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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Showing posts with label Maine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maine. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Monday, January 18, 2010
Week of January 18, 2010
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:
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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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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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Monday, October 12, 2009
Week of October 12, 2009
Updated 10/17. Newest articles are at the bottom of the post.
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Goats help planned rec center take a bite toward progress
Animals clear the weeds for planned recreation, environmental center in city's Druid Hill Park
By Meredith Cohn, BaltimoreSun.com
The decrepit mansion once served as home to the president of the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, but two decades of brush has grown and, along with vandals, has made it uninhabitable.
Cue the goats.
In what's the first step to a $10 million project to transform this piece of Druid Hill Park into an environmental and recreational center for the city, the four-legged weed whackers have cleared a half-acre ring of ivy and other invasive species. The herd of 40 will be brought back to clear the rest of the 9-acre parcel that few have used, legally anyway, for years.
"It's been an eyesore and has all sorts of unsavory activity going on," said Jean DuBose, director of development and promotions for the Parks & People Foundation, a Baltimore nonprofit group that has undertaken the project. "Most people don't even know it's part of the park. But soon it will be a great resource in the city." [...]
To get started, and even get near the mansion, the foundation needed to clear the overgrowth. Human labor might have been too expensive. The fastest and cheapest way to clear brush would have been herbicide, said Brian Knox, the supervising forester for Ec
o-Goats, the Davidsonville-based firm that supplies the herd. [...] The eco-friendly goats cost about $300 for the first half-acre. [...]
Read the full story at link.
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What if tree-killing bugs chomp Adirondack Forest Preserve?
By MIKE LYNCH, Adirondack Daily Enterprise Outdoors Writer
RAY BROOK, NY - State officials are grappling with how to best proceed if tree-killing forest pests reach the Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserve, and it appears a constitutional amendment is low on their priority list.
One of the main methods for getting rid of pests such as the Asian longhorned beetle has been to cut down the trees and chip the wood to small pieces. This method raises legal questions here in the Park because Article XIV of the state Constitution prohibits the cutting of live trees and removal of timber on the Forest Preserve.
Because of the legal complexities, a collection of state officials, scientists and environmental advocates called the Forest Preserve Advisory Committee has been studying the issue.
"There was a consensus among group members that a constitutional amendment would be a last resort," said Rob Davies, director of lands and forests for the state Department of Environmental Conservation. "I think there was a reluctance to the idea of a constitutional amendment, to try to address ahead of time a forest invasion in the Forest Preserve."
Davies was speaking to the state Adirondack Park Agency Thursday during a special presentation on invasive species. He said the Asian longhorned beetle, because of its ability to kill most hardwood trees including maples, could be the most devastating to the Park. This beetle is not new to New York, however; outbreaks of it have been seen in the New York City area since 1996.
The emerald ash borer, on the other hand, is quickly spreading eastward from the Midwest and wiping out ash trees as it goes. Only 2 percent of the Adirondack Park's trees are ash, state officials say, but the ash borer's speed is raising awareness of the danger posed by all invasive tree pests.
Davies said the committee recommended a revision of currently existing guidelines for fighting invasive species and also amending the DEC's incident command system for responding to emergencies should be done first; he expects work will begin on this soon.
Amending the State Land Master Plan is another consideration.
Davies said one reason a constitutional amendment is not considered a good strategy is that it requires two successful votes of the state Legislature and also passage by the people in a statewide general election. A pest could show up in the Forest Preserve well before such an endeavor is undertaken.
"I think there was a recognition that the timing of a constitutional amendment doesn't work," Davies said. "We could have emerald ash borer here next week or next year. You're not going to have a constitutional amendment for years."
Plus, Davies said, the DEC could fight tree-killing pests with the current laws. Davis said there is enough legal precedent to cut trees and take other measures on the Forest Preserve in cases where it is necessary to save the forest.
"The fact that we don't have a constitutional amendment in hand today doesn't stop us from taking action tomorrow," Davies said.
He did say that a constitutional amendment may be considered as part of a long-term strategy.
Another reason from shying away from the constitutional amendment was that the committee members were concerned they could do more harm than good by revising Article XIV.
But APA Commissioner Lani Ulrich, of Old Forge, expressed concern that perhaps the group was limiting their options and suggested "possibly expanding the folks that are around that table and having that conversation again."
"I'm concerned about what kind of Forest Preserve we would have left if we didn't have every (tool) to fight this," Ulrich said.
Steve Sanford, director of the DEC's office of invasive species coordination, defended the decision to not immediately pursue a constitutional amendment. He told the APA he originally favoring such an action but changed his mind.
"I gave heed to the judgment of a lot of veterans in the room who said, 'You're opening Pandora's Box. We could wind up with an Article XIV that is less useful than the one that exists today,'" Sanford said.
Read the story at link.
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Invasives a growing threat to Adirondacks
North Country Public Radio
Adirondack Park Agency commissioners were given a status report yesterday on what’s considered to be the biggest threat to the ecology of the Adirondacks.
Invasive species like milfoil and phragmities are spreading fast throughout the Park, clogging waterways and taking over wetlands.
Hillary Smith is director of the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program. “This threat of invasive species is worsening,” she said. “I saw a real window of opportunity in the Adirondacks and even in my short time here that window is closing. There still are lots of opportunities for us. But the reality is the situation is very much an urgent one and it’s a growing problem.”
Within the last two weeks, an invasive called spiny water flea, which can ruin fisheries, was found in Great Sacandaga Lake and Peck’s Lake, both in the southern Adirondacks. A record number of yellow iris, which invades wetlands, were also found in the Park this year. And milfoil infestations spread to more Adirondack lakes, including Lake Placid.
Smith said their ability to fight back and eradicate invasives is being put to the test. “With every new invasive that makes it through the borders,” she said, “we have an increasing demand for management, increasing demand for spread prevention measures and increasing demand for resources that we all know are very tight at this time.”
Last year the state created an Office of Invasive Species Coordination within the Department of Environmental Conservation.
But the program’s director, Steve Sanford, told agency commissioners that funding for the effort was less than promised. And he said the money was tied up in a battle over the state’s Environmental Protection Fund. “We had planned to be able to spend $5 million, the trouble is there’s only $3 million we can use,” he said. “We had to make some decisions yesterday about what we’re going to go forward with. It’s not where we hoped to be, but at least the faucet’s back on again it was shut off for 11 months.”
Thursday’s meeting also included discussion of the emerald Ash borer and the Asian longhorn beetle, which threaten Adirondack forests. DEC Lands and Forests Director Rob Davies says so far the insects haven’t been found in the Park.
But he said their impact on the region’s ecosystem and economy could be devastating, “As you can imagine, the longer the pest is around, the greater the risk it is going to get out, it is going to impact our maple sugar industry and get into maple sugar stands.”
Removing infected trees could be difficult in the forest preserve if an outbreak occurs, because of environmental rules. Davies said the DEC is working to come up with new rules and guidelines for fighting invasives in the Park.
Read the story and listen to audio at link.
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Announcement and Call for Abstracts
for the 17th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species
This is an announcement and call for abstracts of oral presentations and posters for the 17th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species that is being hosted by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and held at the Westin San Diego, San Diego, California from August 29 to September 2, 2010. Please note that the abstract submission deadline is Friday, December 11, 2009.
The early registration deadline for the conference is June 25, 2010.
Elizabeth Muckle-Jeffs
Conference Administrator
The Professional Edge
1027 Pembroke Street East, Suite 200
Pembroke, ON K8A 3M4 Canada
Email: elizabeth[at]theprofessionaledge.com
Web: www.theprofessionaledge.com
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New invasives positions at the Institute for Regional Conservation
For information, contact Keith A. Bradley, bradley[at]REGIONALCONSERVATION.ORG
Institute for Regional Conservation
22601 S.W. 152 Avenue
Miami, Florida 33170
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Great Lakes group seeks action against carp threat
By TINA LAM, FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
A coalition of Great Lakes protection groups called today for emergency action to prevent flooding in the Des Plaines River, where Asian carp have invaded and which sits 100 feet from an electric barrier to keep the carp out of Lake Michigan.
