Invasive Species of Eastern USA Blog

January 23, 2012

2012-01-23T10:46:00.007-05:00

National Invasive Species Awareness Week

February 26 - March 3, 2012
Washington, DC

A week of activities, briefings, workshops and events focused on strategizing solutions to address invasive species prevention, detection, monitoring, control, and management issues at local, state, tribal, regional, national and international scales.

Here are 10 ways to observe NISA Week.

Learn more at link.

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Florida considers controversial cure for polluted Lake Apopka: Let hydrilla spread

By Kevin Spear, Orlando Sentinel

9:17 p.m. EST, January 22, 2012
The sickly Lake Apopka has been healing at a snail's pace despite undergoing some of the more costly environmental rehabilitations in Florida history.

So a state agency is thinking about speeding up the process by encouraging an aggressive, aquatic weed — hydrilla — to take root in the lake.

It's a hotly contested idea that appears to be leaving little room for compromise. Those who want the lake restored to a natural condition say the foreign plant would devastate native varieties if allowed to spread and would destroy any real chances of reviving the polluted lake. Fans of hunting and fishing counter that the fast-growing plant, imported from Asia but now considered a costly nuisance throughout much of the U.S., would work wonders in the lake as habitat for ducks and largemouth bass.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will decide whether hydrilla is a new friend or old foe of Lake Apopka, which covers nearly 50 square miles of Orange and Lake counties. Agency officials will take public comments Tuesday from 6-9 p.m. in Winter Garden's Tanner Hall. ...

Learn more at link.

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Town of Brookhaven, New York, next to tackle invasive bamboo

By Brittany Wait
Times Beacon Record

Responding to complaints from residents, one Brookhaven Town official hopes to restrict the planting and maintenance of bamboo within the town.

A proposed resolution, sponsored by Councilwoman Kathy Walsh (R-Centereach), restricts the distance that bamboo can be from a property line.

"It does tend to travel," Walsh said in a phone interview. "We won't be able to go into someone's yard and tell them to remove it, but if it encroaches into the neighbor's yard we'll have law on books to tell them they have to remove it to the property line limitation that was adopted." ...

Walsh is hoping to set a public hearing on the bill at the Feb. 7 Town Board meeting.

The councilwoman is currently working with John Turner, who deals with environmental cases in the town's Planning Department, and Beth Riley from the Law Department, on the language of the law. Turner retired from his position at the Planning Department and was brought back as a part-time consultant. ...

Read the full story at link.

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Using a Wasp to Catch a Beetle: The Quest to Save Ash Trees

By Stone Ng

AudubonMagazine.org

For nearly a decade, a tiny alien menace, a beetle known as the emerald ash borer, has been destroying some of the nation’s most iconic native trees. Now researchers are honing a new method that uses wasps to ferret out these invasive beetles. The technique could help prevent the spreading of the emerald ash borer, as well as benefit other imperiled plants in the future, both in the U.S. and abroad. ...

Learn more at link.

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14th Annual SE-EPPC Conference and 10th Annual ALIPC Conference

Join in bringing you the Past, Present and Future of Invasive Plants in the Southeast

May 8-10, 2012
Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center
241 South College Street, Auburn, AL 36830

More information is available at http://www.se-eppc.org/2012/ .

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NEW Blight Ravages Boxwood

A new, aggressive, exotic disease called Boxwood Blight is now affecting all species of boxwood on Long Island and other areas of the US. If you live on Long Island and see bare twigs on your boxwood this winter, send a sample to the LI Horticultural Research & Extension Center at 3059 Sound Ave. Riverhead / 631-727-3595 to ID the pathogen and slow the spread of this serious disease. Non-commercial samples can be brought to CCE-Suffolk Diagnostic Lab at 423 Griffing Ave. Riverhead / 631-727-7850. For more info. click Boxwood Blight Cornell Fact Sheet 2012.

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January 19, 2011

2012-01-19T10:46:00.006-05:00

Lifeform of the week: The mystery of the monk parakeets

By Alex Reshanov
EarthSky

Feral green parrots are living all over the United States. Where did they come from? How did they get here? And don’t they get cold in the winter?

A friend in Brooklyn, New York, where I was living at the time, first drew my attention to the exotic, bright green birds that occasionally turned up in the neighborhood trees. Various legends fluttered around the misplaced parrots – they’d escaped from the zoo, from a pet store, from a crate bound for a pet store, and had managed to establish themselves in some nook of the Big Apple. The tales portrayed the birds as a single anomalous colony unique to a city itself renowned for uniqueness. Only in New York…

But after moving to Austin, I began to notice suspiciously similar birds, slightly better camouflaged against the greener scenery, but still a bit too tropical looking to blend in with the grackles and mourning doves that dominate the local bird-o-sphere.

It took minimal detective work to uncover that both cities’ green-feathered inhabitants were of the same species – Myiopsitta monachus, or monk parakeet. And they’re not isolated to Brooklyn and Austin either. Monk parakeets have made themselves at home in many parts of the U.S., including Chicago, New Jersey, Connecticut and, of course, reigning invasive species capital Florida. They’ve also been spotted in such far flung residences as Spain, Kenya and Japan, in addition to their original habitat in South America.

Despite being thoroughly adorable, the parrots are considered a nuisance in many of their adopted cities, and owning them as pets is now prohibited in some U.S. states. Who could be so cold-hearted as to find fault with such delightful green birds? The electric company, for one....

Read the full article at link.

Image Credit: Life Lenses

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82 snakehead caught by Maryland anglers in eradication contest

By Associated Press

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland anglers caught 82 snakeheads in a contest sponsored by the Department of Natural Resources to help eradicate the invasive species.

DNR says the 69 anglers were automatically entered into a drawing for prizes donated by contest sponsors....

Read the full story at link.

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The Dying [?] Art of Making Ash Wood Baskets

KATHRYN OLMSTEAD
Bangor Daily News

When Roldena Sanipass was a girl she watched her mother weave strips of brown ash into traditional Micmac baskets. She could be seen in the background, pounding ash or cleaning splints while her mother, well-known basket maker Mary Sanipass, demonstrated her craft, but she didn’t have the confidence to weave one herself until she was 20.

“It was something I lived with, grew up with. Mother and Dad did it all for us,” Roldena, 45, told an audience at the University of Maine at Presque Isle in November, explaining that Donald and Mary Sanipass of Presque Isle fed and clothed their family by selling their handmade baskets. “I was brought up with ash wood.”

Today, even though she creates everything from pack baskets to her signature miniature potato baskets, Roldena, an art and photography student at UMPI, does not see herself following in her mother’s footsteps. “The ash wood is dying along with the art,” she said.

One of five basket makers from Native tribes in the region on a Nov. 30 panel, “The Evolution of Basket Making: From Function to Art,” Roldena pinpointed a twin threat to the tradition of making ash baskets. Native basket weavers not only need to pass their skills on to the next generation, but also to protect the ash trees from a pest that has devastated the species in states west of Maine.

Called the emerald ash borer, the beetle hatches in the tops of trees and begins to defoliate them. By the time the damage is visible, the tree is too far gone to save....

Panelist Jennifer Neptune, 42, of the Penobscot Tribe on Indian Island is more optimistic. She explained in an interview that four or five years ago members of the Ojibway Tribe in Michigan warned basket makers in Maine to take precautions before the emerald ash borer reached Maine.

“We have time to plan for it,” she said, explaining that the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance is working with the University of Maine, the Maine Forest Service and the U.S. Forest Service to come up with a plan.

“Our goal is to keep [the borer] out of Maine,” she said. “Don’t move wood. Don’t bring firewood from out of state. Buy locally.”

One prevention effort conducted last spring, she explained, involved toll booth operators handing out Maine Forest Service literature about the borer to tourists and travelers entering Maine with wood from out of state.

The visitors at that point were asked to trade their firewood for wood grown in Maine.

“The impact [of the pest] is huge for basket makers, but also for the Maine environment,” she said. “People should be aware.”

Neptune is encouraged by Maine Forest Service tests using native wasps to provide early detection of emerald ash borers. The wasps (Cerceris fumitennis) hunt the beetles and bring them from the treetops to their nests on the ground where they can be identified.

“It’s like an early warning system,” she said, noting that the wasps tend to nest around ball fields. A nest was discovered in Dedham and scientists are trying to locate others.

“It’s definitely scary, but we are hopeful. We have more time than other states. We hope science can catch up with the beetle.”...

Read the full article at link.

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January 11, 2012

2012-01-11T11:57:00.002-05:00

Out of Odor: Offensive-Smelling Bugs Put U.S. Farmers on the Defensive

Pests Fly Among Crops, Nest in Homes; Scientists Battle Stinky 'Takeover'

By HEATHER HADDON
Wall Street Journal

Brian Biggins's life stinks.

The Maryland organic farmer is suffering from an infestation of stink bugs—crop-consuming pests emitting the odor of cilantro mixed with burned rubber and dirty socks. They began destroying his fields of peppers and tomatoes in 2010. Now, they've invaded his Adamstown home, where Mr. Biggins crushes them by hand and has trained his English Shepherd, Coadee, to eat them.

Still, thousands scurry across the floor of his farm house.

"For the love of God, my wife is the one I feel for the worst," says Mr. Biggins. "This is the kind of thing that you don't sign up for."

Stink bugs, Mr. Biggins's brown marmorated nemesis, infiltrated the U.S. as cargo ship stowaways from Asia about 15 years ago and have proliferated in the past two years. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the immigrants have spread to 36 states; trade groups say they were responsible for $37 million of damage to apple crops alone in 2010. ...

Read the full article at link.

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December 16, 2011

2011-12-16T11:05:00.001-05:00

Sag Harbor, New York Withdraws Bamboo Ban

Posted on 16 December 2011

Following both praise and criticism by Sag Harbor residents over a proposed law that would have banned bamboo in the village, on Tuesday night the Sag Harbor Village Board of Trustees voted to withdraw the legislation from consideration.

“I have been talking to different people and I think the best thing to do is to advise people not to plant invasive species,” said trustee Robby Stein, first suggesting the proposed legislation be tabled and then suggesting it be withdrawn completely.

The rest of the village board supported Stein unanimously, including Sag Harbor Mayor Brian Gilbride.

The legislation was originally introduced in September after the village board heard the pleas of resident Pat Field this summer. Field said she has done almost everything imaginable in an effort to kill bamboo spreading onto her Madison Street property from a neighbor’s yard. The bamboo, said Field, was threatening her very home.

Originally, the legislation targeted all invasive species of plants, but was quickly scaled back to address only bamboo. According to the last version of the draft law, if adopted residents would not have been allowed to have bamboo “planted, maintained or otherwise permitted to exist within 10-feet of any property line, street, sidewalk or public right of way.”

However, the legislation was criticized by some in the village — including homeowners facing a similar battle as Field — as being too far reaching for the local municipality, and potentially costly for village residents who bought properties that already contained bamboo.

“I think the discussion we have had was a great discussion, but it showed clearly this is a neighbor to neighbor issue and the bigger issue here is there are residents who have bamboo and have done everything right,” said Mayor Gilbride. “It is the encroachment onto neighbor’s properties that really needs to be addressed.”

Read the full story at link.

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December 12, 2011

2011-12-12T14:14:00.004-05:00

Vermont Noxious Weed Rule Additions Move Forward: Burning bush, Norway maple and others may be added to prohibited list

The long awaited proposed amendments to the Vermont Noxious Weed Rule (Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets Quarantine # 3 – Noxious Weeds) have been filed with the Vermont Secretary of State, and the Agency of Agriculture is inviting public comment on the rule and proposed changes. If adopted as proposed, the amendments will prohibit the sale of the following species:Norway maple (Acer platanoides), Common and Japanese Barberries (Berberis thunbergii and B. vulgaris), Burningbush (Euonymous alatus), Yellow flag iris (Iris pseudocorus), Amur maple (Acer ginnala) and European naiad (Najas minor).

As proposed, the rule prohibits sale of these species as of rule adoption, EXCEPT for those specimens already in wholesale and retail inventories within Vermont at the time of rule adoption. ...

Read the full story at link.

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December 9, 2011

2011-12-09T10:58:00.002-05:00

New Florida Invasive Species iPhone app

IveGot1 brings the power of EDDMapS to your iPhone. Now you can submit invasive species observations directly with your iPhone from the field. These reports are uploaded to EDDMapS and e-mailed directly to local and state verifiers for review. IveGot1 was developed by the University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health through a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service, in cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the University of Florida Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. IveGot1 is more than just an iPhone app, it is an integrated invasive species reporting and outreach campaign for Florida that includes the app, a website with direct access to invasive species reporting and a hotline 1-888-IVEGOT1 for instant reports of live animals.

See the new iPhone app at: link

The app is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad (requires iOS 4.3 or later).

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December 6, 2011

2011-12-06T14:13:00.004-05:00

New milfoil colony found on Lake Placid, New York

By CHRIS MORRIS, Adirondack Daily Enterprise

LAKE PLACID - Shore owners have found a new milfoil colony on Lake Placid.

Lake Placid Shore Owners Association President Mark Wilson said two members of his group were out kayaking last month when they discovered a swath of variable-leaf milfoil near "False Outlet," which flows in and out of Brewster Bay.

This new colony is located right around the corner from Paradox Bay, where divers from Aquatic Invasive Management removed an infestation in July 2009.

Wilson said AIM and shore owners have identified seven plants within a 50-square-foot area. AIM's co-owner, Tommy Thomson, told the Enterprise the new infestation was likely caused by a fragment that got loose when his crews were mitigating the Paradox Bay colony.

"It took a couple of years for it to be noticed," he said. "We swam through last year and didn't find anything."...

Wilson said he reached out to North Elba town Supervisor Roby Politi and Lake Placid village Mayor Craig Randall. He said he wants to discuss the next steps for mitigating the new infestation, and keep the town and the village updated on actions taken by the Shore Owners Association...

Read the full story at link.

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November 28, 2011

2011-11-28T09:35:00.002-05:00

Invasive species are a blight on U.S. landscape

By Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY

America is under siege — not by a foreign power, but by invasive species slowly working their way across the nation, leaving a sometimes-devastated and often-changed landscape in their wake.

Just as Dutch elm disease from Asia removed an iconic tree from the American landscape beginning in the 1940s, the emerald ash borer may conquer the ash tree in coming years. West Nile virus from Africa killed 57 Americans last year. And work crews often encounter giant Burmese pythons in South Florida.

The latest addition to the list of non-native creepy-crawlies is the hairy crazy ant. The tiny foragers are believed to have come from South America. They first got to the Caribbean in the late 19th century and are working their way through Florida and the Southeast...

Read the full story at link.

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November 23, 2011

2011-11-23T10:37:00.002-05:00

Invasive plants endanger fragile ecosystem

By Joe Roetz, NBC2 Reporter

COLLIER COUNTY -

One of Florida's most dangerous predators doesn't have teeth, claws or the ability to attack people. At the same time, it's strangling native plants and driving away native animals.

Michael Knight and Jonathan Nash are scientists from the Audubon Society who spend their days in the Everglades hunting invasive, non-native plants...

Watch the video here.

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November 21, 2011

2011-11-21T13:26:00.003-05:00

Ecologist honored for creating Weed Warriors program to fight invasive species

By Associated Press, Published: November 19

ROCKVILLE, Md. — A Montgomery County ecologist is a weed warrior, and she wants you to be one as well.

The U.S. Forest Service and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay have honored ecologist Carole Bergmann for creating the Weed Warrior program, which trains volunteers to eliminate invasive plant species.

County officials say the program has trained more than 700 volunteers, who assist park staff in finding and removing invasive plants. Volunteers receive two hours of field training with a forest ecologist and complete an online course. The training consists of plant identification, removal and control techniques...

Online: Montgomery County Weed Warrior Program

Read the full story at link.

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Canadians push back against NY ballast rules

Invasive species: Critics say regulations will hurt Seaway traffic

By MARC HELLER
TIMES WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT

WASHINGTON — A top Canadian transportation official visits New York today to try to rally opposition to the state’s tough new restrictions on ballast water in the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Pierre Poilievre, the parliamentary secretary to the minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, said he plans to meet with “decision makers” and shipping industry representatives to corral opposition to New York’s ballast standard, aimed at keeping invasive species out of the Seaway but which shippers say could effectively shut down the international waterway.

“We do not believe the Seaway can remain open” if the rules are implemented as planned in 2013, Mr. Poilievre told reporters in a news conference call. “If New York goes ahead with these regulations, the economic damage would be massive”...

Read the full story at link.

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November 156, 2011

2011-11-16T12:47:00.005-05:00

The Norway Maple: New York's Ultimate Weed

Peak season for most foliage may be past but now it's time to take notice of this invasive tree, writes environmentalist David Bedell.

November is leaf season in New York state, and we are all understandably busy with the leaves at our feet. With peak foliage long past, this isn't normally time to take stock of the leaves still in the trees. This week in particular, though, is just right for looking up: What you see will illustrate very clearly how much one invasive tree is impacting our community.

The Norway maple is one of New York's ultimate weeds. Imported from Europe, it is a large tree whose leaves are very similar to the native sugar maple. The Norway maple has, unfortunately, a few characteristics which make it invasive -- destroying native ecosystems, causing trouble in yards and gardens, and creating visual blight. The tree's dense canopy shades out virtually all other plants and its roots secrete chemicals that inhibit the growth of competitors. It spreads prolifically to form pure stands that are completely opague. If you have a spot in your lawn where grass will not grow, there is a good chance the Norway maple growing overhead is responsible. The dense canopy blocks views that a native tree's more open canopy would preserve. And most insidious, the diversity and function of our local natural places is replaced with a sterile monotony...

Read the full story at link.

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Maryland investigating invasive Deep Creek Lake aquatic plant

Associated Press

OAKLAND — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources said Tuesday it is taking a closer look at an invasive aquatic plant in Deep Creek Lake that some area residents say could strangle the boating opportunities that make the mountain reservoir a tourist magnet.

Agency officials said at a public meeting that they will assess the distribution of Eurasian water milfoil across the entire lake over the next year and advise property owners on how to limit its effects.

“We realize that there’s been a lot of concern over the last year. People are complaining that it’s exploding over the lake,” said Bruce D. Michael, director of resource assessment.

The weed, called EWM for short, is a green, leafy plant with long, slender stalks. It grows in water up to 20 feet deep and forms dense mats that can entangle swimmers and hinder boats. It first arrived in Wisconsin in the 1960s and has become a nuisance nationwide.

Michael said EWM is found in virtually all Maryland lakes and the Chesapeake Bay but it only becomes a problem when it overruns other types of aquatic vegetation.

When that happens, Michael said, “there is no easy answer. We’re not going to be able to eradicate it.”

Some states have used herbicides to control EWM, and Wisconsin is experimenting with a bug, the milfoil weevil, that eats it...

Michael said a survey of six coves — a relatively small number — showed no expansion of EWM from 2010 to 2011.

Read the full story at link.

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Ballast Regulations Pass U.S. House Vote

By Sarah Kellogg

The U.S. House approved legislation today that would establish a national standard for cleaning ship ballast water to kill aquatic invasive species, but environmentalists say the legislation is too weak to prevent new foreign species from invading the Great Lakes.

The ballast water language was included in a measure that would authorize the U.S. Coast Guard through 2014, providing some $26 billion dollars in funding to keep the service afloat over the next three years. The legislation, which was passed on a voice vote, now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

New Ballast Rule Would Override Stricter Regulations

The ballast water provision would override stricter tribal, state and federal regulations, allowing ships on the lakes to comply with a single national standard rather than having to accommodate a patchwork of more than two dozen tribal and state rules as they move through the Great Lakes waters. Enactment of this legislation would preempt efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard to impose tougher national ballast water rules.

Under the bill, the federal government would adopt the International Maritime Organization's proposed standard, which would require vessel operators to install technology to limit the number of live organisms in their ballast water.

Read the full story at link.

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November 10, 2011

2011-11-10T09:51:00.003-05:00

The pollinator crisis: What's best for bees

Pollinating insects are in crisis. Understanding bees' relationships with introduced species could help.

By Sharon Levy
www.nature.com

Bees thrum among bright red blossoms on a spring day on Mount Diablo, near San Francisco Bay. Alexandra Harmon-Threatt, a young ecologist just finishing her doctorate at the University of California, Berkeley, lovingly identifies an array of native pollinators. She points out three species of bumblebee, each with a unique pattern of black and yellow stripes. There are bee-flies, members of the fly family covered in soft brown fur, which look and act like bees. Among the native insects are plenty of honeybees (Apis mellifera), the species raised by beekeepers worldwide and introduced to the Americas by English settlers in the seventeenth century. All these insects are drawn to a clump of red vetch (Vicia villosa), an invasive weed. Just down the road is a patch of native lupins, laden with purple blossoms. But the lupins bloom in silence: no bees attend them.

For the past three years, Harmon-Threatt has been studying the ways in which the native yellow-faced bumblebee (Bombus vosnesenskii) uses the plants growing in the area. By capturing bees as they visit plants and then sampling the pollen they carry, she has confirmed in unpublished work that they get much of their food from introduced plants. And by analysing the amino-acid content of pollen, Harmon-Threatt has shown that bee foraging behaviour can be driven by a craving for nutrients rather than an evolved attachment to a specific plant. Although many conservationists assume that introduced plants are always destructive, her work shows that it's not necessarily so from a bee's point of view. What matters to most bee species is the abundance and quality of pollen — and if an introduced plant, such as the red vetch, offers more protein-rich food than the natives around it, the bees will collect its pollen.

Harmon-Threatt is one of a growing group of scientists studying the evolving relationships between native bees and introduced plants. Their work is critical in a world where human actions have dramatically shifted the distributions of plants and are forcing a pollinator crisis...

Read the full story at link.

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Officials demonstrate 'Marsh Master,' whack fire-prone phragmites on Staten Island

By Judy L. Randall
www.silive.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- What’s taxicab yellow, weighs 6,000 pounds but can stay afloat in water by virtue of pontoon-like treads and boasts an 8-foot blade?

Apparently the answer to prayers of Oakwood Beach residents and other Staten Islanders, whose homes and property abut fire-prone phragmites that threaten their safety.

Called a Marsh Master, the noisy hunk of aluminum cut a wide swath through 9-foot-high phragmites on dead-end Kissam Avenue today, site of a 2009 Easter Sunday fire that ravaged homes.

The Marsh Master — which Dmytryszyn likened to a "modified lawnmower" — is on loan for two days from the Walkill National Wildlife Refuge in Sussex, N.J., in a city, state and federal government arrangement brokered by Borough Hall for demonstration purposes.

Dmystyszyn said Borough Hall will seek a federal grant in the range of $50,000 to enter into a contract with the National Parks Service to cut down phragmites every three months for the next two to three years in a pilot project, beginning this spring...

Read the full story at link.

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November 8, 2011

2011-11-08T13:11:00.002-05:00

Integrated Management of Nonnative Plants in Natural Areas of Florida

by K. A. Langeland, J. A. Ferrell, B. Sellers, G. E. MacDonald, and R. K. Stocker

Available here.

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Let them eat carp: Illinois to feed pest fish to the poor

By JIM GALLAGHER

What do you do with a bony, ugly, jumpy, fat, fugitive fish that's taken over the Mississippi and Illinois rivers and threatens the ecology of the Great Lakes?

Grind them into fish sticks and feed them to the poor.

That's the latest strategy from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in its tussle with the Asian carp. The department plans to process tons of the fish and donate it to food banks, including the St. Louis Area Food Bank.

"We'll filet them and pull the bones out and turn them into fish sticks, or the equivalent of canned tuna," says Tom Main, acting deputy director at the DNR. "The fish actually taste pretty good."

Main has a lot of dead fish on his hands. The state pays commercial fishermen to pull Asian carp out of the northern Illinois River. It's in effort to keep them out of the canal and rivers that connect to Lake Michigan, which is, so far, nearly Asian-carp-free.

"We've pulled out 150 tons just this year," he says.

Great Lakes states fear that the carp may wreak havoc on the lakes' fishing industry, as its already done on rivers farther south...

Read more at link.

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November 4, 2011

2011-11-04T11:19:00.002-04:00

Ballast standard up for vote

BY JOHN FLESHER
AP environmental writer

TRAVERSE CITY --Environmentalists tried to rally opposition Thursday to a proposed national policy for cleansing ship ballast water to kill invasive species, contending it is too weak and would pre-empt stronger state and federal rules.

The U.S. House was expected to vote as early as today on the measure, which comes as the Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to release its own regulations of ship ballast — a leading culprit in the spread of invaders such as zebra and quagga mussels in the Great Lakes and ocean coastal waters.

Sponsored by Rep. Frank LoBiondo, a New Jersey Republican, the bill would adopt a standard proposed by the International Maritime Organization limiting the number of live organisms that would be permitted in ballast water. Vessel operators would have to install technology to meet the standard.

The shipping industry has pushed for a single nationwide policy, saying the current patchwork of more than two dozen state and tribal regulatory systems is unworkable because vessels move constantly from one jurisdiction to another...

Environmental groups said the bill would prevent the EPA and the U.S. Coast Guard, which is also developing ballast rules, from imposing standards tough enough to make sure no more exotic species reach the Great Lakes.

About two-thirds of the 185 invasive species in the lakes are believed to have arrived in ballast water. They've done billions in damages and are implicated in a variety of ecological problems, from runaway algae blooms to a shortage of plankton crucial for the aquatic food web...

Read the full story at link.

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November 2, 2011

2011-11-02T11:29:00.006-04:00

Bug Battle: An Invasive Plant Now Faces Its Own Attacker

Insects From Asia Munch on Kudzu, a Vine That Has Grown on Some

By VALERIE BAUERLEIN
The Wall Street Journal

GRIFFIN, Ga.—Patti Bennett was looking out the window of her home office one morning two years ago when a swarm of green bugs flew out of the neighboring kudzu patch.

"I thought, 'What the hell is that headed at my house?' It was like a horror movie," says Ms. Bennett, a 53-year-old insurance underwriter who lives about an hour from Atlanta. She killed hundreds of bugs with spray, while thousands more released a musty, bittersweet odor in defense.

She scooped some bugs into a Tupperware container of alcohol and handed them to the local Home Depot specialist, an exterminator and a county agricultural agent.

Ms. Bennett was one of the first people in the South to report seeing Megacopta cribraria, an insect native to Asia that likely stowed away on a flight in 2009 and entered the U.S. through Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, entomologists say.

Often a new bug brings nothing but bites and headaches for entomologists who race to limit the damage. But battle lines are being drawn over Megacopta cribraria.

The bug, which has spread from North Carolina to Alabama, kills kudzu—a picturesque but pesky green vine that was itself an Asian import. Over the next decade, the bug could munch up to a third of the eight million acres of the kudzu that blankets the South, says James L. Hanula, an invasive plant specialist with the U.S. Forest Service in Athens, Ga....

Research on the kudzu bug has trumped fire-ant and pecan weevil projects at the quiet Griffin campus. "We have an insect that had not been reported in the New World," Mr. Gardner says. "Many entomologists go through their career and never have that experience."

The bugs have recently started venturing out of kudzu patches as they seek places to hibernate for winter. In Georgia, the bugs have been smashing into windshields, lighting on exterior walls and smelling up soccer games and outdoor parties....

Read the full story at link.

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Invasive Plant Distribution Maps - Northern Region

Posted: 02 Nov 2011 12:18 PM PDT

Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center --

The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the USDA Forest Service has created a series of downloadable invasive plant distribution maps for its Northern Region (includes 24 states). The distributions on these maps portray the spatial distribution of the plants based on observations from the FIA program. Check out our Plant Species Profiles which now includes this data.

