Buckthorn Clearing FAQ
After the recent Buckthorn Clearing in 2019, several questions have come up in email, text messages and phone calls, and the Glenmore Woods Board wanted to share the responses with everyone. Please let a board member know if you have other questions.
Q: I know buckthorn is non-native and invasive species that everyone is trying to eradicate in the area, but it did provide privacy. We are feeling a little vulnerable because the buckthorn offers no privacy anymore for the cleared areas. What can we plant to provide some privacy?
A: That is understandable. It will get a little better as the growing season progresses and other plants emerge. The Lake County Forest Preserve is willing to add some shrub plantings in the blue area in the future. Also, the Lake County Forest Preserve has provided a brochure on Healthy Hedges here.
Q: For the areas covered in red as well as in blue on the map, what is the plan for the stumps of buckthorn that has been cut down/mowed down in the spring?
A: All stumps have/will be treated with a selective broadleaf herbicide that will kill the roots of the trees to prevent resprouting. This is not 100% effective, unfortunately, so the contractor will need to return (as many times as necessary) to retreat areas to ensure that no stumps resprout.
Q: As was discussed, the stewardship for the newly cleared area is included for the first year, so does that cover the red area and the blue area, or just the red area for the stewardship?
A: The follow-up work will take place across all cleared areas
Q: Will there be any grading to make the rough ridges/troughs created by the tracks on the equipment to prepare the ground area more smooth?
A: The Lake County Forest Preserve didn’t see any areas where this was an issue, but they have not walked the entire site since they started work. In short, yes, they are required to address these areas. If you have specific areas that you feel should be addressed, just let me know. As with all projects, clearing or other, we always have a ‘punchlist’ of items that need to be finished before we sign-off on the final payment.
Q: About the stewardship, the Glenmore Woods Board knows the way to prevent the buckthorn from continuing to emerge is to plant native species. Is that also included in the stewardship for this year, so would that be the responsibility of our HOA to plant in the red area? If that is the HOA responsibility, what are the plans for the blue area?
A: The Lake County Forest Preserve will be installing a simplified native seed mix to the blue area this coming fall. The red areas would be the responsibility of the HOA. Glenmore Woods HOA and Lake County Forest Preserve have common ground on the buckthorn issue but may not take the same approach for replacement plantings/seedings. I’ll leave that up to the HOA, but LCFP is happy to share their thoughts/promote native landscaping. Attached is a new brochure for native landscaping that we (and other partners) have worked on collaboratively.
Q: Regarding the blue area, are there any plans to put up a fence to match the fence that the LCFP put up on the northern side of the trail?
A: No, not at this time. The buckthorn was so thick that we honestly did not know how open this would look in the end. The LCFP could consider a fence, but that would require continual maintenance, so that may be a factor in the decision process for them. Again, we would consider some shrub plantings (in the blue area) to help restore this land that would also provide some screening/boundary marking.
Q: Glenmore Woods believes that there is a concern in the blue areas with a lack of vegetation. There is a strong desire by the homeowners adjacent to the blue area to have shrub plantings to replace the loss of vegetation. Likewise, the HOA is looking into shrub plantings in the red areas. Is this something that could be addressed?
A: Yes, the LCFP will address the blue section. We do our tree/shrub planting in the fall, and our projects for 2019 have already been determined/plants ordered. We may be able to squeeze in some this fall, depending on crew availability, but it will be addressed in 2020 at the latest.
Regarding the red areas: LCFP is happy to assists with the red areas from a technical standpoint, i.e. offering suggestions for native landscaping. If the HOA wants to consider ornamental (non-native) trees/shrubs, that’s fine too (not preferable in my opinion, but fine).
Q: How much more buckthorn is left in Glenmore Woods to remediate?
A: Here are the current estimates
West (north of Scarborough): 0.81 AC
North (along trail corridor, immediately west of what was cleared this past winter): 3.31 AC
East (areas bordering Knollwood CC): 2.27 AC
Q: Is there going to be a controlled burn in the red and blue areas in the fall of 2019?
A: There will most likely not be a controlled burn or any planting in the fall/winter of 2019, that will most likely be slated for the fall/winter of 2020 after the debris field has decayed. The debris field will decay quickly.
