1. 2015-2016 UW-REN
North Creek Forest
UW—REN 2015-2016
11/22/2015
North Creek Forest
2015-2016 UW-REN
Ecological Restoration
Project Proposal
Prepared by:
Eric Carpenter
Peter Clarke
Kai Farmer
Thomas Radon
Batzorig Tuvshinjargal
Nick Vradenburg
Kai Farmer
Instructors:
Kern Ewing, Carleen Weebers,
Jim Fridley
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Contents
Site Description............................................................................................................................... 2
Polygons .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Challenges....................................................................................................................................... 3
Goals and Objectives....................................................................................................................... 4
Basic Approach................................................................................................................................ 4
Long Term Prospects....................................................................................................................... 6
Project Schedule ............................................................................................................................. 8
Team Qualifications ........................................................................................................................ 8
References..................................................................................................................................... 11
Appendix ....................................................................................................................................... 12
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Site Description
Our Ecological Restoration project site is located in the center of the City of Bothell (Figure 1). It
is part of the 64 acre mixed conifer/ deciduous canopy of North Creek Forest that is a prime
example of both upland forest and wetland riparian areas. Both of which are common to the
Puget Sound region. The eastern edge of the forest is bounded by Interstate 405. There are
schools in the area, Canyon Park Junior High and Maywood Hills Elementary, both within
walking distance of the forest. The subject is located on the western edge of the forest,
adjacent to NE 204th Pl. and 108th Ave NE. A residential neighborhood is to the north and west,
with the forest stretching further south where it borders more housing. The project site is a
part of the North Creek watershed. Groundwater outflow from within the project site and
surrounding forest drains into North Creek. Starting from the Western border, our site slopes
down, gradually leveling, until you reach the Eastern edge, where it flattens out slightly.
Figure 1: Aerialmapof North Creek Forest, including topographical inset mapof the project site.
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Polygons
Polygon 1 - Polygon 1 contains native species such as Acer macrophyllum (big-leaf maple) and
Acer circinatum (vine maple), but the area is dominated by a carpet of Hedera helix (English ivy)
and a thicket comprised of mainly Rubus bifrons (Himalayan blackberry). Some native
understory species are present in small amounts in sporadic locations. Two soil samples were
taken from Polygon 1. We identified the soil in both samples to be silty clay loam.
Polygon 2 - Polygon 2 is dominated by dense, impenetrable thickets of Rubus spectabilis
(salmonberry) and R. bifrons. These two species alone account for approximately 80% cover of
polygon 2. Some Lysichiton americanum (skunk cabbage) and Equisetum ssp. are present, but
not common throughout this thicket. Three young (under 40 years old) Thuja plicata (western
redcedar) are located along the Eastern border of polygon 2. H. helix is present in this polygon
where it completely covers a snag at the southwestern corner. Two soil samples were taken in
this polygon. The northern border sample was identified as a clay loam, while the sample taken
from middle the polygon has been identified as loam since it felt both gritty and smooth.
Polygon 3 - Polygon 3 is dominated by Alnus rubra (red alder) and T. plicata but it also contains
thickets comprised of R. spectabilis and R. bifrons. A ground cover of H. helix and Tolmiea
menziesii (youth-on-age) is present in the Southeast corner. Polystichum munitum (sword fern)
and Equisetum ssp. are located in patches throughout. Only one soil sample was taken in this
polygon. The soil felt mostly smooth with a little bit of grain, so we identified it as silty clay
loam.
Polygon 4 - Polygon 4 has by far the most diversity in vegetation, although R. spectabilis and R.
bifrons combined account for approximately 70% cover in the shrub layer. Much of the polygon
is dominated by a dense thicket of R. spectabilis and R. bifrons but A. rubra, T. plicata, Rhamnus
purshiana (cascara), L. americanum, Ilex aquifolium (English holly), Equisetum ssp, Vaccinium
parvifolium (red huckleberry), and Corylus cornuta var. californica (beaked hazelnut) become
intermixed with the thicket in spots. In the Northeast corner of polygon 4 the vegetation begins
to transition into a T. plicata and Mahonia nervosa (low Oregon-grape) dominated landscape
where the soil is drier and the canopy begins to close. In Polygon 4, we took two soil samples
from the trail. The first sample was identified as loamdue to it being gleyed and sticky. The
second sample identified as silty clay loam.