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Loopholes in the regulation of invasive species: genetic identifications identify mislabeling of prohibited aquarium plants

Ryan A. Thum, Amanda T. Mercer and Dustin J. Wcisel

Biological Invasions Online First™, 31 October 2011

Abstract

Numerous invasive aquatic species introductions can be traced to the aquarium trade. Many potentially harmful aquarium species may be difficult to identify based on morphology alone. As such, some prohibited or invasive species may be available for purchase if they are mislabeled as species without restrictions. Here we compare molecular identifications to internet vendors’ identifications for accessions of a popular genus of aquarium plants that are difficult to distinguish morphologically (Myriophyllum; watermilfoils). Specifically, we identified the extensive mislabeling of M. heterophyllum—an invasive species in the northeastern and western US. Furthermore, genotypes of M. heterophyllum found in our aquarium survey have also been found in invasive populations, suggesting their potential introduction through escape from aquaria, water gardens, or nurseries. Two additional taxa were sold under incorrect names. Finally, our survey revealed that Myriophyllum taxa present in the aquarium trade generally have poorly known distributions and ecologies, and therefore their invasive potential is unknown. Our study confirms that molecular identification methods can provide a valuable tool to survey commercial pathways for potentially harmful species that are otherwise difficult to identify.

Keywords Aquarium trade – Myriophyllum – Taxonomy – Invasion – Water gardening – ITS

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November 1, 2011

2011-11-01T10:57:00.003-04:00

Atlantic Salmon returning to central New York’s Salmon River

Associated Press

PULASKI, N.Y. (AP) — Native Atlantic salmon are once again reproducing in the wild in central New York’s renowned Salmon River, where anglers travel from across North America and overseas every autumn to reel in hatchery-bred Atlantics as well as non-native chinooks, cohos, brown trout and feisty steelheads that swim upstream from Lake Ontario.

After more than a century without a wild-breeding population, this is the third year in a row that researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey have found young Atlantic salmon in the river, said USGS scientist Jim Johnson. When the young mature, eggs will be taken from some to propagate at the USGS research lab in Cortland, he said...

Lake Ontario once supported the world’s largest freshwater population of Atlantic salmon. But the fish vanished in the late 1800s as a result of overfishing and habitat destruction. Government agencies in the U.S. and Canada have maintained an Atlantic salmon fishery by the annual stocking of millions of hatchery fish, but the fish haven’t been able to reproduce in the wild because of a thiamine deficiency caused by eating alewives, an invasive species. Alewives contain an enzyme that destroys thiamine, also known as Vitamin B1.

“After Atlantic salmon and lake trout were extirpated, there was no longer a major predator to eat the alewives in Lake Ontario and the population exploded,” said Fran Verdoliva, Salmon River program coordinator for the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Pacific salmon — chinook and coho — were brought in from hatcheries to control the alewife population in Lake Ontario in 1968, and brown and steelhead trout were added in the 1970s.

“The sport fishery developed out of what started as biological control of invasive species,” Verdoliva said...

It’s unclear why Atlantic salmon are now reproducing in the wild, but a decline in the number of alewives coupled with a rise in numbers of another invasive species called the round goby may have something to do with it.

“Gobies are high in thiamine,” Verdoliva said. When salmon eat gobies, it may increase their thiamine level, countering the ill-effect of alewives, he said...

Read the full story at link.

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See an interesting slide show about Common Reed in the Southeastern US by Bill Overholt et al. at link.

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October 31, 2011

2011-10-31T10:43:00.004-04:00

West Nile Virus Linked To American Robin

By Kaitlin Vogel
www.thirdage.com

The deadly West Nile virus that has killed five Californians this summer and sickened another 197 began with the infection of a species that thrives around people: the American Robin.

This shocking discovery was made by UC Santa Cruz biologist Marm Kilpatrick. He calls these birds “super-spreaders” because its numbers have increased along with the popularity of lawns at homes, parks and schoolyards. And although the virus can infect a wide range of animals, the robin seems to play the most major role in transmission.

"Just like other invasive species, the virus starts adapting to its new environment," Kilpatrick said, The Oakland Tribune reports.

Research shows after the virus arrived in New York in 1999, it began evolving to create a new and distinct strain. More than 1.8 million people have since become infected in North America, with about 360,000 sicknesses and 1,308 deaths, according to Kilpatrick.

The average American tends not to worry about the outbreak of exotic diseases across the world. However, the nation's leading health officials are becoming more concerned. Migrating birds fly across North America, carrying disease with them. As a result, medical and agricultural inspectors are always on the lookout to spot new threats...

Read the full story at link.

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CBS Sunday Morning Features Invasive Species

Watch it here: link

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16-Foot-Long Burmese Python Devours 76-Pound Deer

By Katie Kindelan
abcnews.go.com

When it came to eating his last meal, a 16-foot-long Burmese python in South Florida did not mess around.

The humongous, slithering snake devoured a 76-pound female deer right before the snake was captured and killed last Thursday in western Miami-Dade County in the Everglades.

Workers from the South Florida Water Management District came across the surprising, and surprisingly large, discovery on Thursday as they were removing non-native plants from a tree island.

Officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission captured and killed the python, one of the largest ever found in South Florida, with a shotgun.

The deer was reportedly already dead when the snake consumed it. Autopsy results showed the python had a girth of 44 inches after eating the deer, found still fully intact, inside his belly...

Read the full story at link

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2011-10-25T12:40:00.008-04:00

There's trouble in the bat cave

By Dan Ashe
The Sacramento Bee

It's October, which means that bats are once again having their annual star turn, popping up on classroom bulletin boards and store windows across America. But this year, actual living bats in North America aren't so abundant. They are being decimated by a deadly health epidemic.

The disease causing this die-off is called white-nose syndrome, and it is infecting hibernating bat populations across the Eastern states. In the four years since it was first detected, white-nose syndrome has spread quickly from a cave in upstate New York, the epicenter, to 16 states and four Canadian provinces. It has killed more than 1 million bats.

Biologists in New York first started to notice dead and dying bats with unusual symptoms in 2007. Named for a fuzzy white fungus that often grows on the muzzles, wings and tail membranes of infected bats, white-nose syndrome had never been seen in North America. As winter wore on, more and more bats were affected by the disease, and biologists watched helplessly as the bats prematurely left their caves and died in droves in the ice and snow in the Northeast.

Scientists worked quickly to identify the culprit, a newly found fungus associated with the disease, Geomyces destructans. European biologists noticed that many bats also had a white fungus but they were not dying. Genetic comparison confirmed North American and European fungi were a match.

Scientists hypothesize that the fungus was accidentally introduced into the New York cave by a human, and American bats, unlike their European counterparts, have little or no resistance to the disease.

Exact reasons are unknown. Physical differences may play a role (European bats tend to be bigger). It's also possible that European bats co-evolved with the fungus, allowing them to develop resistance, or that environmental differences cause the fungus to behave differently in North America.

Global travel has made the introduction of foreign plants, animals and pathogens as easy as dropping anchor or hopping on a plane. Importers, anglers, explorers and even gardeners can easily transport invasive pathogens on clothing and footwear, or in shipments of goods...

Read more at link.

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ScienceShot: Case Closed on Bat Fungus

by Daniel Strain

A potential bat killer is guilty as charged. Scientists say they've finally fingered the culprit behind the deadly bat disease known as white nose syndrome: the fungus Geomyces destructans. Disease experts had previously cultured the fungus from the white dustings that cover the noses and wings of infected bats. But it wasn't clear whether the potential pathogen was the main cause of the epidemic, which has spread plaguelike throughout the northeastern United States, or just a side effect. In a study published online today [October 26, 2011] in Nature, researchers spread G. destructans samples onto healthy little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), and all developed tell-tale lesions within several months...

Read the full story at link.

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Ash borer found in trap in southern Albany County, New York

Associated Press

ALBANY -- State officials say an emerald ash borer has been found in a southern Albany County trap, the first discovered north of a major infestation in the Hudson Valley.

Michael Bopp, a Department of Environmental Conservation spokesman, says Tuesday the destructive beetle was stuck to a purple trap in Selkirk...

Read more at link.

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October 19, 2011

2011-10-19T12:27:00.002-04:00

Hard-to-kill 'beach kudzu' threatens sea turtles, native plants

Funding may doom war on leafy invader

By Bo Petersen
bpetersen[at]postandcourier.com

Less than a decade ago, very few people had heard of beach vitex. But it infested the Lowcountry [of South Carolina].

The ornamental planting was carpeting dunes like kudzu, sending runners down the beach where the tide could pick up tens of thousands of seeds and move them somewhere else. Vitex was eroding dunes and killing sea turtle hatchlings and native plants, such as sea oats and seabeach amaranth.

The stuff had infested more than 200 spots along the length of the coast, including the dunes of homes on Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island and Folly Beach. Its purple flowers are gorgeous. It smells like eucalyptus. So even the people who were planting it as dune landscaping had no idea anything was wrong.

Beach vitex is now under control but not eradicated. The task force created to do that job, though, has run out of funding and effectively will cease at the end of the year. In the spring, sprouts will turn up on some dunes, even on beaches where the plant has been cleared. What happens then nobody can say for sure...

Read the full story at link.

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October 18, 2011

2011-10-18T10:50:00.002-04:00

US food supply threatened: Foreign insects, diseases got into US post 9/11

By TRACIE CONE
Associated Press

FRESNO, Calif. — Dozens of foreign insects and plant diseases slipped undetected into the United States in the years after 9/11, when authorities were so focused on preventing another attack that they overlooked a pest explosion that threatened the quality of the nation's food supply.

At the time, hundreds of agricultural scientists responsible for stopping invasive species at the border were reassigned to anti-terrorism duties in the newly formed Homeland Security Department — a move that scientists say cost billions of dollars in crop damage and eradication efforts from California vineyards to Florida citrus groves.

The consequences come home to consumers in the form of higher grocery prices, substandard produce and the risk of environmental damage from chemicals needed to combat the pests.

An Associated Press analysis of inspection records found that border-protection officials were so engrossed in stopping terrorists that they all but ignored the country's exposure to destructive new insects and infections — a quietly growing menace that has been attacking fruits and vegetables and even prized forests ever since...

Using the Freedom of Information Act, The Associated Press obtained data on border inspections covering the period from 2001 to 2010.

The analysis showed that the number of inspections, along with the number of foreign species that were stopped, fell dramatically in the years after the Homeland Security Department was formed.

Over much of the same period, the number of crop-threatening pests that got into the U.S. spiked, from eight in 1999 to at least 30 last year...

Read the full story at link.

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October 6, 2011

2011-10-06T10:08:00.006-04:00

STATEN ISLAND DELEGATION ANNOUNCES PASSAGE OF PHRAGMITES FIRE PREVENTION BILL

The New York State Senate and Assembly passed legislation that will help protect the residents of Staten Island from phragmites fueled fires. The bill (S.4377/A.7463), authored by Senator Andrew Lanza and Assemblyman Michael Cusick, requires the Department of Environmental Conservation to establish a residential fire break permit for the borough of Staten Island, and allows property owners to cut and remove phragmites from their property. The entire Staten Island delegation cosponsors the legislation.

"For too long, DEC was more concerned with protecting these non-native invasive weeds then they were about enacting policies that protect residents and their property,” said Senator Lanza. “This bill will prevent the DEC from thwarting property owners the right to protect their property. Homeowners should not have to ask permission to protect their homes and lives. This bill will empower private homeowners with the ability to remove this dangerous weed from their properties without waiting on the ‘OK’ from DEC.”

“This is common-sense legislation,” said Assemblyman Michael Cusick. “Property owners have the right to diminish fire-starting risks that pose a threat to their homes. This is about the safety of our citizens and our community.”

“DEC policies and the weeds’ propensity for fueling summer fires put the lives and property of Staten Islanders in jeopardy while forcing local first responders to risk their safety to battle these often fierce blazes,” said Assemblyman Lou Tobacco. “By allowing homeowners to remove this hazard from their property and by replanting our wetlands with native vegetation, our legislation will greatly reduce summer fires and protect the lives and property of Staten Island homeowners.”

"I am happy we were finally able to pass common sense legislation to fix a situation that for many residents of Staten Island has become a nuisance and a danger,” said Senator Diane Savino. “Hopefully this legislation will give the residents of South Beach and others around the Island a new tool for fighting brush fires."

Assemblyman Titone said, “During the summer months dangerous brush fires fueled by phragmites are all too frequent on Staten Island. Allowing our residents to create a fire break is a common sense approach to saving homes and reducing risk to our first responders.”

"As a representative of Staten Island's east shoreline, I have seen my district suffer from brush fires as a result of these dangerous weeds time and time again. With this law, homeowners will now be able to protect their property and lives," said Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R,C-East Shore). "This legislation is a true victory for the people of Staten Island, and its passage is a perfect example of the wonderful things that our delegation can accomplish when we work together.

The legislation was signed by the governor on Aug. 3 and expires Dec. 31, 2012.

Read a press release at link.

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City Closes Cayuga Inlet in New York Due to Hydrilla

By Laura Shepard
The Cornell Daily Sun

Mayor Carolyn Peterson closed the Cayuga Inlet to all boat traffic and declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in order to eradicate hydrilla, an invasive plant that officials worry will spread to Lake Cayuga, by applying an herbicide.

Hydrilla was first sighted in the inlet on Aug. 4 and has already covered 95 acres of waterways in the City of Ithaca, including Cascadilla Creek and State Marine Park. Some areas are completely covered in dense plant material, according to the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s website.

Shutting down the lake will prepare the inlet for herbicide treatment and help to prevent the plant from spreading, according to Prof. Holly Menninger, natural resources. Menninger is a senior Extension associate and coordinator of the New York Invasive Species Research Institute.

“It’s important to get boats to stop moving, and the only way to do that is to shut down the inlet,” said Roxy Johnston, watershed coordinator for the City of Ithaca.

Johnston said that boat owners inadvertently transport hydrilla by cutting and fragmenting the plant, enabling it to spread faster....

Reactions to the inlet closure were mixed. Some officials said they wish the city closed the inlet earlier.

“It’s about time, isn’t it?” said Wade Wykstra, commissioner of the Board of Public Works and chair of the Ownership Committee for the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Plant, who is also running for mayor. “The use of herbicide makes me nervous, but I also have an idea of the harm hydrilla will do, not just to Cayuga Lake, but to all of the lakes. I know what the herbicide is and, in this case, I trust the judgement of the people who’ve decided to use it.”

According to Johnston, some believe that if the city had taken action earlier, boat owners would not have had to struggle with the decision to voluntarily comply.

Some boat owners will have to reschedule plans to move their boats to marinas at the north end of Cayuga Lake, Menninger said.

“[Hydrilla] affects all of the marinas in town in terms of being able to do business, and not in a good way,” said Dennis Montgomery, the owner of two businesses operating out of the Ithaca Boating Center.

Read the full story at link.

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September 29, 2011

2011-09-29T12:39:00.005-04:00

Invasive sea squirt puts Connecticut's shellfish sector on alert

By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com

The invasive sea squirt Styela clava has appeared along the Eastern Seaboard and is threatening Connecticut’s USD 30 million shellfish business, informed Carmela Cuomo, head of the marine biology programme at the University of New Haven (UNH).

The migration of the foreign pest southward from Canada and northern New England jeopardizes the farming of bivalves such as clams, mussels, scallops and oysters in Long Island Sound.

Connecticut’s shellfish industry provides 300 jobs and has 70,000 ac of shellfish farms, according to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.

“The spread of this particular species of sea squirt westward in Long Island Sound, along with laboratory studies of its temperature tolerance, indicates it can survive at higher water temperatures than scientists had previously believed,” Cuomo said. “If further testing confirms that Styela can reproduce in warmer waters, Styela may pose a greater threat than has previously been imagined and may even be able to spread as far south as Florida.” ...

Read the full story at link.

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September 16, 2011

2011-09-13T19:51:00.004-04:00

Kudzu bug spreads across Southern states

Sharon Dowdy, News Editor UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences
www.ugaextension.org

Almost two years ago, a tiny immigrant pest arrived in Georgia, and there’s nothing the state’s immigration office can do to make it leave. The bean plataspid, or kudzu bug, munches on kudzu and soybeans and has now set up residence in four Southern states.

Homeowners consider the bug a nuisance. Soybean producers shudder at the damage it causes. And many are hoping it will prove to be a kudzu killer.

Spreading problem

The kudzu bug was first spotted in Georgia in the fall of 2009 when insect samples were sent to the University of Georgia Homeowner Insect and Weed Diagnostic Laboratory in Griffin, Ga. The first samples came from UGA Cooperative Extension agents in Barrow, Gwinnett and Jackson counties.

“The bug can now be found in 143 Georgia counties, all South Carolina counties, 42 North Carolina counties and 5 Alabama counties,” said Wayne Gardner, an entomologist with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Last fall, Gardner had to search repeatedly to find the pest in kudzu patches in north Georgia. “Those areas are loaded with bugs this year,” he said.

By studying the pest for the past year, Gardner has determined wisteria, green beans and other legumes are the bug’s true hosts in the landscapes and home gardens. A plant becomes a true host of the insect when different life stages of the insect are found on the plant, he said...

No one seems to mind if the bugs take out a 1,000 or so acres of kudzu. But are they?

“We found the bug caused a 32 percent reduction in kudzu growth last year in the plots we monitored,” said Jim Hanula, an entomologist with the USDA Forest Service. He monitored the bug on kudzu plots in Athens, Ga., for the past year.

This may sound like reason to celebrate, but kudzu roots can grow as deep as 12 feet and weigh up to 300 pounds, Hanula said.

“We’re hopeful that feeding by the bug year after year will deplete those roots and weaken the plants,” he said. If the bug’s effect is cumulative, kudzu plants will likely weaken, and patches won’t be as thick.

“Hopefully, the bug will reduce kudzu’s ability to climb, which would be good for forestry,” he said.

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New Invasive Aquatic Plant Confirmed In New York Lake

Pat Bradley
WAMC

ITHACA, NY (WAMC) - Hydrilla has been confirmed in the inlet to Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes. The water weed is native to Asia and was brought to the U.S. in the 1950's when aquarium contents were dumped in Florida. Since then it has aggressively spread thru eastern waterways. Cornell Cooperative Extension Invasive Species Program Coordinator Chuck O'Neill says hydrilla is in Suffolk and Orange counties, but it's discovery in Cayuga is the northernmost sighting. State and local officials met in mid-August to discuss the scope of the infestation of hydrilla and what rapid response options need to be taken. Again Chuck O'Neill. Another concern is that hydrilla is often confused with native water plants. Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program Director Hilary Smith says that's an obstacle for control of the weed. Hilary Smith says hydrilla has been on the radar for years as a possible invasive of concern. Scientists say boaters can prevent the spread of hydrilla by draining and cleaning boats and gear when leaving any waterbody.

Read the full story at link.

Invasive Species Clearinghouse © Copyright 2011, WAMC

Ausust 22, 2011

2011-08-22T10:03:00.002-04:00

Hogweed Invades Woodstock, NY

By Julia Reischel
Watershed Post

Bad news just in from CRISP -- the Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership: The dreaded giant hogweed plant has officially been found in Woodstock.

The invasive weed can grow up to 15 feet tall and its sap causes caustic burns on human skin. It's been advancing across the Catskills, but hadn't been found in Ulster County until now.

Read the full story at link.

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August 18, 2011

2011-08-18T10:48:00.002-04:00

Swallow-wort Biocontrols Pass Test

by MARY WOODSEN
Northeastern IPM Center

Entomologists Richard Casagrande and Heather Faubert helped rid a Rhode Island farm of cypress spurge, an invasive weed, in the late 1990s. The spurge is a pretty thing but a thug nonetheless, and poisonous to cattle. Their weapon: a cadre of hungry beetles, biocontrol agents so keyed into spurge they won’t eat anything else.

“Then,” says Casagrande (Univ. of Rhode Island), “along came swallow-wort.” Now Casagrande is leading a team to help find biocontrol foes to take on swallow-wort, research backed by Northeast IPM Partnership funds.
A menace to monarchs

Swallow-wort is ornery enough to land two botanical monikers. Vincetoxicum spells it out: this plant is poisonous. And Cynanchum means “dog strangler” or “to choke a dog”: take your pick. But swallow-wort has acquired new meaning in the Northeast. This rampant invasive smothers small trees and native toughies like goldenrod, practically swallowing them whole.

Because swallow-wort is related to native milkweeds, Casagrande’s grad student Jennifer Dacey wanted to see how well swallow-wort could provide for monarch butterflies. Results: 100 percent of monarch larva died when hatching on black swallow-wort. “They stopped eating after a single bite,” says Casagrande...

Working off a TAG (technical advisory group) test-plant list approved by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Casagrande’s team examined five possible biocontrol specialists in their quarantine lab, including two moths that evolved to feed on swallow-wort leaves. The researchers wanted to be sure these biocontrol insects wouldn’t jump to plants on the TAG list, since the last thing anyone wants is a new pest dominating the landscape...

The TAG list includes, naturally, most native milkweed relatives and even their sixth cousins. “Luckily, none of our native plants are closely related to swallow-wort,” says Casagrande. “That makes it a great candidate for classical biological control.” ...

Results? Both leaf-eating moths “passed the acid test,” says Casagrande. But isn’t it risky to welcome in guests who die when the serving platter is empty? Considering how rampant swallow-wort is, these two could be fat and happy for many years to come. Next steps? Strategizing with U.S. and Canadian colleagues on best practices for releasing this deadly duo.

Read the full article at link.

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August 15, 2011

2011-08-15T19:24:00.002-04:00

Zebra mussels spread in western Massachusetts

By Clarence Fanto, Berkshire Eagle Staff

Wednesday August 10, 2011

Zebra mussels have been detected in the Housatonic River as far downstream from Laurel Lake in Lee as the Connecticut state line and beyond, according to a report from Biodrawversity, an Amherst-based consulting firm.

As of last summer, the invasive mollusks' downstream presence extended only as far as Stockbridge.

Senior ecologist Ethan Nadeau, who owns Biodrawversity, measured the downstream migration during tests this summer. The mussels were carried from the lake into the river by Laurel Brook, he said. Biodrawversity confirmed the presence of zebra mussels in Laurel Lake in 2009.

Nadeau has alerted the Housatonic Valley Association, said Dennis Regan, the Massachusetts director of the organization.

"There is no natural enemy of the mussels, so we can expect them to keep on spreading," Regan said...

No other lakes in Berkshire County have been identified as contaminated thus far. Federal and state grants worth $71,000 have funded eight full-time boat ramp monitors at several lakes as well as the portable wash station at Laurel Lake and another on West Housatonic Street in Pittsfield.

State officials have described Berkshire County as on the "front lines" of the zebra-mussel invasion. Also being monitored are Lake Buel in Monterey, Richmond Pond and Cheshire Lake.

Read the full story at link.

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August 8, 2011

2011-08-08T10:01:00.008-04:00

CT Offers Tips to Limit Spread of Invasive Species

The Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Lake Zoar Authority will be monitoring local boat launches for the presence of invasive plants and animals, such as zebra mussels.

Zebra mussels were discovered in Lake Zoar and Lake Lillinonah in October 2010. This is the first new report of zebra mussels in Connecticut since 1998, when they were discovered in East and West Twin Lakes in Salisbury....

Actions anglers and boaters must take to prevent the spread of invasive plants and animals, including zebra mussels, are as follows:

Before leaving a boat launch, clean all visible plant, fish, and animals as well as mud or other debris. Do not transport them home. Drain all water from every space and item that may hold water.

At home or prior to your next launch, dry anything that comes in contact with water (boats, trailers, anchors, propellers, etc.) for a minimum of 1 week during hot/dry weather or a minimum of 4 weeks during cool/wet weather. If drying is not possible, clean your boat prior to the next launch.

When fishing, do not dump your bait bucket or release live bait. Avoid introducing unwanted plants and animals to the water. Unless your bait was obtained on site, dispose of it in a suitable trash container or give it to another angler. Do not transport fish, other animals or plants between water bodies. Release caught fish, other animals and plants only into the waters from which they came.

The techniques listed below are for decontaminating your vessel:

Wash your boat with hot, pressurized water.

Dip equipment in 100% vinegar for 20 minutes prior to rinsing.

Wash with a 1% salt solution (2/3 cup to 5 gallons water) and leave on for 24 hours prior to rinsing.

“Wet” with bleach solution (1oz to 1 gallon water) or soap and hot water (Lysol, boat soap, etc) for 10 minutes prior to rinsing.

For more information on zebra mussels and other aquatic nuisance species:

DEEP: Invasive Species

Photo: Wikimedia

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Tribes Lead Cultural Preservation Threatened by Invasive Species

By Sharon Lucik, APHIS Public Affairs, on the USDA Blog

The emerald ash borer beetle (EAB) is responsible for the death and decline of tens of millions of ash trees across 15 States. It has had a devastating effect wherever ash trees grow. Whether the ash is used by industry; shading homes and urban streets, or an integral part of our forest ecosystem, its decline due to EAB is being felt by everyone. Perhaps one of the hardest hit by this pest are Native American tribes of the Northeastern United States for whom brown ash is rooted deep in their culture, providing spiritual and economic support to their communities.

Life-giving Mother Earth is central in the lives of the tribes and ash trees in particular are highly treasured. The wood from ash is used to create snowshoes, hunting and fishing decoys, canoe paddles and medicinal remedies. Also, brown ash (also called black ash) in particular is used to create intricate woven baskets, toys and musical instruments. This invasive pest that so directly threatens the life style and tradition of many Native American tribes has also created an opportunity for collaboration and intellectual exchange between tribal groups and the USDA.

“Ash trees are important to Native people of the northeast, animals of the forest, and even the ecologies of the forest,” said Kelly Church, fifth-generation basket weaver, Grand Traverse band of the Ottawa and Ojibwe. “Each Federal agency, State agency, Tribal government, tribal harvester, or just one person can make a difference; but working together we can make a bigger difference for all of us.”

Many tribes have engaged their own communities to prevent the spread of EAB, in conjunction with supporting USDA EAB program efforts. The Cherokee, Mohawk, Ojibwe, Penobscot and other tribes survey for the pest, using purple panel traps, on lands they steward. Tribes also distribute EAB informational material to tourists and engage in one-on-one conversations to help educate campers about the risk of moving firewood. In addition, a group of Native American basketweavers are lending their knowledge and expertise to support EAB research. Scientists with U.S Department of Agriculture’s Center for Plant Health Science and Technology (CPHST) are investigating treatments to kill EAB in black ash logs so the raw material can be transported out of quarantine areas without spreading EAB. Tribes from Maine, New York and Michigan have stepped up to help evaluate the integrity of ash splints freshly pounded from black ash logs submerged in water for 4-months, a potential treatment. It was found that these splints were still viable as basket making material but unfortunately EAB larva also survived to complete its lifecycle. These trials continue.

With the future of the ash tree species in peril and long-held traditions in jeopardy, Native Americans have ignited their communities to help preserve their cultural heritage by collecting ash seeds. Working independently and in conjunction with the National Center for Genetic Resource Preservation, seed collection and storage will help to hedge genetic diversity of ash trees for future generations...

Read the full story at link.

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Water chestnut may be spreading in southeastern Pennsylvania

By Carolyn Beeler, www.newsworks.org

An invasive species of water plant seems to be spreading in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Water chestnuts--no relation to the ones in your Chinese food--have dense surface foliage that can crowd out other plants and threaten fish life. Their spiky seed pods that wash up on shore can make getting near the water painful for anglers and swimmers.

Conservation workers are waging war on them in Bradford Reservoir, also known as Warrington Lake, in central Bucks County. It's one of the first places in Pennsylvania where they were identified.

"The surface of the water is 100 percent covered with these plant rosettes, and they become very thick and matted," said Gretchen Schatschneider, district manager with the Bucks County Conservation District. "If you fly overhead, you almost don't see the lake, it just looks like an extension of the lawn area"...

Fred Lubnow, director of the aquatics program with Princeton Hydro, an environmental and engineering consulting firm, said the water chestnut has become a primary concern in the past few years.

"In the last I'd say two to three years we've really seen it appear in a lot of places on either side of the Delaware River," Lubnow said.

Read the full story at link.

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August 3, 2011

2011-08-03T10:17:00.004-04:00

USDA publishes list of prohibited plants, flowers

USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service seeks public comment regarding Not Authorized Pending Pest Risk Analysis plant list. For more information, see this link.

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Did Cryptic Invasion of North America by Common Reed Change Exposure to Pollen Allergens?

Interesting article... Link.

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Killing Kudzu With Helium

A 17-year-old from Georgia, expanding on what originally began as a sixth-grade science project, is successfully using helium to kill kudzu. Jacob Schindler has invented and patented a drill that delivers helium into the root system. (Other gases he administered this way, such as carbon dioxide, proved ineffective.) He is currently working with Auburn University to test the method over large areas. Read the full story in the Erosion Control journal at link.