Sandbags or concrete barriers need to be put up along the river to prevent the carp from escaping from the river into the canal above the barrier, the groups said.
"This is a natural disaster waiting to happen,” said Jennifer Nalbone of Great Lakes United. “We need to respond to it like we would respond to a hurricane."
The urgent threat is that heavy rains, such as those the region experienced in September 2008, could flood the river enough that the carp could jump into the canal above an electric barrier, giving them free access to the Great Lakes. The ferocious silver carp grow to 100 pounds, threaten boaters and jet-skiers by leaping out of the water and injuring them, and could destroying the food web in the Great Lakes because they’re voracious eaters. They escaped from southern fish farms decades ago and have made their way to the edge of the Great Lakes. [...]
Read the full story at link.
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Report Documents the Risks of Giant Invasive Snakes in the U.S.
DOI. United States Geological Survey.
Five giant non-native snake species would pose high risks to the health of ecosystems in the United States should they become established here, according to a USGS report released. The report details the risks of nine non-native boa, anaconda and python species that are invasive or potentially invasive in the U.S. Because all nine species share characteristics associated with greater risks, none was found to be a low ecological risk. Two of these species are documented as reproducing in the wild in South Florida, with population estimates for Burmese pythons in the tens of thousands.
Read the full story and the report at link.
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Thirty Groups Join Together to Harvest the Seeds of Change
Effort Underway to Restore Long Island’s Native Grasslands and the Wildlife they Support and Make Plants Commercially Available to Public
Riverhead, NY — October 15, 2009 — The Long Island Native Grassland Initiative (LINGI), an organization of more than 30 non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, and nursery professionals, including The Nature Conservancy, harvested the "seeds of change" today in Riverhead. The group, which has been restoring Long Island’s declining native grasslands for the wildlife species that depend on them, gathered seeds from mature plants which will be used to propagate next year’s crop.
Grasslands and the birds and wildlife that depend on them are the single most threatened habitat on earth due to development and the encroachment of invasive plant species. [...]
“Until now, it’s been difficult, if not impossible to find local native grasses for sale,” said project lead Polly Weigand, Soil District Technician for Suffolk County Soil and Water Conservation District. “Our ultimate goal is to provide a source of native plant material –as an alternative to cultivars and hybrid plants –for use in landscaping, restoration, grassland establishment, roadside plantings, biofuel programs, and nurseries.” [...]
Read the article at link.
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A downloadable resource that may be of interest to some of you
BIOLOGY AND CONTROL OF AQUATIC PLANTS
A Best Management Practices Handbook
Lyn A. Gettys, William T. Haller and Marc Bellaud, editors
Prepared by:
Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Foundation
3272 Sherman Ridge Rd
Marietta, GA 30064
Ann Bove
VTDEC
Aquatic Invasive Species Management
(802) 241-3782
ann.bove[at]state.vt.us
This message is brought to you as a service of the Northeast Aquatic Nuisance Species Panel.
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Update on Maine hydrilla infestation
Here is an update concerning the recent discovery of hydrilla in Damariscotta Lake, Maine.
· DEP divers have installed benthic barriers on patches of hydrilla that have spread to the cove just outside of the infested lagoon. No tubers have been detected on the plants outside of the lagoon.
· DEP is currently placing stone riprap across both entrances to the infested lagoon to create a strong physical barrier between the infestation and the rest of the lake.
· This week, DEP will begin the process of manually removing and disposing of the hydrilla in the infested lagoon.
· Roberta Scruggs has written an excellent article on the hydrilla infestation in the recent issue of the LEA Milfoil Update newsletter. To view the article on line please visit http://www.mainelakes.org/documents/Milfoil%20newsletter%209_09.pdf
· According to Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association’s Alice Phillips, “Volunteers have come out of the woodwork to help survey the lake and help us determine if there are any other infested areas. Roughly 50% of the lake has now been surveyed. We are so appreciative of the help!”
· Forty individuals have answered DLWA’s call for help. Members of the DLWA survey team include trained VLMP Invasive Plant Patrollers and others from the Damariscotta Lake area, plus a cadre of certified Plant Patrollers from ”away.” To date no additional invasive plants have been observed.
· This year’s survey season is swiftly fading, but we may be lucky and get a few more days of prime survey weather. WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR TRAINED PLANT PATROLLERS TO ASSIST WITH THIS SURVEY. If you think you can help, please contact Alice Phillips at DLWA, dlwastaff[at]roadrunner.com.
· There are other ways you can get involved. Is your lake community actively working to prevent the spread of aquatic invaders? Do you have a “well oiled” system in place for detecting aquatic invaders as soon as possible after introduction? If the answer to either of these questions is no, please contact the VLMP at vlmp[at]mainevlmp.org today. We look forward to working with you!
Thanks again!
Roberta Hill
Program Director
Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program's Center for Invasive Aquatic Plants
Below is the previous announcement, dated September 28, 2009:
Dear Maine Lake Monitors:
I am writing to inform you of Maine’s latest confirmed invasive aquatic plant infestation. Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) has now been confirmed in Damariscotta Lake. Hydrilla, often referred to as the “worst of the worst” invasive aquatic plant threatening aquatic ecosystems worldwide, was discovered in a small cove along the western shore of Damariscotta Lake, by Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association (DLWA) member and VLMP Invasive Plant Patroller, Dick Butterfield. There is no way of knowing at present, how widespread this plant may be in the lake, but a preliminary survey of nearby coves uncovered no additional invasive plants, providing hope that Mr. Butterfield may have detected the pioneer colony.
This is the kind of discovery that all Plant Patrollers train and practice for, but dread the thought of ever actually making. On the good side, this discovery provides clear and concrete evidence of the effectiveness and value of citizen based lake monitoring. Maine’s early detection system, largely powered by trained and dedicated volunteers, is saving Maine lakes. Here is a brief summary of how things have unfolded to date:
September 20 – Dick Butterfield gathered his gear, slipped into his kayak and began the task of surveying the shoreline to the north and south of his property on the west side of the lake. At one point, he paddled into a small (0.3 acre) shallow cove, and was instantly alerted to something that “was not right.” A dense carpet of plants filled the cove. According to Dick, the growth was so dense it looked “solid enough to walk on.” Using the identification keys he received with his Invasive Plant Patrol training, Dick soon came to the realization that he may have come upon one of the invasive plants of concern. He carefully bagged a sample and sent it to the VLMP for confirmation.
September 22 - Dick’s plant specimen is received by the VLMP, and its identification is tentatively confirmed.
September 23 - Maine Department of Environmental (DEP) and VLMP staff meet on site with Dick and partners from Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association to conduct a preliminary assessment of the infestation and to collect more samples for a confirmed identification.
September 24 - DEP divers install containment screens across the mouth of the infested cove to prevent hydrilla fragments from migrating into greater Damariscotta Lake. VLMP and DLWA begin to mobilize trained Invasive Plant Patrollers from Damariscotta Lake and elsewhere in the state to begin monitoring nearby coves to determine the scope of hydrilla in the lake.
This is where you come in . . . WE URGENTLY NEED YOUR HELP!! There are not many days left in the season to conduct surveys. Please call VLMP at 783-7733 or vlmp@mainevlmp.org or Alice Phillips at DLWA (549-3836, dlwastaff@roadrunner.com) today to learn how you can get involved.
Only one other water body in the state, Pickerel Pond in Limerick, is infested with hydrilla. In total, 31 out of Maine’s 5,700 ponds and lakes are known to contain an invasive aquatic plant species.
Since the first Invasive Plant Patrol workshop was offered by the VLMP in 2001, Over 2000 individuals have been trained through the program. Trained IPP volunteers are responsible for the majority of all invasive aquatic plant screening surveys being conducted in the State of Maine. The VLMP’s Invasive Plant Patrol Program is funded by boater participation in Maine’s Lake and River Sticker Program and private donations.
Thank you all, for keeping your eyes on the plants.
