Urban Forestry Restoration Project- Helping our trees help us

We are fortunate to have a crew from the Urban Forestry Restoration Project, administered by the Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) Urban and Community Forestry Program, working in North Creek Forest this month. It is an exciting opportunity to even further enhance the capacity of North Creek Forest to manage stormwater and improve air and water quality by improving the health and functionality of the forest.

A Puget SoundCorps team will be removing the English Holly and Yellow Archangel from North Creek Forest. These invasive non-native plants prevent forested areas from providing our community the full benefits and services of healthy forests by competing for water and nutrients, and in some cases even killing trees. Once the unwelcome plants are gone, native vegetation will be planted in its place by Friends of North Creek Forest volunteers.

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The Puget SoundCorps team is removing the larger, hard to reach and difficult to control invasive species - those that require power tools, and limited, careful herbicide application, and are beyond the capacity of what Friends of North Creek Forest can take on with volunteer labor. FNCF will follow up with volunteer work parties to keep the areas weed free and to monitor the growth of the new plantings.

Volunteers of all ages and experience levels are welcome to volunteer at FNCF work parties!

Many thanks to the Department of Natural Resources and the King Conservation District Urban Forestry Program who have brought these resources to North Creek Forest!

For more information about the Urban Forestry Restoration Project, contact Micki McNaughton at (360) 902-1637 or micki.mcnaughton@dnr.wa.gov. DNR’s Urban and Community Forestry Program is made possible through a partnership with the USDA Forest Service. Puget SoundCorps is part of the broader Washington Conservation Corps program administered by Washington Dept. of Ecology. Puget SoundCorps crews work on projects that help restore and protect water quality in Puget Sound. The Washington Conservation Corps is supported through grant funding and Education Awards provided by AmeriCorps.

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