PARENT SESSION
Oral Session #38: The Human Spirit in Landscape Restoration.
Presiding: D. Borland
Tuesday, August 6. 1:00 PM to 4:45 PM. Greenlee Meeting Room, TCC.

Urban park restoration and management: Discovery Park, Seattle.

Jones, Daniel^*,1, ¹ Jones & Stokes, Bellevue, WA

ABSTRACT- A Vegetation Management Plan has been prepared for the 527-acre Discovery Park in Seattle, Washington. The guiding principle of the plan is founded on the 1972 Discovery Park Master Plan, and seeks to restore, to the extent possible, the pre-settlement character of this former mixed deciduous-coniferous forest situated on bluffs overlooking the Puget Sound. The intent of the plan is to provide a long-term restoration guidebook for park managers, staff and volunteers. Principle management issues include invasive species management, native plant community enhancement, wildlife habitat development, and interior road removal. Himalayan blackberry, Scotch broom, holly and English ivy are the most prevalent invasive species present. The plan utilizes data from 170 0.1-acre vegetation inventory plots, as well as additional collaboration with Seattle Parks staff and citizen advisory groups. A total of 134 plant species were tallied during the inventory. Average percent cover and parkwide constancy of each were calculated. Plant communities inventoried within the 170 plots were sorted into seven general community types. Each general community type has been given a corresponding native plant palette for management workers to follow. Balancing the management objective of self-sustaining native communities with existing public use patterns has provided an additional challenge in the preparation of the plan, and has driven the development of innovative prescribed management actions.

KEY WORDS: vegetation management plans, park restoration, discovery park, seattle, invasive species management