Week of Jun 8, 2009

Updated June 14
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N.Y. setting traps for invasive beetles

Dave Henderson, Ithaca Journal

New York is targeting another potential invasive species, a tree-eating beetle named the Emerald Ash Borer.

The Department of Environmental Conservation will be deploying the purple prism traps in treelines throughout the state in an attempt to trap the beetles. There will also be a concentration in areas adjacent to neighboring states and Canadian provinces that have already detected this potentially devastating invasive species.

The main route that enables this insect, as well as other invasive species, to spread is from moving firewood from one place to another. That is why in 2008, New York adopted regulations that ban untreated firewood from entering the state and restricts intrastate movement of untreated firewood to no more than a 50-mile radius from its source (http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/28722.html).

New York has more than 900 million ash trees. Many communities are at particular risk because ash was widely planted as a street tree after Dutch elm disease killed many urban trees.

DEC's approach to monitoring for the insect is twofold: First, traps to attract and catch the EAB are being hung in ash trees within a 100-mile radius from previously documented EAB locations in Ontario and Quebec, Canada, and central Pennsylvania.

This month traps will be placed in Western New York areas including Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany, Erie, Wyoming, Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, Livingston and Monroe counties, and in Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Franklin, and Clinton counties along our northern border.

The DEC will also be monitoring "high-risk sites" such as campgrounds, major highway corridors, wood industries and locations with large ash populations. Nearly 6,000 traps will be deployed.

The bright purple, prism-shaped EAB traps are made of sticky-coated corrugated plastic and contain scented lures. After 45 days, the traps will be inspected and samples collected. After 90 days, the traps will be collected and removed from the trees.

Read the full article at link.

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NYSDEC to track emerald ash borer

Adirondack Almanac

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is setting baited traps in ash trees across upstate New York in an effort to search for possible infestations of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), a tree-killing beetle. You will soon be seeing the purple prism traps deployed in treelines throughout New York, with a concentration in areas adjacent to neighboring states and Canadian provinces that have already detected this potentially devastating invasive species, including several Adirondack counties.

Research has shown that a main way EAB, as well as other invasive species, spread is from moving firewood from one place to another. That's why in 2008, New York adopted regulations that ban untreated firewood from entering the state and restricts intrastate movement of untreated firewood to no more than a 50-mile radius from its source.

According to the DEC, New York has more than 900 million ash trees, representing about 7 percent of all trees in the state, and all are at risk should EAB become established. Many communities are at particular risk because ash was widely planted as a street tree after Dutch elm disease killed many local elms.

Read the full story at link

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Invasive red algae causes snarls for South Carolina shrimpers

The Island Packet & Beaufort Gazette

Biologists are monitoring red algae that has popped up around the Lowcountry, including in Beaufort County, and will be checking its possible spread to other parts of the South Carolina coast.

The seaweed, known as gracilaria, is growing quickly in the Charleston Harbor, said David Whitaker, a biologist with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

Fishermen traveling the coast have heard that shrimping nets have been tangled in and destroyed by the invasive plant.

"It's pretty bad from Charleston to Rockville," said Donald Jordan of Georgetown County, who owns the shrimp boat, Kelly Ann. "From Charleston on south is where it seems to be worse. I heard it was tearing some nets up."

Read the full story at link.

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Brazilian peppers devour carbon dioxide, study finds

DOUG SWORD, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

SARASOTA - No one is suggesting that "Save the Brazilian Pepper" societies should start cropping up, but it turns out there is more to the noxious, invasive plant than its good looks.

Long decried as a weedy kin to poison ivy and a threatener of endangered species, the fast-growing pepper literally sucks carbon out of the atmosphere, according to a study.

Because of concerns over climate change, reducing the carbon footprint for a person or a community has become a cause celebre in environmental circles, perhaps positioning the pepper tree for a kinder public image.

But probably not.

The pepper has taken over an estimated 1 million acres, mainly in Florida's southern half. It endangers wildlife by replacing habitat that supports hundreds of species of birds while supporting only a handful itself. It costs governments and businesses millions to remove it from shorelines, highway medians and utility lines. And it is one of the factors stalling Everglades restoration.

