Vermont Noxious Weed Rule Additions Move Forward: Burning bush, Norway maple and others may be added to prohibited list
The long awaited proposed amendments to the Vermont Noxious Weed Rule (Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets Quarantine # 3 – Noxious Weeds) have been filed with the Vermont Secretary of State, and the Agency of Agriculture is inviting public comment on the rule and proposed changes. If adopted as proposed, the amendments will prohibit the sale of the following species:Norway maple (Acer platanoides), Common and Japanese Barberries (Berberis thunbergii and B. vulgaris), Burningbush (Euonymous alatus), Yellow flag iris (Iris pseudocorus), Amur maple (Acer ginnala) and European naiad (Najas minor).
As proposed, the rule prohibits sale of these species as of rule adoption, EXCEPT for those specimens already in wholesale and retail inventories within Vermont at the time of rule adoption. ...
Read the full story at link.
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Showing posts with label Vermont. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vermont. Show all posts
Monday, December 12, 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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Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Week of December 7, 2009
Vermont receives $497,000 to control invasive species, fund 'park interpreter' program
VermontBiz.com
Governor Jim Douglas today announced that the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation was awarded nearly a half-million dollars of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds from the U.S. Forest Service to control invasive insects and plants and provide conservation education programs in state parks and recreation areas within the Green Mountain National Forest.
The 16-month project will allow state officials to control the spread of invasive plants and insects on state and National Forest Service lands, by conducting pest surveys, limiting firewood movement and enhancing native species recovery for ash, butternut and chestnut.
“Vermont’s forests are valuable economically, ecologically and socially,” said Commissioner Jason Gibbs. “A major thrust of maintaining forest health in Vermont is detecting, eliminating or managing newly introduced pests.”
The funds will also allow the Department to hire and train seasonal “park interpreters” – restoring the popular conservation education program in Vermont’s State Parks and expanding it to recreation areas within the Green Mountain National Forest.
Read the full story at link.
---------------------------------------------------------
Invasive Species Awareness Week
Register by Dec. 10 for National Invasive Species Awareness Week to receive the pre-registration discount! Go to www.nisaw.org to register online and check out the updated agenda. Great speakers, timely topics!
National Invasive Species Awareness Week
Jan. 10-14, 2010
Four Points Sheraton, Washington, DC
For more information, contact Lee VanWychen at lee.vanwychen[at]wssa.net or Janet Clark at janet.k.clark[at]gmail.com.
---------------------------------------------------------
Quarantine on invasive vine made permanent
By Aaron Applegate
Kathy Adams
The Virginian-Pilot
© December 7, 2009
[Virginia] State officials have made permanent the quarantine on beach vitex, an invasive vine that’s been discovered on dunes in Sandbridge and Norfolk’s Willoughby Spit.
The quarantine, which started in late October, prohibits the movement of any part of the plant into, within or from Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Accomack County and Northampton County. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services board voted to make the restrictions permanent Thursday, according to its Web site.
Beach vitex, nicknamed “coastal kudzu,” is one of a few plants that will grow on the beach, so some property owners have planted it for ornamental purposes.
But it has the potential to destroy dunes, choke out native plants and ravage habitats, including that of the endangered loggerhead sea turtle, according to the agriculture department. For those reasons, the plant is already banned in the Carolinas.
Virginia Beach officials have said residents should leave beach vitex alone if they have it on their property. Digging it up will spread it, said Cal Schiemann, the agricultural extension agent for Virginia Beach. It’s best to wait until spring before scraping off the plant’s bark and applying a herbicide with a brush, he said.
Read the article at link.
---------------------------------------------------------
Marsh Dilemma: Restore Or Preserve?
by Melinda Tuhus
New Haven Independent
An environmental group wants to allow salt water to flow again into the West River’s marshes, by replacing almost century-old tide gates. Neighbor Paula Panzarella, for one, worries that mosquitoes will return, too — and wild turkeys and elderberries might disappear.
Rich Orson, a PhD ecologist and habitat restoration consultant with Save the Sound, pitched the idea to three dozen neighbors last week at the Barnard School Nature Center at the corner of Derby Avenue and Ella Grasso Boulevard and abutting the river.
Orson said his project has three goals: improving water quality by allowing for the exchange of salt and fresh water, enhancing recreational opportunities, and allowing more fish to swim from Long Island Sound up the river. The existing tide gates, installed in 1920, have kept virtually all salt water out, destroying 130 acres of salt marsh in the process.
Save the Sound, a program of Connecticut Fund for the Environment, received federal stimulus money from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; $800,000 is earmarked for replacing the West River tide gates. [...]
...one aim of the project is to push the phragmites back and allow other flora to gain a foothold. [...]
Read the full story at link.
---------------------------------------------------------
Temporary federal job opportunity in Alaska
The National Park Service - Alaska Exotic Plant Management Team is looking for candidates interested in helping protect America's last frontier from the ever increasing presence of damaging invasive plants. Alaska's National Parks are home to some of the most beautiful and pristine terrain in the nation, rich in wildlife and culture. Experience your America and build a fulfilling career by joining the National Park Service. Become part of our mission to unite our past, our cultures and our special places to establish important connections to the present and build a rich and lasting legacy for future generations. This full-time temporary position, thru September 30, 2010, and is based out of the Alaska Regional Office in Anchorage, AK. This position may be filled at the GS-6 or GS-7 grade level with an hourly pay scale of approximately $16.25 to $18.10, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Extensive travel during the summer field months to Park Service units throughout Alaska will be required as well as camping.
If you are interested in this position please review the attached qualifications and position summary documents. If you meet the qualifications required please submit by January 8, 2010 to the address listed below a descriptive resume and your responses to the attached Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. Applications will be reviewed and interviews potentially scheduled for the middle of January. This position is slated to begin no later than March 1, 2010.
Contact:
Bonnie M. Million
Alaska EPMT Liaison
Alaska Regional Office
240 West 5th Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99501
Office: 907-644-3452
--------------------------------------------------------
Air Potato Exchange Day
When: January 9, 2010 10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m.
Where: Bert J. Harris, Jr. Agricultural Center, Sebring, Florida
The Highlands Soil and Water Conservation District will host the “Air Potato Exchange Day”. All you have to do is bring in some air potato bulbils ( at least one grocery bag full) to the Agricultural Center in Sebring, and receive a free native plant.
Also, prizes will be awarded for:
• The biggest air potato
• The most air potatoes (pounds)
• The smallest air potato
• The most uniquely shaped air potato
---------------------------------------------------------
Hough-Goldstein honored by Delaware Invasive Species Council
UDaily
University of Delaware
9:31 a.m., Dec. 9, 2009----At the annual meeting of the Delaware Invasive Species Council on Nov. 23, Judy Hough-Goldstein, professor of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware, was presented with the organization's first ever research award.
Hough-Goldstein was honored for her “significant contributions toward the advancement of invasive species research with the biological control of mile-a-minute weed.”
Hough-Goldstein's nomination letter stated, “Through her years of research, Judy's lab was the first to test and obtain a permit to release a biological control agent of mile-a-minute weed. The agent, a stem-boring weevil, has been released in five states, and is being mass-reared at a laboratory in New Jersey. Since 2005, Judy and her lab have monitored the weevil's dispersal, population growth, and impact on mile-a-minute at release sites. Additional projects in her lab include bio-control agents for kudzu, and methods to enhance currently available agents for purple loosestrife.”
Hough-Goldstein has been a member of DISC since 2004 and became vice chair in 2005. She moved to chair in 2007.
Read the full story at link.
--------------------------------------------------------
VermontBiz.com
Governor Jim Douglas today announced that the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation was awarded nearly a half-million dollars of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds from the U.S. Forest Service to control invasive insects and plants and provide conservation education programs in state parks and recreation areas within the Green Mountain National Forest.
The 16-month project will allow state officials to control the spread of invasive plants and insects on state and National Forest Service lands, by conducting pest surveys, limiting firewood movement and enhancing native species recovery for ash, butternut and chestnut.
“Vermont’s forests are valuable economically, ecologically and socially,” said Commissioner Jason Gibbs. “A major thrust of maintaining forest health in Vermont is detecting, eliminating or managing newly introduced pests.”
The funds will also allow the Department to hire and train seasonal “park interpreters” – restoring the popular conservation education program in Vermont’s State Parks and expanding it to recreation areas within the Green Mountain National Forest.
Read the full story at link.
---------------------------------------------------------
Invasive Species Awareness Week
Register by Dec. 10 for National Invasive Species Awareness Week to receive the pre-registration discount! Go to www.nisaw.org to register online and check out the updated agenda. Great speakers, timely topics!
National Invasive Species Awareness Week
Jan. 10-14, 2010
Four Points Sheraton, Washington, DC
For more information, contact Lee VanWychen at lee.vanwychen[at]wssa.net or Janet Clark at janet.k.clark[at]gmail.com.
---------------------------------------------------------
Quarantine on invasive vine made permanent
By Aaron Applegate
Kathy Adams
The Virginian-Pilot
© December 7, 2009
[Virginia] State officials have made permanent the quarantine on beach vitex, an invasive vine that’s been discovered on dunes in Sandbridge and Norfolk’s Willoughby Spit.
The quarantine, which started in late October, prohibits the movement of any part of the plant into, within or from Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Accomack County and Northampton County. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services board voted to make the restrictions permanent Thursday, according to its Web site.
Beach vitex, nicknamed “coastal kudzu,” is one of a few plants that will grow on the beach, so some property owners have planted it for ornamental purposes.
But it has the potential to destroy dunes, choke out native plants and ravage habitats, including that of the endangered loggerhead sea turtle, according to the agriculture department. For those reasons, the plant is already banned in the Carolinas.
Virginia Beach officials have said residents should leave beach vitex alone if they have it on their property. Digging it up will spread it, said Cal Schiemann, the agricultural extension agent for Virginia Beach. It’s best to wait until spring before scraping off the plant’s bark and applying a herbicide with a brush, he said.
Read the article at link.
---------------------------------------------------------
Marsh Dilemma: Restore Or Preserve?
by Melinda Tuhus
New Haven Independent
An environmental group wants to allow salt water to flow again into the West River’s marshes, by replacing almost century-old tide gates. Neighbor Paula Panzarella, for one, worries that mosquitoes will return, too — and wild turkeys and elderberries might disappear.
