It's Levee Vegetation Clearing Time!

Pen2 announced the clearing of vegetation on our levee between August 18 and August 28. 

According to the flyer, "workers have been instructed to take special care near gangways to avoid damaging utility lines and not to cut established trees or shrubs in garden beds." 

The work is being done by Mosaic Ecology LLC

BEWARE: Spraying has begun [edited; re-edited]

We were supposed to get a few days notice via those little flags - but the levee spraying started today with NO notice at all.....

I don't care how safe they say the "stuff" is - I will keep my cats in for a few days and I suggest you keep your dogs away from this as well...

Safety first!!

Amended at about 1PM - apparently they were not to start and have been ordered to stop...and we allegedly will get our 48 notice for the potential Nov 12th spraying...but this shows we need to be alert!!





I'll keep this updated if things change again...

More FYI: The spraying went to the Western edge of Captain's Moorage...please be careful where your pets step...

Levee Vegetation Cutting & Herbicide Treatment Schedule

Peninsula Drainage District #2 has contracted with C&R Reforestation to cut and treat the riverward slope vegetation on the Bridgeton Levee. The contractor’s crew will cut the levee vegetation October 17th -19th 2012.

The contractor will return on or around (depending on weather conditions) November 12th 2011, to apply an herbicide (Garlon 3A) to help control the growth of invasive weeds on the levee.

Peninsula Drainage District No.2 will post notification signs 48 hours prior to the herbicide application. Signs will be removed 48 hours after the herbicide application has been completed.

Garlon 3A is an herbicide registered by EPA (registration # 62719-37) to be used adjacent to waterways. If you would like to view the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and the Label for this product you can email Leslie Sawyer or call 503.314.2137.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact MCDD Pen #2 at 503.281.5675, Josh McNamee ext. 310, jmcnamee@mcdd.org or Byron Woltersdorf ext 308, bwoltersdorf@mcdd.org. Check the The Peninsula Drainage District #2 web site for more information.

It's "spray the levee" time again!

If you looked in the BNA boxes on the road you might have seen the flyers that were left by the Drainage District - but if I had not been alerted - I would not even have looked!

So I am alerting the readers of this blog!

The Drainage District has contracted with C&R Reforestation to cut and treat the levee. The cutting was done back in July and it's now time to apply the herbicide.

The spraying is to happen on or around September 12th and notifications signs are to be posted 48 hours before the spraying and removed 48 hours after the spraying. If you remember from last year, the signs were rather small and just stuck in the ground on the levee side of the street.

And, personally, I believe it is safer to keep your pets away from that side of the Street for the 48 hours post spraying.

[Supposedly the info about the Garlon is on the MCDD website [mcdd.org] under "hot topics" but I could not find it - maybe it's just not there yet.]

Have a Safe 4th of July Weekend

Don't forget that Oregon bans the possession, use or sale of fireworks that fly, explode or travel more than six feet on the ground or 12 inches into the air. The banned list includes bottle rockets, Roman candles and firecrackers.

Authorities may seize illegal fireworks and fine offenders up to $500 per violation.

If you bought yours in Washington, the chances are they are not legal in Oregon.

And the annual plea from our neighborhood:

Please do not set fireworks/rockets/bombs off over the moorages. Moored boats often have fuel tanks and the houseboats are not flame retardant!!

We know it looks pretty to set off your high traveling fireworks down over the River - but

1- it is illegal and

2 - it is dangerous to those living on the water

Many of us have the scorched roofs and decks to prove it.

You can no longer see all the Vancouver fireworks from the levee. You must go to Ft. Vancouver to get the best view - and your fireworks are legal on that side of the bridge.

Thank you for understanding that the police might be called if it gets dangerous on our road or the river!!

Herbicide application

Dave sent this to the neighborhood association

Pen 2 will be posting signs at the moorage ramps on August 16^th to notify the neighborhood that an herbicide application will take place on the levee August 18^th and not to re-entry the treated area for 72 hours. The contractor is schedule to start his application at 5:00 am and should be done early morning if the wind does not pick up. If it does and the contractor has to stop spraying he will return the following morning to complete the application. If you or anyone has any questions please let me know, thanks for your assistance.

I then asked Dave about keeping our "levee hunting cats" in because of the 72 hour no re-entry and here is his reply:

According to the Department of Agriculture and the Garlon 3A label; there is no re-entry restriction time for domestic and grazing animals except for lactating dairy animals. DOA and I recommend you try to keep your pets from re-entering the treated site until the herbicide has dried, only to prevent transfer onto their fur and carrying off site to sensitive plants. Based on the time of the application (5-8am) and the forecasted temperature the herbicide will be dry in 4 hours from time of application.

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

Pen 2 Special Meeting re Bike/Ped Path

In its planning for the Bridgeton bike and pedestrian trail, the City has asked the Board to make some decisions and not wanting to put the project on hold for a later decision (the board is not scheduled to meet again until September), the board chose to meet next week.

BOARD OF SUPERVISOR’S MEETING

for

Peninsula Drainage District #2

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Noon - 1:00 p.m.

