Baseline Chosen as the Irrigation Control System for the National September 11 Memorial in New York

MERIDIAN, Idaho, Sept. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Baseline, the leader in smart irrigation control technologies, is pleased to announce that the designers of the National September 11 Memorial (9/11 Memorial) in New York City have selected Baseline's BaseStation 3200 controllers with Baseline's patented soil moisture sensors to control all irrigation at the Memorial and Museum complex.

"Everyone at Baseline feels honored to have been a part of this project and we are very proud to be, at least in a small way, a part of the Memorial and what it stands for," said John Fordemwalt, President of Baseline Inc.  "This project had particular irrigation challenges due to the urban setting and unique architecture.  It really highlights how much more effective Baseline irrigation controllers can be at maintaining landscape health and beauty even under the most difficult circumstances."

"This project took over five years to come to fruition which, for Baseline, started with the irrigation at the tree farm in Millstone Township, New Jersey, where the trees for the Memorial were grown," added Nick Toyn, Baseline's National Sales and Marketing Manager.  "More than 2,000 swamp white oak trees were evaluated in order to select the 400 prime specimens for the 9/11 Memorial Plaza.  These 400 trees have been watered with a Baseline controller and moisture sensors since the very beginning."

Peter Walker and Partners (PWP) designed the landscape for the Memorial, and in collaboration with architect Michael Arad were selected in a design competition that included more than 5,200 entries from 63 different nations.  According to PWP, the trees are a key element of the Memorial's design, bringing a level of comfort and creating an oasis of calm for those that visit the Memorial.  The trees represent the cycle of life and renewal and, when fully mature, they will form an arch that will give visitors the sense of walking through a cathedral.

Peter Walker and Partners turned to Mike Astram of Northern Designs to design the irrigation system for the Memorial.  Astram commented, "The Baseline technology just made sense for this project. Having the ability to get real-time soil moisture information from the field without having to use a hand-held probe is a big deal.  And having soil moisture information and graphs available from a computer is a huge plus."

For more than five years, these carefully selected trees were cultivated in specially designed planter boxes at the New Jersey tree farm under direction of arborists from Bartlett Tree Experts.  Each tree was constantly monitored by Baseline's soil moisture sensors. With such an important role to play, the trees had to be mature and healthy by the time they were planted at the Memorial.

According to Astram, trees in urban plaza settings typically do not have long life spans so the plaza has been specially constructed to maintain their health and longevity.  The irrigation system at the plaza is a critical component in the maintenance of the trees.  The 9/11 Memorial irrigation system is built around two Baseline BaseStation 3200 controllers and nearly 50 soil moisture sensors.

"Baseline's soil moisture sensors and controllers will keep the trees and the rest of the landscape at the 9/11 Memorial in optimal health while using the least amount of water," said Jon Peters, Director of Sales for Baseline.  "We are honored that the architects and designers at the Memorial selected Baseline and we are very confident that this state-of-the-art system will promote the optimal health and beauty of the trees and landscape while also supporting the aggressive conservation goals of the project."

About the September 11 Memorial

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is the not-for-profit corporation created to oversee the design, raise the funds, and program and operate the Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center site. The Memorial and Museum will be located on eight of the 16 acres of the site. The Memorial will be dedicated on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and will open to the public the following day. The Museum will open in 2012.

The Memorial will remember and honor the nearly 3,000 people who died in the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993. The design, created by Michael Arad and Peter Walker, consists of two pools formed in the footprints of the original Twin Towers and a plaza of trees.

The Museum will display monumental artifacts linked to the events of 9/11, while presenting intimate stories of loss, compassion, reckoning and recovery that are central to telling the story of the 2001 attacks and the aftermath. It will communicate key messages that embrace both the specificity and the universal implications of the events of 9/11; document the impact of those events on individual lives, as well as on local, national, and international communities; and explore the continuing significance of these events for our global community.

When the Memorial opens, construction will continue on the other World Trade Center projects and free visitor passes will be temporarily required. To plan a visit to the Memorial or learn how to contribute, go to www.911memorial.org.

About Baseline Inc.

Baseline is a leading provider of smart irrigation control technologies.  Baseline irrigation control solutions reduce management effort and costs, increase landscape health and beauty, and significantly reduce water waste.  With unique, patented and patent pending technologies, Baseline provides irrigation control solutions for agriculture, commercial and residential applications.

Based in Meridian, Idaho, Baseline is privately owned and operated. For more information, please visit www.baselinesystems.com.

CONTACT: Nick Toyn, +1-208-323-1634

SOURCE Baseline