Roberta Hill
Program Director
Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program's Center for Invasive Aquatic Plants
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Invasive vines assault East Coast beaches
By Oren Dorell, USA TODAY
A fast-growing vine imported from Korea to stop massive erosion of sand dunes — home to sea turtle hatchlings and such shore birds as plovers — is destroying dunes in the Carolinas and threatens to creep into beaches up and down the East Coast.
The beach vitex, a woody plant with waxy leaves and a pretty purple flower, was planted widely along the Carolina coast after Hurricane Hugo ravaged beaches and dunes in 1989.
States wanted to act fast because, aside from being a nesting site for shore birds, dunes help hold back storm waters.
The vine proliferated, but there were unforeseen consequences. The plant's thickness harms nestlings, and its shallow root system fails to hold dunes together.
"They really flubbed it on this one," said Randy Westbrooks, an invasive-species prevention specialist for U.S. Geological Survey.
Beach vitex was promoted by J.C. Raulston, then-director of the North Carolina State University arboretum, because it thrives on nutrient-poor, sandy soils and grows fast. With an average growth rate of 60 feet a year, the vine can completely cover dune systems, said Melanie Doyle, a horticulturist at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher.
Betsy Brabson, an artist and sea turtle advocate in Georgetown, S.C., said beach vitex with all its vines and runners creates such a tight network that sea turtles can't nest.
"I don't want something like beach vitex to cover the dunes for miles and miles and then we have no sea turtles," said Brabson, who heads the South Carolina Beach Vitex Task Force.
And, unlike the native sea oats and other grasses that people are used to seeing on dunes, beach vitex doesn't help dunes grow into a high barrier against storm surges, Doyle said.
This year the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services declared the plant a "noxious weed," banning it from being sold or planted.
Crews have fanned out across coastal North and South Carolina to eradicate it, cutting the plants with machetes and dabbing them with a herbicide.
Indications are that the eradication may be tougher than first thought.
Isolated strands of the vine have been found in Georgia, Florida and Alabama.
Members of the Beach Vitex Task Force thought they were on the road to victory against the invader until a "real bombshell" was discovered in Maryland, said Lee Rosenberg, environmental services manager for Norfolk, Va.
This month, a U.S. Park Service biologist reported beach vitex in the Maryland side of Assateague Island National Seashore, home to about 300 wild ponies. Westbrooks suggests that the plant's seeds are transported by ocean currents.
Rosenberg said he believes migratory birds are behind the propagation.
"That means any area north and south is subject to being colonized by beach vitex just by seeds being brought by birds," Rosenberg said. [...]
Read the full story at link.
Photo by Hyunsoo Leo Kim, The (Norfolk, Va.) Virginian-Pilot, via, AP.
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New U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Invasive Species Policy
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Goats help planned rec center take a bite toward progress
Animals clear the weeds for planned recreation, environmental center in city's Druid Hill Park
By Meredith Cohn, BaltimoreSun.com
The decrepit mansion once served as home to the president of the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, but two decades of brush has grown and, along with vandals, has made it uninhabitable.Cue the goats.
In what's the first step to a $10 million project to transform this piece of Druid Hill Park into an environmental and recreational center for the city, the four-legged weed whackers have cleared a half-acre ring of ivy and other invasive species. The herd of 40 will be brought back to clear the rest of the 9-acre parcel that few have used, legally anyway, for years.
"It's been an eyesore and has all sorts of unsavory activity going on," said Jean DuBose, director of development and promotions for the Parks & People Foundation, a Baltimore nonprofit group that has undertaken the project. "Most people don't even know it's part of the park. But soon it will be a great resource in the city." [...]
To get started, and even get near the mansion, the foundation needed to clear the overgrowth. Human labor might have been too expensive. The fastest and cheapest way to clear brush would have been herbicide, said Brian Knox, the supervising forester for Ec
o-Goats, the Davidsonville-based firm that supplies the herd. [...] The eco-friendly goats cost about $300 for the first half-acre. [...]
Read the full story at link.
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What if tree-killing bugs chomp Adirondack Forest Preserve?
By MIKE LYNCH, Adirondack Daily Enterprise Outdoors Writer
RAY BROOK, NY - State officials are grappling with how to best proceed if tree-killing forest pests reach the Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserve, and it appears a constitutional amendment is low on their priority list.
One of the main methods for getting rid of pests such as the Asian longhorned beetle has been to cut down the trees and chip the wood to small pieces. This method raises legal questions here in the Park because Article XIV of the state Constitution prohibits the cutting of live trees and removal of timber on the Forest Preserve.
Because of the legal complexities, a collection of state officials, scientists and environmental advocates called the Forest Preserve Advisory Committee has been studying the issue.
"There was a consensus among group members that a constitutional amendment would be a last resort," said Rob Davies, director of lands and forests for the state Department of Environmental Conservation. "I think there was a reluctance to the idea of a constitutional amendment, to try to address ahead of time a forest invasion in the Forest Preserve."
Davies was speaking to the state Adirondack Park Agency Thursday during a special presentation on invasive species. He said the Asian longhorned beetle, because of its ability to kill most hardwood trees including maples, could be the most devastating to the Park. This beetle is not new to New York, however; outbreaks of it have been seen in the New York City area since 1996.
The emerald ash borer, on the other hand, is quickly spreading eastward from the Midwest and wiping out ash trees as it goes. Only 2 percent of the Adirondack Park's trees are ash, state officials say, but the ash borer's speed is raising awareness of the danger posed by all invasive tree pests.
Davies said the committee recommended a revision of currently existing guidelines for fighting invasive species and also amending the DEC's incident command system for responding to emergencies should be done first; he expects work will begin on this soon.
Amending the State Land Master Plan is another consideration.
Davies said one reason a constitutional amendment is not considered a good strategy is that it requires two successful votes of the state Legislature and also passage by the people in a statewide general election. A pest could show up in the Forest Preserve well before such an endeavor is undertaken.
"I think there was a recognition that the timing of a constitutional amendment doesn't work," Davies said. "We could have emerald ash borer here next week or next year. You're not going to have a constitutional amendment for years."
Plus, Davies said, the DEC could fight tree-killing pests with the current laws. Davis said there is enough legal precedent to cut trees and take other measures on the Forest Preserve in cases where it is necessary to save the forest.
"The fact that we don't have a constitutional amendment in hand today doesn't stop us from taking action tomorrow," Davies said.
He did say that a constitutional amendment may be considered as part of a long-term strategy.
Another reason from shying away from the constitutional amendment was that the committee members were concerned they could do more harm than good by revising Article XIV.
But APA Commissioner Lani Ulrich, of Old Forge, expressed concern that perhaps the group was limiting their options and suggested "possibly expanding the folks that are around that table and having that conversation again."
"I'm concerned about what kind of Forest Preserve we would have left if we didn't have every (tool) to fight this," Ulrich said.
Steve Sanford, director of the DEC's office of invasive species coordination, defended the decision to not immediately pursue a constitutional amendment. He told the APA he originally favoring such an action but changed his mind.
"I gave heed to the judgment of a lot of veterans in the room who said, 'You're opening Pandora's Box. We could wind up with an Article XIV that is less useful than the one that exists today,'" Sanford said.
Read the story at link.
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Invasives a growing threat to Adirondacks
North Country Public Radio
Adirondack Park Agency commissioners were given a status report yesterday on what’s considered to be the biggest threat to the ecology of the Adirondacks.
Invasive species like milfoil and phragmities are spreading fast throughout the Park, clogging waterways and taking over wetlands.
Hillary Smith is director of the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program. “This threat of invasive species is worsening,” she said. “I saw a real window of opportunity in the Adirondacks and even in my short time here that window is closing. There still are lots of opportunities for us. But the reality is the situation is very much an urgent one and it’s a growing problem.”
Within the last two weeks, an invasive called spiny water flea, which can ruin fisheries, was found in Great Sacandaga Lake and Peck’s Lake, both in the southern Adirondacks. A record number of yellow iris, which invades wetlands, were also found in the Park this year. And milfoil infestations spread to more Adirondack lakes, including Lake Placid.
Smith said their ability to fight back and eradicate invasives is being put to the test. “With every new invasive that makes it through the borders,” she said, “we have an increasing demand for management, increasing demand for spread prevention measures and increasing demand for resources that we all know are very tight at this time.”