Whatever benefit the plant may provide when it comes to carbon, the "negatives far outweigh the positives," said Kenneth Langeland, a professor at the University of Florida's Center for Aquatic and Invasive Species.

The new research was conducted by New College professor Meg Lowman in conjunction with Colorado State University.

Lowman acknowledges that the findings run counter to the generally murderous view toward the pepper.

"I'm not recommending any policy as a scientist. I'm just presenting the facts," she said. And it appears the fact is that the pepper is "an amazing storer of carbon."

Read the full article at link.

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Japanese knotweed replacing purple loosestrife in New Hampshire

By CHELSEA CONABOY, Concord Monitor

JAPANESE KNOTWEED is replacing purple loosestrife as one of the most pervasive invasive species in the state. Knotweed came to the United States from Japan in the 1800s to be used mostly as a landscaping plant. It grows in thick clusters, similar to bamboo, and has no known predators here.

Unlike loosestrife, a pretty but insidious plant that can choke wetlands if left unchecked, there is no known biological means of controlling knotweed. For more than 10 years, the state has been battling loosestrife by shipping in a kind of beetle that eats the plant, weakening it and controlling its spread.

Doug Cygan, invasive species coordinator with the Department of Agriculture, said that plant is now under control, but the calls to his office regarding knotweed are increasing.

So far, Cygan said, there's no good biological means of controlling knotweed. He recommends using herbicide.

"Do not mow it," he said.

Mowing along highways has largely contributed to the spread of the plant. Each plant has several hundred nodes, or joints. When the plant is chopped up by a lawnmower, each node can sprout into a new plant. Cygan said the state has stopped mowing areas of knotweed and is removing populations of the plant that occur in areas of road construction.

For more information about controlling knotweed, call Cygan at 271-3488.

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Position Announcement

Position: Invasive Plants Coordinator

Location: University of Georgia, Tifton, Georgia USA

Appointment: Grant-funded full-time position (salary $28,716 - $33,023 with benefits). The position is currently funded for one year with renewal contingent upon availability of continuing grant funds and satisfactory progress of employee

Available: Closing date for receipt of applications is June 26, 2009. Position could be available as early as July 15, 2009.

Position Description: This position will be the Invasive Plants Coordinator for the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health (http://www.bugwood.org/) at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus.

Interested persons must complete official online University application at:
https://www.ugajobsearch.com/; Select Search Postings, Enter Position Number:
20090604.

Printable version of this e-mail at: http://www.bugwood.org/position.pdf

Please direct any and all questions to:
Dr. G. Keith Douce, Dr. David J. Moorhead or Chuck Bargeron
Phone: 229-386-3298
Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Fax: 229-386-3352
The University of Georgia, Tifton GA
Email: cbargero@uga.edu

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Connecticut's Moosup Pond being treated for slimy, invasive weed

By EMILY GROVES, Norwich Bulletin

Plainfield, Conn. — For more than six years, a slimy, green invasive species has been growing in Moosup Pond, sticking to swimmers, boats and fishing lines.

“It will take over the entire pond if it’s not dealt with,” Jeff Megin, president of the Moosup Pond Association, said of the weed known as Variable-Leaf Watermilfoil.

But Monday will mark the beginning of the end of the weeds’ growth. The pond will be treated with a herbicide to kill the weeds.

Funded by a mix of town and grant funds, the treatment, which will be conducted by Aquatic Control Technology Inc. of Sutton, Mass., will cost $15,000.

First Selectman Paul Sweet said the town had budgeted $5,000 for the procedure in the 2008-09 fiscal year, and the additional costs will be paid for by a $5,000 state Department of Environmental Protection grant and $5,000 from the town’s contingency fund. The town had planned to use another state DEP grant for the treatment, but the money was rescinded last month.

Megin said the treatment needs to be done in early June, and without the additional town funds, they would have had to wait until next year.

