Pierce County Public Works WoodStraw® testimonial

June 3, 2009

The following was forwarded to us by Ann Boeholt from Pierce County Public Works and Utilities (Washington State):

"As a part of their application to be on our Qualified Products List (QPL), Forest Concepts has given us your contact information as references for their product Wood Straw. How has your experience been with that product? Has it held the slope and encouraged plant growth or seed germination? Would you use it again?

Thanks for any help you can provide,

---Sandy Salisbury, LA, Washington State Department of Transportation"

"I would definitely use Woodstraw again, and in fact we are: on a project that will be under construction this summer (our Canyon Creek Stream Enhancement and Flood Mitigation Project, CIP #D138-003).

My interest in using woodstraw at our South Midland Wetland Reserve was a little different than the typically application. I did not need it to control erosion along a slope. I had a flat 6 acre created wetland. The wetland was dry and had no vegetation the first year. We applied a salvaged marsh surface (Dupont muck soils) and wanted the woodstraw to simultaneously prevent excessive soil moisture loss and prevent wind erosion. I did not want to use agricultural straw because I was concerned that it might introduce seeds and might blow around too much. I did not want to cover my site with plastic. I was hesitant to hydroseed as I feared that would interfere with the later application and germination of wetland emergent seed that was planned. Woodstraw seemed the perfect solution…and it was.

Since I wanted the additional soil moisture retention benefits, I applied Woodstraw at 70%, rather than the typical 50% soil coverage rate.

The product successfully retained soil moisture, as far as I can tell. The wetland is restoring nicely. Many native emergent plants sprouted from the salvaged muck surface. Being able to retain moisture in the Dupont muck prevented degeneration of this organic soil and allowed the native seedbank to resprout.

When the wetland unexpectedly ponded and remained ponded for the entire fall and winter season, the Woodstraw did not float away--it stayed fixed to the soil surface. That was an unexpected, added benefit.

Application of the product was easy: it applied with a regular straw blower, but leaving significantly less airborne dust and particulates. That was another attractive feature.

It has been two years since application. The woodstraw has not yet degraded. It is still present, still retaining moisture and controlling erosion.

The wetland emergent seed that I applied on the site, over the woodstraw (by hand, with no tackifier or mulch tracer) germinated nicely.

The Woodstraw definitely encouraged plant growth and seed germination.

For our Canyon Creek project, we will be using 690 bales of Woodstraw. We will have the Woodstraw blown over an area, at the rate of 150 bales per acre (50% soil cover). We will apply temporary hydroseed over all areas of bare soil first and then apply the Woodstraw. We are using hydroseed and Woodstraw together as extra precaution to combat the invasive plant species on the site. The Woodstraw will be applied to slopes and well as flat areas; it will cover nearly the enter Phase 1 project area.

---Ann Boeholt, Project Manager, Pierce County Public Works and Utilities"