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July 21, 2011

2011-07-21T13:16:00.004-04:00

EMERALD ASH BORER FOUND IN ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK

State to Expand Quarantine

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens and New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (DAM) Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine today announced a new discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) on the U.S. Military Academy at West Point campus in Orange County. The EAB is a small but destructive beetle that infests and kills North American ash tree species, including green, white, black, and blue ash.

Commissioner Martens said: “DEC, with its federal and state partners, is committed to working in the Hudson Valley and western New York, to slow the spread of EAB. Our collaborative Slow Ash Mortality initiative uses early detection, prevention, outreach and regulatory enforcement to slow the growth of EAB populations. Awareness and preparedness are the best defense available to stop the sprawl of EAB to new areas.”

An adult emerald ash borer was discovered on July 13, 2011 in an emerald ash borer purple prism trap that was hung in an ash tree at the West Point campus. The purple prism trap is a tool used to detect new emerald ash borer infestations. The emerald ash borer specimen was confirmed by USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) staff. An initial site investigation by DEC regional staff, Cornell University and West Point Natural Resources staff did not find any infested ash trees.

With this new detection confirmed, the state and federal emerald ash borer quarantine of Ulster and Greene County will be expanded to include Orange County. The quarantine restricts the movement of ash tree materials out of those counties to prevent human transport of the pest.

Commissioner Aubertine said: “New York’s extensive forest resources contribute to our local economies, communities and quality of life. As a state, we are dedicated to combating EAB while assuring that commerce in our nursery, landscape and forest products industries continues. Unfortunately, this pest is rapidly expanding its presence in our state despite our best efforts. At this time, we know of no way to eliminate EAB and thus our focus is on slowing its spread. We greatly appreciate the help of impacted industries and individuals in reporting and adjusting their behavior to be part of the solution.”

Yvonne DeMarino, State Plant Health Director for USDA APHIS, said: “The discovery of EAB at West Point, 35 miles south of the infestation in Ulster County discovered last year, is unfortunate, but not entirely unexpected. It highlights our concern that the movement of firewood and other host material poses a significant risk of spreading invasive forest pests like EAB around our state and to our neighbors.”

To help identify infested ash trees, West Point Natural Resources Staff have already girdled about half a dozen ash trees on the property, and placed ten additional purple prism traps in nearby trees. By girdling trees, which strips away a section of the bark, the tree will become more attractive to the beetle and make them easier to detect.

The West Point Natural Resources Branch said: “West Point recognizes early detection and intervention to be the most effective means of managing invasive species and is pleased to assist the State and Federal agencies involved with this effort.”

The first detection of EAB in New York was in the town of Randolph, Cattaraugus County, in June 2009. In 2010, infestations were discovered in six more counties in Western New York and the Hudson Valley, and an emerald ash borer quarantine was placed around eighteen counties. Last month, EAB was discovered in Erie County.

Since it was first discovered in Michigan in 2002, EAB has been responsible for the destruction of 70 million trees in the U.S. alone. New York has more than 900 million ash trees, representing about seven percent of all trees in the state, and all are at risk from EAB.

Damage from EAB is caused by the larvae, which feed in tunnels just below the ash tree's bark. These tunnels disrupt water and nutrient transport, causing branches, and eventually the entire tree, to die. Adult beetles leave distinctive D-shaped exit holes in the outer bark of the branches and the trunk. Other signs of infestation include tree canopy dieback, yellowing, and extensive sprouting from the roots and trunk. Infested trees may also exhibit woodpecker damage from larvae extraction.

In 2008, New York adopted regulations that ban untreated firewood from entering the state and restricts intrastate movement of untreated firewood to no more than a 50-mile radius from its source. This was done as a precaution against the introduction and spread of EAB and other invasive species because of the documented risk of transmission by moving firewood. After more than three years of outreach and education efforts about the risks of moving firewood and the state's regulation, DEC is increasing its enforcement efforts to prevent the movement of untreated firewood into and around New York.

DEC has adopted a strategy known as Slow Ash Mortality (SLAM). SLAM encompasses a variety of approaches to address EAB infestations, including removing infested trees, more precisely defining infestation boundaries, and researching insecticides and biocontrols (organisms that kill pests). The hope is that current research will lead to new ways to suppress EAB populations, minimize their spread and delay the death of ash trees. It is also hoped that SLAM will buy time for communities and forest owners to prepare for EAB’s threat and potential financial impacts.

DEC also urges citizens to watch for signs of infestation in ash trees. If damage is consistent with the known symptoms of EAB infestation, report suspected damage to the state by calling DEC’s emerald ash borer hotline and appropriate action will follow as time and resources allow. To learn more about emerald ash borer, the firewood regulation, or how you can help slow the spread, please call the toll free hotline at 1-866-640-0652 or visit: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7253.html.

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Snakehead Found in Maryland River

From the International Business Times

An adult northern snakehead was discovered last Thursday by scientists in a river just south of Annapolis, Maryland. The mature, egg-bearing fish is raising the possibility that low salinity in the Chesapeake Bay may have allowed the invasive snakehead to escape from the nearby Potomac River.

The two-foot-long snakehead, sometimes known as "fishzilla" is a toothy alien, native to Asia and Africa. The notoriously invasive species has become a byword for monster in popular culture. The "fishzilla" can actually live for a few days out of water, thanks to air chambers that function as primitive lungs.

The snakehead became a national news topic back in 2002 when a group of them were found spawning in a Crofton, Maryland pond. They were eradicated, but by 2004, they were found to be permanently established in the Potomac River. An aggressive, rapidly breeding predator, snakeheads can overwhelm habitat and push out local fish.

Northern snakeheads are established in Pennsylvania and New York, and small numbers have been caught in California, Florida, Massachusetts and North Carolina. Meanwhile, Maryland and Virginia biologists continue to track them with radio telemetry and electrofishing to figure out population densities.

Snakeheads have become so abundant in the Potomac that the state of Maryland Department of Natural Resources is trying to get chefs to cook them and sell them in restaurants.

Last Thursday's discovery by biologists from the Smithsonian Environmental Research center occurred as the group took their annual fish samples by net.

Read the full story at link.

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June 20, 2011

2011-06-20T09:48:00.003-04:00

Emerald Ash Borer Detected In Buffalo, New York

Collaborative Control Efforts Underway to Contain First Infestation Found in Erie County

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced an infestation of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was found in the City of Buffalo's South Park. This is the first EAB infestation to be detected in Erie County. EAB is a small but destructive beetle that infests and kills North American ash tree species, including green, white, black and blue ash.

"The discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer in Buffalo is extremely unfortunate but not surprising," DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said. "Despite multi-state efforts to curtail its expansion, EAB has spread across the northeastern United States over the last decade. DEC is coordinating with federal and local government partners across the state to prevent the further spread of this destructive insect, especially outside of the quarantine areas. Awareness and preparedness are our best defenses, both of which are emphasized in DEC's strategic Slow Ash Mortality (SLAM) program."

...

"Emerald Ash Borer is a serious threat to the region and the City of Buffalo has been preparing for its arrival for some time," said Deputy Commissioner Andrew Rabb of the City of Buffalo's Department of Public Works, Parks and Streets. "An effort to reduce the number of ash on city property was put in place after the first outbreaks occurred in Michigan. Ash now makes up less than 2% of Buffalo's street tree population and roughly 10% of trees in city parks. The city is working closely with the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy to develop and implement a treatment plan for historic landscape trees."

Buffalo Olmsted Parks Executive Director Thomas Herrera-Mishler said, "We have been partnering with the City of Buffalo and DEC for over a year to prepare for this outbreak, raising funds and public awareness to try to minimize the impact of EAB on the historic Olmsted Parks and Parkways."

DEC, Cornell University, the City of Buffalo and Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy began collaborative response efforts to address the infestation at South Park immediately after the discovery last week. Initial surveying suggests that less than a dozen trees in South Park show signs of infestation; the trees are located along the park's perimeter in a natural wooded area.

...

EAB was first detected in New York State in Cattaraugus County in 2009. Since then, infestations have been confirmed in seven other counties including Genesee, Monroe, Livingston, Steuben, Greene, Ulster and now Erie. Sixteen counties in western New York and Greene and Ulster counties remain quarantined...

Read the full story here.

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June 3, 2011

2011-06-03T19:08:00.002-04:00

Monitoring Forest Pests by the Pool

From the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension

Protecting New Hampshire’s forest from invasive pests is daunting. It takes political will, action plans, scientific knowledge, funding, staffing, planning, lots of hard work, and most importantly the help of the public. The ultimate in invasive pest management is to keep the pest out of New Hampshire altogether. Short of that we need to find the infestation soon after its accidental arrival when the outbreak is geographically small and affects few trees. Case in point, in 2008 the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) was discovered in Worcester, Massachusetts setting off one of the most extensive and expensive forest pest eradication programs in history. The reason it became so extensive and thus very expensive is that the outbreak went undetected for more than ten years. In those 10 to 15 years the infestation spread to over 70 square miles around Worcester, MA.

To meet the goal of keeping invasive pests out of New Hampshire we’re studying modes of transportation and natural vectoring capabilities of ALB and designing quarantines to limit the movement of host material. To meet the goal of finding any accidental introduction early when it’s a manageable problem we need the help of the general public. To that end, the Division of Forests and Lands worked jointly with the UNH Cooperative Extension to develop a “citizen monitoring program” that would help survey for devastating forest pests such as Asian longhorned beetle and emerald ash borer. This past summer a group of volunteers were trained to collect insects from outdoor swimming pool filters.

Why pools as collection sites? Days after the discovery of ALB in Worcester experts were canvassing neighborhoods investigating the extent of the outbreak when they stumbled across a public pool attendant who said he was collecting these beetles for years in his pool filters. We used this knowledge to create a program designed to reach out to pool sites around the state. We asked attendants to collect insects found in their pools for six weeks in July and August when the potential flight period of the ALB is at its peak. This past summer 34 volunteers distributed throughout all regions of the state participated in the project. On a weekly basis the UNH County Extension Forester visited those sites in their county and swapped empty jars for full jars of insects the volunteers had collected. This was repeated for six weeks in July and August when the weather was warm enough to support adult ALB activity. The jars of insects were delivered to the Division of Forests and Lands Forest Health lab at Fox State Forest in Hillsborough. The insects were sorted by order, family and species to determine if any target species like ALB were present.

The results of collecting insects in pools were absolutely spectacular. At those 34 sites from around the state we collected 5,811 insects in 18 different orders. 2,444 of those were in the order Coleoptera (beetles) and that was really important because our target species, ALB, is a beetle. There is no doubt that if there was an infestation of ALB anywhere near those pools we would’ve collected some in the survey.

Read the full story at link.

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Week of May 9, 2001

2011-05-12T12:29:00.000-04:00

Bill would enable Staten Islanders to remove phragmites from their property without obtaining state permit

Published: Thursday, May 12, 2011, 9:49 AM

By Mark D. Stein
SILive.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Two Staten Island politicians passed legislation in the state Senate last week that will help protect borough residents from phragmites-fueled fires.

The bill (S.4377), sponsored by state Senator Andrew Lanza (R-South Shore) and Assemblyman Lou Tobacco (R-South Shore), authorizes the unfettered removal of phragmites by property owners in the City of New York.

The legislation could change Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) policy, which currently makes it illegal for homeowners to remove phragmites from their property without first obtaining a permit.

The bill would amend the general city law and the environmental conservation law, and provide property owners in the City of New York with the unrestricted ability to remove threatening weeds from their property.

"This new legislation would prevent the DEC from thwarting property owners the right to protect their property," said Lanza. "Homeowners should not have to ask permission of the DEC to protect their homes and lives. This bill will empower private homeowners with the ability to remove this dangerous weed from their properties without waiting on the 'OK' from DEC."

"Current DEC policies and the weeds' propensity for fueling summer fires has put the lives and property of Staten Islanders in jeopardy while forcing local first responders to risk their safety to battle these often fierce blazes," said Tobacco.

'REDUCE SUMMER FIRES'

"By allowing homeowners to completely remove this hazard from their property and by replanting our wetlands with native vegetation," he added, "our legislation will greatly reduce summer fires and protect the lives and property of Staten Island homeowners."

Lanza and Tobacco have also reintroduced legislation (S.4265) which would require DEC to remove phragmites from infested wetlands in all instances where more than five continuous acres of phragmites exist.

While the Senate failed to pass this bill last year, Lanza, now in the majority, is optimistic about passage.

"How many life-threatening phragmite fires must Staten Island endure before DEC does something about this?" asked Lanza. "It is absurd that these weeds are being protected while homeowners continually have their property put at risk, and residents and firefighters have their lives endangered."

RESOLVE SOON

The lawmakers noted that for too long, DEC, which regulates all designated wetlands, seemed more concerned with protecting these non-native invasive weeds than enacting policies which protect residents and their property – despite the department's own admission that phragmites pose a serious fire hazard.

"It is time that DEC stop putting dangerous weeds ahead of the people and property of Staten Island," said Lanza.

"This legislation is a direct response to the DEC's failed environmental policies on Staten Island," said Tobacco, noting that he's confident these bills will address the serious issue.

He hopes new DEC Commissioner Joseph Martens will work with borough officials to resolve this matter sooner.

"It is in the best interest of the department, the environment and Staten Island residents to come up with a responsible solution to this matter sooner rather than later," said Tobacco.

Read the full story at link.

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Week of April 4, 2011

2011-04-05T10:23:00.010-04:00

Updated 4/8/11. Recent additions are at the bottom of each week's post.

Register Your Invasive Plant Volunteer Group! (Mid-Atlantic Region)

Do you have a volunteer-based invasive plant management program in the mid-Atlantic region? If so, please register it!

If you oversee a group of volunteers who conduct invasive plant removals in DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA, or WV, please take a minute to add your group to the Invasive Plant Volunteers Directory.

To register, click here to complete a short survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/InvasivePlantVolunteers

Why bother? Because understanding the number and distribution of volunteer groups in our area will help to:

Recognize the significance of volunteer efforts in restoring invaded lands,
Identify areas in need of volunteer assistance,
Help connect interested volunteers with a suitable group,
Build a stronger network of invasive plant workers in the region,
Build support for potential funding of volunteer-based programs.

The directory will eventually be posted to the Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council (MAIPC) website at www.maipc.org.

Special thanks to Karan Rawlins, University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, for putting our survey into SurveyMonkey!

Thank you,

Jil
________________
JIL SWEARINGEN
IPM & Invasive Species Specialist
NCR Center for Urban Ecology
Washington, DC 20007

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Caterpillar infestation seen in midcoast Maine

The Associated Press
Posted April 06

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine Conservation Department officials say an infestation of a noxious invasive caterpillar in the Brunswick area is worse this year than last.

Entomologists say web surveys during the winter show extremely high levels of brown-tail moth caterpillar webs in the tops of oak trees. Surveys were done in January and February in the southern Maine coastal area, from Belfast to south of Portland.

Entomologist Charlene Donahue says the number of webs in Brunswick, Bath, West Bath, Topsham and Bowdoinham appears to have doubled over last year. The caterpillar also is showing up in Falmouth, Turner, Augusta and Lewiston.

Read the full story here: link.

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Controlling Invasive Species in Your Woodlot

9am to noon on Saturday, May 21st, Sodus, New York

This outdoor hands-on session will be at a woodlot in Sodus, NY so dress appropriately for weather conditions.

During the workshop we'll cover identification and control options for invasive species in the woodlot and introduce participants to crop tree management, a forestry method well suited for owners of small woodlots.

Registration deadline is Friday May 13th 2011.

To register send $10.00 per person along with your name address and phone number to Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wayne County, 1581 Rte 88N, Newark, NY 14513

Any additional questions please call (315)-331-8415 or e-mail mgwayne@cornell.edu For special needs contact us one week prior to this program.

Sponsored by:
New York Forest Owners Association
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wayne County Master Gardener/Master Forest Owner Programs

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CT DEP training targets spread of zebra mussels in Candlewood Lake

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Candlewood Lake Authority (CLA) has announced that training is available for people interested in volunteering their time to monitor boat launches on Candlewood Lake for the presence of the invasive plants and animals, such as zebra mussels. Zebra mussels were discovered in Lake Zoar and Lake Lillinonah on October 2010. This is the first new report of zebra mussels in Connecticut since 1998 when they were discovered in East and West Twin Lakes in Salisbury.

The training will educate volunteers on how to identify and detect invasive species and also to instruct boaters on how to do the same. Volunteers will also be talking to boaters about ways they can prevent the spread of zebra mussels. Volunteers will receive a handbook, supplies and a t-shirt that identifies them as volunteers.

The first training session will be held Saturday April 9, 2011 from 9:30 AM until 12:00 PM at the New Milford Police Department located at 49 Poplar Street (Route 202) in New Milford. For more information or to volunteer, contact the CLA at 860-354-6298 or by email at clapad@earthlink.net.

Read the full story at: link.

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Backpack and Spot Treatment Calibration Guidelines

Useful information from out West...

A simple, six-step method for calibrating your single-nozzle backpack or other spot-treatment spray equipment.

link

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Maryland Invasive Plant Bill Set to Become Law

News from the Anacostia Watershed Society

The invasive plant bill (HB 831) we have worked on for the last two years has now passed both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly. The bill was sponsored by 19 Delegates and was passed unanimously in the State Senate yesterday, 46-0! AWS staff is thrilled to see this bill passed since we brought back the conversation to the table at the Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC) two years ago. At that time we came up with a proposed bill we crafted with the valuable help of one of our best interns ever: Leena Chapagain. Thanks you so much, Leena! Almost at the same time another bill was being proposed by a lawyer from Baltimore and his visionary school-age son! Consensually AWS decided to sit down with all the stakeholders and craft a new bill, that's the HB 831. The other stakeholders were the representatives from the following organizations: Maryland Department of Agriculture, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Anacostia Watershed Society, The Nature Conservancy, Sylvan Green Earth Consulting, Maryland Nursery and Landscape Association –among other representatives of the horticultural industry--, and Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP.

Read the full story here: link.

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Nature’s “Melting Pot”: Invasive Species and Ecosystem Value

Courtesy of the Southern IPM blog

In Friday’s OpEd section in the New York Times, writer Hugh Raffles offered an interesting–but somewhat inaccurate–view on exotic invasive species. His premise was that invasive species can provide diversity and benefits to the earth, just as new immigrants contribute to the diversity and health of society. You can read the full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/03/opinion/03Raffles.html?_r=2

Since the article was published on Friday, several of our colleagues who work in the area of invasive species have developed responses to the article. The following is by Sylvan Kaufman of Sylvan Green Earth Consulting in Maryland:

"Although the author is correct that many non-native species provide beneficial goods and services, there is a fundamental difference between the melting pot of humanity and the melting pot of a community of plants and animals. Humans are all one species even if they have different cultural backgrounds. Communities are made up of many species. If a non-native plant or animal threatens the continued existence of one that has lived here for thousands of years, do we just let that species disappear or do we decide that it may have some value and that we should protect it? For many species, we don’t yet know what value they may provide humans. It takes years of research to determine whether the chemical compounds of a particular plant might yield a life-saving drug, or if the pollinator services offered by honeybees are more valuable than those offered by a diversity of native insects. "

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Virginia Invasive Plant Removal Day, May 7

Join volunteers for the 3rd annual event at sites throughout Virginia on an endeavor to stop the spread of non-native invasive plants.

Virginia Invasive species are recognized nationally and locally as a costly and leading threat to healthy ecosystems. The estimated annual cost of invasive species in Virginia is $1 billion (Va Dept. of Conservation & Recreation). Non-native invasive plants, animals, and diseases occur in all of Virginia's ecosystems and negatively impact water quality, wildlife populations, and other natural resources. Virginia's citizens can improve the situation by not planting or spreading invasive plants, by removing invasives on their own properties, and by helping to remove them from parks and other public areas. Help us spread more awareness and understanding to engage Virginians in these efforts.

Invasive plants are threatening Virginia's natural areas from Norfolk to the Shenandoahs. Plant invaders alter wildlife habitats and reduce biodiversity. They can kill trees, picture kudzu climbing to the tops of trees, and cost money, like hydrilla depressing fisheries or getting caught in boat props. But volunteers like you can make a difference. In 2009, More than 400 volunteers contributed more than 1300 hours of service and removed more than 250 bags of invasive plants. In 2010, more than 300 volunteers contributed more than 750 hours of service in works sites covering more than 50 acres. Their service and additional in-kind donations are valued at more than $15,000. We need your support again in 2011.

For more information, see link.

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Week of March 28, 2011

2011-03-29T12:06:00.007-04:00

Updated 3/31/11

Connecticut DEP Reports Didymo Discovered in the West Branch Farmington River

First Confirmation of this Invasive Species in Connecticut

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced that the highly invasive freshwater alga, Didymosphenia geminata, known as “didymo”, has been discovered in the West Branch Farmington River, a very popular trout stream in northwestern Connecticut.

The presence of didymo was first confirmed in the northeastern United States in 2007, and has since spread to other popular trout streams in a number of Northeastern states (New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia). This is the first report of didymo in Connecticut.

DEP first learned of the possible presence of didymo in the West Branch Farmington River from several anglers on March 18th. One of these anglers also provided an initial sample to DEP. Following initial review by DEP staff, samples were sent to the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation where biologists have direct experience identifying didymo. Late last Friday, Vermont officials confirmed that the sample was indeed didymo.

“This find is very troubling,” said DEP Deputy Commissioner Susan Frechette. “Extensive blooms of this organism can harm the river ecosystem and decrease its recreational and economic value. In an effort to confirm identification, staff from DEP’s Bureau of Water Protection and Land Reuse surveyed a number of sites in the river and a major tributary along a seven mile stretch of the West Branch Farmington River in Hartland and Barkhamsted. Unfortunately numerous clumps of didymo were found at all the surveyed sites in the river downstream of the Riverton bridge. Once didymo has spread, there’s no practical way to remove it from a river.”

Didymo is most frequently found in cold, relatively shallow streams and rivers having a rocky bottom, characteristics that are also typical of good trout habitat. During blooms, didymo can form thick mats of material that feel like wet wool and are typically gray, white and/or brown, but never green in color. These mats form on the bottoms of rivers and streams and can potentially smother aquatic plants, aquatic insects and mollusks, impact fish habitat, and alter aquatic food chains. Dense mats of didymo can also reduce the recreational and aesthetic value of the affected river. Since didymo also prefers areas open to sunlight, it is not anticipated that this species will become problematic in smaller headwater streams as long as they have well shaded riparian and naturally forested riparian areas.

Humans are the primary vector responsible for the recent spread of didymo. Anglers, kayakers and canoeists, boaters and jet skiers can all unknowingly spread didymo. The microscopic cells can cling to fishing gear, waders (felt soles can be especially problematic), boots and boats, and remain viable for months under even slightly moist conditions. To prevent the spread of didymo to additional waters, DEP asks that anglers, especially those who also fish the Farmington River or streams outside Connecticut, and other users practice CHECK, CLEAN, DRY procedures.

• CHECK: Before leaving a river, stream or lake, remove all obvious clumps of algae and plant material from fishing gear, waders, clothing & footwear, canoes & kayaks, and anything else that has been in the water and look for hidden clumps. Leave them at the site. If you find any later, clean your gear and dispose of all material in the trash.

• CLEAN: Soak/spray & scrub boats and all other “hard” items for at least one minute in either very hot (140°F) water, a 2% bleach solution, or a 5% dishwashing detergent solution. Absorbent materials such as clothes and felt soles on waders should be soaked for at least 40 minutes in very hot water (140°F), or 30 minutes in hot water (115°F) with 5% dishwashing detergent. Freezing thoroughly will also kill didymo.

• DRY: If cleaning is not practical, after the item is completely dry to touch, wait an additional 48 hours before contact or use in any other waterway.

The above procedures will also be effective against other unwanted organisms.

Didymo is just one of a number of aquatic invasive species that have either invaded the state or are threatening to do so. DEP will continue its work to combat the spread of invasive species, focusing on prevention, education and early detection. DEP is an active member of the Invasive Plants Council and supports both an Invasive Plant Program and an Aquatic Nuisance Species Program in collaboration with the University of Connecticut. When available, DEP has provided funding from a variety of sources to educate the public on the threats posed by invasive species and to combat specific invasive species including fanwort, water chestnut and hydrilla. In addition, the DEP has recently proposed new regulations to prohibit the possession or importation into the state of a number of invasive invertebrates.

Since its discovery in the northeast in 2007, DEP has taken additional precautions to prevent the introduction and/or spread of didymo (and other invasive species). DEP’s Inland Fisheries Division instituted an operational “Biosecurity” policy for its own field operations, including elimination of the use of felt-soled waders. Also, as part of its invasive species outreach efforts, informational fliers on didymo were distributed to many of the state’s bait & tackle shops and information about didymo has been prominently displayed in the CT Anglers Guide and on its website.

Individuals wishing to report possible sightings of didymo and other aquatic nuisance species can contact DEP’s Inland Fisheries Division at 860-424-3474. More information on didymo and other aquatic nuisance species can be found on the DEP website (www.ct.gov/dep) or in the CT Angler’s Guide (www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/fishing/anglers_guide/anguide.pdf). An excellent source for detailed information on didymo is the Biosecurity New Zealand web site (http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/didymo).

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USDA Treats New York Trees Against Asian Longhorned Beetle

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2011 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will treat a total of 29,764 trees susceptible to the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) with the insecticide imidacloprid in New York this spring.

Control treatments will start the week of April 4, weather permitting, on 21,294 trees in Queens, 299 trees in Brooklyn and on 8,171 trees in Staten Island. Treatments are a vital component of the area-wide eradication strategies used to prevent further infestation and reduce populations of this invasive pest.

Control treatment applications are conducted by program officials, through the use of contracted New York licensed pesticide applicators. ALB host trees are treated by directly injecting the insecticide into the soil around the base of the tree, or into the trunk of the tree, allowing the imidacloprid to be dispersed through the tree’s vascular system. This enables the insecticide to reach ALB adults feeding on small twigs and leaves, and larvae feeding just beneath the bark of treated host trees.

Imidacloprid is a registered pesticide under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. It is used in agriculture, the lawn care industry to kill lawn grubs and in some pet treatments to kill fleas. Approved for ALB program use, imidacloprid is applied each year for ALB eradication to a limited area in the United States. APHIS oversees treatment applications and conducts environmental monitoring as part of the ALB eradication program.

The public can assist the eradication effort by allowing program officials access to their property to evaluate susceptible trees for any signs of ALB infestation and/or to treat trees that are susceptible to ALB infestation. Control treatments are applied to noninfested ALB host trees. All ALB infested trees or trees showing signs of infestation must be removed and destroyed in order to eliminate the ALB infestation. This action applies to treated trees as well.

ALB threatens urban and suburban trees, as well as valued forest resources, and threatens such industries as maple syrup production, hardwood lumber processing, nurseries and tourism. Control treatments are part of the ALB cooperative eradication program’s effort to prevent further infestation of this invasive insect and reduce populations.

APHIS and its cooperators undertake eradication by imposing quarantines, regulating the movement of ALB and ALB host material, conducting visual inspections, removing infested trees and chemically treating noninfested host trees as part of an integrated eradication strategy.

The ALB program is a cooperative effort among various federal, state and local agencies including, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Forest Service and Agricultural Research Service; as well as the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. For more information on the treatment program, call in New York 1-866-265-0301 or 1-877-STOP-ALB or visit www.BeetleBusters.info for more information about ALB, including pictures and where to report a suspected beetle or suspected signs of infestation.

For treatment maps, review the ALB website at www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/
plant_pest_info/asian_lhb/index.shtml and select “ALB Program Maps.”

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Invasive Stink Bugs: Wanted Dead or Alive

The Saugerties Post Star

Saugerties, NY —

The ‘new kid on the block’, the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Stål), is a recent addition to the urban/agricultural landscape in the Hudson Valley. It was first observed entering NY homes in 2008. Populations of this species have been steadily on the rise over the past three years, making their presence known primarily in the southern parts of the valley. This insect has been found invading the homes of suburban and Metropolitan New Yorkers living in the 5 boroughs, Nassau, Suffolk, Orange, Westchester, Putnam, Ulster, and Dutchess counties. Many residents are taking notice of them as temperatures rise and insects become more active, making their way out of homes and back into the landscape.

