Editor:
On driving into Sechelt from Halfmoon Bay,I can't help but notice the immense display of bright yellow Scotch broom growing amongst the tall rockface around the 6000 block of Highway 101 as you get close to Sechelt. It's a huge crop and becoming larger and more invasive each year.
I'm not sure who is responsible for that large parcel of land with the houses on top of the rock landscaped cliff face. However, I heard on a Vancouver radio station recently that the best time to get rid of the broom is while it is in flower. If it is cut close to the base of the woody stem, they indicated that it shouldn't grow back at this stage of its growth. They also said that it chokes out native growth and makes the soil very acidic.
I know we have a wonderful team of "broom busters" and the work they do is highly admirable. However, they can only clear so much broom, and an area like this would not be their responsibility, as it appears to be private land.
However, I wonder when an area becomes so choked with so much of the weed, is there not a government body that shouldinsist thatthe property ownerscontrol the broom? It is so detrimental to the land and it appears that no one cares that it is spreading like yellow wildfire.
I would also encourage other property owners with broom growing on their land to take some time while the weed is flowering,and cut it down. We need to preserve every inch of sustainable soil on our beautiful Coast.
Frances McGuckin
Halfmoon Bay