Challenges
Our site contains invasive species particularly R. bifrons, H. helix and I. aquifolium.
The slope of the site is a real challenge for a few reasons. The removal of invasive
species would leave the soil exposed. Sediment loss/erosion will result in a loss of
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organic material. We need to ensure that the unprotected soil does not wash offsite
into the creek below. Also, because the soil on the slope is so saturated and the grade
of the slope steep, it will be difficult for tree species to grow to large sizes before falling
over, this makes establishment of canopy cover complex
Garbage and garden waste dumping has been an issue onsite.
Goals and Objectives
Goal 1: Establish native vegetation to initiate site development towards later-successional
maturity commonly found in lowland Puget Sound forests
Objective 1 – Remove invasive species and control their ability to return and re-establish
Objective 2 – Prepare site through removal of garbage, spreading of mulch, and
installation of fascines
Objective 3 – Install biologically and structurally diverse selection of native species
suitable for the current successional stage
Goal 2: Improve ecological functions provided to nearby habitat and local watershed
Objective 1 – Select and install plant species useful for improving site water absorption
and filtration
Objective 2 – Install plant species beneficial for soil stabilization along slope
Objective 3 – Increase woody debris and improve nutrient cycling through
implementation of mycelium and woodchip mulch
Goal 3: Promote wildlife habitat and attract local fauna such as birds, bats, insects and
amphibians
Objective 1 – Install native vegetation used for food, shelter and nesting for birds, small
mammals and amphibians
Objective 2 – Integrate a variety of hand-built facilities to provide shelter and nesting
Objective 3 – Supply food sources through incorporation of pollinator species and
mycelium
Goal 4: Engage community in restoration efforts and continued maintenance of project site
Objective 1 - Inform nearby residents and students of restoration goals, benefits, and
ways to become involved
Objective 2 - Design monitoring plan to be studied and enacted by students and
volunteers
Basic Approach
Our restoration plan for North Creek Forest will include an array of techniques. The conditions
on our site are highly variable, with most of the site having little or no canopy cover from
deciduous trees. We intend to create a mixed evergreen/deciduous canopy layer as well as
diversify the shrub and groundcover vegetation. The current community type of the site is a
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mixture of THPL/RUSP (Thuja plicata/Rubus spectabilis) and ALRU/LYAM (Alnus rubra/Lysichiton
americanum) (Kunze 1994). We will use the surrounding North Creek Forest for our reference
site, but we must focus primarily on the wettest portions of the forest based on our site
conditions. We will also draw from the successes and failures of previous restoration projects in
North Creek forest. Vegetation used in this project will be obtained from nurseries that use
local seed sources, or propagated from seeds or cuttings by group members in pots or seed
flats to insure that our plants re not contaminated with invasive species.
We intend to establish native vegetation typical of forested wetlands in the Puget Sound
lowlands with a target community type of THPL-TSHE/LYAM(Thuja plicata-Tsuga
heterophylla/Lysichiton americanum) (Kunze 1997) (Goal 1). We also intend to plant various
trees and shrubs such as Salix. sp. (willows) , Picea sitchensis (Sitka spruce), and Cornus sericea
(red-osier dogwood). The first step in initiating this process will be to locate and hand remove
all invasive species on site with tools provided by FNCF (Objective 1.1). Thus far, I. aquifolium,
H. helix and R. bifrons have been identified. Since the site is on a wet slope, we will need to
prepare the site as soon after the invasive plant removal as possible to reduce erosion.
Preparing the site will primarily consist of garbage removal and the application of large
woodchip mulch. On steep slopes we intend to install living fascines using C. sericea live stakes
and then mulch to minimize erosion of soil and mulch (Chalker-Scott 2009). The mulch will also
assist in the suppression of invasive species as well as provide organic matter to the soil
(Objective 1.1,1.2). The dominant coniferous species will be Picea sitchensis (sitka spruce) and
T. plicata. The climax species may be Tsuga heterophylla (Western hemlock), but we do not
intend to plant any at this point in time because conditions are not yet appropriate. We intend
to install a diverse array of native plants, providing structural and biological diversity. These
plants will be largely consistent with our target community type of THPL-TSHE/LYAM (Objective
1.3).