Last year the state created an Office of Invasive Species Coordination within the Department of Environmental Conservation.
But the program’s director, Steve Sanford, told agency commissioners that funding for the effort was less than promised. And he said the money was tied up in a battle over the state’s Environmental Protection Fund. “We had planned to be able to spend $5 million, the trouble is there’s only $3 million we can use,” he said. “We had to make some decisions yesterday about what we’re going to go forward with. It’s not where we hoped to be, but at least the faucet’s back on again it was shut off for 11 months.”
Thursday’s meeting also included discussion of the emerald Ash borer and the Asian longhorn beetle, which threaten Adirondack forests. DEC Lands and Forests Director Rob Davies says so far the insects haven’t been found in the Park.
But he said their impact on the region’s ecosystem and economy could be devastating, “As you can imagine, the longer the pest is around, the greater the risk it is going to get out, it is going to impact our maple sugar industry and get into maple sugar stands.”
Removing infected trees could be difficult in the forest preserve if an outbreak occurs, because of environmental rules. Davies said the DEC is working to come up with new rules and guidelines for fighting invasives in the Park.
Read the story and listen to audio at link.
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Announcement and Call for Abstracts
for the 17th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species
This is an announcement and call for abstracts of oral presentations and posters for the 17th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species that is being hosted by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and held at the Westin San Diego, San Diego, California from August 29 to September 2, 2010. Please note that the abstract submission deadline is Friday, December 11, 2009.
The early registration deadline for the conference is June 25, 2010.
Elizabeth Muckle-Jeffs
Conference Administrator
The Professional Edge
1027 Pembroke Street East, Suite 200
Pembroke, ON K8A 3M4 Canada
Email: elizabeth[at]theprofessionaledge.com
Web: www.theprofessionaledge.com
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New invasives positions at the Institute for Regional Conservation
For information, contact Keith A. Bradley, bradley[at]REGIONALCONSERVATION.ORG
Institute for Regional Conservation
22601 S.W. 152 Avenue
Miami, Florida 33170
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Great Lakes group seeks action against carp threat
By TINA LAM, FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
A coalition of Great Lakes protection groups called today for emergency action to prevent flooding in the Des Plaines River, where Asian carp have invaded and which sits 100 feet from an electric barrier to keep the carp out of Lake Michigan.
Sandbags or concrete barriers need to be put up along the river to prevent the carp from escaping from the river into the canal above the barrier, the groups said.
"This is a natural disaster waiting to happen,” said Jennifer Nalbone of Great Lakes United. “We need to respond to it like we would respond to a hurricane."
The urgent threat is that heavy rains, such as those the region experienced in September 2008, could flood the river enough that the carp could jump into the canal above an electric barrier, giving them free access to the Great Lakes. The ferocious silver carp grow to 100 pounds, threaten boaters and jet-skiers by leaping out of the water and injuring them, and could destroying the food web in the Great Lakes because they’re voracious eaters. They escaped from southern fish farms decades ago and have made their way to the edge of the Great Lakes. [...]
Read the full story at link.
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Report Documents the Risks of Giant Invasive Snakes in the U.S.
DOI. United States Geological Survey.
Five giant non-native snake species would pose high risks to the health of ecosystems in the United States should they become established here, according to a USGS report released. The report details the risks of nine non-native boa, anaconda and python species that are invasive or potentially invasive in the U.S. Because all nine species share characteristics associated with greater risks, none was found to be a low ecological risk. Two of these species are documented as reproducing in the wild in South Florida, with population estimates for Burmese pythons in the tens of thousands.
Read the full story and the report at link.
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Thirty Groups Join Together to Harvest the Seeds of Change
Effort Underway to Restore Long Island’s Native Grasslands and the Wildlife they Support and Make Plants Commercially Available to Public
Riverhead, NY — October 15, 2009 — The Long Island Native Grassland Initiative (LINGI), an organization of more than 30 non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, and nursery professionals, including The Nature Conservancy, harvested the "seeds of change" today in Riverhead. The group, which has been restoring Long Island’s declining native grasslands for the wildlife species that depend on them, gathered seeds from mature plants which will be used to propagate next year’s crop.
Grasslands and the birds and wildlife that depend on them are the single most threatened habitat on earth due to development and the encroachment of invasive plant species. [...]
“Until now, it’s been difficult, if not impossible to find local native grasses for sale,” said project lead Polly Weigand, Soil District Technician for Suffolk County Soil and Water Conservation District. “Our ultimate goal is to provide a source of native plant material –as an alternative to cultivars and hybrid plants –for use in landscaping, restoration, grassland establishment, roadside plantings, biofuel programs, and nurseries.” [...]
Read the article at link.
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A downloadable resource that may be of interest to some of you
BIOLOGY AND CONTROL OF AQUATIC PLANTS
A Best Management Practices Handbook
Lyn A. Gettys, William T. Haller and Marc Bellaud, editors
Prepared by:
Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Foundation
3272 Sherman Ridge Rd
Marietta, GA 30064
Ann Bove
VTDEC
Aquatic Invasive Species Management
(802) 241-3782
ann.bove[at]state.vt.us
This message is brought to you as a service of the Northeast Aquatic Nuisance Species Panel.
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Update on Maine hydrilla infestation
Here is an update concerning the recent discovery of hydrilla in Damariscotta Lake, Maine.
· DEP divers have installed benthic barriers on patches of hydrilla that have spread to the cove just outside of the infested lagoon. No tubers have been detected on the plants outside of the lagoon.
· DEP is currently placing stone riprap across both entrances to the infested lagoon to create a strong physical barrier between the infestation and the rest of the lake.
· This week, DEP will begin the process of manually removing and disposing of the hydrilla in the infested lagoon.
· Roberta Scruggs has written an excellent article on the hydrilla infestation in the recent issue of the LEA Milfoil Update newsletter. To view the article on line please visit http://www.mainelakes.org/documents/Milfoil%20newsletter%209_09.pdf
· According to Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association’s Alice Phillips, “Volunteers have come out of the woodwork to help survey the lake and help us determine if there are any other infested areas. Roughly 50% of the lake has now been surveyed. We are so appreciative of the help!”
· Forty individuals have answered DLWA’s call for help. Members of the DLWA survey team include trained VLMP Invasive Plant Patrollers and others from the Damariscotta Lake area, plus a cadre of certified Plant Patrollers from ”away.” To date no additional invasive plants have been observed.
· This year’s survey season is swiftly fading, but we may be lucky and get a few more days of prime survey weather. WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR TRAINED PLANT PATROLLERS TO ASSIST WITH THIS SURVEY. If you think you can help, please contact Alice Phillips at DLWA, dlwastaff[at]roadrunner.com.
· There are other ways you can get involved. Is your lake community actively working to prevent the spread of aquatic invaders? Do you have a “well oiled” system in place for detecting aquatic invaders as soon as possible after introduction? If the answer to either of these questions is no, please contact the VLMP at vlmp[at]mainevlmp.org today. We look forward to working with you!
Thanks again!
Roberta Hill
Program Director
Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program's Center for Invasive Aquatic Plants
Below is the previous announcement, dated September 28, 2009:
Dear Maine Lake Monitors:
I am writing to inform you of Maine’s latest confirmed invasive aquatic plant infestation. Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) has now been confirmed in Damariscotta Lake. Hydrilla, often referred to as the “worst of the worst” invasive aquatic plant threatening aquatic ecosystems worldwide, was discovered in a small cove along the western shore of Damariscotta Lake, by Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association (DLWA) member and VLMP Invasive Plant Patroller, Dick Butterfield. There is no way of knowing at present, how widespread this plant may be in the lake, but a preliminary survey of nearby coves uncovered no additional invasive plants, providing hope that Mr. Butterfield may have detected the pioneer colony.
