Collin Neys from ODF’s Forest Grove office cuts invasive holly and other non-natives crowding out native plants in the Mountain Park area of Lake Oswego.
Collin Neys from ODF’s Forest Grove office cuts invasive holly and other non-natives crowding out native plants in the Mountain Park area of Lake Oswego.
As a way to help Mountain Park residents combat invasive species growth, the Oregon Department of Forestry has provided a grant of $251,000 to the Oswego Lake Watershed Council.
According to a press release, the Mountain Park Neighborhood Association owns more than 100 acres of woods. Much of that area has been harmed by invasive species.
More than 15 acres of ivy and other invasive species have been removed as part of the project so far.
“Invasive ivy has smothered the forest floor, choking out native plants. In some areas what’s left is an ivy desert that offers little to native wildlife,” OLWC Executive Director Jack Halsey said in a news release.
He added: “Our dream is to take a partially degraded woodland in a highly urban area and gradually restore it to a well-functioning, resilient forest ecosystem supporting healthy soils and watersheds.”
In part, the grant goes toward giving youth within the Lake Oswego Teen Ranger Program paid employment and workforce development training on tasks such as cutting ivy that clings to trees.
Seasonal firefighters are also removing non-native species like holly, English hawthorn, European mountain ash and English and Portuguese laurel.
“The work our crew is doing is not only reducing the fire risk to surrounding homes and properties, it’s giving native trees, shrubs and other vegetation a chance to recover. It also helps a few seasonal firefighters continue contributing to fire safety over the winter until firefighting picks up again in the spring,” ODF Community Wildfire Forester Taylor Johnson said in a news release.
The grant money derives from Senate Bill 162, designed to help modernize and improve wildlife preparedness.
The Mountain Park project is one of 23 projects approved by the forestry department that are designed to reduce wildfire risk and restore landscape.
