War declared on noxious weeds
Published 6:00 am Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Rachel Smith has been watching the spread of Japanese knotweed near her Seaborn Road home for several years.
“It’s a worrisome plant because you can’t just cut it down,” Smith said. “Any fragment left on the ground makes itself into a new plant. ‘A stitch in time saves nine’ is why we should address it very promptly.”
Monday marked the debut meeting of Bainbridge Island Weed Warriors, a new coalition in the battle against knotweed and other noxious weeds – invasive, non-native plants that crowd out native fauna and flora. The meeting was organized by Jeannette Franks, a volunteer at IslandWood Learning Center and organizing of ivy pulls.
Educating the public is high on the warriors battle plans.
“It’s the ‘Who knew?’ rule,” Franks said. “It’s only recently – the last five to six years – that we’ve learned how damaging non-native species are. People who are enthusiastic gardeners are still making big mistakes (by planting noxious weeds) because this is new knowledge.”
The group plans to post fliers around town identifying the “most wanted” noxious weeds: English ivy, Scotch broom, knotweed, holly and tansy ragwort.
“People need to be educated to not plant (noxious weeds) or if they do, to control it to keep from spreading,” Franks said. For some plants, deadheading the blooms will prevent them from going to seed and spreading beyond the garden.
Policeman’s helmet is a showy, ornamental flower, but also made the group’s “SWAT team” list – weeds that have yet to gain a widespread hold and could be nipped in the bud with effort. Other such plants include wild clematis, butterfly bush, laurel, purple loosestrife and St. John’s wort.
Jane Wentworth, the Bainbridge representative on the Kitsap County Noxious Weed Control board, said education is also needed for plants such as knotweed, which should be disposed of carefully to avoid spreading. The board publishes a guide to noxious weeds in Kitsap County rated from “A” – posing the greatest threat, with its eradication mandated by law – to “C,” recognized as important for control, depending on its hold on a speciific area .
“My big concern is weeds no one has been taking notice of, such as holly and English laurel,” Wentworth said. “People may take care of weeds on their own property if they know they’re noxious.”
The creation of Bainbridge Weed Warriors is timely, as it could get support from the county weed control board, which will receive tax funding – $1 per parcel per year – for the first time starting in 2005.
The board’s mission is to educate the public about noxious weeds and provide technical assistance in their removal.
Other ideas included bringing nurseries on board to either counsel buyers on how to control potentially noxious plants or steer customers to native alternatives.
Marja Preston, a city planner, suggested the city’s roadside crews might benefit from learning about noxious weeds as some of them can be spread inadvertently during maintenance work.
Franks was happy with the turnout of just over a dozen people, including representatives from City Hall and the Kitsap Conservation District, and hopes to cast a wide net for community involvement.
“We want to be inclusive,” Franks said. “Our goal is the preservation and enhancement of the Bainbridge natural environment.”
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Bainbridge Island Weed Warriors will reconvene at 3 p.m. Oct. 4 at IslandWood. Interested parties should email Jeannette Franks at jfranks@bainbridge.net to be added to the mailing list. Kitsap County’s Noxious Weed list is at www.kitsapgov.com/boards/noxious_weed.htm.