The BMSB does not bite or sting people, pets or livestock. Being a member of the Hemiptera family of insects, it inserts its piercing/sucking mouthparts into plants and feeds on the juices found in stems, leaves and seeds. The insect has shown a wide host range including tomato, pepper, lima bean, soybean, sweet and field corn, apple, pear, peach, berries and some ornamental trees and shrubs. In addition to causing severe damage to farmers’ crops and homeowners’ gardens, the pest has become a residential nuisance as adults fly from near and far to congregate on and in houses during the fall while seeking winter shelter. Reports from the Mid Atlantic region indicate some homeowners have removed thousands of BMSB from their dwellings this winter. Locally, homeowners in the Hudson Valley region also report finding BMSB in their homes this spring with samples being sent to scientists at Cornell’s Hudson Valley Laboratory in Highland, NY. Thus far the laboratory has received over 30 reports and samples from the region, with specimens mostly coming from inside the home, ranging from just a few insects along the window sills to hundreds being observed in closets, attic spaces and stacks of covered firewood.

Since its introduction from Asia into the mid-Atlantic during the mid-1990’s, the BMSB has made its way to the top of the insect ‘most wanted list’. It was first identified in the United States in 2001 in Allentown, Pennsylvania from a specimen sent to Cornell’s Entomologist E. Richard Hoebeck. The pest has spread throughout the mid-Atlantic but was relatively unnoticed except by scientists who study such events. However, over the past two years, BMSB has developed into populations rivaling biblical proportions in some parts of the Mid-Atlantic causing extensive economic injury to vegetable and fruit crops in the region. In 2010, their feeding damage resulted in 20 to 80% crop loss on some farms in West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey....

Anyone who has seen this pest is asked to send a sample to Peter Jentsch, BMSB Project, Cornell Hudson Valley Lab, P.O. Box 727, Highland, N.Y. 12528. The bugs should be placed in a small plastic container, such as a medicine bottle or film canister. A submission form available on the Cornell Cooperative Extension website at (http://hudsonvf.cce.cornell.edu/scouting%20reports/BMSB%20Project/BMSB%20Sample%20Submission%20Form.pdf) should be filled out and sent along with the sample so the distribution of the insect can be mapped. Live specimens will be added to the research colony for the Eastern New York Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Project, which began last year.

For more information on this pest, visit the NE IPM Center at http://www.northeastipm.org/bmsb.cfm.

To read the full story, go to link.

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BioBullies Curriculum Available

Natural Biodiversity is pleased to announce the completion of the BioBullies curriculum. This supplemental environmental curriculum focuses on the education of fourth through eighth graders about invasive species.The curriculum is available on the Natural Biodiversity website at www.naturalbiodiversity.org/biobullies/curriculum, or to request a high resolution CD, contact Natural Biodiversity.

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Week of March 21, 2011

2011-03-20T11:24:00.001-04:00

Job Opening: ADIRONDACK AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES COORDINATOR

Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP), a Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management in New York State

The Nature Conservancy – Adirondack Chapter

The Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Project Coordinator will be a team member of the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP), one of New York’s eight Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM). The APIPP facilitates the development and implementation of programs in the Adirondack region for invasive species prevention, monitoring, mapping, management, education, and restoration (more information online at www.adkinvasives.com). The AIS Project Coordinator’s primary role will be to lead APIPP’s early detection and monitoring programs for AIS, coordinate partners in the region working on AIS issues, and serve as a resource for partners and communities on AIS issues. This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated individual to work in a creative, team-oriented environment on an important and high profile conservation issue.

Applications must be made via nature.org/careers. The position number is 13062. To apply to position number 13062, submit resume and cover letter as one document.
All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on April 14, 2011.

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Week of March 14, 2011

2011-03-14T10:33:00.002-04:00

Alverna Heights, NYS Parks and Cornell Biological Field Station present:

The Third Annual Invasive Species Workshop: Communities Taking Control of Invasives

May 4, 2011
9:00 am to 4:00 pm

At: Alverna Heights
7770 Green Lakes Rd
Fayetteville, New York 13066

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Week of March 7, 2011

2011-03-09T14:47:00.002-05:00

Advocates reach invasive species deal with EPA

By JOHN FLESHER
Associated Press

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Environmental groups and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have reached a deal requiring tougher federal regulations for ships that dump ballast water in U.S. harbors, a leading way in which invasive species are spread.

Cargo ships often carry millions of gallons of water and sediments in ballast tanks to help keep vessels upright in rough seas. Ballast water teems with fish, bacteria and other organisms that are released as freight is taken on in port. Many of the foreign species spread rapidly, starve out native competitors and upset the ecological balance. Invaders such as zebra mussels cause billions of dollars each year in damage and economic losses.

EPA issued a 2008 permit requiring shippers to exchange their ballast water at sea or, if the tanks were empty, rinse them with salt water before entering U.S. territory. About a dozen environmental groups sued, contending the requirement was too weak and violated the federal Clean Water Act.

Under the settlement announced Tuesday, EPA will issue a new industry-wide permit limiting the number of live organisms in ballast water — a step that will require shippers to install sterilization equipment. The rule will apply to commercial ships over 79 feet long, exempting recreational and military craft.

The agency will release a draft for public comment by Nov. 30 and a final version within a year from then. It would give the industry an extra year to equip their vessels....

The U.S. Coast Guard also is developing regulations limiting the number of live organisms in ballast water, which are expected to be released by the end of April. At least a dozen states have rules or laws dealing with ballast water....

Read the full story at link.

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Week of February 21, 2011

2011-02-21T12:54:00.007-05:00

Updated 2/25/11

In Md., felt boots blamed for invasive 'rock snot'

By DAVID DISHNEAU
Associated Press

MONKTON, Md. — As an algae with a gross nickname invades pristine trout streams across the U.S., Maryland is about to become the first state to enforce a ban on a type of footgear the organism uses to hitchhike from stream to stream: felt-soled fishing boots.

The state Department of Natural Resources plans to prohibit wading with felt soles starting March 21 to curb the spread of invasive organisms that can get trapped in the damp fibers and carried from one body of water to another.

Similar bans will take effect April 1 in Vermont and next year in Alaska, aimed especially at didymo, a type of algae that coats riverbeds with thick mats of yellow-brown vegetation commonly called "rock snot."

Maryland fishery regulators say didymo, short for Didymosphenia geminata, can smother aquatic insect larvae such as mayflies, stoneflies and caddis flies that are favored food for trout....

Read the full story here.

Photo: Biosecurity New Zealand

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Coalition Urges US to Prevent Invasive Pests from Canada

New York Ag Connection - 02/21/2011

A collaboration of diverse interests aimed at addressing the threat of non-native insects and diseases is urging the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to subject wood packaging material from Canada to the same requirements other countries must follow for this material before it can enter the country. Currently, the governments of the United States and Canada exempt each other from the requirements of the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures #15, which requires that wood packaging -- primarily crates, spools, and pallets -- coming from other countries be treated to help prevent the spread of invasive insects and diseases to native trees and plants.

The USDA is currently considering an amendment to the regulations for the importation of unmanufactured wood articles to remove the exemption. Canada is second only to China in providing imports to the United States, and these goods move primarily in wood packaging to all areas of the country. If the USDA amends the regulation, Canada is expected to take similar action because of the threat of non-native insects and diseases that could arrive on the wood packaging from the United States....

Read the full story at link.

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VIDEO: Invasive emerald ash borer upsets Great Lakes ecosystem, economy

The invasive, tree-eating emerald ash borer is a costly addition to the Great Lakes region.

It took less than 10 years for the destructive beetle to spread to all eight Great Lakes states and Canadian provinces. State officials and homeowners employ insecticides, tree-removal strategies, bans on moving firewood and even biological controls to prevent further costly infestations.

The video includes footage from the one-hour documentary “Bad Company,” a Knight Center for Environmental Journalism production that examines the economic and ecological impact of invasive species in the Great Lakes region. A preview of the documentary will be held Monday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Synder Hall theater at Michigan State University.

View the video at the website of the Great Lakes Echo here.

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Invasive Animals Continue to Thrive in Maryland

Northern snakeheads and nutria, some of Maryland's more well-known invasive animals, are continuing to push out many of the state's native species and doing harm to ecosystems. These invasive species were allowed into this country under a law governing animal imports, which was passed in 1900, and has not been changed since that time.

According to the National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species, updating this federal legislation, the Lacey Act, will prevent the future introduction of potentially harmful non-native wildlife species and the diseases they carry.

“In this globalized world, animals are traded across continents every day, and the rules governing the live animal trade in this country need to be brought into the 21stCentury,” said Dr. Phyllis Windle, NECIS spokesperson. “Adding a pre-import screening process will prevent the arrival of animals that can potentially harm the ecosystem and economy, endanger native species, or compromise the health of people and animals in this country.”

Nutria, large aquatic rodents native to South America and initially imported to Louisiana, became established in Maryland when a few animals escaped from a fur farm in the 1940s. Nutria are voracious consumers of the vegetation of tidal marshlands, leaving mudflats in their place. Over the past six years, wildlife managers have removed more than 13,000 nutria from the wetlands of the Chesapeake's Eastern Shore.

Northern snakeheads, imported for the Asian food market, were first discovered in 2002 in a Crofton, MD, pond where they were released by someone who no longer wanted them. Although the snakeheads were eradicated from the pond, they began appearing in the Potomac River in 2004, apparently as the result of a subsequent release.

The species is now well established in the Potomac River and several of its tributaries in Maryland and Virginia, and is competing with other species for food and habitat.

Read the full story at TheBayNet.com.

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Week of February 7, 2011

2011-02-08T10:21:00.010-05:00

Ships' ballast tanks getting new rules

Invasive species carried in the tanks have threatened many U.S. ecosystems

The Associated Press

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - After decades of delay, government officials are beginning to crack down on cargo ships that allow foreign invasive species to hitchhike to U.S. waters, where they have turned ecosystems upside down and caused billions of dollars in economic losses.

UC Davis research scientist Marion Wittmann holds a handful of Asian clams removed from the bottom of the lake near South Lake Tahoe, Calif. Government officials are beginning to crack down on cargo ships that allow foreign invasive species to hitchhike to U.S. waters.

Organisms as large as adult fish and as small as bacteria lurk in ship ballast tanks, which hold millions of gallons of water and sediments that keep vessels upright in rough seas. When the soupy mixtures are dumped in harbors as freight is taken on, the stowaways often find hospitable surroundings and no natural predators. They spread rapidly, starving out native species and spreading diseases in aquatic life.

Since arriving in the Great Lakes in the mid-1980s, the zebra mussel and its cousin the quagga mussel have clogged municipal and power plant water intake pipes. They're blamed for a Lake Huron salmon collapse and botulism that has killed thousands of shore birds. In San Francisco Bay, biologists say the Asian clam likely caused a decline of striped bass and other competitors for plankton.

Japanese shore crabs are threatening native clams and mussels from Maine to Chesapeake Bay, which is infested with 150-plus exotic species. Another invader, the spotted jellyfish, became so abundant in the Gulf of Mexico a decade ago they ripped apart fishing nets and caused a temporary halt to commercial shrimping.

"Larvae of almost every major group of invertebrates can be found in ballast water," said Tom Shirley, specialist with Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. "Protozoa and bacteria thrive there, too."

Ballast is the biggest means of transport for the aquatic aliens, scientists say. Yet regulators have been slow to demand accountability from the shipping industry, which has long insisted there isn't adequate technology to make ballast tanks invader-free.

Now, agencies are turning up the heat as companies report progress toward developing effective sterilization systems. The Coast Guard says it will release final regulations by April limiting the number of live organisms in ballast water and let shippers decide how to comply.

The Environmental Protection Agency also has begun regulating discharges of ballast and other wastewater from vessels, although shippers and environmentalists sued. EPA is discussing settlements while crafting an updated discharge permit effective in 2013.

At least a dozen states also have ballast policies, leaving shippers increasingly worried about having to navigate a patchwork of requirements.

Industry groups contend a New York measure scheduled to take effect next year could bring traffic to a standstill on some of the nation's busiest waterways.

"You'll see the closure of the St. Lawrence Seaway," said Steve Fisher, executive director of the American Great Lakes Ports Association. "It would shut down about 50 percent of Great Lakes shipping and about all shipping in New York waters, including the Hudson River and the port of New York and New Jersey."

Jim Tierney, an executive in the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, said the agency was considering shippers' pleas for a grace period. Environmental groups want the department to stand its ground, pointing to findings by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that about 75 species are prime candidates to invade the Great Lakes, mostly through ballast water.

"Most clean-water laws assume it's OK to have a little pollution because it will dilute, evaporate, degrade," said Andy Buchsbaum, director of the National Wildlife Federation's office in Ann Arbor. "But invasive species are not like normal pollution. They reproduce and multiply. You have to keep the numbers as low as you possibly can to avoid reaching that critical mass where an entire water body will be colonized."

Since 2004, ships from overseas have been required to dump and replace ballast water, or rinse empty tanks, at least 200 miles from U.S. waters. But studies show that up to 30 percent of organisms remain alive in the tanks, said Andrew Cohen, director of the Center for Research on Aquatic Bioinvasions in Richmond, Calif.

Researchers have spent years developing methods of sanitizing ballast with ultraviolet light, chemicals, filters and even oxygen depletion.

A first draft of the Coast Guard regulations would adopt international limits on numbers of organisms per cubic meter of ballast water.

The ceilings would take effect next year for new vessels and be phased in over several years for existing ones. A second set of limits about 1,000 times stronger in establishing limits per cubic meter of ballast water would be imposed later if studies show that could be accomplished.

Environmentalists are pushing for a quicker timetable, while shippers want it lengthened.

Cmdr. Gary Croot, chief of the Coast Guard's Environmental Standards Division, said the final rules being released this spring will reflect public feedback. "We certainly don't want to establish a standard that no one can comply with," he said.

New York's standard, which takes effect in 2012, would be 100 times more stringent than the proposed Coast Guard limit on organisms. California has adopted even tougher standards, but regulators say enforcement may be delayed.

"There have been ship owners ready and willing to make investments in ballast water treatment technology who have held back because they don't want to spend a million dollars on some system that may have to be ripped out in five years because it doesn't meet the standards," said Jennifer Carpenter, senior vice president of American Waterways Operators.

EPA and the Coast Guard have commissioned studies to determine which standards and technology would work best. The number of live organisms permitted under the Coast Guard's draft policy is the equivalent of one drop of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools, Croot said. Going significantly beyond that would be harder and costlier.

"If you want to make a car perfectly safe, conceivably that could be done, but at what expense?" Croot said.

Read the full story at The Portland Press Herald.

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Week of January 24, 2011

2011-01-24T11:40:00.004-05:00

Musseled-Out Native Species Return to the Hudson

by Rebecca Kessler
news.sciencemag.org

When zebra mussels make the news, it's usually because they've invaded yet another water body. Not this time, though. In New York's Hudson River, zebra mussels appear to be declining as displaced native species stage a comeback.

Zebra mussels are striped, nickel-sized mollusks native to western Asia. Since they first appeared in the United States in 1988 as stowaways in ship ballast water, their habit of starving out native invertebrates and fouling equipment has made them serious aquatic pests. When they showed up in the Hudson in 1991, freshwater ecologist David Strayer and his colleagues at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, New York, were prepared—if not to stop them then at least to study their effects. Cary researchers had been regularly sampling plankton and water chemistry within the Hudson's 150-kilometer freshwater estuary for 5 years and had started sampling riverbed invertebrates the previous year. The data set's unparalleled length and continuity has enabled Strayer's team to detect changes in the population and effects of an invasive species that have eluded researchers elsewhere.

Zebra mussels hit the Hudson hard. They quickly gobbled up most of the river's plankton, the researchers discovered. Native mussels, clams, and other invertebrates plummeted to as little as 1% of their original populations. "It looked really, really grim," says Strayer.

Then to everyone's surprise, around 2001 the native mussels stopped declining. Strayer and his colleagues feared it was a temporary respite, but the trend persisted, and in 2007 they reported a solid, albeit incomplete, comeback. This summer, they documented native zooplankton—tiny floating animals—rebounding, too, and an increased death rate among large zebra mussels.

For the current study, published last week in the journal Oecologia, Strayer and colleagues scrutinized their long data set, estimating the survival rate of each age class of zebra mussels over time and the amount of water the mussels filter as they feed. They also looked for population trends in native invertebrates, including clams, nematodes, and flatworms.

Since zebra mussels first invaded the Hudson, the team found, their annual survival rate has fallen by 99% and their water filtration by 82%. It could be that native blue crabs or some other predator are eating more zebra mussels or their larvae, or perhaps some undetected pathogen or parasite is keeping them in check. As for the native invertebrates, they are approaching their preinvasion numbers....

Read the full story at link.

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Week of January 17, 2011

2011-01-17T10:37:00.008-05:00

Rules on invasive species stall; delay may be costly

By JIM LYNCH, The Detroit News

A year after the Asian carp’s threat to the Great Lakes threw a national spotlight on invasive species, critics say no definitive action on the issue’s two key focal points has been made.

Ballast water from oceangoing ships, considered the largest source of invasive species in the Great Lakes, remains largely unregulated. And the Mississippi River system, where the Asian carp is firmly entrenched, remains connected to the Great Lakes.

While there has been progress on both issues behind the scenes, conservationists say the pace is unacceptable and leaves the Great Lakes playing a game of Russian roulette year after year.

"Maybe another year or two of waiting doesn’t seem daunting, but if you get a new invasion of some species like zebra mussels that shows up in six months, then you could have a catastrophe on your hands," said Andy Buchsbaum, regional director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes Regional Center.

For years, environmental groups pushed for federal laws that would have forced oceangoing ships to meet a discharge standard for ballast water released into the Great Lakes. According to some calculations, ballast water has been responsible for up to 80 percent of invasive species that have reached the lakes. And those species have an estimated $200 million-a-year impact on the region.

Invasive viruses have killed thousands of fish. Foreign species like the round goby crowd out native fish. And invasive crustaceans compete with native creatures for the same food.

Plants and industrial sites that utilize the region’s lakes are among the operations that have felt the impact of invasive species over the years. Many such operations are forced to clean water intake valves of creatures like the zebra mussel on a regular basis to maintain flow levels.

"We do it every year, and it costs us about $10,000 each time," said Chuck Bellmore, who operates Mount Clemens’ water filtration plant on the shore of Lake St. Clair. "We’ve been doing it now since 1991."

TURNING TO ALTERNATIVES

After a ballast proposal passed in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008, the legislation languished in the Senate, and no bill was ever enacted. In 2011, there are no new proposals for a sweeping federal bill.

In place of a legislative solution, efforts to control ballast water are moving forward on two administrative fronts. The U.S. Coast Guard is putting together regulations that set a numerical value on the number of organisms that can be discharged per cubic meter of water.

And Great Lakes states are crafting their own ballast rules that could set a discharge standard. Both approaches could require the use of new technologies to clean up water before it enters the Great Lakes.

But even in a best-case scenario, approval and enforcement are at least a year off.

Read the full story at link.

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What Triggers Mass Extinctions? Study Shows How Invasive Species Stop New Life

Courtesy of the National Science Foundation

An influx of invasive species can stop the dominant natural process of new species formation and trigger mass extinction events, according to research results published today in the journal PLoS ONE.

The study of the collapse of Earth's marine life 378 to 375 million years ago suggests that the planet's current ecosystems, which are struggling with biodiversity loss, could meet a similar fate.

Although Earth has experienced five major mass extinction events, the environmental crash during the Late Devonian was unlike any other in the planet's history.

The actual number of extinctions wasn't higher than the natural rate of species loss, but very few new species arose.

"We refer to the Late Devonian as a mass extinction, but it was actually a biodiversity crisis," said Alycia Stigall, a scientist at Ohio University and author of the PLoS ONE paper.

"This research significantly contributes to our understanding of species invasions from a deep-time perspective," said Lisa Boush, program director in the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Division of Earth Sciences, which funded the research.

"The knowledge is critical to determining the cause and extent of mass extinctions through time, especially the five biggest biodiversity crises in the history of life on Earth. It provides an important perspective on our current biodiversity crises."

The research suggests that the typical method by which new species originate--vicariance--was absent during this ancient phase of Earth's history, and could be to blame for the mass extinction.

Vicariance occurs when a population becomes geographically divided by a natural, long-term event, such as the formation of a mountain range or a new river channel, and evolves into different species.

New species also can originate through dispersal, which occurs when a subset of a population moves to a new location.

In a departure from previous studies, Stigall used phylogenetic analysis, which draws on an understanding of the tree of evolutionary relationships to examine how individual speciation events occurred.

She focused on one bivalve, Leptodesma (Leiopteria), and two brachiopods, Floweria and Schizophoria (Schizophoria), as well as a predatory crustacean, Archaeostraca.

These small, shelled marine animals were some of the most common inhabitants of the Late Devonian oceans, which had the most extensive reef system in Earth's history.

The seas teemed with huge predatory fish such as Dunkleosteus, and smaller life forms such as trilobites and crinoids (sea lilies).

The first forests and terrestrial ecosystems appeared during this time; amphibians began to walk on land.

As sea levels rose and the continents closed in to form connected land masses, however, some species gained access to environments they hadn't inhabited before.

The hardiest of these invasive species that could thrive on a variety of food sources and in new climates became dominant, wiping out more locally adapted species.

The invasive species were so prolific at this time that it became difficult for many new species to arise.

"The main mode of speciation that occurs in the geological record is shut down during the Devonian," said Stigall. "It just stops in its tracks."

Of the species Stigall studied, most lost substantial diversity during the Late Devonian, and one, Floweria, became extinct.

The entire marine ecosystem suffered a major collapse. Reef-forming corals were decimated and reefs did not appear on Earth again for 100 million years.

The giant fishes, trilobites, sponges and brachiopods also declined dramatically, while organisms on land had much higher survival rates.

The study is relevant for the current biodiversity crisis, Stigall said, as human activity has introduced a high number of invasive species into new ecosystems.

In addition, the modern extinction rate exceeds the rate of ancient extinction events, including the event that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

"Even if you can stop habitat loss, the fact that we've moved all these invasive species around the planet will take a long time to recover from because the high level of invasions has suppressed the speciation rate substantially," Stigall said.

Maintaining Earth's ecosystems, she suggests, would be helped by focusing efforts and resources on protection of new species generation.

"The more we know about this process," Stigall said, "the more we will understand how to best preserve biodiversity."

The research was also funded by the American Chemical Society and Ohio University.

Read the story at link.

-NSF-

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Non-native Fish Species Identified in New Hampshire Waters

Concord, NH - The state departments of Environmental Services (DES) and Fish and Game announced today the discovery of the rosyside dace (Clinostomus funduloides), a non-native species of fish previously unknown in New Hampshire. The species was found inhabiting Hewes Brook, a tributary of the Connecticut River in Lyme. The discovery was made in summer 2010 by DES biologists during routine biological monitoring activities. The species’ identity was recently confirmed by three independent researchers. “While the origin of this species in New Hampshire is uncertain, it seems likely to have been introduced by human intervention,” said David Neils, DES biologist.

“The introduction of aquatic non-native species to New Hampshire waters presents a serious danger to the ecological integrity of our waterways, as well as our ability to enjoy them,” stated Thomas Burack, DES Commissioner. New Hampshire laws and administrative rules prohibit the introduction of non-native species. Specifically with regard to fish and wildlife, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Administrative Rules control the possession and importation, and prohibit the release of, non-indigenous or non-naturalized fish species to New Hampshire waters. The same rules also prohibit the possession of live fish, other than approved baitfish species when leaving any freshwaters of the state.

“Anglers are unlikely to catch the rosyside dace using hook-and-line because of its small size, but incidental capture is possible by means of baitfish trapping,” said Jason Smith, Fish and Game biologist. Smith recommends that if fish caught are suspected to be the rosyside dace or any other non-native aquatic species previously undocumented in New Hampshire, individuals should immediately release them back into the waters from which they were captured, and contact either the Fish and Game Inland Fisheries Division (603-271-2501) or the DES biology section (603-271-8865).

“There is no indication at this point that the rosyside dace could cause recreational or economic problems; however, ecological impacts to the native fish community are possible depending on the ability of the species to expand its range and successfully propagate,” said Glenn Normandeau, Fish and Game Executive Director. At the time of sampling, 85 individuals were captured. However, based on observations, DES biologists estimated the population to be in the hundreds.

The rosyside dace is a member of the minnow family (Cyprinidae) and typically inhabits small streams with adults ranging from two to four inches in length. Its native distribution is recognized as extending from the Delaware River drainage in Pennsylvania to the Savannah River drainage in Georgia, as well as portions of the Ohio River basin. It is not known to occur in the Connecticut River or its tributaries, other than Hewes Brook, at this time.

Over the course of the next several months, biologists from both agencies will be working together to document where the rosyside dace occurs and to determine how it may have been introduced to New Hampshire. For more information, contact David Neils, DES senior biologist, at (603) 271-8865 or david.neils @ des.nh.gov .

--
This message brought to you by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, 29 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03302. Comments or Questions can be directed to Jim Martin at james.martin @ des.nh.gov.

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Call for Abstracts

Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council’s
26th Annual Symposium, Maitland, Florida
May 17th – 20th, 2011

We invite abstract submissions for contributed oral or poster presentations at the 2011 FLEPPC Annual Symposium. This year’s theme is “Exotics on the Run: Leveling the Playing Field for Native Plants”. The meeting will be held Tuesday, May 17th through Friday, May 20th in Maitland, Florida, at the Sheraton North Hotel.

Deadline for Abstract Submissions: January 31, 2011

Program Topics: Submissions are welcome for any area of invasive plant species investigation, including but not limited to:

Ecology
Economics
Management
Restoration
Risk Assessment
Policy and Regulation
Evolutionary Biology
Interdisciplinary Projects

SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT ONLINE!
www.fleppc.org/Symposium/2011/abstactsubmission.html

Abstracts must include the following information:
• Title of the proposed paper
• Full name and professional title of the author, organization to which s/he belongs, mailing address, phone number(s), and email address
• If there are multiple authors, please provide the above information for each.
• Text of the abstract (limit of 400 words)

General rules regarding abstracts: Please do not include figures, tables or mathematical equations in the abstract. Use standard abbreviations for units of measure. Other abbreviations and acronyms should be spelled out in full at first mention, followed by the abbreviation/acronym in parentheses. If you use references, provide the journal, volume, year and page numbers.

A letter or notification of acceptance or rejection will be emailed to the author(s) no later than February 15th, 2011. Online submission of abstracts is strongly encouraged. If web access is not available, please submit abstracts to: Jessica Spencer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 701 San Marco Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32207 904-232-1696 voice; Email: jessica.e.spencer @ usace.army.mil

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Week of January 10, 2011

2011-01-11T10:43:00.003-05:00

A new invasive reported for the Catskill Mountains

Five-leaf aralia (Eleutherococcus sieboldianus) is an ornamental that has invasive tendencies and is very threatening to natural communities. Please report any occurrences you find in the Catskill Mountain region to Meredith Taylor at the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development. Photo documentation is always appreciated!

Meredith Taylor
Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership Coordinator
The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development

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Les Mehrhoff passes away

Leslie J. Mehrhoff, 60, passed away suddenly on Wednesday, December 22nd 2010 at his home in Willington, Connecticut. Born March 16th, 1950 in Morris Plains, New Jersey to Leslie and Jessie Mehrhoff, he leaves behind his beloved wife, Olga; daughter, Jessie; and field-dog, Moxie. Les received his B.S. from New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire. He went on to receive his M.S. and PhD. from the University of Connecticut in Storrs. Before retiring in July of 2009, Les worked for the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UConn as the curator of the George Safford Torrey Herbarium.

A naturalist, he sought involvement in organizations including, but not limited to, the Connecticut Botanical Society, New England Wildflower Society, and the Torrey Botanical Club. He also participated in various committees such as the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University, CT chapter of The Nature Conservancy, The CT Invasive Plant Working Group, and served as one of the project managers of the Invasive Plant Atlas of New England (IPANE).

