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KINGSTON — By sometime next year, those who like to enjoy the trails in the Kirby Park Natural Area will notice that the area will not be as overgrown.
That’s because officials recently treated the invasive Japanese knotweed that has run rampant throughout the forested area.
State Rep. Aaron Kaufer, R-Kingston, recently hosted a meeting at his office in Luzerne which brought together local leaders who have joined to address the Kirby Park Natural Area. Among those in attendance were officials from the Luzerne Foundation, Luzerne County, Wilkes-Barre and Kingston.
Members of the Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority were also in attendance.
At the meeting, it was agreed that the Japanese knotweed needed to be dealt with.
“That area is massively overgrown and really has been neglected over the last several years,” Kaufer said.
Vincent “Vinny” Cotrone is an urban forester with Penn State Extension, but also serves on the Flood Protection Authority and the Riverfront Parks Committee.
He explained that the treatment happened on Sept. 9, and that the Riverfront Park Committee paid the Flood Protection Authority to put forth the equipment and personnel to apply the treatment.
“They’ve been the perfect partner,” Cotrone said.
An invasive plant
Cotrone explained that the Japanese knotweed posed some “viable visibility” concerns. He added that the increased vegetation meant that some people might feel uncomfortable in the area, and that the potential for criminal activity was also a concern of those who attended the meeting.
“That is a big social issue,” Cotrone said. “It’s not an issue that the parks committee can tackle.”
Cotrone explained that the treatment used was the same that many use in their own home gardens.
Despite the treatment, Cotrone said that it was unlikely that the Japanese knotweed would ever be eradicated from the area.
Cotrone explained that Japanese knotweed stores its energy in the roots of the plant. He said a good frost will often kill the top part of the plant, but will not effectively kill the entire plant.
He added that flooding — which is frequent in the area after a major rainfall — helps spread the knotweed’s roots.
In one year, the roots of a Japanese knotweed plant can move 6 feet in any direction, according to Cotrone.
“All you need is a little piece of root in that soil … and you’ve got a new system of knotweed,” Cotrone said.
The first step?
Kaufer said that the treatment is the first step in making the Kirby Park Natural Area better.
“We’re going to be meeting again here in the future … and talk about what we can do to take that next step forward,” Kaufer said. “It (Natural Area) has a ton of potential, and who knows what it’s going to be.”
Cotrone said the fact that the area lies in the flood plane will restrict what can be done with the area.
As he was on-site during the treatment process, he saw joggers passing through the area, and said it remains popular for joggers or mothers pushing strollers along the path.
“There are cities in this country that would kill for the access to a river that the Wyoming Valley has,” Cotrone said. “The key is utilizing it.”
