2nd UPDATE: PHOTOS: Native Trees at Twin Ponds Park Vandalized

UPDATE 6:30 p.m.:

From Dick Deal, director of Shoreline Parks: "The Parks and Police departments will deal with the unauthorized pruning at Twin Ponds.  It sounds like there was no malicious intent, but some damage was done.   It will grow back, but I want to deal with this issue in an appropriate manner." 

UPDATE: See Ruth Williams comments below.

Editor's note: This is a letter from park steward John Dixon.

Dear admirers of Twin Ponds Park,

Since May of 1990 I have been working with the King County Parks Department
and beginning in 1997 the Shoreline Parks Department planting trees, shrubs and ground covers at Twin Ponds Park.  I organized the Stewards of Twin Ponds in the winter of 2001.  We meet year round each week planting, weeding, mulching and picking up garbage found buried under the blackberries.  Perhaps you have met us on the Trail of Cedars at one time or another.

Beginning Friday, August 9 noticeable damage was done on the Meridian side of
the park to native trees and shrubs.  Someone using a brushcutter and loppers cut a wide path through blackberry and salmonberry thickets, limbing up and mutilating native trees, cutting shrubs to the ground and buzz-cutting our native Sword Ferns to the ground.  A meandering path with six to 12-foot wide with side channels was cut without permission from the Shoreline Parks Department.  The vandalism is ongoing.

The vandal later continued his criminal acts all the way to the south pond.

This behavior constitutes aggressive unauthorized malicious vandalism.  40 native trees were damaged.  If any of you have seen this person and can give a description please contact the Shoreline Police and Dick Deal, Director of Shoreline Parks.  His phone number is 206-546-1524 or ddeal@ci.shoreline.wa.us.

Thank you for any assistance you can provide,

John Dixon
Volunteer Plant Steward