Thistle and Knapweed

by Lisa Crockett

Many residents have expressed concerns regarding the spraying of noxious weeds in the open space areas around Castle Pines North (CPN).

The majority of open space areas within CPN are maintained by the CPN Metro District. Herbicides applied to open space areas to control noxious weeds are safe and do not affect groundwater, according to Ray Sperger, the owner and Principal Ecologist for Ark Ecological Services (ARK). ARK is the company that contracts with the Metro District to manage application of herbicides in CPN’s open spaces.

“The herbicides that my staff and I apply are for the purpose of killing state and county-listed noxious weeds as a part of a land management program to restore the open space back to a healthy and more beautiful state,” said Sperger.

The safety of the herbicides is due in part to Colorado’s dry climate, which allows the chemicals to dry quickly, as well as to the clay content in CPN’s soil, which prevents the chemicals from leaching deeply into the ground.

In addition, a short half-life ensures that the chemicals degrade fairly rapidly into products that are not harmful.

Application of the herbicides is supervised by the State of Colorado and is done only by trained technicians.

For questions or concerns regarding open space areas, please contact the Metro District at 303-688-8550.