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Greenbelt Task Force member urges restricted access as Scottsbottom shows early recovery after wildfire
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Summary
Josh Freeman of the Greenbelt Task Force updated the council on multiple fires at Scottsbottom, described surviving riparian vegetation and wildlife returns, and said volunteers and the parks department have installed fences and used pumps and sprinklers (with help from Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge) to aid revegetation.
A member of the Greenbelt Task Force, identified in the meeting as Josh Freeman, gave a detailed public comment on wildfire damage and early recovery at Scottsbottom and asked the council to consider limiting general public access while restoration continues.
Freeman described multiple recent fires in the area, showed photographs of burned patches and areas that retained vegetation, and said volunteers and city crews had installed a buck‑and‑rail fence to protect revegetation efforts. "Four days later I saw grama coming right out of the black ash of the area," Freeman said, noting signs of regrowth. He told the council the task force located a trash pump and, with sprinkling equipment provided by Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge, had flooded old channels to saturate soils and promote native cottonwood and grass regrowth.
Freeman recounted that an arborist inspected trees and flagged those that needed to be removed for safety; he said the city crews have taken down trees the arborist identified as hazardous. He urged continued watering and selective seeding and emphasized keeping the area as natural as possible while the plants recover.
In remarks later in the meeting a council member praised the voluntary fire department, saying volunteers had saved the city "millions of dollars," and several council members thanked parks crews and volunteers for recovery work. Freeman did not request immediate council action but asked the council to support limited public access and continued volunteer and city efforts to restore the natural area.
The council did not vote on policy changes at the meeting; city staff and the task force will continue restoration work.
