Sean McDougall is on what he sees as a five-year campaign against one of the worst weeds _ Japanese knotweed.
Knotweed "loves to have its feet wet" and flourishes in wetlands and river systems, the Pierce County, Wash., official said.
Knotweed’s bamboo-like stalks and spreading underground stems crowd out young willows, alders and cottonwoods, along with shrubs that otherwise might cling to the river shore. By doing so, knotweed destroys fish and wildlife habitat and contributes to erosion. Originally imported from Asia as an ornamental in the 19th century, knotweed is widely dispersed now.
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