Rich Orson, a PhD ecologist and habitat restoration consultant with Save the Sound, pitched the idea to three dozen neighbors last week at the Barnard School Nature Center at the corner of Derby Avenue and Ella Grasso Boulevard and abutting the river.
Orson said his project has three goals: improving water quality by allowing for the exchange of salt and fresh water, enhancing recreational opportunities, and allowing more fish to swim from Long Island Sound up the river. The existing tide gates, installed in 1920, have kept virtually all salt water out, destroying 130 acres of salt marsh in the process.
Save the Sound, a program of Connecticut Fund for the Environment, received federal stimulus money from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; $800,000 is earmarked for replacing the West River tide gates. [...]
...one aim of the project is to push the phragmites back and allow other flora to gain a foothold. [...]
Read the full story at link.
---------------------------------------------------------
Temporary federal job opportunity in Alaska
The National Park Service - Alaska Exotic Plant Management Team is looking for candidates interested in helping protect America's last frontier from the ever increasing presence of damaging invasive plants. Alaska's National Parks are home to some of the most beautiful and pristine terrain in the nation, rich in wildlife and culture. Experience your America and build a fulfilling career by joining the National Park Service. Become part of our mission to unite our past, our cultures and our special places to establish important connections to the present and build a rich and lasting legacy for future generations. This full-time temporary position, thru September 30, 2010, and is based out of the Alaska Regional Office in Anchorage, AK. This position may be filled at the GS-6 or GS-7 grade level with an hourly pay scale of approximately $16.25 to $18.10, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Extensive travel during the summer field months to Park Service units throughout Alaska will be required as well as camping.
If you are interested in this position please review the attached qualifications and position summary documents. If you meet the qualifications required please submit by January 8, 2010 to the address listed below a descriptive resume and your responses to the attached Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. Applications will be reviewed and interviews potentially scheduled for the middle of January. This position is slated to begin no later than March 1, 2010.
Contact:
Bonnie M. Million
Alaska EPMT Liaison
Alaska Regional Office
240 West 5th Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99501
Office: 907-644-3452
--------------------------------------------------------
Air Potato Exchange Day
When: January 9, 2010 10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m.
Where: Bert J. Harris, Jr. Agricultural Center, Sebring, Florida
The Highlands Soil and Water Conservation District will host the “Air Potato Exchange Day”. All you have to do is bring in some air potato bulbils ( at least one grocery bag full) to the Agricultural Center in Sebring, and receive a free native plant.
Also, prizes will be awarded for:
• The biggest air potato
• The most air potatoes (pounds)
• The smallest air potato
• The most uniquely shaped air potato
---------------------------------------------------------
Hough-Goldstein honored by Delaware Invasive Species Council
UDaily
University of Delaware
9:31 a.m., Dec. 9, 2009----At the annual meeting of the Delaware Invasive Species Council on Nov. 23, Judy Hough-Goldstein, professor of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware, was presented with the organization's first ever research award.
Hough-Goldstein was honored for her “significant contributions toward the advancement of invasive species research with the biological control of mile-a-minute weed.”
Hough-Goldstein's nomination letter stated, “Through her years of research, Judy's lab was the first to test and obtain a permit to release a biological control agent of mile-a-minute weed. The agent, a stem-boring weevil, has been released in five states, and is being mass-reared at a laboratory in New Jersey. Since 2005, Judy and her lab have monitored the weevil's dispersal, population growth, and impact on mile-a-minute at release sites. Additional projects in her lab include bio-control agents for kudzu, and methods to enhance currently available agents for purple loosestrife.”
Hough-Goldstein has been a member of DISC since 2004 and became vice chair in 2005. She moved to chair in 2007.
Read the full story at link.
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Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Week of August 31, 2009
Updated September 6
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Schumer says he’ll seek more money to fight invasives
By NATHAN BROWN, Adirondack Daily Enterprise Staff Writer
TUPPER LAKE - Although many of the more harmful invasive species, such as the emerald ash borer and the Asian longhorned beetle, haven't been found in the Adirondacks, they are believed to be spreading through the state.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said on Thursday afternoon he will push for funding for his four-point plan to limit the spread of invasives and stop them before they get here.
"A stitch in time saves nine," Schumer said at The Wild Center.
Schumer said he will push to raise funding for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service by $35 million to combat the Asian longhorned beetle and $39.7 million for the ash borer. Schumer said federal help is needed to combat these pests, due to the limited resources of local governments and private groups to deal with them.
Schumer also said he would push for $3.1 million in stimulus for the state Department of Environmental Conservation to fight the ash borer, and $2.5 million more for the DEC to run educational programs to limit the spread of invasives.
"(Education) really stops these things," Schumer said. "People who love the outdoors care about it; they're willing to be educated."
These programs educate people on things such as not moving firewood from areas infected with these wood-boring pests.
Finally, Schumer said, funding for the Interagency Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, which coordinates federal responses to invasive aquatic pests, should be raised to $20.3 million, from its current level of $5.3 million.
"It costs literally pennies in the federal scheme of things, and it will save us millions," Schumer said of his plan.
Hilary Smith, of Saranac Lake, director of the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, said invasive species are "on the rise and rapidly accelerating." She and Schumer mentioned several reasons for the faster spread, including the increase in commerce over farther distances and climate change, which allows invasives that need warmer climates to move farther north.
Smith said her program has more than 300 volunteers, who have surveyed more than 200 lakes for invasive plants, and she also spoke out about other efforts to map invasive species in the Adirondacks. For example, she said, volunteers have been tracking the spread of knotweed in the southwestern Adirondacks and garlic mustard in the Tri-Lakes area. They have also been working with anglers on the AuSable River so they clean their gear and waders and thus prevent the spread of invasive aquatic plants.
"We have the technology and information (to deal with invasives)," Smith said. "We just need the additional resources."
"She's our Paul Revere of invasive species," Schumer said.
Read the story at link.
Photo by Nathan Brown. Hilary Smith of Saranac Lake, director of the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, speaks Thursday at The Wild Center in Tupper Lake.
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Vermont's tools in fight against invasive pest include Internet TV
By BOB AUDETTE, Brattleboro Reformer
BRATTLEBORO -- By now, most people have heard of the Asian Longhorned Beetle and its threat to the area’s maple trees.
If the non-native pest, which was most recently found in Worcester, Mass., makes its way to Vermont, it could ruin the maple syrup industry, affect the fall foliage and tourism, put a strain on the hardwood harvest and have a devastating impact on the forest environment.
Helping to spread the word about the dangerous bug is vermonttv.net, an online "station" with eight "channels."
Vermonttv.net was started by Bill Heyman and Rick Garren, and is produced with the help of Kris Cain and Justin Looper.
The longhorned beetle could kill a third of the trees in the Green Mountain State, said Heyman.
"That’s just one bug."
And then there’s the Hemlock Woody Adelgid, another invasive species that threatens Vermont’s hemlock trees.
Not only could the bugs irrevocably change the Vermont landscape, they could devastate one of Vermont’s most important industries -- forest products.
The Asian Longhorned Beetle has caused tens of thousands of hardwood trees to be destroyed in Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.
"I went down to Worcester," said Heyman. "I couldn’t believe the devastation. I lost sleep over it."
In the video on vermonttv.net, Jim Esden, of the Vermont Department of Forests & Parks, talks about how to identify the Asian Longhorned Beetle and the devastation the beetle can cause. He shows viewers an animated view of the beetle and how to spot the first symptoms of infestation.
"We have certainly been using a variety of media," said Esden. "Vermonttv.net has been really helpful and cooperative. They’ve done a great job."
Read the full story at link.
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Video: Bugs gone wild? Invasive species combatants can become pests themselves
By Frank MacEachern, Greenwich Time
In a small wooded section of northwest Greenwich, tiny weevils have been busily eating their way through the mile-a-minute vine in an experiment to see if the invasive plant can be controlled.
But the weevil is itself a non-native species to North America, and scientists warn that great care must be taken when foreign species are introduced.
One of those scientists, Daniel Simberloff, professor of environmental science ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, said numerous experiments in invasive plant control have gone awry.
He points to the cactus moth. It was successful in controlling the cactus pear in Australia. The pear, a non-native plant to that continent, was introduced in the 19th century. But it advanced rapidly and took over wide swaths of Australian farmland before the introduction of the cactus moth.
But that same moth, a South American native, poses a risk to the cactus pear industry in Mexico, Simberloff said. The moth was introduced in the Caribbean and has gradually spread north and may reach Mexico, he said.
"The Mexicans are very upset about this because the cactus pear is important to them both economically and culturally," he said.
In one of the most infamous disasters of biological control -- the use of species, including plants, animals and insects like weevils, to control invasive species -- farmers introduced the mongoose to Hawaii in the late 1800s to control rats that were feeding on sugar cane. Rather than control rats, the mongoose have preyed on the nests of endangered and threatened native birds.
In the past decade, researchers found that a parasitic fly, released as late as 1986 to combat gypsy and brown tail moths, is devastating the native silk moth population in New England.
Read the full story and watch the video at link.
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Coast Guard Floats Rule on Invasive Species
The U.S. Coast Guard announced a proposed regulation today designed to prevent invasive species from entering U.S. waters. The rule would require ships to treat ballast water, which is pumped into tanks when leaving port and typically dumped at the incoming port, to kill microorganisms and larvae that come along for the ride. The Coast Guard says it "will work to elevate the priority" of research to figure out how effective the measure will be.
Ships are already required to exchange their ballast water at sea to get rid of any hitchhiking species, but the effectiveness varies quite a bit, depending in part on the ship's construction. The proposed regulation will require that ships have new technology on-board—such as filtration systems—that will reduce the number of organisms released in port to a standard set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2004.
"I'm feeling positive about this," says Allegra Cangelosi, principal investigator for the Northeast-Midwest Institute's Great Ships Initiative, which is working to reduce aquatic invasions in the Great Lakes. "These standards are a good guess at what is necessary to reduce risk of ship-mediated transfers to a manageable level." As of last month, IMO had approved eight kinds of treatment systems.
