The Monarch Trail?

Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them.

– Bill Vaughan

As both Milwaukee County and UWM are driving forward with their plans to pave their way to the future, the last days for the Milwaukee County Grounds are unfortunately fast approaching.  The land sale was approved this past year, but many details regarding UWM’s commitment to preserve the Monarch Butterfly migratory land was left unfinished.  On Tuesday the Milwaukee County Committee for Parks, Energy and Environment will take action on the Restoration Plan for the NE Quadrant of the Milwaukee County Grounds, despite not holding any public hearings on the topic.

The goal of this plan is to protect this migratory land, the Monarch Trail, which seems like a nice gesture, but it’s likely the only sign of the Monarch Trail that will be visible once this project is built out, will be a road bearing its name.  I’m not saying this is the only reason that UWM’s development of the Milwaukee County Grounds shouldn’t move forward.  The impacts to students, the weakening of the region’s core, the bigger environmental picture, factor in as much, if not more significantly.

But, I do wonder when the new hotel opens, the office boxes go up, the grass is paved over, and the Monarchs are long gone, if they will in fact name the main street the Monarch Trail?  To top it off maybe they could name one of the streets, Kubala Washatko Way, in honor of a green space plan that was put together, and is now being trampled on.