Dear Wayne (and Hal et al):

I too recall the tragic fire account. I also remember Harvey Jantzen (who
published plant lists for the Gulfs in your journal Syesis) had it on
Saturna or Saltspring I in the Gulfs. Just outside the Gulf Islands, I
recall finding Ulex europaeus on the west lobe of Orcas I. and on San Juan
I. while studying vegetation there. I also recall colonies near Shoreline
CC (north Seattle), and in Kitsap County, and at the site mentioned for
Pacific Co.

It is an aggressive adventive and seems to prefer about the same ecotype as
Scots Broom, although especially exposed south-facing slopes.

Scott Atkinson
email to: scottratkinson at hotmail.com


>From: "WAYNE WEBER" <contopus at Home.com>
>Reply-To: contopus at Home.com
>To: "MIKE PATTERSON" <celata at pacifier.com>, "HAL OPPERMAN"
><halop at accessone.com>, "TWEETERS" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
>Subject: Gorse in the Northwest (was: plant invader)
>Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2001 07:19:55 -0800
>
>Mike, Hal, and Northwest Birders,
>
>Gorse (Ulex europaeus) an invasive European shrub, may be rare in the
>Astoria area, as described by Mike, but it is, or was, abundant in
>other parts of coastal Oregon. I remember reading a shocking story-- I
>believe it was in Donald Peattie's "Natural History of Western Trees",
>in the chapter on Port Orford Cedar-- about the tragic consequences of
>the proliferation of gorse in extensive forest clearcuts near Bandon,
>OR. Gorse is extremely flammable in dry weather, and apparently
>sometime in the 1920s or 1930s, a wildfire which started and spread in
>gorse thickets burned out most of Bandon, with extensive loss of life.
>
>Perhaps someone from Coos County or nearby, or someone with a copy of
>Peattie's book handy, can provide more details on this tragic
>incident. Reason enough to try to keep gorse under control!
>
>Gorse is also fairly common in parts of SW British Columbia, including
>the Victoria area and the Gulf Islands, although not nearly as
>widespread and invasive as the ubiquitous Scotch broom (Cytisus
>scoparius).
>
>Wayne C. Weber
>Kamloops, BC
>contopus at home.com
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Mike Patterson <celata at pacifier.com>
>To: <halop at accessone.com>; tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
>Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2001 11:12 PM
>Subject: Re: plant invader
>
>
> > I'm finishing my 14th year on the lower Columbia and there's been
> > gorse along Stringtown Rd, the Ilwaco airport and the boat basin
> > for at least that long. Surprisingly, it is extremely rare on the
> > Oregon side of the river.
> >
> > Hal Opperman wrote:
> > >
> > > Tweets:
> > >
> > > After successfully chasing the Mountain Plover about a month ago,
> > > Jolynn, Tom Aversa, and I birded around the Ilwaco area for a
>while.
> > > I was surprised to come across what appeared to be a patch of
>gorse
> > > growing on an embankment of the sewage pond near the Ilwaco
>marina.
> > > Maybe this scourge of the Oregon coast is known to have
>established a
> > > toehold in our state, but if so, this is the first I've heard
>about
> > > it. Can anybody help clarify the situation?
> > >
> >
> > > Hal Opperman
> > > Medina, Washington
> > > mailto:halop at accessone.com
> >
> > --
> > Mike Patterson Alas, to wear the mantle of Galileo,
> > Astoria, OR it is not enough to be persecuted
> > celata at pacifier.com by an unkind establishment,
> > you must also be right.
> > ---Robert Park
> > http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters/bird/bird.html
> >
>

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