Under the proposed Coast Guard rule, new vessels launched after 2012 would need to have treatment systems that meet the IMO standard. Existing vessels will need to be retrofitted to meet that standard between 2014 and 2016, depending on the ship's size. The cost will likely run $1.18 billion over 10 years.
The Coast Guard is also considering a phase-two standard that would be up to 1000 times more stringent than the phase-one standard. By 2013, it will complete a review on the feasibility of achieving this standard—one live organism per 100 cubic meters of water. Another question is exactly how much benefit these standards will have, so the Coast Guard would like to see more research done by its staff and other agencies.
Comments are due within 90 days.
—Erik Stokstad
Read the story at link.
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New York State DEC plans action to protect Catlin Creek and adjacent wetlands from Northern Snakehead
ALBANY, NY (09/01/2009)(readMedia)--
Continuing an aggressive approach toward invasive species, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will apply an aquatic pesticide to portions of Catlin Creek and adjacent wetlands to eradicate an invasive fish called the Northern Snakehead, Regional Director Willie Janeway announced today. The treatment, slated for October, will reclaim the Orange County waterway so that a healthy and natural fishery can be restored.
The action is a follow-up to successful steps taken to rid nearby Ridgebury Lake and Catlin Creek of more than 200 Northern Snakeheads in summer 2008. Acting on a tip from residents, DEC staff recently found two adult snakeheads at an impassable weir in Catlin Creek. DEC believes this follow-up application is the best course of action to assure this invasive species does not spread to other New York waters such as the Wallkill and Hudson Rivers.
DEC recently sent a letter to area landowners updating them on the issue and their intended action. In addition, DEC has scheduled a public meeting for 7 p.m., Sept. 16, at the Wawayanda Town Hall. "We appreciate the patience and cooperation of local residents and town officials as we continue to take steps to stop this aggressive invasive species," DEC Regional Director Willie Janeway said.
Native to Asia, the Northern Snakehead fish is an air breathing, aggressive freshwater predator. They can survive out of the water temporarily, travel short distances over wet land and have a wide temperature tolerance (For more info, go to: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/45470.html). They breed prodigiously, have no natural predators in the U.S. and, therefore, have the potential to be extremely destructive. [...]
DEC anticipates treating the entire area in one day. Because no native species of fish were re-stocked in the upcoming treatment area, few if any are expected to be killed. Animals without gills will not be impacted. Rotenone is an extract from several different tropical plants and breaks down rapidly after application with no lasting toxicity.
DEC is committed to restocking the area with fish after it is treated. The Department also plans to stock Ridgebury Lake this coming fall. Additional fish will also be stocked in Ridgebury Lake through a commitment of $10,000 by the Department. A mixture of species including largemouth bass, black crappie and minnows will be stocked to restore these waters with a healthy assemblage of fish for the future.
Read the press release a link.
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Over time, garlic mustard loses its toxic edge
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Like most invasive plants introduced to the U.S. from Europe and other places, garlic mustard first found it easy to dominate the natives. A new study indicates that eventually, however, its primary weapon – a fungus-killing toxin injected into the soil – becomes less potent.
The study, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is one of the first to show that evolutionary forces can alter the very attributes that give an invasive plant its advantage. In fact, the study suggests the plant's defenses are undermined by its own success.
Garlic mustard comes from a family of smelly, sharp-tasting plants that includes cabbage, radish, horseradish and wasabi. Unlike most plants, which rely on soil fungi to supplement them with phosphorous, nitrogen and water, garlic mustard gets by without the extra help, said Richard Lankau, a postdoctoral researcher at the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) at the University of Illinois. Lankau led the study with INHS plant ecologist Greg Spyreas.
"For whatever reason, these plants just don't hook up with the soil fungus," Lankau said. Instead, garlic mustard produces glucosinolates, pungent compounds that leach into the soil and kill off many soil fungi, especially those native to North America. This weakens the native plants. As a result, garlic mustard now grows in dense patches in many North American woodlands, its preferred habitat. Those patches are often devoid of native plants.
Lankau began the new study with a seemingly obvious question: Once garlic mustard has vanquished most of its competitors, why would it invest as much in maintaining its toxic arsenal? He predicted – correctly, it turns out – that levels of glucosinolates in the plant would diminish over time.
"When you're in a situation where the only thing you're competing with is other garlic mustard, it may be that making lots of this chemical is not a very good idea," he said.
Thanks to a study of historic herbarium records conducted by co-author Victoria Nuzzo, of Natural Area Consultants, N.Y., the researchers had access to a 140-year record of the age of garlic mustard populations across the eastern half of the U.S. The team collected garlic mustard seeds from 44 locations, grew them in a greenhouse and tested glucosinolate levels in each. Those tests found that older populations – those that have been present in an area for more than 30 years – produced lower levels of the fungicidal compounds than those that got their start less than two decades ago, Lankau said.
Genetic studies suggested that these patterns were the result of natural selection. That is, the plants that produced less of the toxin were more likely to survive and reproduce in older populations.
The researchers then grew the garlic mustard in soil from native woodlands. After a time, they removed these plants and potted native trees in the same soil. The trees did best in pots that had held plants from older populations of garlic mustard, indicating, again, that the plants' toxin output had diminished over time, killing less of the fungus on which the native plants relied.
To determine if the decline in glucosinolate production was allowing native plants to return to areas previously dominated by garlic mustard in the wild, the researchers turned to a unique data set available in Illinois. The Critical Trends Assessment Program (CTAP) is a long-term initiative funded by the state Department of Natural Resources and administered by the INHS that monitors the status of plants, birds and insects across the state every five years. The CTAP began in 1997, and so data from the first two sampling periods were used (1997-2001 and 2002-2007)
Because CTAP includes data on plant abundance, including garlic mustard and native plants from across the state, the researchers were able to determine if native plants were declining or advancing in the presence of garlic mustard. Again, they found that older populations of garlic mustard – though still problematic – posed less of a threat to native plants than the newer ones did.
While this study focused on only one plant, the results indicate that some invasive plants evolve in ways that may make them more manageable over time, Spyreas said. This suggests that conservation efforts might be more effective if they focus on the most recently invaded areas, which – in the case of garlic mustard, at least – is probably where the most damage occurs.
This study was funded by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The research team also included Adam Davis, of the Agricultural Research Service at the USDA.
Read the story at link.
Photo by L. Brian Stauffer, U. of I. News Bureau. Caption: Adam Davis (left) of the US Department of Agriculture, Illinois Natural History Survey, postdoctoral researcher Richard Lankau (center) and INHS plant ecologist Greg Spyreas found that the invasive garlic mustard plant produces lower levels of a defensive toxin after about three decades in a new location.
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Japanese stiltgrass blight?
Russ Richardson is a forester in central West Virginia (WV) who has been involved with fighting the spread of Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) for most of the past decade.
A couple of years ago Russ started to notice that in some places the stiltgrass was dying.
This year in some portions of WV there is a massive die off of stiltgrass with 100% of some populations dying. Russ thinks that it could be a virus of some sort.
Russ has taken many photos of the changes in the stiltgrass plants. When the plants die the thatch is different and the stiltgrass is decomposing much more rapidly than when they go their full life cycle. There are many areas where there will be no seed produced this year.
Samples of the grass were taken to WVU in Morgantown, WV last week to see what was killing the plants.
Thank you for your thoughts or comments.
Russ Richardson, Certified Forester
Crummies Creek Tree Farm
PO Box 207
Arnoldsburg, WV 25234
ForestRuss[at]aol.com
-------------------------------------------------------
Job opening for invasive species biologist
This position is with the New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP) in Albany, NY. The NY Natural Heritage Program is a partnership between The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) that facilitates the conservation of rare animals, rare plants, and significant natural communities. The program accomplishes this mission by working collaboratively with partners inside and outside New York to support stewardship of New York’s rare plants, rare animals, and significant natural communities, and to reduce the threat of invasive species to native ecosystems. The program combines thorough field inventories, scientific analyses, expert interpretation, and comprehensive databases on New York’s flora and fauna to deliver high quality information for natural resource planning, land use decisions, and conservation of New York’s biodiversity. The New York Natural Heritage Program is based in the Central Office of the NYS DEC in downtown Albany, NY.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
• Graduate degree in science-related field and 3 years related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Experience with ArcGIS core software products
• Experience in natural resources, biology, ecology or related field
• Experience with invasive species issues
• Experience in developing and managing multiple projects
View the notice here.
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Schumer says he’ll seek more money to fight invasives
By NATHAN BROWN, Adirondack Daily Enterprise Staff Writer
TUPPER LAKE - Although many of the more harmful invasive species, such as the emerald ash borer and the Asian longhorned beetle, haven't been found in the Adirondacks, they are believed to be spreading through the state.U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said on Thursday afternoon he will push for funding for his four-point plan to limit the spread of invasives and stop them before they get here.
"A stitch in time saves nine," Schumer said at The Wild Center.
Schumer said he will push to raise funding for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service by $35 million to combat the Asian longhorned beetle and $39.7 million for the ash borer. Schumer said federal help is needed to combat these pests, due to the limited resources of local governments and private groups to deal with them.
Schumer also said he would push for $3.1 million in stimulus for the state Department of Environmental Conservation to fight the ash borer, and $2.5 million more for the DEC to run educational programs to limit the spread of invasives.
"(Education) really stops these things," Schumer said. "People who love the outdoors care about it; they're willing to be educated."
These programs educate people on things such as not moving firewood from areas infected with these wood-boring pests.
Finally, Schumer said, funding for the Interagency Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, which coordinates federal responses to invasive aquatic pests, should be raised to $20.3 million, from its current level of $5.3 million.
"It costs literally pennies in the federal scheme of things, and it will save us millions," Schumer said of his plan.
Hilary Smith, of Saranac Lake, director of the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, said invasive species are "on the rise and rapidly accelerating." She and Schumer mentioned several reasons for the faster spread, including the increase in commerce over farther distances and climate change, which allows invasives that need warmer climates to move farther north.
Smith said her program has more than 300 volunteers, who have surveyed more than 200 lakes for invasive plants, and she also spoke out about other efforts to map invasive species in the Adirondacks. For example, she said, volunteers have been tracking the spread of knotweed in the southwestern Adirondacks and garlic mustard in the Tri-Lakes area. They have also been working with anglers on the AuSable River so they clean their gear and waders and thus prevent the spread of invasive aquatic plants.
