By CHRISTIE TRUE
For The Beachcomber

I would like to respond to Frank Jackson’s commentary from the Aug. 13 Beachcomber, “Herbicide use at park causes concern.”

Maury Island Marine Park presents a unique opportunity to restore and preserve one of the largest publicly owned stretches of shoreline in central Puget Sound. The site is virtually unparalleled for its potential recreational opportunities, including access to Puget Sound, hiking and wildlife viewing and for its ecological benefits.

However, the land has been tremendously affected by historic mining use and subsequent infestation from invasive plant species. Monocultures of blackberries and Scotch broom significantly impact the valuable environmental benefits of a protected shoreline.

We cannot ignore the degraded nature of Maury Island Marine Park’s landscape, most notably the invasive plant species that blanket much of this site’s uplands. Without a coordinated and thorough approach to addressing these invasive plants, we could lose its environmental benefits.

King County Parks has been given the opportunity to restore the site through a grant from Puget Sound Corps – Special Obli-gation Bond Jobs Package and partnered with the Washington Department of Natural Resources (WDNR).

King County and its partners are committed to restoring the environmental health of this park, and we are in the midst of a major habitat restoration project, with the help of the WDNR and Puget Sound Corps.

Beginning last fall and continuing into this year, Puget Sound Corps crews have spent more than 12,000 hours digging and chopping more than three dozen acres of invasive Himalayan blackberries and Scotch broom from the marine park’s uplands.

These crews have also planted more than 63,000 trees and shrubs on the site, and added mulch to build nutrients in the soil.

The restoration actions at Maury Island Marine Park have been guided through an integrated pest management (IPM) plan that was developed specifically for this site. An important component of the IPM plan is the limited use of appropriate herbicides.

We simply cannot restore this site without some herbicide use on invasives. Scotch broom and Himalayan blackberries are extremely hardy and virtually impossible to effectively manage without herbicides, so as part of our IPM plan, we are using the herbicide Garlon 3A (triclopyr) on invasive plants. We use the lowest recommended concentration of herbicide, and we have limited its application to selected areas.

King County Parks made a presentation to the Vashon Island Groundwater Committee regarding this restoration work, including our plans for limited herbicide application.

In an effort to keep the committee informed, we have offered to collect and share information from soil and water samples to test for herbicide residues.

We are also committed to providing ample public notification as to when and where this herbicide is applied. Informational signs about the herbicide use have been posted at both the parking area and viewing platform at the site.

King County will continue to be sound stewards of this tremendous resource, and we will maintain an open dialogue with all interested citizens and groups on how to best restore this degraded landscape so that Maury Island Marine Park will benefit fish and wildlife, as well as people.

— Christie True is the director of the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks and a Vashon resident.