Hats off to the efforts to bring salmon back to Fauntleroy Creek, particularly to the homeowners opening their backyards to important stream work.

As a "native plant steward" who works alongside dedicated volunteers upstream in Fauntleroy Park, I want to urge broader support from surrounding neighbors to retain the health of this valuable watershed. Tremendous work removing English ivy/holly/laurel and Himalayan blackberry has helped protect a diversity of native plants I don't often see in other city parks, and these plants are critical in supporting the food web needed by juvenile salmon - vastly more effective than invasive monocultures like ivy.

But, I'm alarmed at the number of ivy seedlings I'm finding in the park. If left unchecked, in 10 to 20 years, each of those seedlings will spread and cost city taxpayers $1,000 a day for a crew to remove the infestation. Ivy goes to seed when it climbs high up trees in surrounding yards, and those seeds are spread by birds. If we don't stop the source by severing the vines at the base of trees, we won't stop this silent killer of our forests.

Two more things: I'm astounded at the quantity of dog feces I find in the park - not good for salmon, shellfish or humans. Please keep dogs leashed so you know where to pick up. Last, we all can reduce our contribution to storm water/sewage that pollutes Puget Sound by replacing all or part of our lawns with native shrubs and trees - salal, sword fern, red-flowering currant, ocean spray, evergreen huckleberry, vine maple, and shore pine, to name a few.

Thanks to all for doing their part.

Steve Richmond

Delridge