Les was also a champion in the defense of all living things, from releasing insects found indoors to the safety of their natural habitat, to eradicating invasive species through his teachings and field work. As an avid fan of the UConn Men’s Soccer team, Les could be found proudly cheering from the stands.

Les’ legacy will be carried on by the many people he inspired and befriended. A celebration of Les’ life will be held in Storrs, CT at a later date. In memory of Les, please perform an act of kindness for the preservation of our environment.

Please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com for online memorial guestbook.

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Week of December 20, 2010

2010-12-20T12:49:00.003-05:00

Efforts to kill invasive plant worry beekeepers

www.syracuse.com

Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — An effort to fight an invasive plant with insects that eat it has drawn opposition from beekeepers who worry it will leave them without an adequate source of nectar and pollen for their honeybees.

Researchers in Michigan released bugs that feed on spotted knapweed earlier this year. Western states and big honey producers, such as Minnesota and Wisconsin, previously used so-called biological control to help restrain the flowering plant, which produces chemicals that deter the growth of other plants and crowds out native vegetation.

It's not clear why Michigan beekeepers are so worried about knapweed control when those in other states haven't been as much. Some in the industry speculated Michigan beekeepers may rely on knapweed more for nectar and pollen than those in other states. Regardless, Michigan is among the nation's top 10 honey producers and the home of beekeepers who ship hives as far as Florida and California to pollinate orchards and fields. Beekeepers argue that if they're hurt, the farmers who rely on them will suffer too.

"If it wasn't for this plant, we wouldn't even be here," said Kirk Jones, the 57-year-old founder of Sleeping Bear Farms in the northwest Lower Peninsula community of Beulah. If knapweed control efforts prove successful, he said: "It could be detrimental to the future of the beekeeping industry."

The dispute between the state and its beekeepers is happening amid a massive die-off of bees nationwide. Colony collapse disorder has killed about 30 percent of the nation's bees each year since it was recognized in 2006, according to a report the U.S. Department of Agriculture released Friday. The bees are crucial for the production of 130 crops worth more than $15 billion a year, it said.

Michigan officials said they're keenly aware of the importance beekeepers place on knapweed, which blooms in late July and early August when many other plants aren't flowering. As part of the knapweed fight, they're looking at what kinds of native flowers could be planted to replace it — both to sustain bees and improve the diversity of wildflowers statewide.

"It's not an attempt to take away a resource that beekeepers find valuable, but to replace it with one that might have more functionality," said Ken Rauscher, director of the pesticide and plant pest management division for the Michigan Department of Agriculture, which worked with federal officials to oversee the release of knapweed-eating bugs.

Beekeepers, however, are skeptical about other flowers' ability to do the job.

Spotted knapweed, also known as starthistle, was introduced in the U.S. from Europe in the late 1800s. It was brought over accidentally, either in contaminated seed or ships' ballast water, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The plant has been seen in Michigan for at least a century but has spread more vigorously in the past two decades. It thrives in sandy soils, such as dunes, and in former farm fields, along roads and in prairies.

Many beekeepers have set up shop near large expanses of knapweed, said Roger Hoopingarner, president of the Michigan Beekeepers Association. Its loss, and a subsequent loss of bees, would hurt honey production, but the bigger effect would come from not having bees to pollinate fruit and vegetable crops, he said.

Michigan is second only to California in the diversity of crops it produces and is among is among the nation's leaders in the production of red tart cherries, apples and blueberries — all of which need pollination.

"If spotted knapweed goes away and there is nothing that will replace it, then some of these beekeepers . . . will just leave the state," Hoopingarner said. "They go now to California or other states for pollination, and they won't come back because there will be no incentive to come back."

Two knapweed-eating flies were released in Michigan in the 1990s, but those don't appear to have curbed its spread, Rauscher said. So in August, researchers released two types of weevils on state land in five counties. Scientists in other states have found success in killing off knapweed with a combination of flies and weevils.

Michigan officials don't expect to wipe out knapweed; the hope is to pare it back. Doug Landis, a Michigan State University professor who specializes in biological control, is working with the state on the project. He said replacing knapweed with other flowers is a must because of the way Michigan beekeepers use the plant.

"That will maintain the nectar flow," Landis said.

Terry Klein, 70, of TM Klein and Sons Honey in St. Charles, has about 1,000 colonies of bees in central Michigan. He said he fears the economically-troubled state won't have the resources needed to fully replant areas where knapweed is killed off. The burden will be on beekeepers, who will have to raise the prices they charge Michigan farmers for pollination, he said.

"To me, it's a double-whammy," Klein said. "Costing Michigan jobs. Costing our status as a fruit-growing state."

The pilot project will be evaluated over the next year or two, and Michigan officials don't expect to release more insects until that is done, Rauscher said. Even if the project is expanded, it could be 10 to 15 years before the bugs have a substantial impact on the presence of knapweed, leaving time for beekeepers to adjust, he said.

And, the Michigan Beekeepers' Hoopingarner added, even if Michigan doesn't introduce more bugs, they could eventually spread there from surrounding states where they're used to control knapweed.

Read the article at link.

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Week of December 13, 2010

2010-12-16T11:36:00.002-05:00

Invisible invasive species altering ecosystems

EAST LANSING, Mich. — While Asian carp, gypsy moths and zebra mussels hog invasive-species headlines, many invisible invaders are altering ecosystems and flourishing outside of the limelight.

A study by Elena Litchman, Michigan State University associate professor of ecology, sheds light on why invasive microbial invaders shouldn’t be overlooked or underestimated.

“Invasive microbes have many of the same traits as their larger, ‘macro’ counterparts and have the potential to significantly impact terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,” said Litchman, whose research appears in the December issue of Ecology Letters. “Global change can exacerbate microbial invasions, so they will likely increase in the future.”

The public and scientists seem to be well-informed of the spread of Asian carp, zebra mussels and gypsy moths – all invasive macroorganisms. But what about exotic cyanobacteria, also called “blue-green algae,” which have found their way into North American and European lakes? Or a nitrogen-fixing rhizobium, a soil microorganism that has emigrated from Australia to Portugal?

In the Great Lakes, a brackish diatom (a microscopic alga), has colonized Lake Michigan probably via ballast-water discharge and is now the largest diatom in the waterways. How will it change the ecosystem? What changes has it caused already?

While many people have a working knowledge of the American chestnut blight, which was caused by a pathogenic parasitic fungus, most invasive microbes fly beneath the radar of the public and scientists alike. Virtually nothing has been published on the potential of nonpathogenic microbes on a large scale, according to Litchman.

“From scientific research, we know that the chestnut blight dramatically altered forests and how the spread of West Nile virus is associated with significant bird die-offs,” she said. “Currently, there are no published examples of the impacts of invasive nonpathogenic microbes, but there is growing evidence that they could change ecosystems in equally dramatic fashion.”

The lack of attention to microbial invasions compared to macroorganisms is due, in part, to their cryptic nature and the difficulty of detection. Lack of detection combined with climate change could potentially exacerbate these microbial invasions, which could continue to grow as the earth’s weather patterns change, Litchman added.

“Increasing air temperatures have been implicated in the spread of malaria and other pathogenic microbes into higher altitudes and latitudes,” she said. “Likewise, climate change could stimulate invasions by tropical and subtropical nonpathogenic microbes into temperate latitudes.”

Litchman’s research is funded in part by the National Science Foundation.

Read the story at link

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Weed Final Rule APHIS 2007-0146-15 effective December 10, 2010

APHIS is amending the regulations governing the importation and interstate movement of noxious weeds by adding definitions of terms used in the regulations, adding details regarding the process of applying for the permits used to import or move noxious weeds, adding a requirement for the treatment of Niger seed, and adding provisions for petitioning to add a taxon to or remove a taxon from the noxious weed lists. These changes will update the regulations to reflect current statutory authority and program operations and improve the effectiveness of the regulations. We are also adding seven taxa to the list of terrestrial noxious weeds and to the list of seeds with no tolerances applicable to their introduction. This action will prevent the introduction or dissemination of these noxious weeds into or within the United States.

For details see this link.

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Week of November 8, 2010

2010-11-10T15:02:00.002-05:00

Invasive Species Threaten Future of N.Y. Forests

The spread of Asian insects kills key American species in Northeast

By A. Drew Muscente

Published on The Cornell Daily Sun (http://www.cornellsun.com)

It is illegal to transport some firewood across the state of New York — doing so may lead to consequences.

On March 29 of last year, the N.Y. Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) instituted a series of regulations, strictly limiting the movement of firewood. Its import is prohibited unless the firewood is first treated with insecticides; local wood may not be transported more than 50 miles from its natural source; and all firewood must be accompanied by a receipt.

These regulations represent the response to invasive insect species, particularly the emerald ash borer, the hemlock woolly adelgid and the eastern longhorned beetle. One anonymous source characterized these species as “the holy trinity of invasive species” — a powerful trifecta of Asian insects capable of drastically altering the natural American landscape.

The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, originally immigrated from Asia to southeastern Michigan in 2002, probably by hitchhiking in wood packing material bound for Detroit’s industrial district. The species uses ash trees for reproduction, laying larvae in the inner-bark of the tree. Each larva feeds on the wood, creating intricate tunnels as it eats. Located below the bark, each tunnel obstructs the movement of water and nutrients, eventually killing the ash tree.

Infested ash trees can be identified by distinctive D-shaped spots — holes through which the mature insects exited the inner bark. In addition, these trees are frequently covered with patches of leaves, dead branches and white flecks, caused by woodpeckers, digging into the wood for the larvae.

Consequently, the invasion resulted in the destruction of ash tree populations throughout Michigan state.

Ash trees are not a significant component of Michigan forests, which are already fragmented due to midwestern agriculture. In contrast, local forests are contiguous across the state and have relatively more ash trees per unit area — this creates a superhighway for the spread of the insect.

“The issue in all of Pennsylvania and New York is that they are more heavily forested,” said Prof. John Vandenberg, entomology.

Vandenberg studies the emerald ash borer in Michigan. While returning to Ithaca last summer, Vandenberg discovered the symptoms on an ash tree at a rest stop in New York state. He explained that a traveler with firewood likely carried the ash borer to that tree.

Since then, the emerald ash borer has appeared in separate regions throughout the entire state.

According to Mark C. Whitmore, an extension associate in the department of natural resources, ash trees constitute only 10 percent of local forests. However, in conjunction with other insects, the emerald ash borer poses a serious threat to the natural diversity of forests.

The hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae, first entered the U.S. from East Asia in 1924, and it is now found throughout the eastern states. It is responsible for the widespread mortality of hemlock, a group of pine tree species. This insect sucks the nutrient-rich sap from the hemlock wood, reducing the overall transport of necessary materials in the plant.

The eastern longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis, is native to China, but surfaced in New York City during the 1990s; in recent years, the beetle has invaded regions of Massachusetts, forcing the state to implement multiple quarantine strategies. Thus far, these efforts have successfully contained the insect.

Like the emerald ash borer, the Asian longhorned beetle reproduces in the wood of northeastern trees. However, this insect also kills poplar, willow, elm, chestnut, birch and maple trees.

“It’s hard to think about the northeast without sugar maple,” Mark Whitmore said. After all, the combined potential of the three insects is extensive — ash, hemlock, birch and maple trees represent significant portions of local forests. This leaves only oak, hickory, and beech trees, as well as some less dominate groups of plants, unthreatened by invasive species.

The trifecta makes forests increasingly vulnerable to further insect invasions. In addition, as they reduce the number of ash, hemlock and other trees, natural processes that emerged over thousands of years may also change.

For instance, hemlock trees are confined to moist, cool regions, typically on higher slopes and along bodies of water — this includes the northeastern side of Beebe Lake. Consequently, hemlock branches frequently shade lakes, ponds and streams, cooling the water.

The destruction of Hemlock stands by the adelgid could drastically alter the ecology of waterways, particularly the behavior of trout fish.

Similar, the ash borer and the longhorned beetle could potentially impact local economics. Ash trees are common sources of wood for high-quality electric guitars, drum and baseball bats. Ash trees are also common street trees.

“When those trees die, it’s going to be a significant health hazard,” explained Mark Whitmore. “Hopefully by planning, I think communities will be able to minimize the economic impact that will occur.”

Cornell extension services is currently working to reduce the spread of the insects, particularly the emerald ash borer. These efforts include mapping the distribution of ash trees throughout the state, educating the public about the risks of moving firewood, and working with scientists to introduce resistance genes from Asian trees into populations of the local Ash species.

Insecticides are an effective solution to save pet trees in backyards, but because insecticides must be used repeatedly in large quantities, it is not a practical solution to end the statewide infestation. Insecticides also pose significant health risks and will inevitably harm other plants.

“I think the only hope we have is to slow it down,” Whitmore said. “Communities need to start acting now; they have no time to wait.”

“Sometimes it’s the scientist who finds the species, but usually, it’s Joe Public who finds something in his backyard,” related Holly Menninger, coordinator of the N.Y. Invasive Species Research Institute at CALS. “We need as many eyes and ears on the ground to find these things.”

Communities can reduce the impact of the insect by taking inventory of their local ash trees, reducing the spread of contaminated firewood and communicating with state agencies. Scientists hope that they may eventually produce resistant ash trees, capable of dealing with the insect. This work, however, is still only in its infancy.

“People like to compare it to the loss of chestnut and elms … They just disappeared real quickly,” Mark Whitmore explained.

Dutch elm disease and chestnut blight — two diseases caused by fungi of Asian origin — obliterated populations of elm and chestnut trees during the 20th century. Elm trees actually adorned University property until they were killed by the disease. Both species survived.

Immature chestnut trees can be found in the wild. Because their roots are fairly resistant to the fungus, they survive, but produce only limited growth of shoots.

The difference is this: chestnut and elm tree genes remain in the stunted offspring of both species. When ash trees, hemlock and other species die due to the activities of this invasive trifecta, they will likely disappear forever — their genes will just simply be gone.

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2010-10-26T18:00:00.002-04:00

A Tribute to Steven M. Flint

APIPP’s fall/winter 2010 newsletter features a tribute to Steve Flint.

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Week of October 11, 2010

2010-10-11T10:34:00.003-04:00

Groups join forces to combat invasive species in Eightmile River

Published in The Day (www.theday.com)

The committee in charge of programs in the Eightmile River watershed, which extends into Salem, Lyme and East Haddam [Connecticut], signed an agreement Monday to take a regional approach to combating invasive species.

The agreement is the first of its kind in Connecticut, the Eightmile River Coordinating Committee said in a news release, although there have been others in watersheds in Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire and elsewhere. The agreement establishes the watershed as the Eightmile River Invasive Species Management Area, with priority given to early detection of new populations of invasive species such as Japanese Stiltgrass and Pale Swallowwort. In 2008, the Eightmile watershed was designated as part of the National Park Service's Wild and Scenic Rivers program. "There is remarkable diversity of life forms in the oasis called the Eightmile River watershed," David Bingham, president of the Salem Land Trust, said in a news release. "This agreement is an important step toward education and cooperation, so that by working together we can prevent and mitigate the significant threats from invasive species and keep our oasis healthy."

Groups signing the agreement included the coordinating committee; the Nature Conservancy; the Town of Lyme; the land trust of Lyme, Salem and East Haddam, and the National Park Service. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is also expected to sign on as a partner. Part of the watershed management plan written for the wild and scenic program includes providing education to landowners about controlling invasive species and other efforts to stop their spread.

"The Eightmile River watershed has a significant amount of protected open space," said David Gumbart, assistant director of land management for the Nature Conservancy's Connecticut chapter.

For information about invasive species, visit www.hort.uconn.edu/cipwg. For information about the Eightmile watershed invasive species management area, call Gumbart at (203) 568-6290.

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Week of October 4, 2010

2010-10-05T10:46:00.003-04:00

Dear Friends of the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program,

On Friday, October 1, our friend Steven Flint died peacefully in the presence of family at Hospice in Dayton Ohio after a courageous battle against cancer. The service will be held on Saturday, October 9th, 2-4, at Littleton and Rue Funeral Home, 830 North Limestone Street, Springfield, Ohio 45503. Remembrances and condolences can be sent to his family at 122 Owners Drive Tremont City, OH 45372.

Steven's "can-do" spirit lives on in countless partners, landowners, volunteers, interns and students whom he mentored and inspired throughout his 15 years in conservation with The Nature Conservancy.

Steven's influence reached many and his contributions to stewardship are witnessed each day in Adirondack lands and waters.

Hilary Smith
Director, Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program
The Nature Conservancy - Adirondack Chapter

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Week of August 23, 2010

2010-08-20T16:16:00.004-04:00

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in New York State

What is Known, Predictable, and Expected in Western New York

The news is not good!

EAB Update and Informational Meeting
August 31st 2010 - 2:00 pm
Woodlawn Beach State Park
3580 Lake Shore Road (Rt. 5) at Rt. 179 Interchange, Blasdell NY

Sponsored by Western New York Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (WNY PRISM)

Presenters will address EAB identification, physiology, habitat, surveillance and monitoring, known occurrences, EAB damage visual keys and descriptors followed by a question and answer period.

Co-Sponsors and Presenters include:

• NYS Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation
• NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Region 9
• NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets
• USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
• Erie County Environmental Education Institute (ECEEI)

EAB is on the move across NYS. How will this impact the eight county region of WNY? Can’t attend this meeting and meet the experts? Find current information on EAB occurrence and quarantine areas in NYS:

NYSDAM CAPS
NYSDEC
NYS IS Clearinghouse

Point of Contact: Paul Fuhrmann - WNY PRISM pfuhrmann@ene.com 716 684 8060

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Week of August 16, 2010

2010-08-16T10:51:00.006-04:00

Invasive Species Survey Discovers First European Marine Shrimp to Invade North America

From Judith Pederson, Ph.D.
MIT Sea Grant College Program

Cambridge, Mass. ~ The first European shrimp to invade North America has been found in Salem, Massachusetts, 17 miles north of Boston, according to scientists participating in a "rapid assessment" survey of invasive species along the New England coast.

The shrimp was discovered on July 31 while scientists were searching for another invader, an Asian shrimp recently discovered in Long Island Sound. The new European shrimp, known as Palaemon elegans, which is edible, can reach 2½ inches in length. The shrimp was found in Salem's Hawthorne Cove Marina. A team of scientists returned on August 9 to Salem and found a large population, collecting over 70 shrimp at Hawthorne and at near-by Palmer's Cove Yacht Club. The shrimp's identity was confirmed by Dr. Sammy De Grave of Oxford University's (Oxford, England) Museum of Natural History.

"This is a major discovery," said Dr. James T. Carlton, Director of the Williams College – Mystic Seaport Maritime Studies Program (Mystic CT), and a survey participant. "This is a well-known and well-studied shrimp in Europe, which will help us make predictions as to what the impact of this species may be in America," he said.

"The fact that ballast water has been released from Europe into New England harbors for over 100 years and that this is the first shrimp from the eastern Atlantic Ocean to invade suggests that environmental changes either in Europe or North America may have led to this introduction," stated Dr. Carlton.

The shrimp was most likely introduced by the release of ballast water from commercial overseas vessels from Europe, according to Dr. Judith Pederson, of the MIT Sea Grant Program (Cambridge MA), one of the survey leaders,

Known as the "Rock Pool Prawn" in England, Palaemon elegans is a carnivore, consuming large numbers of smaller crustaceans. "Recent studies in Sweden revealed that this shrimp can eat so many smaller animals that green algae growth is no longer controlled, and the increased mass of algae in turn may smother eelgrass beds" noted Dr. Carlton.

Studies are now being planned to examine what impacts the Rock Pool Prawn may have in America, including competition with native shrimp, and whether climate change in a now-warmer Gulf of Maine may play a role in its successful invasion.

"Eradication of this shrimp is not likely to be possible," said Dr. Pederson, "emphasizing all the more the need for continued vigilance in monitoring the vectors that bring in new invasions that could have major ecological or economic impacts to our coastal resources. It is exactly these types of much-needed surveys that permit us to detect new invaders and launch studies to understand what effects they may have."

Involving scientists from North and South America and Europe, this is the fourth survey since 2000 that has documented marine invasive species in New England. The week-long Rapid Assessment Survey focuses on the marine life found in harbors, ports, and marinas, in order to provide a baseline for biodiversity change and to detect new invasions. The Massachusetts portion of the 2010 survey was supported by the Massachusetts Bays Estuary Program, the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, MIT Sea Grant, and The Northeast Aquatic Nuisance Species Panel.

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Fly Fishers Serving as Transports for Noxious Little Invaders

By Felicity Barringer
The New York Times

For fly fishers who pride themselves on a conservationist ethic, it hurts to discover that they may be trampling on that ethic every time they wade into a trout stream.

Blame their boots — or, more precisely, their felt soles. Growing scientific evidence suggests that felt, which helps anglers stay upright on slick rocks, is also a vehicle for noxious microorganisms that hitchhike to new places and disrupt freshwater ecosystems.

That is why Alaska and Vermont recently approved bans on felt-soled boots and Maryland plans to do so soon.

“If you were trying to design a material to transport microscopic material around,” said Jack Williams, an expert on invasive species with the environmental group Trout Unlimited, “felt on the bottom of someone’s boots in a stream would be as close to perfection as you could find.”

The response among fishermen threatened with the loss of soles that cling to slippery rocks parallels the five stages of grief.

There is denial (the science is wrong), anger (why should I fall on my tail for the good of the planet?), bargaining (I will wash them, I will disinfect them, I will dry them), depression (I cannot afford new boots) and, finally, acceptance (I will go feltless if I must). ...

Read the full story at link.

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Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) urges hikers to brush off invasive species

From the Adirondack Almanack

The Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) is urging hikers to give their boots a good brushing after each hike to remove any seeds of invasive plant species and help prevent their spread to other wild areas.

“Because of the rapid spread of invasive species such as garlic mustard, Japanese knotweed and wild parsnip, hikers should include a whisk broom or brush as part of their hiking gear,” said Neil Woodworth, executive director of the Adirondack Mountain Club. “By giving your boots or shoes a good brushing before leaving the area, you can help prevent seeds from spreading to the next trail you hike.”

Hikers should also clean their clothing, backpacks and equipment before going to a new area to hike. Campers should shake out their tents before breaking camp to dislodge invasive seeds.

Invasive plants tend to push out native species and disrupt natural habitats, and some pose serious health threats for humans. The sap of giant hogweed, when combined with moisture and sunlight, can cause severe skin and eye irritation, painful blistering, permanent scarring and blindness. If you see it, don’t touch it. Information on identifying and controlling giant hogweed is available on the Department of Environmental Conservation website. If you find giant hogweed growing in the wild, call the DEC hotline, (845) 256-3111. Information about the health effects of exposure to giant hogweed is available online....

Read the full story at link.

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Pennsylvania gets help to combat invasive pests

The Tribune-Democrat

Pennsylvania’s ongoing efforts to control destructive forest pests and invasive vegetation in state forests and parks received an infusion of funds through the recent approval of more than $350,000 in federal grants, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced Monday.

Five USDA Forest Service grants are earmarked for DCNR’s bureaus of forestry and state parks for tracking and control of the emerald ash borer, hemlock woolly adelgid and Asian longhorned beetle, as well as the suppression of invasive plants and restoration of native species.

“This invaluable financial support also is a real testament to the effectiveness of programs planned and already in place to protect the health of our state forests and state parklands,” said Daniel Devlin, Bureau of Forestry director. “All of these grants were competitive, meaning other states also were vying for funding.”

The largest federal grant, $125,000, will enable the bureau’s Forest Pest Management section to implement and demonstrate various management techniques for controlling the emerald ash borer, a non-native invasive forest pest killing all species of ash that has been detected in 16 Pennsylvania counties.

Lesser funding amounts are earmarked for the tracking and suppression of the hemlock woolly adelgid, another non-native invasive forest pest proving deadly to Pennsylvania’s state tree, the Eastern hemlock.

Also, transfer of firewood – directly linked to the spread of the Asian longhorned beetle and emerald ash borer – will be monitored closely in state campgrounds as well as visual surveys under a newly funded plan.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests, some sections of which are overrun with barberry, purple loosestrife, common reed (Phragmites) and other invasive vegetation, will be targeted with new suppression efforts, as well as plantings of native species.

For more information on forest insect pest management, invasive vegetation and native plant species, go to www.dcnr.state.pa.us.

Read the story at link.

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Week of August 9, 2010

2010-08-10T10:20:00.004-04:00

TREE-KILLING BEETLE DETECTED IN THE CATSKILL FOREST PRESERVE

Separate Detection in Livingston County;
Firewood Outreach Planned for Watkins Glen Race Week

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis announced the discovery of a well-established Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infestation in northern Ulster County that includes land within the Catskill Park’s Forest Preserve. EAB is a small but destructive beetle that infests and kills North American ash tree species, including green, white, black and blue ash
.
The discovery comes as a result of surveying efforts by DEC, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (DAM) and the federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) after the initial discovery of an adult EAB specimen in Saugerties on July 15.

“This latest discovery of EAB is particularly troubling because it occurred within the boundaries of one of the state’s two constitutionally protected forest preserves,” Commissioner Grannis said. “This should be a wake-up call for everyone who enjoys New York’s forests and woodlands. We know that the transportation of firewood causes the spread of this destructive pest, so everyone should do their part to protect our trees: Don't transport firewood. Buy your wood locally.”

Staff from DEC, APHIS and DAM have begun further investigative surveying of the initial site and the surrounding area. Evidence of EAB has since been found at a total of 19 sites spread over an area of approximately 15 square miles, encompassing the Ulster County towns of Saugerties, Ulster, Kingston, Woodstock and Hurley. Infested trees are now estimated to be in the hundreds and the center of the infestation appears to be in the vicinity of the hamlet of Ruby.

EAB has also been confirmed in two new counties. A specimen on private land in Catskill, Greene County, was confirmed this week and is likely an extension of the Ulster County infestation. The agencies confirmed the presence of EAB in a federally-deployed trap on a public right-of-way in Caledonia, Livingston County. Staff are continuing surveys to delineate the EAB presence in those and surrounding areas.

“New York State and our partners are evaluating the options available to us and learning from the experiences of other states that have battled EAB,” said Director of DEC's Division of Lands and Forests and New York’s State Forester Robert K. Davies. “Our strategy will focus on measures that have been shown to slow the spread of EAB infestations. Meanwhile, in order to protect our forest resources, we want to re-emphasize that the public can help by complying with our restrictions on firewood movement.”

It is suspected that the spread of EAB is primarily due to the movement of infested firewood and wood products from one place to another. The recent discovery of EAB within the Catskill Forest Preserve is a reminder that many of New York State's forests and parklands are high-risk areas due to firewood movement by campers. Identification of dead and dying ash trees, especially within popular campgrounds and parklands, may require additional measures to ensure the safety of campers and other visitors.

New York has more than 900 million ash trees, representing about 7 percent of all trees in the state.

DEC is receiving significant cooperation from the state Department of Transportation and Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation and numerous other educational and not-for-profit partners. In response to the new EAB detections, DEC has also requested assistance from the state’s Forest Products Industry in restricting the movement of ash.

Public Awareness

In 2008, the state established firewood regulations that prohibit out-of-state transport of untreated firewood and intra-state movement of untreated firewood more than 50 miles from its source (http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/28722.html). Visitors to campgrounds in New York should get firewood at the campground or from a local vendor. Ask for a receipt or label that has the firewood’s local source.
In an effort to further increase awareness, DEC and APHIS staff will be conducting an extensive outreach and education effort for campers attending this weekend’s NASCAR racing event at Watkins Glen International. DEC Environmental Conservation Officers will also set up roadside check stations along certain routes leading into the race track to inspect firewood and provide information about state and federal restrictions in place to slow the spread of invasive species.

For those choosing to transport firewood within New York, it must have a receipt or label that has the firewood's source and it must remain within 50 miles of that source. For firewood not purchased (i.e., cut from personal property) one must have a Self-Issued Certificate of Source http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/selfisscert.pdf, and it must be sourced within 50 miles of your destination. Only firewood labeled as meeting New York's heat treatment standards to kill pests (kiln-dried) may be transported into the state and further than 50 miles from the firewood's source.

