Vandals off-roading through habitat restoration areas at Shoreline's Richmond Beach

Vandals off-roading through habitat restoration areas at Shoreline’s Richmond Beach

A popular beach park in Shoreline is becoming a stomping ground for vandals who are off-roading through restored habitat and destroying newly planted bushes and trees.

The property damage keeps reoccurring at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park.

Kay Lakey, a park steward involved in replanting native species on the slopes above the popular beach, said green spaces are being routinely torn up as people hop curbs and drive through them. Work parties have spent hours spreading soil and mulch on the hillsides and then installing irrigation systems, but lines are being snapped, and clay pots shattered as vehicles drive over seedlings and saplings trying to take root.

Lakey said she has found tire tracks on three different occasions in recent weeks where someone cut through habitat restoration areas.

“So we’re always having to deal with damaged trees, damaged shrubs, and damaged irrigation lines,” Lakey said.

About a week ago, volunteers made another disturbing discovery while they were gathering to do more planting.

“We just stepped on shell casings that were in front of the women’s bathroom,” Lakey said.

Park stewards work hard to improve the area for the benefit of the public, and Lakey said it is discouraging to see other people abuse the space. One idea she has is to lock up a gate at the entrance to the park so people can’t drive in after hours Lakey said volunteers have been at these improvements for years, and other people are undoing this work in a few careless minutes.

A city spokesperson said some of the damage may have been caused by a dirt bike, which could be easily driven around the locked gate at the top.

Shoreline police have collected the shell casing and will test them to see if they trace back to any other shootings on record. They are also investigating the vandalism complaints.