Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group used this funding to remove, eradicate and/or control Spartina from the estuarine habitat of Skagit County. The methods of treatment consisted of cutting, digging and applying herbicides. Through the use of these methods in the estuaries, native plant species will be allowed to return to those areas previously infested or affected by this invasive noxious weed. Spartina aggressively invades NW marine ecosystems and displaces native vegetation, such as eelgrass, and threatens estuaries by occupying ecological niches where little competition exists. As Spartina colonizes areas, it results in widespread ecological disruptions. These disruptions include destroying important feeding and rearing grounds for juvenile salmon and potentially disrupting marine food chains. Salmon rearing and feeding grounds will be enhanced as sloughs are allowed to return to their natural conditions. Shoreline monitoring was be done by hiring a trained Spartina crew, along with trained volunteers. Monitoring was necessary to catch seedlings before they produced seeds. The Spartina Task Force of N. Puget Sound lists Skagit Bay as a high priority site for Spartina removal. The goal of the Task Force was to enhance public access, salmon habitat and wildlife habitat; monitor results of removal and modify future control methods; re-treat sites if necessary; prevent seed production at specific sites; and prioritize sites for control.