DEC, DAM and APHIS ask the public to be aware of signs of infestation in ash trees on their property and in their community. If someone suspects an ash tree could be infested by EAB, go to the websites below for more information. If damage is consistent with the known symptoms of EAB infestation, report suspected damage to the state by calling 1-866-640-0652 for appropriate action as time and resources allow.

For more information, visit the following web pages: www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/emerald_ash_b/index.shtml http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/CAPS/pdf/Emerald%20Ash%20Borer%20Poster.pdf
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7253.html

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Hitchhiking Bacteria Can Go Against the Flow

ScienceDaily (Aug. 10, 2010) — A new study co-authored by professor Kam Tang of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science reveals that tiny aquatic organisms known as "water fleas" play an important role in carrying hitchhiking bacteria to otherwise inaccessible lake and ocean habitats.

The article, "Bacteria dispersal by hitchhiking on zooplankton," appeared in the June 29 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It was co-authored by scientists from the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries in Stechlin, Germany.

Bacteria and other microorganisms are key components of aquatic ecosystems, nurturing the base of the food web and recycling organic matter into carbon, nitrogen, and other elemental constituents of global biogeochemical cycles. Some, like Vibrio, can cause disease. Vibrio is responsible for cholera and other water- and shellfish-borne illnesses....

Aquatic hitchhikers

The team's study, says Tang, clearly shows that "bacteria, including pathogens, are able to travel and cross aquatic boundaries by hitchhiking on migrating organisms, thus facilitating exchanges between separate microbial communities and allowing access to otherwise inaccessible resources."

The authors note that "unlike slowly sinking aggregates and other detritus that mostly transport bacteria downward, mobile and migrating hosts can cover long distances rapidly and disperse bacteria in all directions repeatedly and effectively." [...]

Although the team conducted their study in freshwater lakes and with freshwater organisms, Tang says their findings likely pertain to ocean ecosystems as well. "Many species of marine zooplankton migrate long distances vertically on daily or seasonal time scales, or during different stages of their life cycle," he says. "They may therefore transport and disperse bacteria over long distances, affecting the ecology and physiology of even deep-sea microbes."

Read the full story here: Link

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Emerald ash borer may devastate lumber industry

Pennsylvania expands wood quarantine

By Cliff White - www.centredaily.com

The forestry products industry stands to lose up to 10 percent of its business if a pest with an appetite for ash trees is not deterred.

The emerald ash borer, a green beetle originally from Asia, is eating its way through the state’s 300 million estimated ash trees. Since its first sighting in Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh in 2007, it has spread into 17 counties, including Centre County, where it was first spotted in June.

Pennsylvania Forest Products Association Executive Director Paul Lyskava said the state’s forestry products industry, which employs 60,000 people, could take a “substantial” hit if the rapid spread of the bug isn’t stopped.

“Losing that species is something that, from an economic standpoint, would be disastrous,” Lyskava said.

This week, the state Department of Agriculture expanded a quarantine restricting the movement of ash and firewood to 43 Pennsylvania counties. The quarantine requires ash to be treated through one of several processes before it can leave the quarantine area.

Pennsylvania ash trees account for between five and 10 percent of the hardwood lumber produced and sold in the state, he said. That adds up to an annual hit of tens of millions of dollars to the industry and the potential loss of hundreds or thousands of jobs if ash trees disappear entirely within the state.

Read more at link.

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Coordinated effort needed in battle with invasive species

By JEFF MEYERS Staff Writer, PressRepublican.com

PAUL SMITHS (New York) -- Non-native plants and animals have been spreading into new communities for centuries and likely will continue to do so for a long time.

But never before have invasive species met with such opposition from a growing number of people who are determined to understand, control and eliminate nuisance species from their environment.

Nearly 150 people attended a two-day workshop at Paul Smith's College this week to take a look at the impact non-native species have had on the ecology and economy of the northeastern United States and discuss ways to improve the community's response to the invaders.

NOT HOPELESS

"Sometimes this issue is assessed as being so big, so complicated and so hopeless," said David Strayer, freshwater ecologist for the Cary Ecosystem Studies and keynote speaker for opening-day presentations, held at the rustic Student Services building.

Those assessments sometimes prevent people from truly getting involved in efforts to reduce or eliminate existing populations of nuisance species or in preventing the spread of new unwanted species, he said.

It is not a new problem but one that has impacted the nation for centuries.

"Invaders arrived a long time ago with well-established and widespread populations," Strayer said. "We had nearly 125 (invasive) species by the mid-19th century."

PROS AND CONS

The complexity of dealing with those non-native species is that they have offered both beneficial and harmful impacts, he added.

"Some species are pests and cause large amounts of economic problems," he said, noting that estimates have suggested that dealing with invasive species costs the United States around $138 billion annually.

However, non-native species have also had positive impacts, he added, mentioning largemouth and smallmouth bass and other species of sports fish that are not native to America but play major roles in fishing circles.

Each species needs to be dealt with individually, Strayer said. There is no simple means for reducing or eliminating all invasive species, and good impacts have to be weighed with the bad.

"We have to assess the actual impacts. We have to decide if control is desirable, if control is possible."

Officials, communities and individuals all have to be more proactive in the battle against invading species, he suggested, using the example of what would happen if officials working on the oil spill in the Gulf decided to take 20 years to assess the problem before taking steps to reduce the leak by one-half.

LISTING INVASIVES

Steve Sanford, director of the Office of Invasive Species Coordination for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, gave an overview of the state's efforts to expand its invasive-species policies, noting that 10 new species have entered the state since his department was created in 2008.

The state is attempting to develop an official list of invasive species to help develop regulations in how we deal with unwanted pests, he said, adding that the purple loosestrife is a commonly recognized nuisance but is still being sold in nurseries.

OPTIMISTIC

Hilary Smith, director of the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, offered information specific to the battle against invasives in the Adirondacks.

Due to its success, the program has been used as a template for other regions across the state where non-native species have caused considerably more problems than within the park.

"Some invasive species are gaining ground," she cautioned the attendees. "But there are opportunities for protecting the Adirondacks. This is a lot of land that is still intact."

GET INVOLVED

Dan Spada, supervisor of the Natural Resource Analysis for the Adirondack Park Agency, wrapped up the opening-day presentations with a look at the future of invasives, calling for the public to get involved in helping to prevent the introduction of new species, limit the spread of existing species and reduce the impact invasives have on the environment and economy.

Read the article at link.

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Week of July 19, 2010

2010-07-22T14:52:00.004-04:00

EMERALD ASH BORER DETECTED IN STEUBEN AND ULSTER COUNTIES

Additional Investigation Planned After Invasive Beetles Found in Traps

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis and state Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker today announced the discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) on private properties in the Town of Bath, Steuben County, and Town of Saugerties, Ulster County. The EAB is a small but destructive beetle that infests and kills North American ash tree species, including green, white, black, and blue ash.

The first detection of EAB in New York was in the town of Randolph, Cattaraugus County, in June 2009 (http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/56774.html). Since the Randolph find, state and federal officials have implemented an extensive monitoring effort that includes the deployment of approximately 7,500 EAB purple traps in ash trees in high risk locations including major transportation corridors.

The Steuben County discovery occurred on July 12 when a state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) staff member inspected one of the state’s EAB purple traps. The traps are sticky and contain a chemical lure that attracts adult EAB. The detection was confirmed this week by Cornell University. The Ulster County discovery occurred on July 15 after USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) staff member check of a federally-deployed EAB trap and confirmed by USDA APHIS. Each EAB trap had one confirmed EAB specimen.

Commissioner Grannis said: “DEC, the landowners, and our federal, state and local partners will work closely to study the extent of EAB’s presence in the newly-confirmed area and take the appropriate steps to protect the state’s ash resources. We have reason to believe that the movement of EAB to these new areas was due to the movement of firewood, and as summer is now in full swing, we again remind campers throughout the state that they too can help prevent the spread of harmful invasives by not hauling firewood to campgrounds and instead buying firewood locally.”

Commissioner Hooker said: “As we continue to find EAB it is important for us all to recognize the challenges we face from this pest and other invasive species. We are currently working to contain EAB, however, in spite of our best efforts, science and some models suggest that EAB is nearly impossible to contain and will likely spread into other areas of the state in the next several years. The Department of Agriculture and Markets is administering a quarantine designed to slow the spread of this pest. Residents can assist the state by being aware of how to identify and report unusual bugs.”

New York has more than 900 million ash trees, representing about seven percent of all trees in the state, and all are at risk. This is just the latest in a series of terrestrial and aquatic invasive species detections across New York State, including the Asian Longhorned Beetle, Sirex woodwasp, didymo, zebra mussels, and Eurasian water milfoil. They have prompted the state to strengthen regulations, increase educational outreach, and encourage ways of limiting the unintentional spread of these potentially devastating pests throughout the state.

In 2008, New York adopted regulations that ban untreated firewood from entering the state and restricts intrastate movement of untreated firewood to no more than a 50-mile radius from its source (http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/28722.html). This was done as a precaution against the introduction and spread of EAB and other invasive species because of the documented risk of transmission by moving firewood. DEC’s firewood regulations prohibiting out-of-state transport of untreated firewood and intra-state movement of untreated firewood more than 50 miles remain in effect and are extremely important tools. After more than three years of outreach and education efforts about the risks of moving firewood and the state’s regulation, DEC is increasing its enforcement efforts to prevent the movement of untreated firewood into and around New York.

Yvonne DeMarino, State Plant Health Director for USDA APHIS, said: “We are working in cooperation with the state to detect, control and prevent the human-assisted spread of this pest. This is a huge undertaking and therefore we also need the support and cooperation of every New Yorker to promise not to move firewood.”

New York State has been actively surveying for EAB since 2003, inspecting declining ash trees and setting detection tools statewide.

THE EMERALD ASH BORER:

The EAB has metallic green wing covers and a coppery red or purple abdomen; it is small enough to fit easily on a penny (photos: http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/CAPS/pdf/Emerald%20Ash%20Borer%20Poster.pdf and http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7253.html). Damage is caused by the larvae, which feed in tunnels called galleries in the phloem just below the bark. The serpentine galleries disrupt water and nutrient transport, causing branches, and eventually the entire tree, to die. Adult beetles leave
distinctive D-shaped exit holes in the outer bark of the branches and the trunk. Other signs of infestation include tree canopy dieback, yellowing, extensive sprouting from the roots and trunk (called "epicormic shoots"). Infested trees may also exhibit woodpecker damage from larvae extraction.

Since its discovery in southeastern Michigan in 2002, the EAB is responsible for the death and decline of tens of millions of ash trees in the U.S. Today the beetle has been detected in 14 states and two neighboring Canadian provinces. The primary way this insect spreads is when firewood and wood products are moved from one place to another. Many of New York State’s forests and parklands are high-risk areas due to firewood movement.

WHAT IS BEING DONE NOW:

A cooperative effort among USDA, New York State, Cornell and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry will conduct a thorough delimiting survey of trees to assess the extent of beetles in both areas. Information from this survey will help determine the response strategy.

The New York Invasive Species Council and DEC’s Office of Invasive Species Coordination were established in 2007 to help detect new invasive species outbreaks and rapidly respond to such incidents. Further follow-up to slow the spread of this very destructive forest insect will depend on funding made available. New York is working with state and federal legislators and agencies to inform them of the recent finds and the urgent need to identify additional funding sources to address these new occurrences.

WHAT OTHERS CAN DO:

New Yorkers are urged to take the following steps to keep EAB from spreading to other areas of the State:

• Leave all firewood at home - please do not bring it to campgrounds or parks.
• Get your firewood at the campground or from a local vendor - ask for a receipt or label that has the firewood's local source.
• If you choose to transport firewood within New York State:
o It must have a receipt or label that has the firewood's source and it must remain within 50 miles of that source.
o For firewood not purchased (i.e., cut from your own property) you must have a Self-Issued Certificate of Source, and it must be sourced within 50 miles of your destination.
o Only firewood labeled as meeting New York's heat treatment standards to kill pests (kiln-dried) may be transported into the state and further than 50 miles from the firewood's source.
• Watch for signs of infestation in your ash trees. If you suspect your ash tree could be infested by EAB, go to the websites below for more information. If damage is consistent with the known symptoms of EAB infestation, report suspected damage to the state by calling 1-866-640-0652 for appropriate action as time and resources allow.

For more information, visit the following web pages: www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/emerald_ash_b/index.shtml
http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/CAPS/pdf/Emerald%20Ash%20Borer%20Poster.pdf
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7253.html

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Emerald Ash Borer and Asian Long-horned Beetle Identification and Survey Workshop

Tuesday, August 3 – Thursday, August 5, 2010

The Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership (CRISP) will be hosting a 3-day emerald ash borer and Asian long-horned beetle identification and survey workshop from Tuesday August 3rd through Thursday August 5th. The workshop will be held in Newburgh, NY and transportation will be provided from pick-up locations along Rt.
28. Lunch will also be provided.

Tuesday morning will be devoted to classroom instruction with speakers from NYS Dept. of Ag and Markets and the USDA CAPS program. Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday and Thursday will be hands-on field surveys of industrial hubs around Newburgh. These hubs are likely introduction points for the region and are important places to survey.

More information and the agenda for the instructional portion of the workshop will be posted on the CRISP page
(http://www.catskillcenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=92
)
shortly. Keep an eye out for other upcoming events on this page too.

It is important that CRISP members and Catskills residents are trained in the latest survey techniques so that we can mount an early detection effort for these dangerous forest pests. If you can not commit to the full 3-day training, please consider coming for Tuesday's instructional portion.

Spaces are limited so please RSVP soon. For any questions feel free to email Meredith Taylor at mtaylor[at]catskillcenter.org or call 845-586-2611. Please share the flyer with anyone who may be interested.

Meredith Taylor
Catskills Educator
The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development PO Box 504
43355 Route 28
Arkville, NY 12406

ww.catskillcenter.org
Healthy Ecosystems - Vibrant Communities

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June 2010

2010-06-17T12:22:00.001-04:00

Gone fishing. Be back soon. :-)

Week of May 17, 2010

2010-05-18T15:38:00.005-04:00

Vermont Cities Marathon Run for Steven Flint and Cancer Survivors

Urgent message from Kyle Williams, NYS Department of Transportation, APIPP Partner, and friend...

For the better part of the last decade, Steven Flint, employee of the Adirondack Chapter of the Nature Conservancy in Keene Valley, NY, has been a stewardship leader in the battle to protect the Adirondack Park and surrounding Regions from the environmental, economic, and societal harm caused by invasive plants. Through the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP), I have personally known Steven to be passionate in his dedication and a sincere friend to everyone involved with the management of invasive plants. Whether your particular interest rests in the back country areas, at public campgrounds or along the highways, byways, streams or lakeshores of the Northcountry, Steven has been your unsung advocate. As many of you know, Steven continues to wage a fierce personal battle against the ultimate invader - cancer.

During this incredibly difficult time in Steven’s life, he could use our support and help in covering his mounting medical costs as his cancer continues to spread. To help raise money for Steven’s on-going treatment, and to increase awareness of the plight of all cancer survivors, I’m asking you to consider participating in this special event.

On the morning of May 30, 2010, I’ll have the honor of running the KeyBank Vermont Cities Marathon in Burlington, VT and dedicating this effort to Steven Flint and cancer survivor awareness. Throughout the 26.2 mile race, I’ll be attired head-to-toe in cancer survivor awareness “Livestrong” clothing (think of 160 pound banana), bearing a special tribute to Steven. Race information and official results can be found at www.runvermont.org/ In the Marathon Spirit, I’m asking that you consider a monetary donation towards Steven’s medical costs on a per mile basis. For example, a donation of $0.50 per mile X 26.2 miles equals $13.10; $1.00 X 26.2 = $26.20; $2 X 26.2 = $52.40, etc. and a flat fee donation is also fine.

Please send your thoughts of support and contributions by June 10, 2010 directly to:
Steven Flint, 1039 Green Street, Ausable Forks, NY 12912.

Also, on the morning of May 30th, or anytime, please go to www.livestrong.org/ to learn more about surviving cancer. Thanks for your assistance and Godspeed.

Sincerely,

Kyle Williams
NYS Department of Transportation

"Humanity shines brightest during difficult times"

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Status and Trends in State Invasive Species Policy: 2002-2009

Status and Trends in State Invasive Species Policy: 2002-2009 reviews developments in state laws and regulations governing invasive species in eleven states. It finds that invasive species laws and regulations are often fragmented and incomplete and have developed primarily on a species-by-species basis in response to crisis. As a result, they often fail to address potential future invaders or close off known invasion pathways. Fortunately, states have begun regulating invasion pathways and identifying species that may become invasive in the future due to climate change or other factors. States are increasingly creating interagency councils and management plans to coordinate these novel invasive species responses.

Authors: Author: Read D. Porter, Susan Graham, and Akiva Fishman

Environmental Law Institute

Download the report for free here.

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Invasive Species Awareness Week in the Adirondacks

Adirondack communities and organizations will celebrate the 5th annual Invasive Species Awareness Week on July 11 through July 17, 2010. Participants will learn about the issues surrounding invasive species (both plant and animal, aquatic, and terrestrial) and about the importance of native biodiversity in the Adirondacks by attending workshops, field trips, lectures, and control parties.

Go here for more information.

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Week of April 5, 2010

2010-04-08T15:25:00.005-04:00

Unwanted, unloved, and living in New York

If it slithers, stings, eats, or just grows, the state wants invasive species gone

By BRIAN NEARING, Staff writer
Times Union

ALBANY, NY -- The state is compiling a hit list of invasive plants, animals and insects -- from exotic invaders like a voracious Chinese fish to ornamental shrubs available at the local nursery.

A report by the state Invasive Species Council recommends the creation of a ranking system to judge the danger presented by a particular species, and a complementary set of state fines against anyone possessing the most risky specimens.

The proposed system would be New York's first comprehensive approach to prohibiting or regulating commerce in invasive plants and animals to slow or reverse their spread, said Steve Sanford, chief of the Office of Invasive Species at the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Based on regulations already in place in such states as Minnesota, Wisconsin, Connecticut and Massachusetts, the proposal -- required under 2007 state law -- is aimed at discouraging commerce in invasive species, he said.

"We are looking at trade as a pathway, and we want to constrict this pathway and ultimately shut it down, where people are purposefully introducing plants and animals in the pet, nursery stock and live food trades," Sanford said.

"There are real costs to society for invasive species," he said. "Unlike other forms of pollution, these do not diminish over time. They reproduce themselves and get larger and larger." [...]

The proposal would also give the state the power to charge anyone found to have willfully introduced a dangerous invasive for the state's cost of eradicating it. [...]

Deciding what invasive species are dangerous enough to be prohibited statewide will be up to the council, which includes nine state agencies: Environmental Conservation, Agriculture and Markets, Transportation, Parks and Recreation, Education and State, the Thruway Authority, the Canal Corporation and the Adirondack Park Agency.

The council could decide that a species should be prohibited, regulated or unregulated.

Read more at link.

Comment on the Report

The state invasive species report is available at link. Public comment can be made through May 14 via email at invasivesreport@gw.dec.state.ny.us, or by writing NYS DEC-Office of Invasive Species Coordination, Fifth Floor, 625 Broadway, Albany, N.Y. 12233.

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Week of March 29, 2010

2010-03-26T15:18:00.016-04:00

Updated 4/1/10
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Invasive fish hunted by woman armed with bow and arrow leaps out of the water to smack her in the face

A carp hunted by a woman armed with a bow and arrow has got his own back – by delivering a well-aimed slap to the face of his pursuer.

The bizarre shot was caught on the reservoirs of the Illinois River, where the population of Asian carp, an invasive species, has exploded.

The fish, who have habit of jumping out of the water when boats approach, are regarded as a nuisance, which has led to the sport of hunting them.

By providing participants with bows and arrows, Chris Brackett and his team have coined the term ‘extreme aerial bowfishing’ – conducted from a moving speedboat.

But while the sport is rapidly catching on, it is fraught with danger – for the hunters as well as the hunted. Indeed Brackett’s fiancée, Jodi Barnes, was pictured being hit in the face by a flying carp as she prepared to take aim and fire an arrow at it.

While Barnes’ prey managed to score a direct hit against his assailant, it is not known if the flying carp managed to leap back to the safety of the river following the daring move.

Read more at link.

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Insect to fight Japanese knotweed released in UK

By Rebecca Morelle
Science reporter, BBC News

A tiny Japanese insect that could help the fight against an aggressive superweed has been given the go-ahead for a trial release in England.

Since Japanese knotweed was introduced to the UK it has rapidly spread, and the plant currently costs over £150m a year to control and clear.

But scientists say a natural predator in the weed's native home of Japan could also help to control it here.

The insect will initially be released in a handful of sites this spring.

This is the first time that biocontrol - the use of a "natural predator" to control a pest - has been used in the EU to fight a weed.

Wildlife Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said: "These tiny insects, which naturally prey on Japanese Knotweed, will help free local authorities and industry from the huge cost of treating and killing this devastating plant."

Alien invaders

Japanese knotweed was introduced to the UK by the Victorians as an ornamental plant, but it soon escaped from gardens and began its rampant spread throughout the UK.

It grows incredibly quickly - more than one metre a month - and rapidly swamps any other vegetation in its path.

It is so hardy that it can burst through tarmac and concrete, causing costly damage to pavements, roads and buildings.

But removal is difficult and expensive; new estimates suggest it costs the UK economy £150m a year.

However, in Japan, the plant is common but does not rage out of control like it does in the UK, thanks to the natural predators that keep it in check.

Scientists at Cabi - a not-for-profit agricultural research organisation - used this as their starting point to track down a potential knotweed solution.

They looked at the superweed's natural predators - nearly 200 species of plant-eating insects and about 40 species of fungi - with the aim of finding one with an appetite for Japanese knotweed and little else.

After testing their candidates on 90 different UK plant species, including plants closely related to Japanese knotweed such as bindweeds and important crops and ornamental species, they discovered a psyllid called Aphalara itadori was the best control agent.

The little insect feeds on the sap of the superweed, stunting its growth.

Dr Dick Shaw, the lead researcher on the project from Cabi, told BBC News: "Safety is our top priority. We are lucky that we do have an extremely specific agent - it just eats invasive knotweeds."

Read more at link.

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Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program recruiting IS Project Coordinator

The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP), a partnership program protecting the Adirondack region from non-native invasive species, is now recruiting for a full-time 6-month position for a Terrestrial Invasive Species Project Coordinator (Job ID 11873). The main responsibilities will be surveying, mapping, and managing terrestrial infestations and facilitating community-based inventory and control efforts. The position is posted online at www.nature.org/careers, with a start date in May and end date in October. Applications are due by April 2, 2010. All applications must be made online via nature.org/careers. EOE

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From the New York Flora Association Blog...

Invasive Plant Identification Workshop in CT

Distinguishing between invasive plants from native lookalikes in late winter/early spring: a 1-day Workshop in Connecticut.

Date & time: Saturday, April 10, 2010, 8:30 AM – ~5:00 PM. Tuition: $75.00.

There are a number advantages to doing invasive plant control outside of the growing season, (e.g., no disturbance of breeding birds, student volunteers more available, less disturbance of native vegetation). But it requires more advanced field identification skills to avoid throwing native babies out with the bath water, when working at sites with a significant native plant component, e.g., especially, “early intervention” sites with intact natural communities. This workshop focuses on field identification of woody invasive plants in late winter/early spring, prime season for pulling invasives but a difficult time to identify many woody plants using guides and manuals, as many are somewhere between dormant and leaf-on state. The venue is presently planned to be White Memorial Conservation Center, a 4000-acre preserve in Litchfield, CT, and at least one riparian site in Torrington, CT. The venue may be relocated northward 20-30 miles, if we have an unusually warm early spring. The workshop will run from 08:30 to ~17:00. The running of the workshop is conditional upon a minimum enrollment of 15 people. Final decision as to whether or not the workshop will run will be made on April 3nd. Enrollment is limited to 20 people, so those who are sure they want to take the workshop should register as soon as possible as possible to reserve their space. In the event of extremely unfavorable weather conditions for field work all or part of the day, all or part of the workshop will be changed into a lab/classroom session, using collected specimens.

For more information contact the instructor, Bill Moorhead (860-567-4920, whmoorhead@optonline.net) or John Anderson, Executive Director, Aton Forest Inc. (860-542-5125, contact@atonforest.org)

Photo of instructor Bill Moorhead

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Invasives discussed in Lake Placid

By CHRIS KNIGHT
Senior Staff Writer
Adirondack Daily Enterprise

LAKE PLACID, NY - Representatives of several watershed protection groups and experts in the management of aquatic invasive plants met with the village Board of Trustees Monday to discuss how to prevent another infestation of invasives in Paradox Bay on Lake Placid.

The panel discussion, which was requested by Lake Placid Shore Owners Association President Mark Wilson, focused on steps the village could take to prevent the spread of invasives through the village boat launch on the lake. The invasive plant variable-leaf milfoil was found in Paradox Bay last summer.

Read more at link.

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SE-EPPC-SERI meeting reminder

Join us May 11th through 13th for the first joint meeting between the Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council and the Southeast Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration International

Submit those abstracts and take advantage of the early registration rate now!

This will be an exciting meeting that brings together practitioners and researchers from the fields of restoration and invasive plant species management. Take this unique opportunity to network and learn together. The meeting will be held at the historic Sheraton Read House Hotel in the heart of downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee.

For more information about the meeting and instructions on abstract submittal, go to the meeting web site at http://www.se-eppc.org/2010/.

Abstract submission deadline extended to April 1.
Early registration available through April 2.
Conference room rates available through April 16.

Terri Hogan
Ecologist
Stones River National Battlefield
Murfreesboro, TN 37129

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Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) Workshops

There are a few seats available if you would like to come to a workshop to learn about Cooperative Weed Management Areas (CWMAs) on April 6 (Hadley, MA) or April 8 (Augusta, ME) and discuss the opportunities and benefits of starting one of these partnerships. The U.S. Forest Service and the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge are collaborating on offering these workshops, with the Forest Service providing funding. See below for more information about CWMA’s and the focus of each workshop. See registration information at the end of this message. Space is limited; please register by 4pm Friday, April 2.

DATE: April 6, 2010
PLACE: Hadley, MA, Northeast Regional Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
FOCUS: The "what, how and why" of forming a CWMA with a focus on collaborations in
the Connecticut River watershed

DATE: April 8, 2010
PLACE: Augusta, ME, Pine Tree Arboretum
FOCUS: The "what, how and why" of forming a CWMA with a focus on collaborations
in New England with a focus on Maine and New Hampshire

TIME (for Both Workshops): 9am -- 3:45pm

TO REGISTER:
Please send the following registration information to:

Kate Howe, Midwest Invasive Plant Network
howek@purdue.edu
317-829-3812

Choice of April 6 (MA) or April 8 (ME):
Name:
Employer/Affiliation:
City/State:
CT River subwatershed name (for April 6th workshop):
Email:
Phone:
Lunch order *($10 - see below): Vegetarian or Carnivore

*Lunch will be provided for $10.00 (pay at workshop) or please bring your own. Coffee will be provided.

*** Please call or email to cancel if you cannot attend.***

If you need details on agenda or directions or to cancel at a late date:

For April 6:
Cynthia Boettner
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Phone: 413-548-8002 ext. 115
Email: Cynthia_Boettner@fws.gov
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For April 8:
Florence Peterson
U.S. Forest Service
Phone: 603-868-7714
Email: fpeterson@fs.fed.us

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Invasive Plant Council of New York State disbanded

The Invasive Plant Council of New York State has disbanded. The baton is now passed to the eight Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISMs): http://nyis.info/PRISM/Regional_Partnerships.aspx

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Second Edition of the Federal Noxious Weed Disseminules of the U.S. announced

CPHST announces the release of the second edition of Federal Noxious Weed Disseminules of the U.S. (FNW E2), a tool for the identification or verification of plant disseminules (seeds and fruits) of taxa on the U.S. Federal Noxious Weed List, Federal Noxious Weed Disseminules of the U.S., Edition 2.0

http://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/FNWE2/

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Week of March 1, 2010

2010-03-03T11:14:00.001-05:00

Greetings. The Eastern Invasives blog will be down for a week or two. I may be able to post a few news items, but not many for a couple of weeks.

