20-year Forest Restoration Plan - City of Kirkland

Green Kirkland PartnershipIf forested natural areas are not restoredAggressive non-native vegetation will dominate the urban forestunless removed. In 100 years, the trees will be gone. City officialsestimate that potentially billions of dollars in services such asstormwater control will be lost.PRESENTForested natural areas aredominated by deciduous trees,mainly big-leaf maples and alders,nearing the end of their life. Afterdecades of neglect, non-nativeinvasive plants, such as English ivyand wild clematis, cover the groundand grow up into the tree canopy.IN YEARSInvasive plants outcompete andgrow over existing native vegetation,blocking the sunlight plants andtrees need to thrive. English ivy nowdominates the tree canopy, makingthe trees weak, top heavy andsusceptible to windfall. Eventually,trees die or fall over.IN YEARSThe trees are gone. Only a few nativeshrubs struggle to survive the stressof competition with invasive plants.IN YEARSThe forest is destroyed. Native treescan no longer establish on their own.We are left with a dense “ivy desert.”Very few plant species can live, andforest biodiversity is gone. Suchconditions provide homes for rats andscarce habitat for more desirable urbanwildlife.Native Species Struggle to Grow BackNative species regeneration—especially conifers—is greatlylimited in Kirkland’s parks. Several factors contribute to thisproblem. The loss of forested areas due to logging and developmentleft a limited seed source for native trees. Invasiveplants reduce native plant regeneration by out-competing orsmothering seedlings. In addition, urban disturbances such asdevelopment, landscaping, and clearing for views, trails, andlight have played a significant role.Inadequate Resources for Natural AreaManagementIn the past, resources for natural area management have beenlimited. Through benign neglect, natural areas were left tothemselves under the mistaken assumption that they were selfsustaining.This passive management has directly led to thecurrent problem. Until recently, the idea that natural areas takecare of themselves meant that limited funds were budgeted forplanting native species or removing invasive plants.Natural succession cannot occur without a conifer seedbase and healthy understory plants, which in Kirkland are currentlymissing or greatly impaired. The level of need far exceedscurrent staffing and funding.20