"We have the technology and information (to deal with invasives)," Smith said. "We just need the additional resources."
"She's our Paul Revere of invasive species," Schumer said.
Read the story at link.
Photo by Nathan Brown. Hilary Smith of Saranac Lake, director of the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, speaks Thursday at The Wild Center in Tupper Lake.
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Vermont's tools in fight against invasive pest include Internet TV
By BOB AUDETTE, Brattleboro Reformer
BRATTLEBORO -- By now, most people have heard of the Asian Longhorned Beetle and its threat to the area’s maple trees.
If the non-native pest, which was most recently found in Worcester, Mass., makes its way to Vermont, it could ruin the maple syrup industry, affect the fall foliage and tourism, put a strain on the hardwood harvest and have a devastating impact on the forest environment.
Helping to spread the word about the dangerous bug is vermonttv.net, an online "station" with eight "channels."
Vermonttv.net was started by Bill Heyman and Rick Garren, and is produced with the help of Kris Cain and Justin Looper.
The longhorned beetle could kill a third of the trees in the Green Mountain State, said Heyman.
"That’s just one bug."
And then there’s the Hemlock Woody Adelgid, another invasive species that threatens Vermont’s hemlock trees.
Not only could the bugs irrevocably change the Vermont landscape, they could devastate one of Vermont’s most important industries -- forest products.
The Asian Longhorned Beetle has caused tens of thousands of hardwood trees to be destroyed in Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.
"I went down to Worcester," said Heyman. "I couldn’t believe the devastation. I lost sleep over it."
In the video on vermonttv.net, Jim Esden, of the Vermont Department of Forests & Parks, talks about how to identify the Asian Longhorned Beetle and the devastation the beetle can cause. He shows viewers an animated view of the beetle and how to spot the first symptoms of infestation.
"We have certainly been using a variety of media," said Esden. "Vermonttv.net has been really helpful and cooperative. They’ve done a great job."
Read the full story at link.
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Video: Bugs gone wild? Invasive species combatants can become pests themselves
By Frank MacEachern, Greenwich Time
In a small wooded section of northwest Greenwich, tiny weevils have been busily eating their way through the mile-a-minute vine in an experiment to see if the invasive plant can be controlled.
But the weevil is itself a non-native species to North America, and scientists warn that great care must be taken when foreign species are introduced.
One of those scientists, Daniel Simberloff, professor of environmental science ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, said numerous experiments in invasive plant control have gone awry.
He points to the cactus moth. It was successful in controlling the cactus pear in Australia. The pear, a non-native plant to that continent, was introduced in the 19th century. But it advanced rapidly and took over wide swaths of Australian farmland before the introduction of the cactus moth.
But that same moth, a South American native, poses a risk to the cactus pear industry in Mexico, Simberloff said. The moth was introduced in the Caribbean and has gradually spread north and may reach Mexico, he said.
"The Mexicans are very upset about this because the cactus pear is important to them both economically and culturally," he said.
In one of the most infamous disasters of biological control -- the use of species, including plants, animals and insects like weevils, to control invasive species -- farmers introduced the mongoose to Hawaii in the late 1800s to control rats that were feeding on sugar cane. Rather than control rats, the mongoose have preyed on the nests of endangered and threatened native birds.
In the past decade, researchers found that a parasitic fly, released as late as 1986 to combat gypsy and brown tail moths, is devastating the native silk moth population in New England.
Read the full story and watch the video at link.
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Coast Guard Floats Rule on Invasive Species
The U.S. Coast Guard announced a proposed regulation today designed to prevent invasive species from entering U.S. waters. The rule would require ships to treat ballast water, which is pumped into tanks when leaving port and typically dumped at the incoming port, to kill microorganisms and larvae that come along for the ride. The Coast Guard says it "will work to elevate the priority" of research to figure out how effective the measure will be.
Ships are already required to exchange their ballast water at sea to get rid of any hitchhiking species, but the effectiveness varies quite a bit, depending in part on the ship's construction. The proposed regulation will require that ships have new technology on-board—such as filtration systems—that will reduce the number of organisms released in port to a standard set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2004.
"I'm feeling positive about this," says Allegra Cangelosi, principal investigator for the Northeast-Midwest Institute's Great Ships Initiative, which is working to reduce aquatic invasions in the Great Lakes. "These standards are a good guess at what is necessary to reduce risk of ship-mediated transfers to a manageable level." As of last month, IMO had approved eight kinds of treatment systems.
Under the proposed Coast Guard rule, new vessels launched after 2012 would need to have treatment systems that meet the IMO standard. Existing vessels will need to be retrofitted to meet that standard between 2014 and 2016, depending on the ship's size. The cost will likely run $1.18 billion over 10 years.
The Coast Guard is also considering a phase-two standard that would be up to 1000 times more stringent than the phase-one standard. By 2013, it will complete a review on the feasibility of achieving this standard—one live organism per 100 cubic meters of water. Another question is exactly how much benefit these standards will have, so the Coast Guard would like to see more research done by its staff and other agencies.
Comments are due within 90 days.
—Erik Stokstad
Read the story at link.
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New York State DEC plans action to protect Catlin Creek and adjacent wetlands from Northern Snakehead
ALBANY, NY (09/01/2009)(readMedia)--
Continuing an aggressive approach toward invasive species, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will apply an aquatic pesticide to portions of Catlin Creek and adjacent wetlands to eradicate an invasive fish called the Northern Snakehead, Regional Director Willie Janeway announced today. The treatment, slated for October, will reclaim the Orange County waterway so that a healthy and natural fishery can be restored.
The action is a follow-up to successful steps taken to rid nearby Ridgebury Lake and Catlin Creek of more than 200 Northern Snakeheads in summer 2008. Acting on a tip from residents, DEC staff recently found two adult snakeheads at an impassable weir in Catlin Creek. DEC believes this follow-up application is the best course of action to assure this invasive species does not spread to other New York waters such as the Wallkill and Hudson Rivers.
DEC recently sent a letter to area landowners updating them on the issue and their intended action. In addition, DEC has scheduled a public meeting for 7 p.m., Sept. 16, at the Wawayanda Town Hall. "We appreciate the patience and cooperation of local residents and town officials as we continue to take steps to stop this aggressive invasive species," DEC Regional Director Willie Janeway said.
Native to Asia, the Northern Snakehead fish is an air breathing, aggressive freshwater predator. They can survive out of the water temporarily, travel short distances over wet land and have a wide temperature tolerance (For more info, go to: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/45470.html). They breed prodigiously, have no natural predators in the U.S. and, therefore, have the potential to be extremely destructive. [...]
DEC anticipates treating the entire area in one day. Because no native species of fish were re-stocked in the upcoming treatment area, few if any are expected to be killed. Animals without gills will not be impacted. Rotenone is an extract from several different tropical plants and breaks down rapidly after application with no lasting toxicity.
DEC is committed to restocking the area with fish after it is treated. The Department also plans to stock Ridgebury Lake this coming fall. Additional fish will also be stocked in Ridgebury Lake through a commitment of $10,000 by the Department. A mixture of species including largemouth bass, black crappie and minnows will be stocked to restore these waters with a healthy assemblage of fish for the future.
Read the press release a link.
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Over time, garlic mustard loses its toxic edge
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Like most invasive plants introduced to the U.S. from Europe and other places, garlic mustard first found it easy to dominate the natives. A new study indicates that eventually, however, its primary weapon – a fungus-killing toxin injected into the soil – becomes less potent.The study, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is one of the first to show that evolutionary forces can alter the very attributes that give an invasive plant its advantage. In fact, the study suggests the plant's defenses are undermined by its own success.
Garlic mustard comes from a family of smelly, sharp-tasting plants that includes cabbage, radish, horseradish and wasabi. Unlike most plants, which rely on soil fungi to supplement them with phosphorous, nitrogen and water, garlic mustard gets by without the extra help, said Richard Lankau, a postdoctoral researcher at the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) at the University of Illinois. Lankau led the study with INHS plant ecologist Greg Spyreas.
"For whatever reason, these plants just don't hook up with the soil fungus," Lankau said. Instead, garlic mustard produces glucosinolates, pungent compounds that leach into the soil and kill off many soil fungi, especially those native to North America. This weakens the native plants. As a result, garlic mustard now grows in dense patches in many North American woodlands, its preferred habitat. Those patches are often devoid of native plants.
Lankau began the new study with a seemingly obvious question: Once garlic mustard has vanquished most of its competitors, why would it invest as much in maintaining its toxic arsenal? He predicted – correctly, it turns out – that levels of glucosinolates in the plant would diminish over time.
"When you're in a situation where the only thing you're competing with is other garlic mustard, it may be that making lots of this chemical is not a very good idea," he said.
Thanks to a study of historic herbarium records conducted by co-author Victoria Nuzzo, of Natural Area Consultants, N.Y., the researchers had access to a 140-year record of the age of garlic mustard populations across the eastern half of the U.S. The team collected garlic mustard seeds from 44 locations, grew them in a greenhouse and tested glucosinolate levels in each. Those tests found that older populations – those that have been present in an area for more than 30 years – produced lower levels of the fungicidal compounds than those that got their start less than two decades ago, Lankau said.
Genetic studies suggested that these patterns were the result of natural selection. That is, the plants that produced less of the toxin were more likely to survive and reproduce in older populations.
The researchers then grew the garlic mustard in soil from native woodlands. After a time, they removed these plants and potted native trees in the same soil. The trees did best in pots that had held plants from older populations of garlic mustard, indicating, again, that the plants' toxin output had diminished over time, killing less of the fungus on which the native plants relied.
To determine if the decline in glucosinolate production was allowing native plants to return to areas previously dominated by garlic mustard in the wild, the researchers turned to a unique data set available in Illinois. The Critical Trends Assessment Program (CTAP) is a long-term initiative funded by the state Department of Natural Resources and administered by the INHS that monitors the status of plants, birds and insects across the state every five years. The CTAP began in 1997, and so data from the first two sampling periods were used (1997-2001 and 2002-2007)
Because CTAP includes data on plant abundance, including garlic mustard and native plants from across the state, the researchers were able to determine if native plants were declining or advancing in the presence of garlic mustard. Again, they found that older populations of garlic mustard – though still problematic – posed less of a threat to native plants than the newer ones did.
