King County’s McGarvey Park Open Space forest stewardship plan now available

March 28 meeting an opportunity to learn about 400-acre forest restoration effort

King County wants to share its freshly completed forest stewardship plan for McGarvey Park Open Space in Renton with the public.

The County’s Department of Natural Resources and Parks invites all interested parties to a public meeting on Monday, March 28, 7-8:30 p.m., at Northwood Middle School, 17007 S.E. 184^th St., Renton.

County staff will be on hand to discuss the forest stewardship plan’s management recommendations that will help guide long-term stewardship of the 400-acre forest at McGarvey Park Open Space, which is located between the Cedar River Trail and Petrovitsky Park.

The County will use a series of adaptive forest practices to enhance the land’s recreational opportunities, improve forest health and promote plant and animal bio-diversity.

The plan is available for review at the Fairwood Library and online at http://www.kingcounty.gov/recreation/parks/naturalresources/foreststewardship.aspx and spells out numerous forest stewardship activities for McGarvey Park Open Space – many of which will be done later this year, including:

· Restoring 75 acres of forest;

· Harvesting dying and poor quality hardwoods, while retaining all existing conifers;

· Creating wildlife habitat snags;

· Replant areas with conifers;

· Protecting streams and wetlands; and

· Improving recreation trails.

For information about the plan and the meeting, please contact David Kimmett at 206-263-7159 or by e-mail at david.kimmett@kingcounty.gov.

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King County Parks - Your Big Backyard - offers more than 200 parks and 26,000 acres of parks and natural lands, including such regional treasures as Marymoor Park and Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, 175 miles of regional trails and a world-class aquatic center. By cultivating strong relationships with non-profit, corporate and community partners, King County Parks enhances park amenities while reducing costs. Learn more at http://www.kingcounty.gov/parks/.