This is the kind of discovery that all Plant Patrollers train and practice for, but dread the thought of ever actually making. On the good side, this discovery provides clear and concrete evidence of the effectiveness and value of citizen based lake monitoring. Maine’s early detection system, largely powered by trained and dedicated volunteers, is saving Maine lakes. Here is a brief summary of how things have unfolded to date:
September 20 – Dick Butterfield gathered his gear, slipped into his kayak and began the task of surveying the shoreline to the north and south of his property on the west side of the lake. At one point, he paddled into a small (0.3 acre) shallow cove, and was instantly alerted to something that “was not right.” A dense carpet of plants filled the cove. According to Dick, the growth was so dense it looked “solid enough to walk on.” Using the identification keys he received with his Invasive Plant Patrol training, Dick soon came to the realization that he may have come upon one of the invasive plants of concern. He carefully bagged a sample and sent it to the VLMP for confirmation.
September 22 - Dick’s plant specimen is received by the VLMP, and its identification is tentatively confirmed.
September 23 - Maine Department of Environmental (DEP) and VLMP staff meet on site with Dick and partners from Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association to conduct a preliminary assessment of the infestation and to collect more samples for a confirmed identification.
September 24 - DEP divers install containment screens across the mouth of the infested cove to prevent hydrilla fragments from migrating into greater Damariscotta Lake. VLMP and DLWA begin to mobilize trained Invasive Plant Patrollers from Damariscotta Lake and elsewhere in the state to begin monitoring nearby coves to determine the scope of hydrilla in the lake.
This is where you come in . . . WE URGENTLY NEED YOUR HELP!! There are not many days left in the season to conduct surveys. Please call VLMP at 783-7733 or vlmp@mainevlmp.org or Alice Phillips at DLWA (549-3836, dlwastaff@roadrunner.com) today to learn how you can get involved.
Only one other water body in the state, Pickerel Pond in Limerick, is infested with hydrilla. In total, 31 out of Maine’s 5,700 ponds and lakes are known to contain an invasive aquatic plant species.
Since the first Invasive Plant Patrol workshop was offered by the VLMP in 2001, Over 2000 individuals have been trained through the program. Trained IPP volunteers are responsible for the majority of all invasive aquatic plant screening surveys being conducted in the State of Maine. The VLMP’s Invasive Plant Patrol Program is funded by boater participation in Maine’s Lake and River Sticker Program and private donations.
Thank you all, for keeping your eyes on the plants.
Roberta Hill
Program Director
Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program's Center for Invasive Aquatic Plants
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Invasive vines assault East Coast beaches
By Oren Dorell, USA TODAY
A fast-growing vine imported from Korea to stop massive erosion of sand dunes — home to sea turtle hatchlings and such shore birds as plovers — is destroying dunes in the Carolinas and threatens to creep into beaches up and down the East Coast.The beach vitex, a woody plant with waxy leaves and a pretty purple flower, was planted widely along the Carolina coast after Hurricane Hugo ravaged beaches and dunes in 1989.
States wanted to act fast because, aside from being a nesting site for shore birds, dunes help hold back storm waters.
The vine proliferated, but there were unforeseen consequences. The plant's thickness harms nestlings, and its shallow root system fails to hold dunes together.
"They really flubbed it on this one," said Randy Westbrooks, an invasive-species prevention specialist for U.S. Geological Survey.
Beach vitex was promoted by J.C. Raulston, then-director of the North Carolina State University arboretum, because it thrives on nutrient-poor, sandy soils and grows fast. With an average growth rate of 60 feet a year, the vine can completely cover dune systems, said Melanie Doyle, a horticulturist at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher.
Betsy Brabson, an artist and sea turtle advocate in Georgetown, S.C., said beach vitex with all its vines and runners creates such a tight network that sea turtles can't nest.
"I don't want something like beach vitex to cover the dunes for miles and miles and then we have no sea turtles," said Brabson, who heads the South Carolina Beach Vitex Task Force.
And, unlike the native sea oats and other grasses that people are used to seeing on dunes, beach vitex doesn't help dunes grow into a high barrier against storm surges, Doyle said.
This year the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services declared the plant a "noxious weed," banning it from being sold or planted.
Crews have fanned out across coastal North and South Carolina to eradicate it, cutting the plants with machetes and dabbing them with a herbicide.
Indications are that the eradication may be tougher than first thought.
Isolated strands of the vine have been found in Georgia, Florida and Alabama.
Members of the Beach Vitex Task Force thought they were on the road to victory against the invader until a "real bombshell" was discovered in Maryland, said Lee Rosenberg, environmental services manager for Norfolk, Va.
This month, a U.S. Park Service biologist reported beach vitex in the Maryland side of Assateague Island National Seashore, home to about 300 wild ponies. Westbrooks suggests that the plant's seeds are transported by ocean currents.
Rosenberg said he believes migratory birds are behind the propagation.
"That means any area north and south is subject to being colonized by beach vitex just by seeds being brought by birds," Rosenberg said. [...]
Read the full story at link.
Photo by Hyunsoo Leo Kim, The (Norfolk, Va.) Virginian-Pilot, via, AP.
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New U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Invasive Species Policy
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Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Week of September 14, 2009
The following article refers to a lake in Indiana, but I thought it was informative for us folks in the east.
Invasive plant battle appears won at one lake
The invasive Brazilian elodea, a plant commonly used in home aquariums, appears to have been eradicated from Griffy Lake, a 109-acre impoundment near Bloomington, Indiana after a multi-year battle waged by the Department of Natural Resources, pointing to chance for success elsewhere in the state.
"The last Brazilian elodea observed at the lake was at the beginning of the 2007 treatment season," said Doug Keller, aquatic invasive species coordinator with DNR's Division of Fish and Wildlife. "We've performed extensive searches on numerous occasions each year since the plant was last seen, and we have not been able to locate any sign of it again.
"With all the work and money put into this project to eradicate an invasive plant species new to Indiana, it is exciting to be able to claim a victory."
The suspected source of Brazilian elodea establishment in Griffy Lake was an aquarium dump likely done in the early 2000s. Cost of the project was approximately $150,000 ($1,400 per acre), including herbicide and its application, and intensive monitoring and surveys.
The DNR applied whole-lake herbicide treatments in 2006 and 2007, an aggressive plan that initially depressed the entire plant community of the lake, and that some feared might cause permanent damage to both native plant life and the fishery. Signs are that plant and fish communities are now as healthy as before the invasive plant's proliferation.
"Fortunately there is a native plant seed bank in the sediment that was just waiting to explode once the controls ceased," Keller said. "Prior to the eradication project there were typically six to seven native aquatic plant species in the lake. In the three plant surveys performed this year there were six and seven plant species again observed and they were well spread through the available habitat."
Water clarity has also improved dramatically, from 8 feet of visibility before the eradication to 13 feet this year.
Reducing aquatic vegetation, often using herbicides, is a fisheries management tool commonly employed to improve growth of panfish as a result of increased predation by bass. Dave Kittaka, DNR fisheries biologist, recently surveyed the fish community at the lake and found positive signs.
"Bluegill and redear sunfish growth and size structure increased dramatically compared to an earlier survey performed in 2004," Kittaka said. "The likely reason for the improvement was the reduction in vegetation coverage in 2006 and 2007."
The DNR will do occasional monitoring of Griffy to detect if the plant returns or other undesirable species are introduced and continue the fight elsewhere, as needed, both with treatment and education.
DNR has also eliminated Brazilian elodea from a number of smaller bodies of water, mostly in Southern Indiana, where the plant was introduced before DNR implemented regulations banning outdoor use of the plant.
"There remain a few bodies of water with Brazilian elodea we have yet to tackle but fortunately we have found tools that appear to successfully put an end to this very aggressive plant," Keller said.
The plant remains a popular species for indoor aquarium use, and that's where it needs to stay in order to prevent future costly eradication projects.
"Aquarium owners must realize the damage they can cause as a result of a seemingly innocent act such as releasing plants and fish that they have nurtured for so long," Keller said. "When no longer wanted, aquarium plants should be disposed of in household trash and unwanted fish should either be given to others who have the ability to care for them or else euthanized.
"They should never be dumped in any body of water."
Otherwise, an apparently successful, but long and expensive process may have to be redone at Griffy Lake or started at another body of water.