While this study focused on only one plant, the results indicate that some invasive plants evolve in ways that may make them more manageable over time, Spyreas said. This suggests that conservation efforts might be more effective if they focus on the most recently invaded areas, which – in the case of garlic mustard, at least – is probably where the most damage occurs.
This study was funded by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The research team also included Adam Davis, of the Agricultural Research Service at the USDA.
Read the story at link.
Photo by L. Brian Stauffer, U. of I. News Bureau. Caption: Adam Davis (left) of the US Department of Agriculture, Illinois Natural History Survey, postdoctoral researcher Richard Lankau (center) and INHS plant ecologist Greg Spyreas found that the invasive garlic mustard plant produces lower levels of a defensive toxin after about three decades in a new location.
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Japanese stiltgrass blight?
Russ Richardson is a forester in central West Virginia (WV) who has been involved with fighting the spread of Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) for most of the past decade.
A couple of years ago Russ started to notice that in some places the stiltgrass was dying.
This year in some portions of WV there is a massive die off of stiltgrass with 100% of some populations dying. Russ thinks that it could be a virus of some sort.
Russ has taken many photos of the changes in the stiltgrass plants. When the plants die the thatch is different and the stiltgrass is decomposing much more rapidly than when they go their full life cycle. There are many areas where there will be no seed produced this year.
Samples of the grass were taken to WVU in Morgantown, WV last week to see what was killing the plants.
Thank you for your thoughts or comments.
Russ Richardson, Certified Forester
Crummies Creek Tree Farm
PO Box 207
Arnoldsburg, WV 25234
ForestRuss[at]aol.com
-------------------------------------------------------
Job opening for invasive species biologist
This position is with the New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP) in Albany, NY. The NY Natural Heritage Program is a partnership between The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) that facilitates the conservation of rare animals, rare plants, and significant natural communities. The program accomplishes this mission by working collaboratively with partners inside and outside New York to support stewardship of New York’s rare plants, rare animals, and significant natural communities, and to reduce the threat of invasive species to native ecosystems. The program combines thorough field inventories, scientific analyses, expert interpretation, and comprehensive databases on New York’s flora and fauna to deliver high quality information for natural resource planning, land use decisions, and conservation of New York’s biodiversity. The New York Natural Heritage Program is based in the Central Office of the NYS DEC in downtown Albany, NY.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
• Graduate degree in science-related field and 3 years related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Experience with ArcGIS core software products
• Experience in natural resources, biology, ecology or related field
• Experience with invasive species issues
• Experience in developing and managing multiple projects
View the notice here.
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Monday, July 13, 2009
Week of July 13, 2009
Updated July 17
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Nassau County teams with environmentalists to thwart invasive species
By Phil Spadanuta, Long Island Press
Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi and Nassau County Legis. Dave Denenberg (D-Merrick) worked with volunteers from the Nature Conservancy to remove the invasive plant species, the water chestnut, from Mill Pond Park in Wantagh on Tuesday. [...]
“The best time of the year to remove this harmful plant is in late spring or early summer before it sets seed,” said Kathy Schwager, Invasive Species Ecologist for The Nature Conservancy. “The seeds are viable for up to 10 years so control efforts must be conducted for many years, but luckily this plant has only been found in two locations on Long Island.” The water chestnut is invading Oyster Bay too. But through early detection and rapid response, the water chestnut plants invasion can be curtailed before more damage to the environment occurs. [...]
As Suozzi waded into the pond to remove water chestnut plants by hand, Denenberg followed closely behind him while holding a trash bag for Suozzi to put the plants in. The effort to remove plants by hand complements $20 million worth of pond improvement projects that the county has implemented at south shore ponds over the last few years.
“They not only damage the lands and waters that native plants and animals need to survive, they hurt economies and threaten human well-being,” Suozzi said.
In addition to removing the plants, Schwager hopes to get plants that are considered invasive species banned worldwide by the Horticultural Industry so they cannot be sold anymore or spread to other areas.
Special areas of land that are protected from invasive species completely, called invasive species prevention zones, have also been created by members of The Nature Conservancy to help combat the problem. According to Schwager, about 12 zones exist right now covering around 33,000 acres of land.
In addition to ridding Mill Pond Park of water chestnuts, Nassau is involved with at least eight other projects involving the improvement of other bodies of water in the county through dredging and adding vegetation. The parks projects include work at Camman’s Pond in Merrick, Milburn Pond in Freeport, Tanglewood Park and Preserve in Lakeview, Lofts Pond and Silver Lake in Baldwin, Roosevelt Pond and Massapequa Preserve. [...]
For more information about The Nature Conservancy go to www.nature.org/longisland
Read the full story at link.
Photo above: Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, Legis. Dave Denenberg (D-Merrick) and Kathy Schwager of The Nature Conservancy at Mill Pond in Wantagh.
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Vermont officials ban out-of-state firewood
By John Dillon, Vermont Public Radio
State and federal officials hope to control the spread of two forest insect pests by banning out-of-state firewood at campgrounds.
The two insects of concern are the Emerald Ash Borer and the Asian Long Horned beetle. Both are non-native species and they pose a serious threat to the hardwood trees.
Steven Sinclair is the Vermont state forester.
(Sinclair) "They bore into the tree, then it gets cut up as firewood so they can be sleeping so to speak in the tree. And then when temperatures are right in the spring, they emerge, they can live in dead wood, so they'll emerge and potentially spread to other locations. So moving firewood is a hidden danger where the general public may not even know what they're doing."
(Host) The U.S. Forest Service wants only kiln-dried, packaged firewood used in campgrounds in the Green Mountain National Forest.
Wood from local sources is still permitted. But starting July 17th, visitors could face a $5,000 fine if they're caught transporting untreated wood from out-of-state into the national forest.
Vermont is taking a less punitive approach.
Sinclair said that although only local firewood is allowed at state campgrounds, visitors can exchange their out-of-state wood for a local supply from the state park.
(Sinclair) "If a camper came to one of our state parks and was bringing with them firewood that originated from 50 miles away from the radius of the state park - and was more than what we thought they could burn in the evening - we would confiscate that wood and reimburse the camper with some free wood from the state park."
(Host) State and federal officials are concerned because the emerald ash borer has spread rapidly to 13 states and two Canadian provinces.
And the Asian Long Horned Beetle was discovered last year near Worcester, Massachusetts, just 50 miles from the Vermont border.
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N.H., Maine on alert for two nasty bugs
By Deborah McDermott, SeaCoastOnline.com
Forestry officials in Maine and New Hampshire are sending out an all-points bulletin to out-of-state campers and to residents who buy unfinished furniture or even some bagged mulch: beware two nasty, exotic bugs that have the potential to devastate both states' forests.
And in New Hampshire, the city of Portsmouth in particular has been identified as a potential site for infestation.
Entomologists say the Asian longhorned beetle and the emerald ash borer are now confined to other states, many on the Eastern Seaboard and as close as Worcester, Mass., where more than 22,000 trees infested with the longhorned beetle have been cut down and destroyed. [...]
New Hampshire officials are so concerned they have banned from state parks all firewood brought in by out-of-state campers this summer, and have strongly suggested private campgrounds also comply. [...]
In Maine, the most heavily forested state in the nation, with more than 17 million acres of forests, both insects have the potential of destroying many acres of woodlands and affecting its wood products, tourism and maple sugar industries, said state entomologist Colleen Teerling. [...]
Although Maine has not banned out-of-state firewood as the Granite State has, Teerling said her office is working with state and private campgrounds to spread the word. They're going to campground association shows, putting up posters, sending out fliers and the like.
Read the full story at link.
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New Hampshire 0fficials have banned out-of-state firewood in state and White Mountain National Forest campgrounds
By Elaine Grant, New Hampshire Public Radio
Bring firewood across state lines into state and national forest campgrounds, and you’ll get a warning or even a fine of up to two thousand dollars.
Wood brought in from out of state could be infested with the invasive Asian longhorned beetle or the emerald ash borer.
Both the state and the U.S. Forest Service are trying to avoid what could be devastating damage from the insects. [...]
Read the full story at link.
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ALB "Train-the-Trainer" sesions in Boston and Springfield, Mass.
NEW! Don't miss the opportunity to join upcoming ALB "Train-the-Trainer" sessions in Boston and Springfield. We will provide you with the tools and skills you need to teach others how to recognize ALB and to survey trees for ALB damage.
Boston sessions:
- July 28th, 8:30am-10:30am (http://bit.ly/albBoston1)
- August 11th, 6pm-8pm (http://bit.ly/albBoston2)
Springfield sessions:
- July 30th, 8:30am-10:30am (http://bit.ly/albSpring1)
- August 13th, 6pm-8pm (http://bit.ly/albSpring2)
Breakfast and dinner (pizza) will be provided. Sign up via links above, or email jennifer.forman-orth AT state.ma.us, or call 617-626-1735.
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Power plants? Invasive weeds might produce electricity
WEST BRIDPORT, VT —Electricity just might be wrung from these otherwise discarded weeds.
Elegant in theory, the experiment in its early stages is loud and ugly.
The bright-orange harvester looks out of place in Lake Champlain. Part riding mower, part paddle-wheeler and front-end loader, the graceless watercraft the length of three mid-sized sedans that tops out (in reverse) at 3 and a half mph. It’s even slower when it travels forward, cutting through underwater thickets of Eurasian watermilfoil that choke the lake’s shallows near East Bridport.
But the harvester belongs. The milfoil, an aggressive newcomer, doesn’t.
While no one believes the weed will ever be eradicated, a handful of visionaries believe in its potential to generate electricity. [...]
Read the full article, with photos and video of weed harvesting, at link.
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Weevils unleashed in northwest Greenwich to fight mile-a-minute vine
GreenwichTime.com
About 500 tiny weevils were unleashed at Audubon Greenwich's Gimbel Sanctuary on Friday morning in a bid to reverse the damage an invasive vine has inflicted on native plant species. The weevils are being used in an experiment to fight the growth of the mile-a-minute vine.
