Herbicide alert
Hello Friends Of Herring Run Parks!

We are sharing this important herbicide application information with you from the Forestry Division of Baltimore City Rec & Parks.
The Forestry Division of Baltimore City Department of Recreation & Parks will be coordinating forest management activity (removal of invasive plants) in selected areas of Herring Run Park beginning Thursday and Friday, January 16-17.
The contractor for this process is Environmental Quality Resources (EQR). They will be on site to assist with the removal of non-native invasive plants. These stands were identified as some of the healthiest areas of Herring Run Park during the development of the park’s forest management plan, and we are prioritizing the removal of invasive plants from these stands to help maintain the health of the forest and to encourage the regrowth of native plant species that support healthy wildlife communities and ecosystem functions.
EQR staff members will place small orange flags along trails and high-use areas to indicate areas where herbicide has been applied. Any herbicides used will contain a blue marker dye to show where it has been applied. Once dried, herbicides do not pose a known hazard to people or pets; however, we recommend that park users avoid coming in direct contact with herbicides as an additional precaution for 24-72 hours following application.
The map above shows the forest stands included in the upcoming treatment highlighted in green; however, it should be noted that EQR will not be treating the entirety of these stands. EQR will primarily be working in the interior of the forest patches in these stands. Not all of these areas will be covered during these first two days of treatment; BCRP Forestry will follow up with additional information as treatment schedule for the remaining areas is finalized.
During the winter, BCRP Forestry primarily uses cut stump methods in which target woody species are cut back, with the remaining stump immediately treated with a small amount of herbicide applied directly to the cut stem. On some species, a basal bark method is used, where the herbicide is mixed with a carrier oil and applied around the bark of the plant and is then absorbed. Both cut stump and basal bark methods are effective for many of our target species during the winter. The main impediment during a cold snap like we’re having is that herbicides mixed with water are prone to freezing. However, BCRP Forestry still have oil-mixed herbicides available and can use them if needed.
EQR is also utilizing the EZ-Ject Lance, which is a tool that injects a “bullet” of herbicide directly into the stem of a target species, with the herbicide then slowly released. It’s a really cool tool that BCRP Forestry is excited to make more use of, as it minimizes risks both of exposure to park users and of impacts to non-target vegetation. No risk of spray drift there!
Kudos to you, BCRP Forestry! Thanks for looking out for our human and animal neighbors!
EQR will be using the following products; MSDS labels attached:
Questions? Write to us at [email protected]
The Forestry Division of Baltimore City Department of Recreation & Parks will be coordinating forest management activity (removal of invasive plants) in selected areas of Herring Run Park beginning Thursday and Friday, January 16-17.
The contractor for this process is Environmental Quality Resources (EQR). They will be on site to assist with the removal of non-native invasive plants. These stands were identified as some of the healthiest areas of Herring Run Park during the development of the park’s forest management plan, and we are prioritizing the removal of invasive plants from these stands to help maintain the health of the forest and to encourage the regrowth of native plant species that support healthy wildlife communities and ecosystem functions.
EQR staff members will place small orange flags along trails and high-use areas to indicate areas where herbicide has been applied. Any herbicides used will contain a blue marker dye to show where it has been applied. Once dried, herbicides do not pose a known hazard to people or pets; however, we recommend that park users avoid coming in direct contact with herbicides as an additional precaution for 24-72 hours following application.
The map above shows the forest stands included in the upcoming treatment highlighted in green; however, it should be noted that EQR will not be treating the entirety of these stands. EQR will primarily be working in the interior of the forest patches in these stands. Not all of these areas will be covered during these first two days of treatment; BCRP Forestry will follow up with additional information as treatment schedule for the remaining areas is finalized.
During the winter, BCRP Forestry primarily uses cut stump methods in which target woody species are cut back, with the remaining stump immediately treated with a small amount of herbicide applied directly to the cut stem. On some species, a basal bark method is used, where the herbicide is mixed with a carrier oil and applied around the bark of the plant and is then absorbed. Both cut stump and basal bark methods are effective for many of our target species during the winter. The main impediment during a cold snap like we’re having is that herbicides mixed with water are prone to freezing. However, BCRP Forestry still have oil-mixed herbicides available and can use them if needed.
EQR is also utilizing the EZ-Ject Lance, which is a tool that injects a “bullet” of herbicide directly into the stem of a target species, with the herbicide then slowly released. It’s a really cool tool that BCRP Forestry is excited to make more use of, as it minimizes risks both of exposure to park users and of impacts to non-target vegetation. No risk of spray drift there!
Kudos to you, BCRP Forestry! Thanks for looking out for our human and animal neighbors!
EQR will be using the following products; MSDS labels attached:
Questions? Write to us at [email protected]
PO Box 16167
Baltimore, MD 21218 410-417-8565 |