Thanks,

Bill

Week of February 22, 2010

2010-02-22T10:01:00.005-05:00

Venerable New York IPM Program On the Ropes

Southern IPM blog, "IPM in the South"

The New York IPM Program, one of the first state IPM programs and a model for many others, faces extinction. After three decades of impact developing crop protection methods and teaching farmers how to use them, enhancing environmental protection, human health AND profitability, the program faces the budgetary axe of Governor Paterson, whose new budget zeroes it out.

Read more at link.

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Welcome to NEON

The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) will collect data across the United States on the impacts of climate change, land use change, and invasive species on natural resources and biodiversity. NEON is a project of the U.S. National Science Foundation, with many other U.S. agencies and NGOs cooperating.

NEON will be the first observatory network of its kind designed to detect and enable forecasting of ecological change at continental scales over multiple decades. The data NEON collects will be freely and openly available to all users.

For more information, go to NEON, Inc.

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New paper on evaluating ecological impact of alien plant species

Magee, T., Ringold, P., Bollman, M., & Ernst, T. (2010). Index of Alien Impact: A Method for Evaluating Potential Ecological Impact of Alien Plant Species. Environmental Management DOI: 10.1007/s00267-010-9426-1

Link

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Feds outline plan to nurse Great Lakes to health

By Associated Press on Feb 21st, 2010

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — The Obama administration has developed a five-year blueprint for rescuing the Great Lakes, a sprawling ecosystem plagued by toxic contamination, shrinking wildlife habitat and invasive species.

The plan envisions spending more than $2.2 billion for long-awaited repairs after a century of damage to the lakes, which hold 20 percent of the world’s fresh water. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the document, which Lisa Jackson, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, was releasing at a news conference Sunday in Washington.

Read more at link.

View the Action Plan at the Great Restoration Initiative website.

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Week of February 15, 2010

2010-02-16T14:42:00.004-05:00

Invasive snail may damage diet of rare Everglades bird

February 4, 2010 by Tom Nordlie
Physorg.com

Known as the island apple snail, it could threaten an endangered bird, the Everglades snail kite. The kite normally feeds on native apple snails the size of a golf ball. But in recent years, those snails have declined in historically important kite habitat and the birds have fled.

Many kites now dwell at Central Florida’s Lake Tohopekaliga, which is filled with the invasive snails. The mollusks grow larger than a tennis ball and kites have difficulty holding them. Researchers warn that young kites there may be malnourished.

The study was published in the current issue of Biological Conservation.

Read more at link.

Photo by: Tyler Jones/University of Florida/IFAS

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Closing the carp highway

NY Times Editorial

The Asian carp, a large and ravenous invasive species, has been making a so-far-unstoppable migration up the Mississippi River. It now has come to within a few miles from the Great Lakes. Unless serious measures are taken — soon — it looks as though the carp will likely break through, using canals that connect the river to Lake Michigan.

To stop the carp, the federal government has announced plans to spend $78.5 million for more waterway monitoring, flood prevention, electric barriers and fish-killing chemicals. It also plans to limit the carp’s access to the Great Lakes by opening the canal locks less often to industrial barges.

The governor of Michigan and other officials in Great Lakes states say the plan does too much to protect Illinois’s barge industry and too little to protect the lakes. They say that the Great Lakes’ ecology — and the $7 billion fishing industry that depends on the lakes — already have been damaged severely by invasive species like mussels. They warn that it could be ravaged by an exploding carp population.

Will the carp make the leap and destroy the Great Lakes? It’s hard to know, but the risk isn’t worth taking.

History shows that it never pays to underestimate the ability of aggressive, opportunistic creatures to outhustle competitors. That’s what Chicago did on its way to becoming a great city — by forcing the Chicago River to reverse its flow, carrying sewage and industrial waste away from its water supply, Lake Michigan, and into the Mississippi, never mind the outrage it caused downstream. And that’s the highway the Asian carps are using to flow the other way.

We hope the federal plan works but sympathize with Michigan’s attorney general, who called it a collection of “half-measures and gimmicks.” The problems and pain that canal closings will pose can be fixed or eased if necessary with Washington’s financial help. If the carp takes over the Great Lakes, that can’t be undone.

Read more at link.

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Aquatic Invasive Species Workshop

March 30, 2010
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Location: 7770 Green Lakes Rd., Fayetteville, NY 13066

Presentations include:

1. Introduction to Aquatic Invasive Species and Oneida Lake Issues. Presented by Ed Mills, Professor Emeritus, Cornell University, and former Director of the Cornell Biological Field Station at Shackelton Point on Oneida Lake.

2. Invasive Aquatic Macro Fauna. Presented by Tom Hughes, Natural Resource Steward Biologist for New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation.

3. Invasive Micro Fauna. Presented by Geof Eckerlin, a PH.D student at SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry.

4. Invasive Aquatic Plant Species. Presented by Kate Haggerty and Chase Chaskey from the Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation.

5. Prevention and Management. Presented by Tyler Smith with the Adirondack Park Invasive Species Program.

6. Restoration and Monitoring. Presented by Carl Schwartz with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Cortland, NY.

Registration Fee: $25. Please make checks out to: Sisters of St. Francis.

Lunch is included in price of workshop.

Mail to: Sisters of St. Francis
c/o Sr. Caryn Crook
7770 Green Lakes Road
Fayetteville, NY 13066

Any questions email Sr. Caryn Crook at caryncrook[at]yahoo.com

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Week of February 8, 2010

2010-02-08T09:47:00.016-05:00

Updated 2/12. Latest news is at the bottom of this week's blog.
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Today: Friday 2/12 Asian Carp meeting via live web stream

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, on behalf of the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, will hold a meeting in Chicago on Feb. 12 to discuss plans and get recommendations on Asian carp control efforts. The committee will answer questions and listen to comments from the public.

When: 3:00 – 6:00 p.m., Friday, Feb. 12
The meeting will be available via live web stream at:
http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/live

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Invasive Species Thriving in Period of Climate Change

February 5, 2010
EIN PRESSWIRE

According to a study by Harvard University scientists, invasive species appear to thrive during times of climate change, meaning the species could become more prevalent and more destructive.

The study suggests that the invasive species are more apt to thrive because they're better able to adjust to the changing timing of annual activities such as flowering and fruiting.

"These results demonstrate for the first time that climate change likely plays a direct role in promoting non-native species success," says study author Charles C. Davis, assistant professor in organismic and evolutionary biology at Harvard.

One of the control elements for the study was a dataset from author Henry David Thoreau, who cataloged the plants of Walden Pond in the 1850s. His meticulous notes, including flowering times and species occurrences, were compared to present-day conditions at Walden Pond, where plants now bloom as much as three weeks earlier due to early spring thaws.

"In the United States alone the estimated annual cost of invasive species exceeds $120 billion," says Davis.

Read more about this story at Environmental News Today:

Latest Invasive Species news - link

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Government Weighs Costs of Fighting Invasive Species

1/30/2010, 12:58 p.m. EST
Juliet Eilperin
The Associated Press

(AP), The Washington Post

Which is worse? Closing two locks on a critical waterway that's used to ship millions of dollars' worth of goods from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi basin? Or allowing a voracious Asian carp to chow down on the native fish sustaining a Midwestern fishing industry that nets $7 billion a year?

And how do you put a price tag on the damage caused by the Burmese python and other constrictor snakes that are strangling the precious ecology of the Everglades? [...]

Read more at link.

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Obama proposes steep cut in Great Lakes initiative

By LARRY BIVINS
Press-Gazette Washington Bureau
bivins@greenbaypressgazette.com • February 7, 2010

WASHINGTON — The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative would lose more than one-third of its designated funding under President Barack Obama's 2011 budget proposal.

The president's budget would provide $300 million for the initiative — $175 million less than what Congress approved and Obama endorsed in the Interior Department spending bill for the current fiscal year. That's a 36.8 percent reduction from the original $475 million.

In his explanation of the reduction, Obama pointed out that because the program, which is being administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, is new, most of the money for 2010 had not been obligated and likely won't be spent until 2011.

Read more at link

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How Mapping Helps Us Manage Invasive Species, Feb. 21, 2pm

Mapping is fundamental for planning control projects, tracking management efforts and identifying new introductions. Nearly 300 invasive plant species occur in the mid-Atlantic region. A new system, the Early Detection Distribution Mapping System (EDDMapS), is available to help invasive plant workers easily report and track invasive plant infestations.

Jil Swearingen has worked as IPM and Invasive Species Specialist for the National Park Service's National Capital Region, Center for Urban Ecology in Washington DC since March 1995. She provides support to the region’s parks on management, prevention and monitoring of pest insects, plants and pathogens. She created the "Weeds Gone Wild" Web site and the WeedUS Database and is co-creator of the Invasive Plant Atlas of the U.S. Jil is lead author of "Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas." The talk, which will be held at Rockville Library, is free and open to the public.

Directions and parking: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Apps/Libraries/branchinfo/ro.asp#dirs.

RSVP Steve Lonker at steven.lonker[at]maryland.sierraclub.org or 301-351-6985.

When Sun Feb 21 2pm – 3:30pm Eastern Time
Where 21 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD (map)

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Court Upholds New York State's Tough Ballast Water Rules

ALBANY, New York, February 5, 2010 (ENS) - A New York State appeals court has dismissed a challenge brought by shipping interests against the state's new ballast water requirements, intended to keep invasive species out of the Great Lakes. In a ruling Thursday, a three judge panel of the court upheld the authority of states to adopt ballast water rules that are more protective than federal standards.

Ballast water is taken on by cargo ships to compensate for changes in the ship's weight as cargo is loaded or unloaded, and as fuel and supplies are consumed.

When a ship takes on ballast water, organisms native to that water are also taken on board. When that ballast water is discharged into another body of water, those organisms are released, often harming the native species of the new ecosystem.

"Today's court decision is an important victory in the ongoing saga to protect our majestic Great Lakes from invasive species," said Marc Smith, policy manager with National Wildlife Federation, which intervened in the case on the side of New York State.

Read more at link.

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New York State DEC hiring people to control giant hogweed

DEC Forest Health and Protection is looking to hire up to 12 people to control giant hogweed plants (an invasive plant that can pose a serious health threat to humans) throughout central and western NY on private and public lands. These 5 month positions will start April 26 and will be located out of one of several Regional DEC offices in Regions 7, 8 and 9 (Allegany, Avon, Bath, Cortland, Reinstein Woods (Depew), West Almond).

Six positions are available for the chemical control program. This control method involves applying herbicide to giant hogweed plants at sites 0.6 acres to 5.5 acres in size. These 5-month positions begin in April. We are looking for 2 NY State Certified Commercial Pesticide Applicators (hired as labor supervisors) and 4 NY State Certified Commercial Technicians.

Six positions are available for the manual control program. This control method involves cutting through the root 5" below the soil which kills the plant completely. Root cutting is recommended for sites with less than 200 plants as a very effective, though labor intensive, control method.

Positions available are for Labor Supervisors, Forestry Technicians 1 or Laborers, depending on qualifications.

The contact person for further information is Naja Kraus: nekraus@gw.dec.state.ny.us (Naja is on maternity leave and will not be available to answer questions until after March 2.)

Naja Kraus
Forest Health & Protection Program Botanist NYSDEC Div. of Lands & Forests
21 South Putt Corners Road
New Paltz, NY 12561
nekraus[at]gw.dec.state.ny.us
-Tuesdays & Wednesdays-

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Cold snap kills pythons, lizards, fish in Everglades

By David Fleshler and Lisa J. Huriash
Sun Sentinel

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Vultures circled over Everglades National Park's Anhinga Trail, where thousands of dead nonnative fish floated in the marshes.

About half the Burmese pythons found in the park in the past few weeks were dead.

Dead iguanas have dropped from trees onto patios across South Florida. And in western Miami-Dade County, three African rock pythons — powerful constrictors that can kill people — have turned up dead.

Although South Florida's warm, moist climate has nurtured a vast range of nonnative plants and animals, a cold snap last month reminded these unwanted guests they're not in Burma or Ecuador any more.

Temperatures that dropped into the 30s killed Burmese pythons, iguanas and other marquee names in the state's invasive species zoo.

Although reports so far say the cold has not eliminated any of them, it has sharply reduced their numbers, which some say may indicate South Florida is not as welcoming to invaders as originally thought.

Read more at link.

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Feds pass on surest solution to Asian carp advance

By JOHN FLESHER
The Associated Press

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — With marauding Asian carp on the Great Lakes' doorstep, the federal government has crafted a $78.5 million battle plan that offers no assurance of thwarting an invasion and doesn't use the most promising weapon available to fight it off.

The surest way to prevent the huge, hungry carp from gaining a foothold in the lakes and threatening their $7 billion fishing industry is to sever the link between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River basin, created by engineers in Chicago more than a century ago.

The strategy released by the Obama administration this week agrees only to conduct a long-range study of that idea, which could take years. The government also refuses to shut down two navigational locks on Chicago waterways that could provide an easy pathway for the carp into the lakes, although it promises to consider opening them less often.

Instead, the plan outlines two dozen other steps, from strengthening an electric barrier designed to block the carp's advance to using nets or poisons to nab fish that make it through. That's an expensive gamble that may not keep enough carp out of the lakes to prevent an infestation.

Read more at link.

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Brief History: Invasive Species

By Laura Fitzpatrick
TIME

Not since jaws has a piscine predator caused such a commotion. Asian carp--which grow up to four feet long, feast ravenously on other species' food and have a nasty habit of leaping from the water to wallop unsuspecting fishermen--are threatening to take a bite out of the Great Lakes' $7 billion fishing industry. To reassure jittery local governments, the White House held an Asian-carp summit Feb. 8 and pledged $78.5 million to help keep the fish--brought to the U.S. in the '70s to rid catfish farms of algae--at bay.

Until humans learned how to build ships, the problem of invasive species--nonnative flora and fauna that can quickly overrun an ecosystem--was virtually nonexistent. With the dawn of global trade, transporting critters to new continents was encouraged. Beginning in the 16th century, farmers in North America introduced wheat, rice, soybeans and cattle, among other imports, which today make up huge portions of U.S. food production.

But some arrivals have been devastating. Gypsy moths, brought to Massachusetts in 1869 by a would-be silk farmer, managed to escape and strip the leaves from millions of acres of forest. Descendants of some 100 starlings unleashed in New York City in 1890 now number 200 million, crowding out native birds from coast to coast. The Japanese vine kudzu was transplanted to the U.S. to prevent erosion; it has since run roughshod over 10 million acres (4 million hectares) in the Southeast. Beginning with the Plant Quarantine Act of 1912, the U.S. has implemented a series of laws to strengthen its eco-defenses, many seeking to prevent dangerous wild things from reaching American soil (a more realistic goal than controlling them once they arrive). Worldwide, invasive species cause an estimated $1.5 trillion in damage every year, nearly 5% of global GDP.

Read more at link.

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Restoring grasslands at Mashomack Preserve

The Nature Conservancy, Long Island, New York

Only about 8,000 acres of grassland are left on Long Island, about 10% of what existed when European settlers arrived.

Grasslands are obviously threatened by human development but also by nature, as both native and non-native invasive plant species colonize open areas. Invasive species diminish the diversity of a field by crowding out native plants or even changing the environment. For example, oriental bittersweet grows over and smothers nearby vegetation, and studies show Japanese barberry raises the pH of the surrounding soil making it less acidic and therefore inhospitable for many wild species. The loss of native plants sends shock waves through an ecosystem affecting pollinators: bees, butterflies and moths, and their predators: birds, frogs and spiders, and so on up the food chain.

Read more at link.

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Week of February 1, 2010

2010-02-03T10:52:00.006-05:00

Trends in Invasive Alien Species

A publication on the 2010 Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (BIP) indicator, Trends in Invasive Alien Species has for the first time highlighted the status and impact of invasive alien species. The publication “Global indicators of biological invasion: species numbers, biodiversity impact and policy responses”, looked at 57 countries and found that, on average, there are 50 non-indigenous species per country which have a negative impact on biodiversity.

The Trends in Invasive Alien species indicator, developed by the Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP), forms part of the 2010 BIP indicator suite and falls under the CBD focal area, Threats to Biodiversity. The indicator is comprised of 5 sub-indicators including the newly developed Red List Index (RLI) for impacts of invasive alien species.

View the publication>>

More information on the Trends in Invasive Alien Species indicator>>

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Manage pathways to block invasive species.

An excellent article by Dr. Dave Strayer of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies appeared in the Poughkeepsie [NY] Journal on January 31st, entitled: Ecofocus: Manage pathways to block invasive species. This essay is just one in a series from the Cary Institute occurring in the paper every 2 weeks. You may also be interested in checking out the rest of the EcoFocus Archive.

Charles R. O'Neill, Jr.
Sr. Extension Specialist
Cornell University/New York Sea Grant
Director, NY Invasive Species Clearinghouse
Coordinator, Cornell Invasive Species Program

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Top 10 Invasive Species

As officials fight to keep the fearsome Asian carp from making its way into the Great Lakes, TIME takes a look at other species that have overstayed their welcome

Asian Carp
By CLAIRE SUDDATH Tuesday, Feb. 02, 2010

They're heeeeerree. Well, maybe. Asian carp DNA — but thankfully, no actual fish — has been found in water samples taken from the Chicago river near a pumping station in the Chicago suburb of Wilmette, Ill.

In the 1970s, catfish farmers used these hardy foreign carp to remove algae from their ponds. But over the decades, floods that caused catfish ponds to overflow have released the species into the Mississippi river basin. Asian carp can grow to 4 ft. (1.2 m) in length and weigh over 100 lb. (45 kg), and have a tendency to leap out of the water, injuring fishermen and the occasional newscaster. With no natural predators and a predilection for killing off other marine life by eating all the plankton, the carp have overrun the Mississippi and are swimming towards the Great Lakes, the world's largest freshwater ecosystem. An elaborate system of barriers was constructed in 2002 to keep them contained, but the Wilmette DNA sample indicates that the fish have most likely found away around it. In December 2009 the state of Michigan filed a lawsuit against Illinois, which refuses to close the locks along Chicago's waterways. Despite the threat to the multibillion dollar fishing industry, the Supreme Court ruled against Michigan on Jan. 19. Chicago's waterways will remain open for now.

See all 10 invasive species at Link.

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Report warns of new species in Lake George, NY

Staff Report
PostStar.com
December 22, 2009

LAKE GEORGE -- A new clam and an invasive plant species were found in Lake George, according to releases from the Lake George Association.

Brittle naiad, an invasive plant, was found this summer growing near a launch at Dunham's Bay Marina, the release said. The plant crowds out native plants and creates conditions adverse to fish and waterfowl.

"We don't know the extent of this plant's growth in the lake yet, but it is a safe bet to say that there probably just isn't one," the release states.

The plant, originally from Europe, is tolerant of cloudy water and can grow to around 5 feet in length.

The European fingernail clam was also found in the lake, in Hague and the area of Snug Harbor Marina, but according to the LGA release, it is not of great concern.

A statement released by the association on Tuesday said the small clam was found in Oct. 2007 and 2008 after also being documented in the Great Lakes, the Hudson River and Lake Champlain.

The release states the clam was likely introduced to Lake George by boats.

"There have not been any harmful impacts documented from this species, so it is termed non-native or exotic, and not invasive," the release states. "But that is not to say that we shouldn't keep our eye on it and keep in mind to always clean our boats so as to avoid transporting anything - native or not - into Lake George."

Link

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Week of Januray 25, 2010

2010-01-25T16:35:00.010-05:00

Updated 1/28/10
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National park battling infestation of hogs

The Associated Press

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- National park biologists are trying to come to grips with a hog infestation in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

In 2009, the park's hog team removed 620 wild hogs, the third highest since the hog control program started in the late 1950s. Biologists say the hog population spiked last year because of a bountiful mast crop that enabled the sows to produce more than one litter.

Park biologist Bill Stiver told the Knoxville News-Sentinel the introduction of wild, semi-domesticated hogs into the park has made hog control even more difficult.

"The speculation is that hunters are illegally releasing feral pigs that eventually make their way inside the park," Stiver said. "It's a major problem not just here, but all over North America."

He said numerous hogs killed this year had spotted markings and curly tails associated with domestic pigs.

"We're getting a handful of animals that morphologically look different from our traditional wild boar," Stiver said. "Some of them act different, too. Instead of running away, they let you walk up to them."

Hogs in the park date to the early 1920s, when a herd of European hogs escaped from a game reserve on Hooper's Bald in the mountains of Graham County, N.C. The wild hogs moved into the park by the 1940s and began to wreak havoc on the ecosystem by eating rare plants and salamanders, defecating in streams and turning up the ground.

Biologists believe the wild hogs that invaded the park already had crossed with free-ranging domestic pigs. Their appearance, however, retained the lean hips, large tusks, straight tails and black hair of their European ancestors.

Read more at link.

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Potential Invasive Pests Workshop

October 11-14, 2010
Mayfair Hotel • Miami (Coconut Grove), Florida USA

Read more at link.

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Camels enlisted to battle Tamarisk (Salt Cedar)

By Bryan Nelson
Mother Nature Network

Tamarisk is one hard-to-kill invasive plant. Since it was first introduced from Eurasia to the United States in the 1800s, it has spread through the West like wildfire — actually, faster than wildfire. Efforts to eradicate it by burning it, cutting it, or dowsing it in herbicides have all failed. But tamarisk does have one formidable foe: hungry camels.

Known for their stubborn personalities, humpy postures and ability to survive for weeks without water, camels and dromedaries also have a keen appetite for salty fare — and tamarisk is as salty as they come. That's why ranchers in Colorado have enlisted the inglorious beasts to eat their way through this invasive species, eradicating it once and for all, according to High Country News.

"They will eat all day if given the opportunity," says Maggie Repp, a camel rancher in Loma, Colo. "My camels have killed every tamarisk on our place, so why not give it a whirl?"

A drooling dromedary may not strike you as a potential landscaper, but they do a good job. Repp says 10 camels can destroy half an acre of tamarisk in two days. That's not necessarily a solution for clearing the pesky shrub from the whole expanse of the Great Plains, but it's the perfect remedy for removing the odd tamarisk patch from your pasture.

Read more at link.

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NYSDEC head slated for Save the River event

By JAEGUN LEE
Watertown Daily Times

CLAYTON, NY — State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Alexander B. "Pete" Grannis and other speakers will discuss the impact of aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes and the latest status of the Asian carp invasion at Save the River's 21st annual Winter Weekend Conference.

This year's event will be Feb. 5 and 6 at the Clayton Opera House, 405 Riverside Drive.

Read more at link.

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USDA awards more than $4 million in weedy and invasive species research grants

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced today that USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is awarding $4.6 million to 13 universities for research to develop ecologically and economically rational strategies for management, control or elimination of weedy or invasive species.

"Invasive plants and animals are a major threat to food and fiber production, costing U.S. producers between $7 billion and $27 billion per year, but by doing research on controlling and managing weedy and invasive species we help protect the productivity of America's farmers and ranchers," said Merrigan.

Funded projects include work at Cornell University to minimize negative impacts of the European cranefly in perennial grass-based agroecosystems ($454,000).

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Japanese stiltgrass summit

The River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area is hosting a research and management summit on the invasive Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) on August 11-12, 2010 at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. Japanese stiltgrass, also called Nepalese browntop or eulalia, is an aggressive invader of forested habitats in the eastern United States. This summit will discuss recent research and management techniques and will feature presentations, panel discussions, field trips, and poster sessions.

Check www.rtrcwma.org/stiltgrass for conference updates!

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Expert to discuss local decline of bats at NSRWA lecture in Norwell, CT

By Gabrielle Boyle
GateHouse News Service

NORWELL, CT — A deadly fungus has depleted the bat population in Massachusetts and throughout the Northeast.

Dr. Tom French has been studying the reasons behind the sudden decline of bats in the United States over the past few years.

“It is what is called White Nose Syndrome, and it is quite catastrophic,” the doctor explained. “Unfortunately this is spreading rapidly… so we are scared to death how far it will go.”

French, of the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, handles many of these kinds of matters everyday. This particular matter however is happening so quickly and abruptly, that he said attention should be brought on the situation as soon as possible. French is the upcoming speaker for the Water Watch Lecture Series put together by the North and South Rivers Watershed Association. [...]

French will be speaking on Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m., at the South Shore Natural Science Center. He will be showing slides that he has prepared and answering any questions attendees may have. The lecture is free and open to the public. The science center is located at 48 Jacobs Lane, Norwell, MA. For more information, call (781) 659-8168 or check out the Web site www.nsrwa.org.

Read more at link.

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TNC Strike Team position

The Nature Conservancy, Illinois Chapter is hiring a “Restoration Specialist – Invasive Strike Team” position. This is an 8 month position and will be based in the southern Illinois region. Deadline to apply for the position is Thursday, February 4, 2010. For a job description and to apply go to www.nature.org/careers.

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Fish-killing virus has invaded Lake Superior

By: Sam Cook, Duluth News Tribune

Lake Superior’s newest troublesome invasion won’t come from a giant Asian carp after all, but from a tiny virus that already has caused big fish die-offs along the eastern Great Lakes.

Researchers at Cornell University announced Wednesday that they have found fish-killing VHS virus in fish samples from Lake Superior, including the Twin Ports harbor.

A small number of fish from Superior Bay and St. Louis Bay, as well as some from Paradise and Skanee Bays in Michigan, tested positive for the virus.

“It’s another sad day for the Great Lakes,’’ said Phyllis Green, superintendant of Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior.

The research team spent several days in June collecting and sampling healthy fish in Lake Superior. Nearly 900 fish were collected from the lake. The finding means the disease has spread across all of the Great Lakes.

“It’s very unfortunate but not unforeseen. ... It’s obviously going to change how anglers and management agencies conduct business,’’ said Brian Borkholder, fisheries biologist with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

Minnesota and Wisconsin already have rules and guidelines in place to limit the spread of other invasive species, so anglers and boaters may be asked only to step up efforts as opposed to making major changes.

“Because of [other] invasive species, anglers have already had to deal with issues such as draining livewells, disposing of bait properly and spraying or drying their boats before going to other waters. This will just heighten things a little bit,” said Roy Johannes, DNR aquaculture and fish health consultant in St. Paul. [...]

Supporters of stronger regulations to thwart invasive species say VHS is only the latest of 180 species to invade the lakes. [...]

Read more at link.

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Week of January 18, 2010

2010-01-18T10:19:00.023-05:00

Updated 1/22. Latest news is at the bottom of this week's blog.
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PA looking for more ways to pay for wildlife services

Saying hunters, anglers pay their share, state agencies seek new money to manage wildlife

Sunday, January 17, 2010
By John Hayes, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Some people look out the window and see a natural world that could take care of itself if we would just leave it alone.

But those more experienced in the outdoors and employees of the two agencies that manage the state's wildlife see something else: A man-made landscape of unnatural second growth teeming with thousands of species of plants and animals living in a constantly changing artificial environment.

In short, they see the need for constant and costly stewardship of Pennsylvania's wildlife resources. But it's become increasingly hard to pay for it.

Officials at the state's separate Game Commission and Fish and Boat Commission said they're struggling to find alternative funding necessary to maintain services. With a deficit expected in 2011, Fish and Boat commissioners are considering raising fees for fishing licenses.

Unlike other state agencies, the wildlife management commissions get no money from Pennsylvania's general fund, relying since their founding about 100 years ago on revenue raised from hunters and anglers. With no contribution from the general public and a new emphasis on maintaining habitats for nongame species, agency officials said they're strained to the breaking point.

A 2006 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Survey found that while participation in traditional hunting and fishing was waning, wildlife watching had become the fastest growing outdoors pastime, both nationally and in Pennsylvania.

But plans for expanding the state agencies' existing management of nongame species -- including goals detailed in the Game Commission's newly released five-year plan -- are not financially sustainable under the state's current funding process.

"Wildlife watchers are not funding what they're doing directly," said Jim Bonner, executive director of the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. "And some of them don't even know it."

Doug Austin, executive director of the Fish and Boat Commission, said even many hunters and anglers don't know where their license fees are going.

"The general public is relatively naive about how the whole system works," he said.

