By Nancy Streiffert

Ivy and Scotch Broom Beware

The Group continues its assault on these notoriously invasive species. With The Friends of Soos Creek and King County Parks, another successful ivy and Scotch broom removal work party cleaned out a large area of “old growth” Scotch broom - some plants higher than 6 feet - near the south trailhead of the Soos Creek Trail. A big thank you to all who helped with this hard but rewarding work!

Cooperation Works

We helped The Friends of Soos Creek in their spring cleanup of this popular regional trail. The trailhead parking areas and crossroads seem to attract the usual and sometimes unusual roadside litter from thoughtless motorists. Our groups enjoy the camaraderie and shared commitment to “thinking globally, acting locally”!

Critical Areas Ordinances

The state Growth Management Act mandates counties and cities to update their Critical Areas Ordinances (CAOs). The South King County Group is actively supporting efforts to pass meaningful CAOs in South King County. We attended the Kent CAO hearing in March. Most speakers represented developers and builders, who told the City Council that current regulations already protect wetlands adequately. A wetland specialist with the State Department of Ecology, a local landowner, and Becky Stanley of the South King County Group all spoke in favor of wider buffers. Becky Stanley also spoke at the Renton Critical Areas Ordinance hearing. Find out what your area is doing on CAO updates. Find info at www.metrokc.gov  or your city’s web site: http://www.YOURCITY.wa.us/).

Black River Heron Colony

We continue to support the Black River Heron Colony in Renton. The adult birds are busy tending their nests as the tall trees leaf out to give them better protection from the eagles that roost nearby and enjoy heron eggs or nestlings for dinner. The Renton City Council has upheld the Hearing Examiner’s ruling requiring that a developer create a buffer of native plants, not grass, at a new housing development on the hill above the colony. Only time will tell if the noise, pollution, traffic, light, cats, dogs, etc. will disturb the herons so that they will abandon one of the last heron rookeries in South King County.

ExCom Changes

A big thank you to Brenda Buchanan for her years of service on the group’s ExCom! Brenda will continue to attend hearings, interview political candidates and otherwise support the vision and goals of the South King County Group in honor of our environment. Brenda’s temporary replacement is Dan Streiffert.