Title
To recognize and celebrate April as Native Plant Month in Columbus, Ohio.
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WHEREAS, declared by the State of Ohio in 2019, April is Native Plant Month, a time to increase public awareness of Ohio’s native plants and the many benefits they provide to the environment; and
WHEREAS, native plants are those that occur naturally in a region and have evolved and adopted to the local environment; and
WHEREAS, native plants are essential for health, diverse, and sustainable ecosystems and are critical for maintaining clean air, filtering water, and stabilizing soil; and
WHEREAS, native plants are well-adapted to Ohio’s soil, temperatures, precipitation, and environmental conditions, making them the best options for conserving and protecting the environment due to the effects of climate change; and
WHEREAS, native plants provide vital ecosystem services including food, such as nectar, pollen, seeds, and foliage, for native birds, caterpillars, butterflies, bees, and other wildlife as well as aesthetics for residents; and
WHEREAS, Ohio is home to almost 2,000 native plant species, which include perennials, vines, grasses, wildflowers, trees, and shrubs; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus, through its Sustainable Columbus office, is committed to imparting equity and environmental justice through strong climate action and is guided by the Columbus Climate Action Plan which has a community-wide goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 and 45% reduction in emissions by 2030; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus Climate Action Plan has strategies and goals around increasing access to green space, increasing the tree canopy in alignment with the City’s Urban Forestry Master Plan, and increasing the number of native plants present in the city, all to assist in the fight against climate change; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council encourages residents and property owners to remove nonnative invasive plants and to choose native trees, shrubs, flowers, and other plants when ...
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