The vine is believed to have arrived in the country mixed in with a delivery of holly seeds from Japan to a now-defunct nursery outside of York, Pa., in the 1930s. It was first identified positively as being in northwest Greenwich in 2000.
The weevils, brought over from China after it was discovered they were effective against the vine in laboratory experiments, are raised at the New Jersey Department of Agriculture's Phillip Alampi Beneficial Insect Laboratory in West Trenton, N.J. They have been used since 2004 in other areas of the country, including Delaware and New Jersey.
The weevils were released first in North Haven on July 2. Thursday, they were spread at two locations in Newtown. Though destructive to the mile-a-minute vine, weevils are not harmful to other plants.
-- Frank MacEachern
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Mass. combats invasive zebra mussels
By Associated Press
LEE — The Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game is taking emergency action to combat the spread of invasive zebra mussels.
The department on Friday authorized local officials in Berkshire County to bar the use of boat ramps that have been on Laurel Lake within the last 30 days, unless they have been subjected to vigorous cleaning and disinfection. [...]
Read the full story at link.
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Bill seeks to limit unwelcome carp
By Todd Spangler • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
U.S. Sen. Carl Levin is moving to put the invasive bighead carp species of Asian carp on a list of creatures prohibited from importation into the United States.
It may be too late, however, for some waters; the fish, which can grow as big as 110 pounds, have spread from catfish farms in Louisiana in the 1970s up the Mississippi River and are only kept out of the Great Lakes by an electric barrier in a canal.
By adding the species to prohibited wildlife under the Lacey Act, Levin and cosponsors hope to prevent any intentional introduction of the bighead carp to yet-untouched American waters.
Read the story at link.
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Mighty moth may become Everglades' new weed eater
BY CURTIS MORGAN, MiamiHerald.com
Compared to kudzu, the infamous vine that ate The South, Old World climbing fern may be an obscure pest plant. But they're a lot alike.
The fern just has a slightly smaller appetite. It's only eating South Florida.
It's been doing it at an alarming pace, smothering more than 130,000 acres from cypress forests to Everglades tree islands to coastal mangroves in dense cloaks of death -- despite millions spent trying to halt it with sprays, spades and machetes.
But a new weapon -- in development for a dozen years by federal researchers in Fort Lauderdale -- shows significant promise to beat back an invader so aggressive it would cover a third of the wetlands between Orlando and Naples if left unchecked.
It's a nondescript moth, a ''bio-control'' dubbed ''Neo,'' a nickname considerably catchier than Neomusotima conspurcatalis.
Discovered near Hong Kong in 1997 by Bob Pemberton, an entomologist with the U.S. Agricultural Research Service, Neo has produced millions of hungry larvae that have chewed through thick fern blankets with stunning gusto in three field tests.
''I have never, in all my career, seen a biological control that looks as promising as this one,'' said Dan Thayer, who directs invasive-plant control for the South Florida Water Management District. ''My jaw dropped,'' he said, when he saw how Neo colonies in Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County stripped ferns naked.
Though they stress it's still early, Pemberton and fellow entomologist Anthony Boughton, both based at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Invasive Plant Research Laboratory in Fort Lauderdale, agree Neo is a ray of hope for what seemed an almost impossible task: stopping an exotic fern, formally known as Lygodium microphyllium, considered among the most serious threats to the Everglades. [...]
In a soon-to-be-published research paper, the scientists reported Neo numbers rocketing from 31,091 releases to 1.6 million to 8.2 million larvae at site. Neo had stripped some 3.5 acres of fern and expanded its range, moving to adjacent areas a third of a mile away.
Now, researchers are working with state and federal park and land managers to expand releases, starting in fern-choked Loxahatchee.
They don't expect Neo alone to defeat the fern. They already have other candidates in the pipeline, such as stem-boring moths.
But, if Neo keeps it up, there may well be much less need for herbicides and hand tools. Ted Center, director of the Fort Lauderdale lab, called the impact ``incredible.''
''If that becomes the way this agent works, then we have really introduced a very helpful tool in the fight,'' he said.
Read the full story at link.
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Cornell scientist to discuss drastic reduction of weed growth in Chautauqua Lake, NY
ObserverToday.com
LAKEWOOD - The Chautauqua Lake Association is sponsoring a symposium entitled the "Chautauqua Lake Aquatic Plant Workshop" led by aquatic scientist Robert L. Johnson, manager of Cornell University's Research Pond Facility, on July 13 at 7 p.m. at the Chautauqua Suites in Mayville. A second workshop is scheduled for July 14 at 7 p.m. at The Casino in Bemus Point. The events are free to the public.
The workshops will give the community an opportunity to see, identify and learn about the different plant and insect species residing in the lake. Topics include the dramatic reduction in weed growth in Chautauqua Lake this year and the methods Johnson and the CLA used to curb infestation. [...]
Chautauqua Lake is experiencing a drastic reduction in weed growth this year according to Johnson. Areas like Burtis Bay are virtually weed free. "The milfoil problem that reaped so much publicity is missing from the Bay this summer," Johnson said. "The CLA has been instrumental in supporting natural remedies to control weed growth like the introduction of moth larvae and monitoring of other insects that feed on and control the milfoil problem."
The CLA, an organization that maintains the health and beauty of the lake, supports a "green" approach to controlling nuisance vegetation like Eurasian milfoil.
"The CLA fought to have the Cornell studies continue," Association President Chris Yates said. "We are firm believers in keeping up with the science of the lake. We hope events like these symposiums will serve to educate the public on the overall benefits of good science."
Read the full story at link.
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Zebra mussels clog Berkshire lake
By Beth Daley, The Boston Globe
LEE, Mass. - State aquatic ecologist Tom Flannery poked his face out of Laurel Lake yesterday morning, adjusted his scuba mask, and glumly shook his head at dam owner Roger Scheurer, standing on the concrete structure above.
In between Flannery’s thumb and forefinger was a zebra mussel, an invasive freshwater species that has clogged pipes, fouled water supplies, and endangered wildlife across the Great Lakes.
“They are everywhere,’’ said Flannery, bobbing in the water. “You can’t go a . . . foot without seeing them.’’
Scheurer sagged. In the week since Massachusetts’s first zebra mussel was confirmed in this popular 175-acre Berkshire lake, it has dawned on business people, boaters, and others just what a disaster the mollusks’ spread could turn out to be. Divers found rocks with clinging mussels virtually everywhere they looked yesterday in Laurel Lake, and fears are growing that the nearby Housatonic River is also contaminated.
In an attempt to slow the mussels’ spread, local officials have shut down boat ramps in at least five popular Berkshire lakes; they hope to stop the mussels, which can invade boat machinery and attach to hulls, from being inadvertently transported from lake to lake.
Some fishermen and boaters said they are doubtful that closing ramps will stop the spread, because the animals can hitch rides to other bodies of water on geese or other wildlife. Indeed, officials rarely talk about wiping out zebra mussels once they take hold in a region. Their only hope is to slow the spread.
Instead of closing its ramps, Pittsfield is stationing volunteer boat monitors at two popular lakes to ensure that vessels that have been in infested waters in Connecticut and New York - and now Laurel Lake - are properly decontaminated.
“A lot of our boaters are transient; they go from one lake to another,’’ said Pittsfield Harbormaster Jim McGrath. [...]
The mussels are especially feared in the Berkshires because many waterways there are high in calcium and nonacidic, conditions in which the mussels thrive. If microscopic mussel larvae get into boat intake valves or even kayaks, they can hitch a ride to another lake and take hold, many officials fear. The only way to slow their spread is to get boaters and other water users to carefully wash all equipment and gear or let it dry for about a week in sunny weather, which kills the mussels. [...]
Read the full story at link.
Photo: State aquatic ecologist Tom Flannery searched Laurel Lake in Lee for zebra mussels. (Nancy Palmieri for The Boston Globe)
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Hunts sought to control pythons in Fla. Everglades
By MATT SEDENSKY, Associated Press
MIAMI (AP) — U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson called Tuesday for organized hunts of thousands of pythons believed to be living in the Everglades to kill the snakes and prevent potential attacks.
Nelson requested permission in a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who got a close-up look at a 15-foot python found in the swampland during a May visit hosted by the senator. The request also comes weeks after a 2-year-old central Florida girl was strangled by an unlicensed pet python that escaped from a terrarium in her home, drawing further scrutiny to the issue.
"They are threatening endangered wildlife there," the Democratic lawmaker wrote to his former Senate colleague, "and, Lord forbid, a visitor in the Everglades ever encounters one."
Also Tuesday, another lawmaker, U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., introduced legislation to allow python hunts in the Everglades.
Nelson has estimated 100,000 pythons are living in the Everglades, an invasive species population believed to be the result at least in part of pets being released into the wild when they grow too big. "They now have become such a problem in the park," said Dan McLaughlin, Nelson's spokesman, "you could spend the next 10 years setting traps."
The senator asked Salazar to approve supervised hunts of the snakes by U.S. Park Service staff, other authorities and volunteers to kill the pythons en masse. The invasive species have been multiplying in the Everglades for years. [...]
Nelson recently introduced a bill to ban imports of the snakes, after years of trying to persuade federal wildlife officials to restrict their entry into the country. [...]
Read the full story at link.
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New U of Maryland Pest Threats Web Site
The University of Maryland's Pest Threats Web Site is up and running. The new site offers photographic keys to help diagnose and identify exotic pest and disease problems that are a threat to the United States. Some of the pests and disease may be present in limited areas of the country but are in danger of spreading to other parts of the United States and North America.
The Nature Conservancy of MD/DC has available many of their new invasives brochure--it features 10 of the worst invaders around the Potomac River watershed (and is applicable to PA, NJ, DE, MD, VA, WV and beyond) and also has a handy insert card with alternatives to invasives for folks planning gardens or heading to their local nurseries. The link is below for download--if you would like hard copies, contact TNC.
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Nassau County teams with environmentalists to thwart invasive species
By Phil Spadanuta, Long Island Press
Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi and Nassau County Legis. Dave Denenberg (D-Merrick) worked with volunteers from the Nature Conservancy to remove the invasive plant species, the water chestnut, from Mill Pond Park in Wantagh on Tuesday. [...]