We aim to improve the ecological functions of the site, such as wildlife habitat, biodiversity and
improved water quality of North Creek watershed (Goal 2). To achieve this goal, we will ensure
that canopy, shrub and understory layers of vegetation are established. We will include large
trees that absorb water, shrubs that grow quickly to provide shade and graminoids that are
useful for water filtration (Gold 2014) (Jurries 2003) (Objective 2.1). We intend to choose and
establish a variety of vegetation that will aid in the stabilization of the slope and its soils,
including but not limited to P. sitchensis, Physocarpus capitatus (Pacific ninebark), and Salix sp.
(Leigh 1999) (Objective 2.2). We intend to increase the buildup of organic matter, as well as
improve nutrient cycling and plant growth by adding mulch inoculated with Stropharia rugoso-
annulata (wine cap stropharia). The use of this fungi will help to speed up the restoration of our
site by enriching the soil, stimulating plant growth and providing habitat for earthworms, while
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at the same time increasing fungal diversity on our site (Stamets 2005). Since S. rugoso-
annulata can digest coliform bacteria and help to prevent erosion, the addition of this species
will also benefit the quality of water flowing downstream (Stamets 2005) (Goal 2).
A major goal of ours is to increase habitat value on site and attract local wildlife such birds,
insects, small mammals and amphibians (Goal 3). In order to do this, we will first be selective in
choosing our native vegetation based on its wildlife value for cover, nesting and food (Objective
3.1). Native graminoids such as Carex obnupta (slough sedge) will be planted to improve habitat
for amphibians (Objective 3.1). We will also incorporate a variety of hand-built habitat boxes on
and around the large, pre-existing trees that will be able to provide shelter and nesting for
bees, birds and bats (Objective 3.2). We will be careful to select species that are pollinated by
desirable wildlife and insects when we make a decision about which shrubs and understory
enhancements should be installed as food sources (Objective 3.3). The addition of Stropharia
rugosso-annulata mycelium into woodchips will also provide food and habitat for bees, flies
and earthworms (Stamets 2005) (Objective 3.3).
Lastly, we aimto engage the community in our restoration project to ensure its long-term
success and its continued maintenance (Goal 4). To do this, we must interact with neighbors
and students by word-of-mouth, as well as through meetings and work parties (Objective 4.1).
Friends of North Creek Forest has a strong community backing, and we plan to extend the
scope of public involvement wherever possible. We will address this goal in partnership with
FNCF and their established community networking. To secure the long-term maturation of the
site and proper stewardship, we will create a maintenance plan that can be studied and carried
out by students and volunteers alike (Objective 4.2).
Long Term Prospects
After the initial restoration of our site into a functioning native forest, it will be monitored and
protected against the return of invasive species by an ever-growing base of community
volunteers under the guidance of Friends of North Creek Forest. This will ensure the continued
maintenance of our site, which will give rise to a full canopy of mixed deciduous and evergreen
species after 50 years. The lower canopy will be filled in with a variety of native species
appropriate to the local environment, offering food and habitat to birds and small mammals.
The forest floor will be held firm by a variety of native groundcover, preventing erosion and
opening up the site for greater forest function. Through our work to increase groundwater,
runoff from the site will be more efficiently filtered through the soil and be drastically reduced
along with surface erosion. This will result in the reduction of urban chemical runoff such as
pesticides, hydrocarbons, and heavy metals flowing into North Creek, a Tier 2 salmon-bearing
stream. Our work will also help to reduce Fecal Coliform Bacteria (FCB) levels within the stream.
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According to bacteria standards for swimming and wading set by the Washington State
Department of Ecology, FCB levels should not exceed 50 cfu/100 ml. However, when water
quality tests were conducted along North Creek in May of 2013 they resulted in e.coli (one of
six types of fecal coliform) levels ranging from 2400 to 4400 cfu/100 ml (Power and Parkinson,
2013).
The site will be available to be enjoyed not only by community members from the previously
established trail bordering the eastern edge but also the diverse range of wildlife that will have
called our manufactured habitat boxes home for generations.
