Watershed council reports invasive-plant surveys in McCormick Park, offers plant donations and volunteer support

Representatives of the Scappoose Bay Watershed Council told commissioners they have continued invasive-species surveys and educational outreach in local parks, including McCormick Park and Nob Hill Nature Park. The council said it partnered with Scappoose High School students to survey invasive plants in McCormick Park, set Mediterranean oak borer traps (with no detections so far), and donated 58 plants and tools for Nob Hill work parties. The council said it will mail informational brochures to property owners in areas where pokeweed was found and plans more biosurveys to inform future restoration. Council representatives offered tools and plant donations for volunteer work parties and said they can help lead assessments of the disturbed slopes near recent utility work at the end of Third Street, where volunteers reported heavy pokeweed and mullein growth. Commissioners and council staff discussed coordinating a joint site visit to assess whether volunteers can safely remove invasive species from steeply sloped areas and to plan native-plant replacements. The council asked to continue collaborations and noted previous intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) helped sustain past work; staff said budget constraints led to changes in IGA coverage this year but expressed interest in restoring formal collaboration when feasible.