1. Request a site visit

Sign up here for a site visit

• If you are unable to complete or need help filling out the form, email Glenn Johnson at GlennJ@piercecd.org or call (253) 325-8914. We will reach out to gather some baseline information and schedule a site visit. 
• If you are emailing, please include the following information:
  • Subject line: Landowner Consultation Form Help
  • Body: Your name, phone number, and the best time/days to call. 

2. Site Visit

Once PCD staff have received and reviewed your site visit request, we will reach out to schedule a site visit. During our site visit, we will address any questions/concerns you may have as we walk the site. Visits typically last about 1 hour, and vary based on the size of the property and the number of items you would like to address. 

After completing the site visit, PCD staff will send you a follow-up email addressing any concerns/questions, options, and other resources for your site. If you are interested in treating knotweed and we have determined you fall within the treatment zone, we will discuss the project as it pertains to your property. 

3. Knotweed Treatment

4. Continued Stewardship

For folks who are located in high priority restoration areas, and would like to take on a more complex riparian restoration project (e.g. replanting treatment areas with native plants, adding wood to create a more complex stream, or altering the course of your current stream) we can begin talking about options.

Knotweeds vary slightly in appearance depending on the variety but generally share common characteristics. 

Knotweeds generally have:

• Hollow, non-woody, bamboo-like stems that can easily be bent.
• Alternate leaf patterning
• White flowers that appear in late July
• Reddish stems that turn brown over winter

Pierce Conservation District is a non-regulatory government entity. This means that we cannot fine you for violations and we cannot report you to regulatory agencies. At the conservation district, we are a resource for the local community and our number one goal is help where we can.  

Year 1-3

• Winter/spring: Site visit with PCD staff
• Spring: Knotweed surveys and access pathways to stands will be made.
• Late summer/early fall: 1-2 knotweed treatments

Year 4

• Interview with PCD staff to review the project
• Plant installation for willing and qualifying landowners (those in high priority restoration areas). 

After winter/spring flooding, knotweed fragments are spread downstream allowing new knotweed plants to establish themselves. Knotweed species rely on vegetative growth as the main method of reproduction. Research has shown that introduced knotweed species rarely reproduce by seed, but the possibility still remains. Hybrid knotweed varieties have begun to take root, and these highly competitive species can reproduce vegetatively and by seed. 

No, the cost for treatment and pre-treatment surveys/prep work will not cost you, the landowner, any money. These activities are covered by the Puget Sound Riparian Systems Lead grant funds. 

Landowners who opt to advance their property to a more complex restoration project (adding woody debris, adjusting the channel course, etc.) may have to pay a portion of the additional restoration costs through PCD's cost-share rates. PCD will help in acquiring grant funds to cover a portion of your cost-share anticipated lalalalaa. However, the initial treatment of knotweed will NOT cost the landowner any money. We just ask for a little bit of your time. 

Knotweed when left untreated will continue to grow and spread throughout your property and beyond. It is our recommendation to treat the knotweed on your land to reduce and eventually eradicate knotweed presence, opening space for recreation and other plants. 

Large monocultures may reduce your/your neighbor's property value and if left untreated large patches will form large stands that feed the problem.  

Fill out the form linked below to get into contact with our knotweed control team. It wouldn't be a bad idea to talk to your neighbors and see if they want to join your efforts to build a healthier habitat.

Sign up here for a site visit

During treatment, PCD intends to use a systemic herbicide, Imazapyr. Imazapyr is an herbicide whose formula has gone through rigorous testing to ensure it is safe for waterways. When this particular product comes into contact with water, it begins to rapidly degrade. For more environmental impact information, explore the safety data sheet below. 

Imazapyr Safety Sheet

While PCD is treating with Imazapyr, we will do the following to reduce herbicide use:

• When treating knotweed via foliar application, we spray at the lowest concentration of 1%.
• We use as little herbicide as possible during treatment.
• We will use shields to prevent spraying desired vegetation/structures.

PCD has a team of trained a licensed pesticide professionals that strive to reduce the environmental impact of herbicide. Avoid risking your safety and health when handling herbicide by letting PCD do it for you. 

If you would like to talk more about methods and address any concerns, please reach out to Kyrstin Onaga at KyrstinO@piercecd.org or (253) 325-3504.

PCD's knotweed control program is currently only treating landowner properties along South Prairie Creek and Wilkeson Creek (including tributaries to South Prairie and Wilkeson creeks). We will be prioritizing areas within 250 feet of the creeks, further distances from the creek may also be eligible.