In 100-200 years, our site in North Creek Forest will be restored into a mature, native forest.
Native vegetation will be abundant throughout canopy and ground layers, forming healthy
thickets in matrices around maintained trails and wildlife paths. By this time natural habitats
(bird nests, rodent burrows, native bee nests, etc.) will have replaced their artificial versions as
local species become better established.
Potential challenges hindering the long-term restoration of our site include the threat of
invasive plant species spreading from adjacent private lots; a high water table hindering deep
root growth and the ability of the trees to anchor themselves, and unstable, overly wet soil on
the slope that is our site.
To ensure that our vision for the site comes to life, we’ve drawn out a series of goals and
objectives to organize our group’s focus for the project. These objectives include the spreading
of mulch across the site and the installation of fascines (Goal 1.2). As explained in the Basic
Approach section, the use of mulch will help to firm up the soil the installation of fascines will
help to slow surface water velocity as it runs down the site, effectively reducing soil erosion.
This ensures that a nutritious and healthy soil base will be present to support the restoration of
NCF to a thriving native forest. To deal with the high water table hindering deep root growth
we’re going to install native plant species that specialize in improving site water absorption and
filtration (Goal 2.1). This will allow the first generation work on lowering the water table as
those species are established. Ultimately, this will enable their succession by a mix of well
anchored deciduous and coniferous trees.
We also intend to inform community members of our restoration goals and hold volunteer days
to acquaint them with the site (Goal 4.1). Getting people from the area who can become
involved in the restoration will foster community appreciation and ensure that the site will be
maintained in the long run by local residents. This continual maintenance will help to choke out
invasive species whenever they may creep across the boundaries of NCF from neighboring
private lands.
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Project Schedule
With the completion of the North Creek Forest site assessment, we can move forward with the
planning stages of the project. The following schedule and Gantt chart (see Table 1) was
constructed with rough timelines provided to us. These are subject to change. As we progress
further into the project and gather more information and feedback from our CP regarding work
parties, weather restrictions and other circumstances, we will change our schedule
accordingly.
We intend on having our final proposal submitted by the end of the day Wednesday, December
9th, with CP Approval by December 18th. A detailed work plan will begin early January of 2016
and work on this document will continue until the end of the month. Procurement of plants is
starting early and will likely continue while we are in the process of early site preparation
through the end of the plant installation period. We have included in the schedule January 9th
2016 for the installation of a Silt Fence. As of now, the site preparation, removal of invasive
species and mulching are tentatively scheduled to start at the beginning of January 2016 and
will coincide with community building efforts. Community building efforts will include assessing
volunteer and community interest, and will be done with the help and guidance of our
CP. Plant installation will take place once necessary site preparations have been
accomplished. At this time, we are estimating that plant installation will begin early March and
run through the end of April.
The as-built report, development of a stewardship plan and our final project poster are
projected to commence early April, and will be completed by the end of the quarter in
June. These final documents will conclude our UW-REN class. At that point, we will assess our
accomplishments, compare them to what the CP initially wanted, and provide a maintenance
plan.
Team Qualifications
Our group has at its disposal a wide array of strengths and skills that will help to ensure that
when restoration is completed at our site, it will become a thriving, native forest. Every team
member has both academic and personal experience in the field of restoration, as well as a
number of courses taken at the University of Washington relating to different environmental
themes. When it comes to plant identification, Nick, Kai, and Eric have a cumulative knowledge
of native species and their uses in restoration. This was very helpful when it came to writing the
vegetative analysis and creating our species lists, and it will also be useful when we decide
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which species should be installed in our site and why. Peter works for a water treatment
company where he consults with a variety of contractors to discuss water quality and erosion
control. Thomas has had experience working to manipulate hydrology on a site as well. Their
knowledge in these areas will play a role in deciding how to go about stabilizing the slope that
most of our site is located on. Batzorig and Eric have both volunteered for Friends of North
Creek Forest. This will be useful for our team to put into perspective how many volunteers we
can expect at work parties and what kinds of work we can have them do. Kai has extensive
experience working to remove invasive species gained through working in the UWB wetlands.
