.
It is understood that the existing trees and landscape to the north of the new proposed building
are to remain and will act as a vegetative screen. The existing site has a mixture of plants, trees
and grass with 29,687sf of grass. The new design will have a reduction in the high water use
grass realizing a 58% reduction in total grass area for the site.
With this project, we seek to create a safe, functional, and comfortable landscape to complement
and augment the facility in such a way that site users will enjoy and benefit from for many years
to come.