Woods Committee News…
Next Meeting: Monday, October 2, 2017; 7:30 p.m. in the Council Room. Meetings are open to the public. Please join us!
The Woods Committee follows the direction of the Town of Washington Grove Resolution 8-82 which states: “The Town protect and maintain the integrity of its forest reserve, undiminished in acreage, as an indispensable element in preserving the idyllic character of the community.” Our road map for preservation is the Forest Stewardship Plan approved by the Town Council in 2015. Japanese barberry is a non-native invasive plant that has already made substantial inroads into our West Woods, according to the 2015 Forest Stewardship Report. Japanese Barberry is known for harboring colonies of ticks which carry Lyme Disease. Japanese barberry has thorny stems and small green oval leaves with red berries in the fall and winter. This highly shade tolerant shrub displaces a variety of native herb and shrub species in forest areas where it is well established. Fortunately, there are mechanical means to control this plant. The Woods Committee has purchased a weed wrench which can be used to uproot these shrubs when the soil is moist. If you are interested in helping to mechanically remove Japanese barberry in the West Woods, please contact Joan Mahaffey by leaving a message at the Town Office.