Read the story at link.
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Volunteers needed in Massachusetts
Volunteers are needed NOW to assist the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources with ALB tree surveys in the Boston and Springfield areas. The surveys are being held to train volunteers and to raise awareness about the beetle in parts of the state where ALB is more likely to show up (but hasn't yet!):
- Boston: THIS THURSDAY, Sept. 17, 12pm-1:30pm, Boston Public Garden
- Springfield: Saturday, Sept. 26th, 10am-11:30am, South Springfield, meeting location TBD
No experience necessary, we'll train you on site! RSVP by calling 617-626-1735 or email jennifer.forman-orth[at]state.ma.us.
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New invasive plant emerges
BY BETTY JESPERSEN, Morning Sentinal
Those eye-catching, tall, magenta-colored perennials growing near ditches, along lakes and in wetlands may be pretty enough for a fall wild flower bouquet.
Don't even think about it, say plant experts. The plant is among the most aggressive, invasive species to spread its seeds and roots in Maine.
Purple loosestrife was introduced from Europe into the United States and Canada in the 1800s for ornamental and medicinal uses. It is now growing throughout Great Britain, across central and southern Europe to Asia, China and India and in the United States, is considered to be an invasive species.
"It is quite adaptable and can live in climates from northern Ontario to Texas, and it has tremendous potential for reproduction," said Lois Stack, a horticulture specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
Read the full story at link.
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Preventing Hurricane Havoc: Environmental Teams Tackle the Invasive Plants and Weeds that Impede Flood Control during Massive Storms
Yahoo News
Invasive plants and weeds can wreak havoc during a hurricane by jamming storm-water pumps, blocking water flow and promoting devastating floods. The Weed Science Society of America recommends a proactive, integrated approach for managing the problem and keeping any overgrowth under control.
Lawrence, Kansas (PRWEB) September 14, 2009 -- When a hurricane roars inland, most low-lying coastal states rely on a network of pumps and canals to dissipate the storm surge and protect both lives and property. But add invasive plants and weeds to the mix, and you have a recipe for a disaster. Overgrown vegetation can wreak havoc and promote flooding by jamming pumps and blocking water flow.
According to the Weed Science Society of America, common culprits include floating water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), submersed hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) and other fast-growing water plants.
The problem is especially pervasive in Florida, where public lakes are connected by creeks, rivers or constructed canals that ultimately lead to the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the largest pumps in the world are used to manage storm runoff and keep the surrounding areas from flooding.
"Invasive plants tend to coalesce at flood control structures in lakes and canals and at bends in river channels," says Jeffrey Schardt, environmental administrator for invasive plant management with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "If left unmanaged, they can clog pumps, impede water flow and make flooding much, much worse. It's imperative to have the overgrowth under control before a hurricane barrels inland."
Schardt says problems associated with invasive plants like water hyacinth and water lettuce reached crisis proportions along Florida's waterways during the 1960s. But officials learned from that experience and have adopted routine maintenance controls to help prevent a recurrence.
"We've found a single patch of water hyacinth can double in size in as little as two weeks during the growing season - forming large rafts that can be carried by wind and water currents, clog pumps and cause flooding," Schardt says. "Time is not our friend, so we concentrate on frequent, small-scale control operations to prevent large-scale problems from developing."
In addition to water hyacinth and water lettuce, invasive plants and even some native, emergent plants can form dense floating mats - called "tussocks" by aquatic plant managers. These floating weed rafts are a worldwide phenomenon found in places such as Argentina, Australia, Finland, India, Japan and Kenya. Emergent plants like primrose willow (ludwigia) "tie" the rafts together with their roots, stems and branches to form larger masses.
Florida environmental teams use boats to patrol shorelines and conduct regular monthly or bimonthly inspections for invasive species that can form tussocks, and herbicides are applied to control small patches as they emerge. The herbicides selected take into account how the body of water is used and any native plants that may be comingled with the invasive species.
Read the full story at link.
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Invasive bugs threaten ash trees in New York State
By PAUL POST, The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Bill Steele wants to know how big league hitters such as David Ortiz, Joe Mauer and Chipper Jones are doing because he makes their bats.
This year, however, he’s also keeping a close eye on a fast-moving insect that threatens to destroy the Northern White Ash tree supply that baseball bats are made from.
The emerald ash borer was first detected near Detroit in 2002 and has spread to numerous states, killing millions of trees in the process. It’s already been found in western New York and the state has begun testing for its presence in the Adirondacks as well.
“It’s going to affect everybody who’s working with ash,” said Steele, of Rawlings Sporting Goods in Dolgeville, Herkimer County. “They get under the bark and kill the tree. Who knows what’s going to happen?”
Rawlings’ factory in Dolgeville makes about 30 percent of the bats used by major league players. Wood comes from a 200-mile radius from the Adirondacks to Pennsylvania.
Read the full story at link.
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Invasive Species Biologist (regular, full-time)
The Nature Conservancy
Albany, New York State
This position is with the New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP) in Albany, New York.
Link
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A new hemlock pest arrives in Maine
KENNEBUNKPORT — Only a year after hemlock woolly adelgid was detected in Kennebunkport forests, a second destructive exotic pest of hemlocks -- elongate hemlock scale -- has been found within the same neighborhood.
Combined, these two pests are more than just double trouble for hemlocks -- their impacts are synergistic, according to Maine Forest Service entomologists.
The latest bug invader also can be a threat to spruce and fir trees, they warn.
“We're extremely concerned about the arrival of this pest,” said Allison Kanoti, a Maine Forestry Service entomologist.
“Scale populations tend to show up and grow more rapidly in the presence of hemlock woolly adelgid, which already is in the immediate area, and they cause a more rapid decline in tree health.”
Surveys of the affected neighborhood are under way, Kanoti said, and treatment of the infestation is planned.
Late last month, a landowner in Cape Porpoise noticed his planted hemlocks weren't growing well and submitted a sample of blighted foliage to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
Insect specialist Clay Kirby identified the problem as the scale insect Fiorinia externa, known more commonly as elongate hemlock scale, or Fiorinia scale.
The pest most likely arrived in Kennebunkport with the planted trees and may not yet have spread to the forest.
The Maine Forest Service will be taking measures to contain the pest and keep it from spreading, Kanoti said.
Elongate hemlock scale, which moves on the wind and by birds, was first found in the U.S. in 1908 in New York; it has since spread south to Georgia and South Carolina, west to Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota and, in this region, had until recently only been found in southern New York and New England.
Last year, New Hampshire forest health staff found it in a forest in southern New Hampshire.
The site in Kennebunkport is the only known occurrence of elongate hemlock scale in Maine.
Read the full story at link.
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Neighborhood Watch: Early Detection and Rapid Response to Biological Invasion along US Trade Pathways
This 2009 report offers recommendations to improve biosecurity measures at U.S. ports, as well as a possible funding mechanism based upon the “polluter pays” principle.
Neighborhood Watch
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Connecticut Invasive Species Program, September 30
An invasive species educational program will be be held in Torrington, CT on Sept. 30. We will be discussing mile-a-minute vine, Asian longhorned beetle, and emerald ash borer, focusing especially on recognition of each species and procedures to follow if they are found.
Conservation/Inland Wetland Commissions, Public Works Department staff, forestry personnel, and the general public are encouraged to attend this free event. Forestry CEU credits will be available. This event is sponsored by the University of Connecticut, the City of Torrington Conservation Commission, and the Northwest Conservation District.
Please contact Kim Barbieri, City of Torrington Wetlands Enforcement Officer (860-489-2220) or the Northwest Conservation District (860-626-7222) if you have any questions about this event. The workshop will be held at the UConn Torrington campus on Sept. 30 from 7-9 pm.
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Aquatic Invasive Species in New York: An Environmental Forum, September 25
Friday, 1:30 - 5:00
Biological session begins at 1:30 - Policy session begins at 3:00
University at Buffalo – North Campus
Center for the Performing Arts – Screening Room
Free and open to the public.
Aquatic invasive species have had profound impacts on the aquatic ecosystems in New York State. Join us to learn more about the biology of some of these invasive species and the policy issues involved in managing and preventing the spread of these exotics.
