PORT TOWNSEND — Sophie Degroot, the Washington State University Extension’s noxious weeds control coordinator for Jefferson County, said her two-person team treated 295 acres for noxious weeds last year.
Degroot updated the board of county commissioners on Monday on work completed in 2024 and planned for later this year.
“Up 96 percent from the first year,” she said. “We made a big difference last year having two people, which is just awesome and further argument why we need to have more staff.”
In 2025, a second part-time seasonal worker will join Degroot, she said. Funds for the position were won through a Title II USDA grant, she said.
Work also has been supplemented through partnerships with teams from the Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) and the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, Degroot said.
The WCC crews were focused on Scotch broom, Degroot said.
“They removed over 11,000 pounds of Scotch broom from the (Jefferson) PUD corridor,” she said.
The Jefferson County noxious weed control board’s Scotch broom fact sheet details remediation techniques for the plant.
The WCC crews worked in groups of four to eight and logged 1,750 hours in 2024, Degroot said. This year, she said the crews already have removed 6,000 pounds of Scotch broom from 4 1/2 acres in a PUD corridor.
Bagging and removing the Scotch broom multiplies the work, Degroot said.
“You can also just leave it places, but under the PUD corridor is not somewhere you want dried Scotch groom because it is a fire hazard,” Degroot said.
Because it is so present in Jefferson County, Scotch broom is classified to be managed, not controlled, Degroot said.
“It is everywhere,” she said. “We would spend all of our money dealing with Scotch broom.”
Degroot’s team controlled 31 acres of poison hemlock within Port Townsend city limits in 2024, she said.
The noxious weed control program has contracts to manage weeds in a number of state parks in Jefferson County. Degroot noted treatments completed in Fort Worden, Anderson Lake, Fort Flagler, Fort Townsend and Dosewallips state parks.
Now entering the fourth year in a contract with Fort Worden, Washington State Parks is taking over the contract from Friends of Fort Worden, Degroot said.
“Last year (at Fort Worden), we did 22.65 acres of poison hemlock controlled with chemical and manual treatments,” Degroot said. “They’ve also got spurge-laurel, yellow archangel, holly, Canada thistle, old man’s beard.”
The park, which has quite a few weeds, is seeing additional labor done by Friends of Fort Worden volunteers and State Parks employees, Degroot said.
Dosewallips State Park saw treatment of 60 acres of knotweed, Degroot said. Anderson Lake State Park saw treatment of 1 acre of wild chervil and 52 acres of holly, she added.
Holly was upgraded from a nuisance weed to a noxious weed by the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board two weeks ago, Degroot said.
“You do have to remove the plants because they will re-sprout if they’re left on the ground,” she said. “So it’s a pretty big manual effort.”
Twelve acres at Fort Townsend were treated for holly last year, Degroot said.
The noxious weed crew spot treated 70 miles of county roads, Degroot added.
In addition to field work, communicating with the public about concerning weeds is a pillar for the program, Degroot said. Last year, Degroot said she sent 460 letters sent to residents.
Letters informed residents of plans to treat weeds found adjacent to their properties. Residents can choose to opt out if they are committed to treating the weeds themselves, Degroot said.
“I’ve already, this year, sent like 675,” she said. “So that number will skyrocket next year for sure,” she said.
________
Report Elijah Sussman can be reached by email at elijah.sussman@sequimgazette.com.