MCDD Office Conference Room

AGENDA

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

None at this meeting

BUSINESS

A. DISCUSSION ON CITY OF PORTLAND PARKS/PDC BRIDGETON BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN TRAIL

Staff report on remaining issues is oral; if needed, suggested motion language will be offered depending on discussion

ADJOURNMENT

Agenda note: board action items appear in red

Levee vegetation clearing

Just a reminder:

On June 18th and 19th - that's this Thursday and Friday - a crew contracted by Pen2 will be cutting blackberries, grass and invasive weeds form the river side of the levee.

They will NOT be cutting trees!

They will though be using chainsaws so be prepared for the noise :D

Questions? Call:

Adam Zucker 503.281.5675 ext 308

or Bob Eaton 503.281.5675 ext 301

Tree Update

Today the notices were posted along the road or tied on the trees that are to be cut down.

Some trees do not need city permits and some do. For those needing permits - there is a time frame in which to comment on the permit.

The tree committee and the drainage district agreed on these marked trees and signed off on the plan...so these trees are going to be gone! If one is your favorite - go take a picture soon...

Click on this sentence to read the Certification Plan.

Update on levee

Ed Hecker is with the US Army Corps of Engineers and sent this to the neighborhood association...

* USACE is reviewing existing policy and standards for vegetation
management using a four-step process. During the review, USACE will work in coordination with other federal and non-federal agencies, including regulatory agencies.

* Steps one and two: USACE will conduct the review using current
engineering and science studies and practices. The review will identify recommended modifications to existing nationwide vegetation management policy and standards, which will undergo an external peer review.

* Step three: USACE will then identify the regulations, policies and
manuals and changes necessary to implement any modifications to existing vegetation management. Use of regional variances regarding vegetation management may be considered as long as public safety is not compromised.

* Step four: Policy and standards, and implementation will be
discussed as part of a National Roundtable to be held in early 2008.

* The policy and standards document and the implementation plan are intended to be issued simultaneously.

* USACE vegetation management policy and standards will focus on public safety first and reflect a systems approach applying sound engineering, science, and operations and maintenance principles.

The policy and standards document and the implementation plan are intended to be issued simultaneously shortly after the national roundtable, subject to completion of the External Peer Review process.

Regards,

Ed Hecker

Response to my letter to the DD

The response from Bob Eaton to my email of November 9th came in the mail and was undated and I did not log in when it came but it was within the 10 days I requested of him. I'll quote and/or summarize the one page large font letter here:

1 - "The District does not poison beavers." He said they collapsed the burrow.

2- The herbicide use for vegetation control is Garlon 3A - a DowAgro product and he included the DowAgro Safety Data Sheet. Eaton claims animals are "safe" and "Those who use the River may do so with confidence."

3- Eaton adds that if anyone want to inspect the spraying records they are welcome to review them at the MCDD office between 7:30AM and 3:30 PM

4- He claims the DD this year "has gone over the neighborhood notification process procedures" with staff to make sure they will be improved for 2008. As we were never notified - when you and or I go to the office be sure to ask for the current neighborhood notification procedures to see if they even had any.

DowAgro's own Data Safety info suggests that prolonged or frequent exposure needs skin protection and that chemical goggles be used by those spraying. It also states: "...items such as faceshield, gloves, boots, aprons or full-body suit will depend on operation." So let's see - if you are the one spraying it - take all sorts of precautions. BUT if you are near where it is being sprayed and you can be exposed to it - he feels we have no need to know!

Al other info talks to exposure guidelines and of course that was not in the material Eaton sent.

I will make trip there and I suggest anyone else who is interested to go there as well.
Address is 1880 NE Elrod Drive - it's off 33rd

So you don't have to go looking - I'll re-post my letter him below - you can see he did not answer many questions.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Mr. Bob Eaton, Executive Director
Mr. Dave Hendricks, Deputy Director

Multnomah County Drainage District

Dear Mr. Eaton and Mr. Hendricks:

I am a Bridgeton resident. In October of this year a neighbor told me that your office poisoned the beavers in the Columbia River along the levees, including Bridgeton levee, and also sprayed “something” on the levee to curtail vegetative growth.

I find this worrisome and have a few questions:

1 – Did you poison the beavers?

If so, when specifically did this occur? Where were the beaver burrows located that were poisoned?

What poison[s] were used? Please be specific and also list all ingredients including information as to how long each of the ingredients is active.
Did you retrieve the dead animals?
If so, where were they found?
And if not retrieved – why not?

2 - Did you spray or otherwise cause chemicals or poison[s] to be put on the levee?

If so, when specifically did this occur?
Exactly what areas were subjected to this process and how close did the process come to the river's edge?
Did you first take care to note if any water fowl were nesting in those areas?
What specifically was used? Please list all ingredients and also include information as to how long each of the ingredients is active.

3 - Why were the neighbors not notified in advance of any of these events?

Many of us allow our pets to walk on the levee and explore the grasses along the slopes.
Many of us water our plants and vegetables with river water.
Many of us in the neighborhood swim and kayak in the Columbia Channel and River or otherwise come in contact with the water, as do many who do not live here but are out on the river in boats.

Assuming you have all this information readily available I expect a most rapid reply and expect an answer within 10 working days.