Panel discussion with question & answer period will follow presentations.
Speakers:
Off-campus guests will need a parking pass. For more information or to request a parking pass, contact: New York Sea Grant, Great Lakes Program – SUNY Buffalo, (716) 645-3610, e-mail: sgbuffal[at]cornell.edu.
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Disease of unknown origin killing Japanese stiltgrass
By Russ Richardson, Hur Herald
During the past fifteen years the introduced weed Japanese Stiltgrass has spread across the region to become one of the most serious problems impacting the long term health and productivity of our native woodland.
Late this summer, a still unidentified Stiltgrass disease has become more widespread and it was recently confirmed by researchers at Indiana University.
So far, the disease has been confirmed in Calhoun, Roane and Lincoln Counties, West Virginia.
Stiltgrass grows very thickly and produces a heavy thatch when it dies in the fall. It is extremely flammable and very slow to rot.
It is a very coarse grass that is not very palatable, not sought after or eaten by deer, cows, horses, sheep or goats.
Because of the rapid growth and spread of stiltgrass and the combination of environmental problems that follow an invasion, it has become one of the most studied weeds in the country.
There is increasing evidence that Stiltgrass plants may change forest soils in ways that benefit stiltgrass survival.
It is now viewed as a very serious threat to the long term health and productivity of our natural hardwood forest.
Japanese stiltgrass control is very difficult, producing heavy amounts of seed with rapid spreading.
The stiltgrass disease has an unknown origin and it is yet to be found whether it is related to any known illness or disease in our native plants.
Samples of diseased plants have been sent to both WVU and Indiana University and researchers are working to identify the disease. Because so little is known about the disease and its origin and whether it is a virus, fungus or bacteria, or whether it has the potential to become valuable as a tool in Stiltgrass control.
However, the discovery and confirmation of something killing Japanese Stiltgrass has excited botanists, conservationists and ecological researchers across the country.
If local property owners have noticed stiltgrass plants dying they are encouraged to call the WV Department of Agriculture in Charleston at 304-558-2212 to report the mortality.
Read the story and view photos at link.
Update: The disease will be the subject of a meeting of the Maryland Invasive Pest Council on September 23. The meeting will be held at the USDA national Agricultural Research Library. It looks like the disease could be a fungus. Additional samples have been sent out for study.
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Invasive plant battle appears won at one lake
The invasive Brazilian elodea, a plant commonly used in home aquariums, appears to have been eradicated from Griffy Lake, a 109-acre impoundment near Bloomington, Indiana after a multi-year battle waged by the Department of Natural Resources, pointing to chance for success elsewhere in the state.
"The last Brazilian elodea observed at the lake was at the beginning of the 2007 treatment season," said Doug Keller, aquatic invasive species coordinator with DNR's Division of Fish and Wildlife. "We've performed extensive searches on numerous occasions each year since the plant was last seen, and we have not been able to locate any sign of it again.
"With all the work and money put into this project to eradicate an invasive plant species new to Indiana, it is exciting to be able to claim a victory."
The suspected source of Brazilian elodea establishment in Griffy Lake was an aquarium dump likely done in the early 2000s. Cost of the project was approximately $150,000 ($1,400 per acre), including herbicide and its application, and intensive monitoring and surveys.
The DNR applied whole-lake herbicide treatments in 2006 and 2007, an aggressive plan that initially depressed the entire plant community of the lake, and that some feared might cause permanent damage to both native plant life and the fishery. Signs are that plant and fish communities are now as healthy as before the invasive plant's proliferation.
"Fortunately there is a native plant seed bank in the sediment that was just waiting to explode once the controls ceased," Keller said. "Prior to the eradication project there were typically six to seven native aquatic plant species in the lake. In the three plant surveys performed this year there were six and seven plant species again observed and they were well spread through the available habitat."
Water clarity has also improved dramatically, from 8 feet of visibility before the eradication to 13 feet this year.
Reducing aquatic vegetation, often using herbicides, is a fisheries management tool commonly employed to improve growth of panfish as a result of increased predation by bass. Dave Kittaka, DNR fisheries biologist, recently surveyed the fish community at the lake and found positive signs.
"Bluegill and redear sunfish growth and size structure increased dramatically compared to an earlier survey performed in 2004," Kittaka said. "The likely reason for the improvement was the reduction in vegetation coverage in 2006 and 2007."
The DNR will do occasional monitoring of Griffy to detect if the plant returns or other undesirable species are introduced and continue the fight elsewhere, as needed, both with treatment and education.
DNR has also eliminated Brazilian elodea from a number of smaller bodies of water, mostly in Southern Indiana, where the plant was introduced before DNR implemented regulations banning outdoor use of the plant.
"There remain a few bodies of water with Brazilian elodea we have yet to tackle but fortunately we have found tools that appear to successfully put an end to this very aggressive plant," Keller said.
The plant remains a popular species for indoor aquarium use, and that's where it needs to stay in order to prevent future costly eradication projects.
"Aquarium owners must realize the damage they can cause as a result of a seemingly innocent act such as releasing plants and fish that they have nurtured for so long," Keller said. "When no longer wanted, aquarium plants should be disposed of in household trash and unwanted fish should either be given to others who have the ability to care for them or else euthanized.
"They should never be dumped in any body of water."
Otherwise, an apparently successful, but long and expensive process may have to be redone at Griffy Lake or started at another body of water.
Read the story at link.
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Volunteers needed in Massachusetts
Volunteers are needed NOW to assist the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources with ALB tree surveys in the Boston and Springfield areas. The surveys are being held to train volunteers and to raise awareness about the beetle in parts of the state where ALB is more likely to show up (but hasn't yet!):
- Boston: THIS THURSDAY, Sept. 17, 12pm-1:30pm, Boston Public Garden
- Springfield: Saturday, Sept. 26th, 10am-11:30am, South Springfield, meeting location TBD
No experience necessary, we'll train you on site! RSVP by calling 617-626-1735 or email jennifer.forman-orth[at]state.ma.us.
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New invasive plant emerges
BY BETTY JESPERSEN, Morning Sentinal
Those eye-catching, tall, magenta-colored perennials growing near ditches, along lakes and in wetlands may be pretty enough for a fall wild flower bouquet.
Don't even think about it, say plant experts. The plant is among the most aggressive, invasive species to spread its seeds and roots in Maine.
Purple loosestrife was introduced from Europe into the United States and Canada in the 1800s for ornamental and medicinal uses. It is now growing throughout Great Britain, across central and southern Europe to Asia, China and India and in the United States, is considered to be an invasive species.
"It is quite adaptable and can live in climates from northern Ontario to Texas, and it has tremendous potential for reproduction," said Lois Stack, a horticulture specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
Read the full story at link.
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Preventing Hurricane Havoc: Environmental Teams Tackle the Invasive Plants and Weeds that Impede Flood Control during Massive Storms
Yahoo News
Invasive plants and weeds can wreak havoc during a hurricane by jamming storm-water pumps, blocking water flow and promoting devastating floods. The Weed Science Society of America recommends a proactive, integrated approach for managing the problem and keeping any overgrowth under control.
Lawrence, Kansas (PRWEB) September 14, 2009 -- When a hurricane roars inland, most low-lying coastal states rely on a network of pumps and canals to dissipate the storm surge and protect both lives and property. But add invasive plants and weeds to the mix, and you have a recipe for a disaster. Overgrown vegetation can wreak havoc and promote flooding by jamming pumps and blocking water flow.
According to the Weed Science Society of America, common culprits include floating water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), submersed hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) and other fast-growing water plants.
The problem is especially pervasive in Florida, where public lakes are connected by creeks, rivers or constructed canals that ultimately lead to the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the largest pumps in the world are used to manage storm runoff and keep the surrounding areas from flooding.
"Invasive plants tend to coalesce at flood control structures in lakes and canals and at bends in river channels," says Jeffrey Schardt, environmental administrator for invasive plant management with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "If left unmanaged, they can clog pumps, impede water flow and make flooding much, much worse. It's imperative to have the overgrowth under control before a hurricane barrels inland."