“The best time of the year to remove this harmful plant is in late spring or early summer before it sets seed,” said Kathy Schwager, Invasive Species Ecologist for The Nature Conservancy. “The seeds are viable for up to 10 years so control efforts must be conducted for many years, but luckily this plant has only been found in two locations on Long Island.” The water chestnut is invading Oyster Bay too. But through early detection and rapid response, the water chestnut plants invasion can be curtailed before more damage to the environment occurs. [...]As Suozzi waded into the pond to remove water chestnut plants by hand, Denenberg followed closely behind him while holding a trash bag for Suozzi to put the plants in. The effort to remove plants by hand complements $20 million worth of pond improvement projects that the county has implemented at south shore ponds over the last few years.
“They not only damage the lands and waters that native plants and animals need to survive, they hurt economies and threaten human well-being,” Suozzi said.
In addition to removing the plants, Schwager hopes to get plants that are considered invasive species banned worldwide by the Horticultural Industry so they cannot be sold anymore or spread to other areas.
Special areas of land that are protected from invasive species completely, called invasive species prevention zones, have also been created by members of The Nature Conservancy to help combat the problem. According to Schwager, about 12 zones exist right now covering around 33,000 acres of land.
In addition to ridding Mill Pond Park of water chestnuts, Nassau is involved with at least eight other projects involving the improvement of other bodies of water in the county through dredging and adding vegetation. The parks projects include work at Camman’s Pond in Merrick, Milburn Pond in Freeport, Tanglewood Park and Preserve in Lakeview, Lofts Pond and Silver Lake in Baldwin, Roosevelt Pond and Massapequa Preserve. [...]
For more information about The Nature Conservancy go to www.nature.org/longisland
Read the full story at link.
Photo above: Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, Legis. Dave Denenberg (D-Merrick) and Kathy Schwager of The Nature Conservancy at Mill Pond in Wantagh.
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Vermont officials ban out-of-state firewood
By John Dillon, Vermont Public Radio
State and federal officials hope to control the spread of two forest insect pests by banning out-of-state firewood at campgrounds.
The two insects of concern are the Emerald Ash Borer and the Asian Long Horned beetle. Both are non-native species and they pose a serious threat to the hardwood trees.
Steven Sinclair is the Vermont state forester.
(Sinclair) "They bore into the tree, then it gets cut up as firewood so they can be sleeping so to speak in the tree. And then when temperatures are right in the spring, they emerge, they can live in dead wood, so they'll emerge and potentially spread to other locations. So moving firewood is a hidden danger where the general public may not even know what they're doing."
(Host) The U.S. Forest Service wants only kiln-dried, packaged firewood used in campgrounds in the Green Mountain National Forest.
Wood from local sources is still permitted. But starting July 17th, visitors could face a $5,000 fine if they're caught transporting untreated wood from out-of-state into the national forest.
Vermont is taking a less punitive approach.
Sinclair said that although only local firewood is allowed at state campgrounds, visitors can exchange their out-of-state wood for a local supply from the state park.
(Sinclair) "If a camper came to one of our state parks and was bringing with them firewood that originated from 50 miles away from the radius of the state park - and was more than what we thought they could burn in the evening - we would confiscate that wood and reimburse the camper with some free wood from the state park."
(Host) State and federal officials are concerned because the emerald ash borer has spread rapidly to 13 states and two Canadian provinces.
And the Asian Long Horned Beetle was discovered last year near Worcester, Massachusetts, just 50 miles from the Vermont border.
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N.H., Maine on alert for two nasty bugs
By Deborah McDermott, SeaCoastOnline.com
Forestry officials in Maine and New Hampshire are sending out an all-points bulletin to out-of-state campers and to residents who buy unfinished furniture or even some bagged mulch: beware two nasty, exotic bugs that have the potential to devastate both states' forests.
And in New Hampshire, the city of Portsmouth in particular has been identified as a potential site for infestation.
Entomologists say the Asian longhorned beetle and the emerald ash borer are now confined to other states, many on the Eastern Seaboard and as close as Worcester, Mass., where more than 22,000 trees infested with the longhorned beetle have been cut down and destroyed. [...]
New Hampshire officials are so concerned they have banned from state parks all firewood brought in by out-of-state campers this summer, and have strongly suggested private campgrounds also comply. [...]
In Maine, the most heavily forested state in the nation, with more than 17 million acres of forests, both insects have the potential of destroying many acres of woodlands and affecting its wood products, tourism and maple sugar industries, said state entomologist Colleen Teerling. [...]
Although Maine has not banned out-of-state firewood as the Granite State has, Teerling said her office is working with state and private campgrounds to spread the word. They're going to campground association shows, putting up posters, sending out fliers and the like.
Read the full story at link.
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New Hampshire 0fficials have banned out-of-state firewood in state and White Mountain National Forest campgrounds
By Elaine Grant, New Hampshire Public Radio
Bring firewood across state lines into state and national forest campgrounds, and you’ll get a warning or even a fine of up to two thousand dollars.
Wood brought in from out of state could be infested with the invasive Asian longhorned beetle or the emerald ash borer.
Both the state and the U.S. Forest Service are trying to avoid what could be devastating damage from the insects. [...]
Read the full story at link.
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ALB "Train-the-Trainer" sesions in Boston and Springfield, Mass.
NEW! Don't miss the opportunity to join upcoming ALB "Train-the-Trainer" sessions in Boston and Springfield. We will provide you with the tools and skills you need to teach others how to recognize ALB and to survey trees for ALB damage.
Boston sessions:
- July 28th, 8:30am-10:30am (http://bit.ly/albBoston1)
- August 11th, 6pm-8pm (http://bit.ly/albBoston2)
Springfield sessions:
- July 30th, 8:30am-10:30am (http://bit.ly/albSpring1)
- August 13th, 6pm-8pm (http://bit.ly/albSpring2)
Breakfast and dinner (pizza) will be provided. Sign up via links above, or email jennifer.forman-orth AT state.ma.us, or call 617-626-1735.
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Power plants? Invasive weeds might produce electricity
WEST BRIDPORT, VT —Electricity just might be wrung from these otherwise discarded weeds.
Elegant in theory, the experiment in its early stages is loud and ugly.
The bright-orange harvester looks out of place in Lake Champlain. Part riding mower, part paddle-wheeler and front-end loader, the graceless watercraft the length of three mid-sized sedans that tops out (in reverse) at 3 and a half mph. It’s even slower when it travels forward, cutting through underwater thickets of Eurasian watermilfoil that choke the lake’s shallows near East Bridport.
But the harvester belongs. The milfoil, an aggressive newcomer, doesn’t.
While no one believes the weed will ever be eradicated, a handful of visionaries believe in its potential to generate electricity. [...]
Read the full article, with photos and video of weed harvesting, at link.
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Weevils unleashed in northwest Greenwich to fight mile-a-minute vine
GreenwichTime.com
About 500 tiny weevils were unleashed at Audubon Greenwich's Gimbel Sanctuary on Friday morning in a bid to reverse the damage an invasive vine has inflicted on native plant species. The weevils are being used in an experiment to fight the growth of the mile-a-minute vine.The vine is believed to have arrived in the country mixed in with a delivery of holly seeds from Japan to a now-defunct nursery outside of York, Pa., in the 1930s. It was first identified positively as being in northwest Greenwich in 2000.
The weevils, brought over from China after it was discovered they were effective against the vine in laboratory experiments, are raised at the New Jersey Department of Agriculture's Phillip Alampi Beneficial Insect Laboratory in West Trenton, N.J. They have been used since 2004 in other areas of the country, including Delaware and New Jersey.
The weevils were released first in North Haven on July 2. Thursday, they were spread at two locations in Newtown. Though destructive to the mile-a-minute vine, weevils are not harmful to other plants.
-- Frank MacEachern
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Mass. combats invasive zebra mussels
By Associated Press
LEE — The Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game is taking emergency action to combat the spread of invasive zebra mussels.
The department on Friday authorized local officials in Berkshire County to bar the use of boat ramps that have been on Laurel Lake within the last 30 days, unless they have been subjected to vigorous cleaning and disinfection. [...]
Read the full story at link.
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Bill seeks to limit unwelcome carp
By Todd Spangler • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
U.S. Sen. Carl Levin is moving to put the invasive bighead carp species of Asian carp on a list of creatures prohibited from importation into the United States.
It may be too late, however, for some waters; the fish, which can grow as big as 110 pounds, have spread from catfish farms in Louisiana in the 1970s up the Mississippi River and are only kept out of the Great Lakes by an electric barrier in a canal.
By adding the species to prohibited wildlife under the Lacey Act, Levin and cosponsors hope to prevent any intentional introduction of the bighead carp to yet-untouched American waters.
Read the story at link.
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Mighty moth may become Everglades' new weed eater
BY CURTIS MORGAN, MiamiHerald.com
Compared to kudzu, the infamous vine that ate The South, Old World climbing fern may be an obscure pest plant. But they're a lot alike.
The fern just has a slightly smaller appetite. It's only eating South Florida.
It's been doing it at an alarming pace, smothering more than 130,000 acres from cypress forests to Everglades tree islands to coastal mangroves in dense cloaks of death -- despite millions spent trying to halt it with sprays, spades and machetes.
But a new weapon -- in development for a dozen years by federal researchers in Fort Lauderdale -- shows significant promise to beat back an invader so aggressive it would cover a third of the wetlands between Orlando and Naples if left unchecked.
It's a nondescript moth, a ''bio-control'' dubbed ''Neo,'' a nickname considerably catchier than Neomusotima conspurcatalis.
Discovered near Hong Kong in 1997 by Bob Pemberton, an entomologist with the U.S. Agricultural Research Service, Neo has produced millions of hungry larvae that have chewed through thick fern blankets with stunning gusto in three field tests.
''I have never, in all my career, seen a biological control that looks as promising as this one,'' said Dan Thayer, who directs invasive-plant control for the South Florida Water Management District. ''My jaw dropped,'' he said, when he saw how Neo colonies in Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County stripped ferns naked.