This will be very helpful when it comes to working with volunteers because he can teach them
the proper methods for invasive removal to minimize re-emergence. Nick has vast experience
in a myriad of ecological topics stemming from his time working with 21 Acres, as well as his
own personal research. View more extensive descriptions of group member qualifications in the
table below.
Name Qualifications
Nick
Vradenburg
Nick is a senior pursuing a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Environmental
Studies with a minor in Restoration Ecology at University of Washington
Bothell. He has done extensive work studying plants and fungi. Including
multiple college courses, undergraduate plant ecology research, designing
and implementing a native edible garden/restoration project at 21 Acres
and countless hours of independent investigation into natural systems and
the organisms that inhabit them.
Peter Clarke Peter is a junior, working on his Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental
Studies, with a minor in Restoration Ecology at University of Washington
Bothell. While studying the environment, Peter has worked at a local
environmental consulting and water treatment company that specializes in
construction runoff, oil and gas process water, and management of soils. In
his capacity as a Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead, he works in
conjunction with the Washington State Department of Ecology and inspects
construction sites in order to provide guidance to contractors on eliminating
sediment loss through the discharge of water. This experience as well as his
experience on high profile construction jobs will be helpful.
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Eric Carpenter Eric is a senior finishing his Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental
Science at the University of Washington Bothell. He has taken college
courses tailored to Ecological Restoration and Ecological Methods. Prior
field work experience includes plant identification and invasive plant
removal. He has volunteered for Friends of North Creek Forest watering
saplings and did some volunteer work for Nature Consortium.
Kai Farmer Kai is a senior at University of Washington Bothell, majoring in
Environmental Studies and minoring in Restoration Ecology. Many of the
courses he has taken relate to different aspects of the environment and the
ways in which they work. Over the summer of 2015, he worked full time in
the UWB wetlands as a temporary employee where his primary focus was
the removal of invasive species. He has also volunteered locally in several
locations including the Union Bay Natural Area, Log Boom Park, and
Catherine Creek Park.
Thomas Radon Thomas is a senior pursuing his Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental
Science and Terrestrial Resource Management at the UW Seattle campus.
He has spent much of the last four years in a similar sloped forested wetland
located near Quilcene, Washington working to stabilize the soil and
manipulate the site hydrology to better suit the habitat. In his free time he
enjoys volunteering with environmental groups like North Olympic Salmon
Coalition (NOSC) and Jefferson Land Trust. He also spent time as an intern
for PAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, working with wildlife and creating
artificial habitats.
Batzorig
Tuvshinjargal
Batzorig is a senior at University of Washington Bothell, majoring in
Environmental Studies and focusing on sustainability pathway, and minoring
in Restoration Ecology. Academically, he has taken college classes that
focused more on environmental issues and environmental restoration.
Furthermore, he has actively engaged in activities that were held in UWB
wetlands and volunteered for North Creek Forest.
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References
Chalker-Scott L. 2009. Sustainable Landscapes & Gardens: Good Science-Practical Application.
Yakima, WA. GFG Publishing, Inc.
Jurries D. 2003. BIOFILTERS: (Bioswales, Vegetative Buffers, & Constructed Wetlands) For Storm
Water Discharge Pollution Removal. (OR): State of Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality. Available from: http://www.deq.state.or.us/wq/stormwater/docs/nwr/biofilters.pdf
Kunze L. 1994. Preliminary Classification of Native, Low Elevation, Freshwater Wetland
Vegetation in Western Washington. Olympia (WA): Washington Natural Heritage Program,
Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Available from:
http://wadnr.s3.amazonaws.com/publications/amp_nh_wetland_class.pdf
Michael Leigh. 2013. Grow your own native landscape: a guide to identifying, propagating and
landscaping with western Washington native plants. Thurston County: WSU extension
publication
Power A, Parkinson K. 2013. North Creek Water Quality Analysis Report [Internet].
Bothell(WA):University of Washington Bothell; [cited 2015 Dec 6] Available
from: http://www.friendsnorthcreekforest.org/uploads/6/8/5/3/6853956/power_parkinson_w
etland_research_final-1.pdf
Stamets P. 2005. Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save The World. New York: Ten
Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House.
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Table 1:Gantt chart showing our prospective timelinesfor important tasks that need to be accomplisheduntilthe end ofthe project in June.