Schardt says problems associated with invasive plants like water hyacinth and water lettuce reached crisis proportions along Florida's waterways during the 1960s. But officials learned from that experience and have adopted routine maintenance controls to help prevent a recurrence.
"We've found a single patch of water hyacinth can double in size in as little as two weeks during the growing season - forming large rafts that can be carried by wind and water currents, clog pumps and cause flooding," Schardt says. "Time is not our friend, so we concentrate on frequent, small-scale control operations to prevent large-scale problems from developing."
In addition to water hyacinth and water lettuce, invasive plants and even some native, emergent plants can form dense floating mats - called "tussocks" by aquatic plant managers. These floating weed rafts are a worldwide phenomenon found in places such as Argentina, Australia, Finland, India, Japan and Kenya. Emergent plants like primrose willow (ludwigia) "tie" the rafts together with their roots, stems and branches to form larger masses.
Florida environmental teams use boats to patrol shorelines and conduct regular monthly or bimonthly inspections for invasive species that can form tussocks, and herbicides are applied to control small patches as they emerge. The herbicides selected take into account how the body of water is used and any native plants that may be comingled with the invasive species.
Read the full story at link.
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Invasive bugs threaten ash trees in New York State
By PAUL POST, The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Bill Steele wants to know how big league hitters such as David Ortiz, Joe Mauer and Chipper Jones are doing because he makes their bats.
This year, however, he’s also keeping a close eye on a fast-moving insect that threatens to destroy the Northern White Ash tree supply that baseball bats are made from.
The emerald ash borer was first detected near Detroit in 2002 and has spread to numerous states, killing millions of trees in the process. It’s already been found in western New York and the state has begun testing for its presence in the Adirondacks as well.
“It’s going to affect everybody who’s working with ash,” said Steele, of Rawlings Sporting Goods in Dolgeville, Herkimer County. “They get under the bark and kill the tree. Who knows what’s going to happen?”
Rawlings’ factory in Dolgeville makes about 30 percent of the bats used by major league players. Wood comes from a 200-mile radius from the Adirondacks to Pennsylvania.
Read the full story at link.
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Invasive Species Biologist (regular, full-time)
The Nature Conservancy
Albany, New York State
This position is with the New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP) in Albany, New York.
Link
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A new hemlock pest arrives in Maine
KENNEBUNKPORT — Only a year after hemlock woolly adelgid was detected in Kennebunkport forests, a second destructive exotic pest of hemlocks -- elongate hemlock scale -- has been found within the same neighborhood.
Combined, these two pests are more than just double trouble for hemlocks -- their impacts are synergistic, according to Maine Forest Service entomologists.
The latest bug invader also can be a threat to spruce and fir trees, they warn.
“We're extremely concerned about the arrival of this pest,” said Allison Kanoti, a Maine Forestry Service entomologist.
“Scale populations tend to show up and grow more rapidly in the presence of hemlock woolly adelgid, which already is in the immediate area, and they cause a more rapid decline in tree health.”
Surveys of the affected neighborhood are under way, Kanoti said, and treatment of the infestation is planned.
Late last month, a landowner in Cape Porpoise noticed his planted hemlocks weren't growing well and submitted a sample of blighted foliage to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
Insect specialist Clay Kirby identified the problem as the scale insect Fiorinia externa, known more commonly as elongate hemlock scale, or Fiorinia scale.
The pest most likely arrived in Kennebunkport with the planted trees and may not yet have spread to the forest.
The Maine Forest Service will be taking measures to contain the pest and keep it from spreading, Kanoti said.
Elongate hemlock scale, which moves on the wind and by birds, was first found in the U.S. in 1908 in New York; it has since spread south to Georgia and South Carolina, west to Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota and, in this region, had until recently only been found in southern New York and New England.
Last year, New Hampshire forest health staff found it in a forest in southern New Hampshire.
The site in Kennebunkport is the only known occurrence of elongate hemlock scale in Maine.
Read the full story at link.
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Neighborhood Watch: Early Detection and Rapid Response to Biological Invasion along US Trade Pathways
This 2009 report offers recommendations to improve biosecurity measures at U.S. ports, as well as a possible funding mechanism based upon the “polluter pays” principle.
Neighborhood Watch
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Connecticut Invasive Species Program, September 30
An invasive species educational program will be be held in Torrington, CT on Sept. 30. We will be discussing mile-a-minute vine, Asian longhorned beetle, and emerald ash borer, focusing especially on recognition of each species and procedures to follow if they are found.
Conservation/Inland Wetland Commissions, Public Works Department staff, forestry personnel, and the general public are encouraged to attend this free event. Forestry CEU credits will be available. This event is sponsored by the University of Connecticut, the City of Torrington Conservation Commission, and the Northwest Conservation District.
Please contact Kim Barbieri, City of Torrington Wetlands Enforcement Officer (860-489-2220) or the Northwest Conservation District (860-626-7222) if you have any questions about this event. The workshop will be held at the UConn Torrington campus on Sept. 30 from 7-9 pm.
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Aquatic Invasive Species in New York: An Environmental Forum, September 25
Friday, 1:30 - 5:00
Biological session begins at 1:30 - Policy session begins at 3:00
University at Buffalo – North Campus
Center for the Performing Arts – Screening Room
Free and open to the public.
Aquatic invasive species have had profound impacts on the aquatic ecosystems in New York State. Join us to learn more about the biology of some of these invasive species and the policy issues involved in managing and preventing the spread of these exotics.
Panel discussion with question & answer period will follow presentations.
Speakers:
- Kit Kennedy, Special Deputy Attorney General for Environmental Protection, NYS Attorney General’s Office
- Dr. Alexander Karatayov, Great Lakes Center, Buffalo State College
- Dr. Christopher Pennuto, Buffalo State College
- Charles O'Neill, Coordinator, Cornell Invasive Species Program
Off-campus guests will need a parking pass. For more information or to request a parking pass, contact: New York Sea Grant, Great Lakes Program – SUNY Buffalo, (716) 645-3610, e-mail: sgbuffal[at]cornell.edu.
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Disease of unknown origin killing Japanese stiltgrass
By Russ Richardson, Hur Herald
During the past fifteen years the introduced weed Japanese Stiltgrass has spread across the region to become one of the most serious problems impacting the long term health and productivity of our native woodland.
Late this summer, a still unidentified Stiltgrass disease has become more widespread and it was recently confirmed by researchers at Indiana University.
So far, the disease has been confirmed in Calhoun, Roane and Lincoln Counties, West Virginia.
Stiltgrass grows very thickly and produces a heavy thatch when it dies in the fall. It is extremely flammable and very slow to rot.
It is a very coarse grass that is not very palatable, not sought after or eaten by deer, cows, horses, sheep or goats.
Because of the rapid growth and spread of stiltgrass and the combination of environmental problems that follow an invasion, it has become one of the most studied weeds in the country.
There is increasing evidence that Stiltgrass plants may change forest soils in ways that benefit stiltgrass survival.
It is now viewed as a very serious threat to the long term health and productivity of our natural hardwood forest.
Japanese stiltgrass control is very difficult, producing heavy amounts of seed with rapid spreading.
The stiltgrass disease has an unknown origin and it is yet to be found whether it is related to any known illness or disease in our native plants.
Samples of diseased plants have been sent to both WVU and Indiana University and researchers are working to identify the disease. Because so little is known about the disease and its origin and whether it is a virus, fungus or bacteria, or whether it has the potential to become valuable as a tool in Stiltgrass control.
However, the discovery and confirmation of something killing Japanese Stiltgrass has excited botanists, conservationists and ecological researchers across the country.
If local property owners have noticed stiltgrass plants dying they are encouraged to call the WV Department of Agriculture in Charleston at 304-558-2212 to report the mortality.
Read the story and view photos at link.
Update: The disease will be the subject of a meeting of the Maryland Invasive Pest Council on September 23. The meeting will be held at the USDA national Agricultural Research Library. It looks like the disease could be a fungus. Additional samples have been sent out for study.
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