Though they stress it's still early, Pemberton and fellow entomologist Anthony Boughton, both based at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Invasive Plant Research Laboratory in Fort Lauderdale, agree Neo is a ray of hope for what seemed an almost impossible task: stopping an exotic fern, formally known as Lygodium microphyllium, considered among the most serious threats to the Everglades. [...]
In a soon-to-be-published research paper, the scientists reported Neo numbers rocketing from 31,091 releases to 1.6 million to 8.2 million larvae at site. Neo had stripped some 3.5 acres of fern and expanded its range, moving to adjacent areas a third of a mile away.
Now, researchers are working with state and federal park and land managers to expand releases, starting in fern-choked Loxahatchee.
They don't expect Neo alone to defeat the fern. They already have other candidates in the pipeline, such as stem-boring moths.
But, if Neo keeps it up, there may well be much less need for herbicides and hand tools. Ted Center, director of the Fort Lauderdale lab, called the impact ``incredible.''
''If that becomes the way this agent works, then we have really introduced a very helpful tool in the fight,'' he said.
Read the full story at link.
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Cornell scientist to discuss drastic reduction of weed growth in Chautauqua Lake, NY
ObserverToday.com
LAKEWOOD - The Chautauqua Lake Association is sponsoring a symposium entitled the "Chautauqua Lake Aquatic Plant Workshop" led by aquatic scientist Robert L. Johnson, manager of Cornell University's Research Pond Facility, on July 13 at 7 p.m. at the Chautauqua Suites in Mayville. A second workshop is scheduled for July 14 at 7 p.m. at The Casino in Bemus Point. The events are free to the public.
The workshops will give the community an opportunity to see, identify and learn about the different plant and insect species residing in the lake. Topics include the dramatic reduction in weed growth in Chautauqua Lake this year and the methods Johnson and the CLA used to curb infestation. [...]
Chautauqua Lake is experiencing a drastic reduction in weed growth this year according to Johnson. Areas like Burtis Bay are virtually weed free. "The milfoil problem that reaped so much publicity is missing from the Bay this summer," Johnson said. "The CLA has been instrumental in supporting natural remedies to control weed growth like the introduction of moth larvae and monitoring of other insects that feed on and control the milfoil problem."
The CLA, an organization that maintains the health and beauty of the lake, supports a "green" approach to controlling nuisance vegetation like Eurasian milfoil.
"The CLA fought to have the Cornell studies continue," Association President Chris Yates said. "We are firm believers in keeping up with the science of the lake. We hope events like these symposiums will serve to educate the public on the overall benefits of good science."
Read the full story at link.
---------------------------------------------------------
Zebra mussels clog Berkshire lake
By Beth Daley, The Boston Globe
LEE, Mass. - State aquatic ecologist Tom Flannery poked his face out of Laurel Lake yesterday morning, adjusted his scuba mask, and glumly shook his head at dam owner Roger Scheurer, standing on the concrete structure above.In between Flannery’s thumb and forefinger was a zebra mussel, an invasive freshwater species that has clogged pipes, fouled water supplies, and endangered wildlife across the Great Lakes.
“They are everywhere,’’ said Flannery, bobbing in the water. “You can’t go a . . . foot without seeing them.’’
Scheurer sagged. In the week since Massachusetts’s first zebra mussel was confirmed in this popular 175-acre Berkshire lake, it has dawned on business people, boaters, and others just what a disaster the mollusks’ spread could turn out to be. Divers found rocks with clinging mussels virtually everywhere they looked yesterday in Laurel Lake, and fears are growing that the nearby Housatonic River is also contaminated.
In an attempt to slow the mussels’ spread, local officials have shut down boat ramps in at least five popular Berkshire lakes; they hope to stop the mussels, which can invade boat machinery and attach to hulls, from being inadvertently transported from lake to lake.
Some fishermen and boaters said they are doubtful that closing ramps will stop the spread, because the animals can hitch rides to other bodies of water on geese or other wildlife. Indeed, officials rarely talk about wiping out zebra mussels once they take hold in a region. Their only hope is to slow the spread.
Instead of closing its ramps, Pittsfield is stationing volunteer boat monitors at two popular lakes to ensure that vessels that have been in infested waters in Connecticut and New York - and now Laurel Lake - are properly decontaminated.
“A lot of our boaters are transient; they go from one lake to another,’’ said Pittsfield Harbormaster Jim McGrath. [...]
The mussels are especially feared in the Berkshires because many waterways there are high in calcium and nonacidic, conditions in which the mussels thrive. If microscopic mussel larvae get into boat intake valves or even kayaks, they can hitch a ride to another lake and take hold, many officials fear. The only way to slow their spread is to get boaters and other water users to carefully wash all equipment and gear or let it dry for about a week in sunny weather, which kills the mussels. [...]
Read the full story at link.
Photo: State aquatic ecologist Tom Flannery searched Laurel Lake in Lee for zebra mussels. (Nancy Palmieri for The Boston Globe)
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Hunts sought to control pythons in Fla. Everglades
By MATT SEDENSKY, Associated Press
MIAMI (AP) — U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson called Tuesday for organized hunts of thousands of pythons believed to be living in the Everglades to kill the snakes and prevent potential attacks.
Nelson requested permission in a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who got a close-up look at a 15-foot python found in the swampland during a May visit hosted by the senator. The request also comes weeks after a 2-year-old central Florida girl was strangled by an unlicensed pet python that escaped from a terrarium in her home, drawing further scrutiny to the issue.
"They are threatening endangered wildlife there," the Democratic lawmaker wrote to his former Senate colleague, "and, Lord forbid, a visitor in the Everglades ever encounters one."
Also Tuesday, another lawmaker, U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., introduced legislation to allow python hunts in the Everglades.
Nelson has estimated 100,000 pythons are living in the Everglades, an invasive species population believed to be the result at least in part of pets being released into the wild when they grow too big. "They now have become such a problem in the park," said Dan McLaughlin, Nelson's spokesman, "you could spend the next 10 years setting traps."
The senator asked Salazar to approve supervised hunts of the snakes by U.S. Park Service staff, other authorities and volunteers to kill the pythons en masse. The invasive species have been multiplying in the Everglades for years. [...]
Nelson recently introduced a bill to ban imports of the snakes, after years of trying to persuade federal wildlife officials to restrict their entry into the country. [...]
Read the full story at link.
--------------------------------------------------------
New U of Maryland Pest Threats Web Site
The University of Maryland's Pest Threats Web Site is up and running. The new site offers photographic keys to help diagnose and identify exotic pest and disease problems that are a threat to the United States. Some of the pests and disease may be present in limited areas of the country but are in danger of spreading to other parts of the United States and North America.
The objective of this web site is to increase the diagnostic skills of green industry professionals, Cooperative Extension personnel including Master Gardeners, government personnel, and citizens to improve their abilities as first detectors – people able to recognize exotic invasive pests of urban and ornamental plant systems that represent potential threats to our Homeland Security. This web site provides “one stop shopping” for information on the identification, biology, and management of exotic pest threats to the U.S., and how to report a potential exotic pest citing.
Visit the site at http://pestthreats.umd.edu/.
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Congressional Bills - 111th Congress (2009-2011)
Provides information for invasive species related Congressional bills, including introduction date, sponsor, summary, full bill text, and bill status.
H.R.3173 - Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act
S.1421 - Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act
H.R.1145 - National Water Research and Development Initiative Act of 2009
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Guilty Plea by first person ever charged under anti-invsive species law
A Philippine citizen, Charles P Posas, the second highest officer onboard the M/V Theotokos, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of lying to the Coast Guard and violating record keeping laws aimed at reducing the risk of marine invasive species. According to the DOJ, Mr Posas is the first individual ever charged under the anti-invasive species law, a law designed to mitigate the introduction of marine invasive species into waters of the United States. Posas, who served as the vessel’s chief officer, pleaded guilty to one count of false statement and one count of violating the Non indigenous Aquatic Nuisance and Prevention Control Act.
The 1984-built, 71,242 dwt vessel is owned by Liberia-based Mirage Navigation Corporation and is managed by Polembros Shipping Limited. Sentencing has been set for 14 October.
Read the full story at link.
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Work to Eradicate Brazilian Pepper Threat
PONTE VEDRA BEACH – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM Research Reserve) is partnering with St. Johns County Environmental Division, the Friends of GTM Reserve, members of the South Anastasia Community Association (SACA) and the northeast Florida Student Conservation Association (SCA) to eradicate Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolia) and other invasive plants that are beginning to displace native vegetation on barrier islands in St. Johns County.
“The GTM Research Reserve and St. Johns County Environmental Division are working aggressively to prevent the spread of the Brazilian pepper plant within the ecosystems of St. Johns County,” said GTM Research Reserve Stewardship Coordinator Forrest Penny. “By partnering with the Friends of GTM Reserve, the SACA and the northeast Florida SCA we are able to work as a team and take the appropriate actions to control the invasive plant by cutting it down and spraying the stump with herbicide." [...]
Read the full story at link.
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How the invaders got here: "Pandora's Locks"
North Country Public Radio
The Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway’s 50th anniversary has inspired a number of new books about the waterway. One blames the federal government, not the shipping industry, for the invasion of foreign species into the Great Lakes that has cost the region billions of dollars. The Environment Report's Lester Graham talks with author Jeff Alexander about his new book, Pandora's Locks. [...]
Read the full story at link.
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Invasives brochure for the Potomac River watershedThe Nature Conservancy of MD/DC has available many of their new invasives brochure--it features 10 of the worst invaders around the Potomac River watershed (and is applicable to PA, NJ, DE, MD, VA, WV and beyond) and also has a handy insert card with alternatives to invasives for folks planning gardens or heading to their local nurseries. The link is below for download--if you would like hard copies, contact TNC.
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/maryland/news/news2699.html (webpage with links)
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/maryland/files/mdinvasivebrochure.pdf (pdf of main brochure)
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/maryland/files/mdinvasives_final_card.pdf (pdf of wallet insert)
They also have recently updated the Good Neighbor Handbook (Tips and Tools for River Friendly Living) and you can download it, or request copies from TNC:
Mary Travaglini
Potomac Gorge Habitat Restoration Manager
The Nature Conservancy of MD/DC
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Potomac Gorge Habitat Restoration Manager
The Nature Conservancy of MD/DC
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