"There's a large percentage of people who don't realize what the Game Commission and Fish and Boat Commission actually do," Mr. Bonner said, "or that they're funded almost entirely by license fees from hunters and fishermen and the use of state game lands. ... They're in a tough position."

Game Commission executive director Carl Roe is more succinct: "Eight percent of the population is paying for wildlife that is enjoyed by 100 percent of the population."

Read more: link

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Invasive politics: Restricting bass boats won't solve plant problem

By Wayne Hooper
January 17, 2010 2:00 AM

Invasive plants are a concern for fisherman, camp owners and fish and game departments of all states.

Some camp owners blame the rise in the number of plants on the boaters, which is wrong. The fish and game departments haven't a clue what to do and the fishermen and boaters are fighting for their rights to zoom up and down the lakes.

Let's break this down. There is a legislative document in the Maine House that will be discussed in the next week or so that states, "No bass tournaments shall be held on any body of water that has invasive plants in it." One legislator has taken upon herself to try and stop bass boats from fishing the lakes as she thinks they are the problem.

My letter to her stated that this is discriminatory, as it blames one group of boaters as the culprits. In it, I said, "If you outlaw all boats at least you would stand a better chance of getting this passed, albeit a slim chance, as whomever votes for a bill such as this will most likely not get reelected in any northeast state. In fact, stoning, tar and feathers, a tea party and so many other reprisals come to mind. In other words, your political career would be hanging by the thinnest of fishing line."

I asked her if she had a camp on a lake that held bass tournaments or did she have a friend who did and she told me she had a cottage on Salmon-McGrath Lake, a bass tournament lake. I asked her why she blamed bass boaters and she really didn't have an answer. She stated that we need to fix this situation. I explained to her that these plants started 40 years ago in Florida, so anyone who fishes bass tournaments is educated, plus if you ask any of the volunteer inspectors at the ramps throughout the state they will tell you how clean bass fishermen keep their boats. They do not want to spread these plants, as it affects the fishing and bass fishermen are all about keeping fish alive, working on conservation projects and helping to pass laws to protect the black bass.

However, if you really think or have been told that bass boats carry plants from lake to lake, that is an absolute LIE. Can this happen? Sure, but every bass club has an invasive plant inspector whose job it is to check all the boats at every tournament. Also, bass boats are usually fished on Sundays and then sit in the yard until the next weekend. By that time the plants would dry out and die. However, if we did transport invasive plants, why aren't there any at the ramps? The ramp areas are clean of weeds and plants. [...]

Read more at link. Featured in Sea Coast Online

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USFWS Range Technician (Invasive Species)

SALARY RANGE: 31,315.00 - 40,706.00 USD /year
OPEN PERIOD: Thursday, January 07, 2010 to Thursday, January 21, 2010
SERIES & GRADE: GS-0455-05
POSITION INFORMATION: Full Time Term NTE 13 Months
PROMOTION POTENTIAL: 05
DUTY LOCATIONS: 1 vacancy - Stafford, KS
WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED: United States Citizens

link

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UVM researcher rethinking the benefits of worms

By Cheryl Dorschner, Special to the Burlington Free Press • Saturday, January 16, 2010

Nevermind that more than three feet of snow cover many Vermont gardens right now.

Nevermind that this January and February are "gardeners' holidays." Oh, gardeners bundle up and travel the country to dazzling flower shows. They peruse bright catalogs and Web pages weighing the price of $7 packets with barely a dozen seeds inside vs. owning and growing the next new thing. And they dream.

But Vermont gardeners do not give a whit about worms right now.

They should -- because under all that snow and topsoil, the rules have changed.

Ask a gardener about earthworms, and they're extolled as the architects of the underground. Tunneling to aerate and drain soil and bring subsoil to the surface, they chomp through detritus, turn it into rich humus and leave behind castings valued for their high fertility. Earthworms were the darlings of Darwin and are the Vita-Mix of vermiculturists.

Now a University of Vermont research scientist is turning traditional thinking on its ear. Josef Gorres, a plant and soil science faculty member, teases out the truth about life in the universe that lies between sky and bedrock -- topsoil, leaf litter and earth's teeming surface. His findings demonstrate even more so than we already know -- that a sustainable ecosystem is one of delicate balance, of species indicators that signal the overall health of the soil and of the communities of small animals that may turn out to be linchpins of the food web.

New angle on worms

Gorres is seeing firsthand that where worms congregate in the forest, "There is no leaf litter, no organic layer and not as much pore space," he says. As a result, "the surface seed bank is exposed to seed predators and harsh weather. This is where small plants germinate, but because the duff is gone, they can't do that. Therefore, there are fewer herbaceous plants."

Besides grinding the woodland carpet and exposing seeds, earthworms leave a different soil -- fertile in nitrogen, phosphate and potassium.

"Native plants may not adapt to the fast release of nutrients that earthworms cause," Gorres says. "And one hypothesis is that exotic invasive plants move in instead because they have fewer competitors, bare ground to colonize and maybe the edge over natives that are slower to become active earlier in the spring."

Worms' effects on wildflowers and shrubs are documented, but Gorres is interested in the long-term change of the forest canopy. "I'm also interested in how earthworms change the chemistry of soil in production maple forests because that could change the flavor of maple syrup and the color of the foliage," he says. "That part is speculative, but no one has looked at that."

Laying bare the forest floor is fairly new in the Northeast's natural history. Colonists brought Lumbricus terrestris to the Americas on rootstocks and in ship ballast; over time these all but replaced native earthworm populations and spread to wormless areas. Gorres estimates about 15-20 invasive earthworm species in the Northeast. Normally populations spread slowly; nowadays, worms are introduced by construction, with plants, when gardeners purchase red wigglers and by fishermen who dump bait.

While people are well aware of devastating invasive forest insects such as emerald ash borer and hemlock wooly adelgid heading toward Vermont, here's a surprise: "A relatively new worm called 'crazy snakeworm' was first discovered in the 1990s in nine commercial greenhouses in New York City. It is many times more voracious than other earthworms," Gorres says.

He's identified one as well -- in 2008 -- in a patch of ferns at the woodland edge of UVM's own Horticultural Research Farm in South Burlington.

"I'm aware of the two schools of thought, worms as beneficials or invasives, but it would appear to pit gardeners against those concerned with forest ecology," says Alice Beisiegel, who gardens and operates Leaves of Grass landscape design business from Williston. "I do know that my woods are full of earthworms and trilliums, uvularia and other plants that earthworms supposedly harm."

Indeed, all gardeners treasure both the cultivated and uncultivated land, so dearly that these findings -- wait for it -- open a can of worms.

Cheryl Dorschner writes stories for UVM's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences where these research scientists work. E-mail vermontgardener@yahoo.com.

Read more at link.

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The Vexing Bugs in the Global Trading System

As More Goods Are Imported From Overseas, Greater Numbers of Invasive Insects and Plants Also Arrive and Bite Business

By KRIS MAHER, The Wall Street Journal

FAYETTEVILLE, West Va.—Perched on a platform 50 feet above the ground in a big hemlock named Fern, Geoff Elliott points to an unwelcome Asian import: a little bug known as the hemlock woolly adelgid.

Small fuzzy white nymphs cling to the undersides of hemlock branches throughout the grove of trees. Both nymphs and adult adelgids can work quickly to destroy hemlocks 150 feet tall.

"This tree is believed to be somewhere between 200 and 300 years in age and can be taken out by the adelgid in as little as two to four years," says Mr. Elliott, a tour guide for Adventure West Virginia Resort LLC, which operates zip-line tours through the treetops. The company is trying to educate visitors about the dangers of the invasive insect as it diminishes the landscape the business relies on.

"Without any action we could lose the species," said Mark Whitmore, a forest entomologist at Cornell University. He described the hemlock as a "keystone species," because it provides shade that cools streams so fish can survive as well shelter for birds and animals. Losing it would be like "having all your front teeth fall out," he said.

As global trade has mounted, more goods are coming in from overseas, sometimes bringing with them the accidental cargo of destructive bugs and plants. An estimated 500 million plants are imported to the U.S. each year, and shipments through one plant inspection station doubled to 52,540 between 2004 and 2006, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Today, about 30 new invasive insects are discovered annually in the U.S., up sharply over the last decade, the USDA says.

The yearly economic impact of invasive species in the U.S. is estimated at $133.6 billion, according to a study in Agricultural and Resource Economics Review in 2006. That includes the cost of control and prevention such as pesticides, inspection programs at ports and damage to crops.

An estimated 50,000 plant, animal and insect species have been introduced into the U.S. throughout history. Many plants are initially introduced as food or ornamentals, while animals are occasionally introduced to control other pests. The English sparrow was brought over to control the canker worm on crops in 1853. But by 1900, it was considered a pest because it introduced diseases.

Among the most damaging are weeds that affect crops or destroy animal habitats. The Asian purple loosestrife, for example, was introduced as an ornamental plant in the early 19th century and now invades some 284,000 acres per year in the U.S., crowding out native plant species that help support duck, geese and muskrat.

More recently, invasive species can be directly traced to increased trade. The Asian longhorned beetle hitched a ride on shipping pallets to Brooklyn, N.Y. from China, while others like the zebra mussel have arrived in the Great Lakes in the ballast water of ships from Europe, having spread there from Russia.

Once invasive species take hold in regions where they have no natural predators, it is often impossible to eradicate them. The emerald ash borer, a shiny green beetle from Asia believed to have arrived on packing material, is attacking ash trees. In the northeast, the Asian longhorned beetle has killed thousands of maple trees and other species. [...]

Read more at link.

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Invasive Species Multiply in U.S. Waterways

By Matthew Berger
Inter Press Service News Agency

WASHINGTON, Jan 4, 2010 (IPS) - As 2010, the U.N.'s International Year of Biodiversity, gets underway, a fight against some of the most damaging invasive species in U.S. waterways is heating up.

The U.N. says some experts put the rate at which species are disappearing at 1,000 times the natural rate, and invasive species – which consume the food or habitat of native species, or the native species themselves – are one factor contributing to this acceleration. Climate change is another major factor.

"Often it will be the combination of climate change and [invasive] pests operating together that will wipe species out," says Tim Low of the Australia-based Invasive Species Council.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature says that 38 percent of the 44,838 species catalogued on its Red List are "threatened with extinction" – and at least 40 percent of all animal extinctions for which the cause is known are the result of invasive species.

But just as invasives are not the only threat to biodiversity, the threat to biodiversity is not the only problem caused by the havoc – ecological as well as economic – wreaked by species that are transported to a foreign habitat, get a foothold there and spread, often voraciously.

The U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity says the spread of invasives costs 1.4 trillion dollars a year globally in damages and control measures. The U.S. alone loses 138 billion dollars a year in the fight.

The problem can be seen throughout U.S. waterways, from Asian clams in California's Lake Tahoe to snakehead fish in the East Coast's Potomac River. One of the most immediate threats – Asian carp – is currently on the doorstep of the Great Lakes ecosystem, where it could decimate a seven-billion-dollar fishing industry among other economic and ecological assets.

After being imported to the southeastern U.S. in the 1970s for use in containing aquatic plants, bighead and silver carp, collectively referred to as Asian carp, eventually escaped from fish farms there and made their way north via the Mississippi River. They have taken over stretches of adjoining waterways such as the Illinois River and evidence was found in November that the fish are within seven miles of Lake Michigan.

The concerns over what a carp infestation might mean for the Great Lakes' industries and environment are several-fold. Asian carp are voracious eaters, consuming 40 times their body weight in a day, and females can carry a million eggs and spawn multiple times in a season.

Silver carp, which can top out at 1.2 metres and 45 kilogrammes, jump far out of the water at the sound of a boat motor. They are generally unappealing to U.S. consumers as food fish due to the floating bones in their flesh.

The battle over how to protect the Great Lakes ecosystem – which accounts for 20 percent of the world's freshwater – has now made it to the U.S. Supreme Court, where Michigan and other Great Lakes states are suing the state of Illinois to temporarily shut canals in the Chicago area that connect the Mississippi River system to Lake Michigan, thus blocking the fish's path until a tenable solution is agreed.

The lakes have been hit before. Zebra mussels, for instance, have colonised the region's waters beginning in the late 1980s. Zebra and quagga mussels, both of which were most likely transported to the U.S. in the ballast water of trans-oceanic ships, have since spread across the country, clogging pipelines and water intakes at significant economic cost. [...]

The Role of Climate Change

Local species may become even more vulnerable to certain invaders as the effects of climate change are increasingly felt and habitats are disrupted by phenomena such as warmer temperatures and rising sea levels.

"We know invasive species can capitalise on these disturbances," says Scott Loarie, a co-author of a study in the current issue of the journal Nature which points out how fast species will have to migrate to keep pace with a changing climate. As ecosystems are transformed, "weedy-type species might be able to adapt and expand better than the original species," he says. [...]

A changing climate is likely to hit aquatic species quickest. A recent study by researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory found that lake surface temperatures in six Northern California and Nevada lakes are, on average, warming at twice the rate of the surrounding air.

One potential fallout of this trend is a more hospitable environment for invasive species, like the Asian clam that first appeared in California's Lake Tahoe at the beginning of this century but which is now prevalent enough that its waste has caused algae blooms in the lake's tourist-drawing crystal waters. [...]

Though climate change is only one factor in the spread of invasives, these intruders are generally given a leg up by the disruptions caused by a changing climate since they are typically very hardy species and adept at capitalising on opportunities to colonise areas. [...]

Read more at link.

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Lake Superior Aquatic Invasive Species Complete Prevention Plan

The Draft Lake Superior Aquatic Invasive Species Complete Prevention Plan Request for Comments

We are soliciting comments on the draft Lake Superior Aquatic Invasive Species Complete Prevention Plan, by February 26, 2010.

The Lake Superior Binational Program recognizes that aquatic invasive species are one of the biggest threats to Lake Superior in terms of negative ecological and economic impacts. To address this critical threat, the Lake Superior Binational Program developed a draft Aquatic Invasive Species Complete Prevention Plan (Plan) for the lake. The Plan identifies the pathways aquatic invasive species use to enter and become established in the lake. Further, the Plan recommends prevention actions that need to be newly implemented, in addition to existing efforts, in order to close existing pathways on both sides of the border and prevent new aquatic invasive species from entering the Lake Superior ecosystem. The draft plan is available at: Lake Superior Aquatic Invasive Species Complete Prevention Plan (draft) [PDF 800 Kb 81 pages].

A series of conference calls will be scheduled for February 2010. On these calls, the plan will be presented via a webcast, and comments will be welcome. In addition, a series of workshops will be held in the spring and summer of 2010 to provide additional information and answer questions. Additional workshop details will be available in early 2010.

After the comment period closes on February 26, 2010, we will consider all comments, revise the Plan accordingly, and finalize.

You may submit any comments on the AIS Complete Prevention Plan by February 26, 2010 here.

Read more here.

If you have questions, you may contact:

Nancy Stadler-Salt (nancy.stadler-salt@ec.gc.ca) or
Elizabeth LaPlante (LaPlante.elizabeth@epa.gov).

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Asian Carp Will Soon Invade Store Shelves

by The Associated Press

Building off a state-developed marketing plan, a group of Louisiana-based companies has started a joint venture that will put Asian carp on retail shelves within weeks.

The fish are being marketed as silverfin, the name it was given in a marketing plan developed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The agency is promoting recreational and commercial applications of an invasive fish that has caused huge problems for boaters in northern states.

Rather than poisoning the fish to get rid of them like northern states have done, wildlife officials are opting to make them an appetizing meal.

Chef Philippe Parola of Baton Rouge, CEO of Chef Parola Enterprises and Partran, kick-started the campaign in the fall, and it's finally coming together in the New Year. [...]

Read more at link.

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Mitten crabs on the menu?

Mitten crabs are invading UK rivers and may be commercially harvested to control numbers reports the Independent (UK). This foreign species of crustacean is native to China where it is highly prized as a delicacy, especially the roe of the mitten crab. Diners in China, Japan and Singapore will pay the equivalent of £24 [about $39 USD] for a mitten crab in good condition.

In the UK, this aggressive species has spread up the Thames and is now populating other rivers and waterways where it causes damage to the banks and the natural ecosystem. “It is a huge pest problem,” says Paul Clark, a marine biologist at the Natural History Museum. “It burrows into river banks and causes them to collapse, and is very damaging to native wildlife.” Mitten crabs in the Thames are now reaching such numbers that they may block water intake pipes of power stations and other industrial facilities.

Dr Clark has suggested that the solution to the problem may be simpler than first thought – eat them. He is proposing a conference in London in March to explore the possibility of commercially harvesting the crabs from the Thames. A recent study found that the crabs are fit for human consumption and are found in such numbers that exploitation would be viable.

“Mitten crabs have few natural enemies capable of reducing their numbers, but the establishment of a fishery would certainly carry risks.” Said Dr Clark.

Read more….

Courtesy of Back to the Planet.

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Asian carp plea denied

Lyle Denniston | Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 10:10 am
SCOTUSblog
www.scotusblog.com

The Supreme Court refused on Tuesday to order emergency measures sought by the state of Michigan to stop the migration of an invasive fish species, Asian carp, toward Lake Michigan from rivers and a sanitary canal in Illinois. Without comment, the Court refused to issue a permanent injunction that would have closed waterway locks and required other temporary measures in reaction to the discovery of the carp upstream in Illinois rivers. The Court’s order did not dispose of Michigan’s plea to reopen a decades-old decree to address the carp migration issue on its merits. That will come later in cases 1, 2 and 3 Original, Wisconsin, Michigan and New York v. Illinois.

Link

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NJ Conservation Foundation Applauds New Forest Stewardship Law

By New Jersey Conservation Foundation

New Jersey Conservation Foundation applauds the state Legislature and former Gov. Jon Corzine for passing a landmark bill that provides incentives for private landowners to improve the health of New Jersey forests.

The Forest Stewardship Act was passed by the Senate and Assembly on Jan. 11 and signed into law by Gov. Corzine during his last full day in office, Monday, Jan. 18.

The new law allows landowners with at least five acres to be eligible for reduced property tax assessments by actively managing their woodlands to promote forest health and sustainability.

Previously, the same woodland owners participating in the farmland assessment program were subject to an income requirement, which forced landowners to cut their trees for timber and firewood. The practice was not sustainable and resulted in a major loss of forest productivity and biodiversity. [...]

Stewardship activities can include: removing invasive plants, restoring endangered species habitat, fencing property to encourage regeneration and prevent deer damage, and resolving problems caused by erosion, disease and pests.

The new law directs the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish a forest stewardship program for owners of forested land who prepare stewardship plans for five acres of land or more. Under the bill, plans would be required to meet the rules and regulations of sustainability, list the owner’s long term stewardship goals for the forest land and the annual activities that will be implemented in the forest.

The law also directs the DEP to:

* Establish a cost share incentive program, "New Jersey Forest Stewardship Incentive Program," if funds are appropriated or otherwise made available for the support and funding of such a program, the DEP would award grants to local government units, non-profit organizations, and private owners of forest land to help subsidize their costs in implementing stewardship activities.
* Create a forest stewardship advisory council
* Prepare a report every seven years based on these forest sustainability criteria and indicators, with the first report required by February 1st of the third year following the date of enactment.

Special thanks are due to the bill sponsors: Senators Bob Smith, Jeff Van Drew, John Adler, Robert Gordon, Andrew Ciesla, Christopher "Kip" Bateman and Robert Singer and Assemblyman John McKeon. For more information on the Forest Stewardship Bill, contact New Jersey Conservation Foundation at info@njconservation.org or 1-888-LAND-SAVE (1-888-526-3728).

New Jersey Conservation Foundation preserves land and natural resources throughout New Jersey for the benefit of all. Since 1960, the Foundation has protected more than 120,000 acres and has been an advocate for strong land use policies. For more information, visit www.njconservation.org

Read more at link.

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Yellowstone Exotic Plant Management Team jobs now being advertised

Yellowstone National Park jobs are out on the street. The Craters of the Moon NP jobs have been out for awhile, as have the Glacier NP jobs. The Northern Rocky Mountains EPMT stations 3 people at each of 3 parks - Yellowstone, Glacier and Craters of the Moon in Idaho. Seasonal jobs are usually filled from late April
through mid to late September.

The job announcements are:
Yellowstone: YL306142 for GS 4-7 closes Jan 29 (may be extended, depending
on how many applicants we get)
Glacier: GL308321 closes Jan 22
Craters: PWRO-2010-01 closes Jan 25

Please pass this on to those who might be looking for a western adventure
this summer.

Thanks,
SueS

Sue Salmons
Liaison - Exotic Plant Management Team
Northern Rocky Mountains
PO Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
307- 344- 2185

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Carp DNA Is Found in Lake Michigan

By SUSAN SAULNY
New York Times
Published: January 19, 2010

CHICAGO — Genetic material from the Asian carp, a voracious invasive species long feared to be nearing the Great Lakes, has been identified for the first time at a harbor within Lake Michigan, near the Illinois-Indiana border, ecologists and federal officials said Tuesday.

A second DNA match was found in a river in Illinois within a half-mile of the lake, according to scientists at the University of Notre Dame who tested water samples and provided the results to officials last week.

Experts said the most recent findings, from Calumet Harbor and the Calumet River, could mean that the carp has found its way beyond an elaborate barrier system built at the cost of millions of dollars to prevent the fish’s access to the Great Lakes and its delicate ecosystem, where it has no natural competitors and would threaten the life of native fish populations.

“It’s a big admission of failure,” said Henry Henderson, the director of the Midwest program at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “It indicates the kind of thing we’ve been fearing since 1993.”

Government officials were careful to underscore that they had not found any fish — dead or alive — despite much effort, and that the Asian carp’s DNA could have arrived in Lake Michigan by various means other than the fish’s swimming from river basins it has already overtaken farther south.

Read more at link.

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Salazar Moves to Ban Importation and Interstate Transfer of Burmese Python and Eight Other Giant Invasive Snakes

FWS to Propose Injurious Species Listing under Lacey Act

NEW YORK, NY – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose to list the Burmese python and eight other large constrictor snakes that threaten the Everglades and other sensitive ecosystems as “injurious wildlife” under the Lacey Act.

Salazar made the announcement at the Port of New York, which serves as the largest point of entry in the nation for imports of wildlife and wildlife products. Last year, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Inspectors at John F. Kennedy International Airport handled more than 27, 000 separate wildlife shipments valued at more than $1 billion, or 16 percent of all U.S. wildlife imports.

The proposal, which will be open to public comment before Salazar makes a final decision, would prohibit importation and interstate transportation of the animals.

“The Burmese python and these other alien snakes are destroying some of our nation’s most treasured – and most fragile – ecosystems,” Salazar said. “The Interior Department and states such as Florida are taking swift and common sense action to control and eliminate the populations of these snakes, but it is an uphill battle in ecosystems where they have no natural predators. If we are going to succeed, we must shut down the importation of the snakes and end the interstate commerce and transportation of them.”

In total, wildlife inspectors stationed at ports across the nation processed more than 169,700 shipments of wildlife and wildlife products last year with an estimated value of $2.7 billion.

“Our wildlife inspectors are the front line of defense for the nation, combating illegal wildlife trafficking and preventing the importation of countless species of illegal injurious wildlife. This proposal will give them an additional tool to restrict imports that are causing significant ecological and economic damage, while giving our law enforcement agents the ability to restrict the spread of these species within our borders,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Sam Hamilton.

The nine species proposed for listing are: the Burmese python, northern African python, southern African python, reticulated python, green anaconda, yellow anaconda, Beni or Bolivian anaconda, DeSchauensee’s anaconda, and boa constrictor. [...]

Read more at link.

Contacts:
Vanessa Kauffman (FWS) (703) 358-2138
Kendra Barkoff (DOI) (202) 713-0827

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Coconut palms bring ecological change to tropics, Stanford researchers say

Those graceful coconut palms swaying in tropical breezes are lowering nutrient levels in the soils and the plants around them, thereby altering the eating habits of animals. Researchers say it’s one example of how a change in a plant community can disrupt an entire ecosystem.

BY LOUIS BERGERON
Stanford Report, January 20, 2010

Coconut palms, the epitome of South Seas tranquility, turn out to be doing more than just soothing vacationers and inspiring aloha shirts. As they continue to spread to new areas, they are also changing the very landscapes they grace, according to Stanford researchers. Seabirds are shunning the palms as nesting sites, favoring other tree species instead, sending a ripple through island ecosystems.

With the birds has gone the rich cargo of guano that they normally dispense so freely to the earth under their abodes. The absence of that precious input has caused the soil around the palms to become nutritionally deficient.

That, in turn, is lowering the nutritional content of plant species growing around the palms and is causing the creatures that feed on those plants, such as crabs and grasshoppers, to forage elsewhere.

"We found that you can get a five- to twelvefold decline in important soil nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate when coconut palms are present, mainly because the birds aren't there depositing nutrients to that system," said Hillary Young, a doctoral candidate in biology and member of the research team that conducted a study on Palmyra Atoll in the South Pacific. Palmyra lies roughly midway between Hawaii and Tahiti. [...]

Just how long the palms have been growing on Palmyra, or how they arrived, isn't clear. Most researchers agree that coconut palms originated in Asia. Coconuts can travel long distances by floating on the ocean currents, but the palm was probably introduced in much of its current range, including areas like Hawaii and the Americas, by early human travelers a few thousand years ago. [...]

Read more at link.

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Updates on ALB, EAB & Sirex Woodwasp

APHIS scientists have studied survival of emerald ash borer (EAB) larvae in firewood that has been heat treated. The conclusion: EAB larvae and prepupae survive HT at various temperatures and time intervals. A minimal safe treatment for firewood would require internal wood temperature of 60 degrees C for 60 minutes. The current requirement for firewood is internal temperature of 71 degrees C for 75 minutes. The article does not discuss the implications of this finding for imports of wood packaging, which (per ISPM#15) must be heated only to 56 degrees C for 30 minutes. (I have the full article if you wish to see it.)

USFS scientists are testing a trap for Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) that uses a lure comprised of chemicals emitted by male beetles and volatiles emitted by host plants. Initial tests were carried out in China; last summer the traps were tested at the large ALB infestation in Worcester, MA. The MA traps caught 9 females – compared to 29 adult ALB found by surveyors or residents. The catches in Dodge Park steered officials to 2 trees previously not known to be infested. Further surveys of trees near the traps are under way to assess the traps’ efficacy. Good news! Not that long ago, scientists thought Cerambycids did not communicate by chemicals – which made developing monitoring tools very difficult.

APHIS still has not developed a regulatory program to slow spread of the Sirex woodwasp from its current locations (NY, northern PA, corners of MI, OH, & VT; and Ontario) to the pine-rich woodlands of the Southeast and West. One reason is stakeholders’ failure – so far – to persuade Congress to provide adequate funding. If managers of pine forests and plantations are counting on the nematode which has been used as a biocontrol agent in plantations in the Southern Hemisphere (nematode Beddingia (=Deladenus) siricidicola). At a recent meeting, several scientists from the southern hemisphere described the complexities of trying to manage the nematode and get good rates of infestation of the woodwasp. Complexities include:

• Biocontrol program must be coordinated with active silvicultural management of the pine stands – failing to thin at proper time increases vulnerability.

• Mortality of trees used to introduce the nematode into the system - due to drought or attacks by other insects - undermines efforts to deploy biocontrol nematode and can reduce infection rate to ineffective levels.

• Difficulties of detecting leading edge of infestation – aerial surveys don’t pick up fast enough.

• Care needed in raising nematodes – must have proper strain of nematode, proper strain of fungus on which being raised.

• Care needed in techniques for inoculation of trees.

• Competition from bluestain fungi (quite common in North America) might suppress the Amylosterium fungus on which both the nematodes and the wasps feed.

• Might need to use different fungal strains depending on whether your pine stand is in a summer v. winter rainfall area.

• Strong/large woodwasps (that have not been infected by the nematode) still fly significant distance from “birth” tree – in Patagonia, the nematode has not slowed spread of the woodwasp.

• Contrary to previous understanding, North American native woodwasps and the introduced Sirex noctillio do not always utilize different species of Amylosterium fungi – so that cannot be relied upon to ensure that the introduced nematode does no harm to native woodwasp populations.

Sent by Faith Campbell

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New report: Report on Aquatic Nuisance Control Activities in Vermont

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