The pond will be closed Monday during treatment, but will reopen for fishing, swimming and boating Tuesday, Megin said. He said the herbicide, which is granulated pellets designed to kill the weeds at the root, will not harm the pond’s fish.

Megin said the only lasting effect of the treatment is that the water cannot be used for irrigation until further notice.

Megin said the treatment is 70 to 90 percent effective, but the town will likely need to do another smaller scale treatment in two years, to mop up any remaining weeds.

Read the full story at link.

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Mass. students tackle invading pepperweed

Mish Michaels, TV38

Ever heard of Pepperweed? If so, you have trouble. This foreign invader or invasive species came in over the years with other seeds from Europe and Asia. Now these weeds are taking up residence in the Northeast, locally choking out native plants in salt marshes on the North Shore.

"This is one of the northern most points where Pepperweed is being found," said Liz Duff, Mass Audubon's Education Coordinator. I met up with Liz and several students from the Sparhawk School in Salisbury to tackle thick patches of Pepperweed, one root at a time.

"Pepperweed is pretty easy to recognize. It grows on the upper edge of a salt marsh and is visible from the road. The tall, skinny plant grows 1 to 3 feet tall and has alternating leaves. The roots smell like horseradish. The seeds travel in the tides and can spread rapidly that way," Liz explained to me and the students. "Our job is to pull the plants and our aim is to get as much of the root out as possible."

This weeding can be done from May to July before the plants flower. The students went to work -- yes, me too -- pulling and bagging the invaders. Last year, volunteers removed 3,000 pounds of Pepperweed. All of it incinerated to prevent any further spread.

Pepperweed is a threat to biodiversity and wetland habitats.

"The invasive plants are also a threat to agricultural lands which is another economic factor," stated Liz. "It's only been the past decade that we have been seeing it here in the Great Marsh region stretching from Salisbury down to Gloucester."

The students were enthusiastic and eager to change the landscape. "You're out in the field pulling the weeds and feeling like you are actually doing something great," said Sparhawk student Allison Lord. "It just shows that the average person can really make a difference," added Patrick O'Connell.

"Invasives like Pepperweed are threatening biodiversity of our native ecosystems. We need to fight back," concluded Liz. If you would like to volunteer, there are plenty of opportunities to tackle invasive species including Pepperweed.

Great Marsh Pepperweed Eradication Project

Read the story and watch the video at link.

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Update of Noxious Weed Regulations

June 9, 2009

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing to make several changes to the regulations governing the importation and interstate movement of noxious weeds. We would add definitions of terms used in the regulations, add details regarding the process of applying for the permits used to import or move noxious weeds, add a requirement for the treatment of niger seed and add provisions for petitioning to add a taxon to or remove a taxon from the noxious weed lists. These changes would update the regulations to reflect current statutory authority and program operations and improve the effectiveness of the regulations.

Read the full story at link.

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Emerald Ash Borer Found in Westmoreland County, PA; Quarantine Imposed

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Emerald Ash Borer beetles have been found in Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County, bringing to seven the number of counties where the ash tree-destroying pest has been identified, Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff announced today.

The invasive beetle was first detected in Pennsylvania in the summer of 2007 in Butler County, and subsequently was found in Allegheny, Beaver, Lawrence, Mercer and Mifflin counties. To help slow the spread of the beetle, the state-imposed quarantine for those six counties is being expanded to include Westmoreland County.

State and federal Emerald Ash Borer quarantines restrict the movement from the quarantine area of ash nursery stock, green lumber and any other ash material, including logs, stumps, roots and branches, and all wood chips.

This summer, 20 crews -- 15 in Western Pennsylvania, one in Mifflin County, and four in the eastern part of the state -- and two regional coordinators have been deployed to assess the spread of the beetle. The Westmoreland County crew detected the new infestation.

"Our survey crews are assessing the extent of the infestation in Westmoreland County and surrounding areas," said Wolff. "We remind consumers to heed the quarantine when traveling and camping this spring and summer -- not just in the quarantined areas but throughout Pennsylvania -- to prevent any further spread of the beetle."

Due to the difficulty in distinguishing between species of hardwood firewood, all hardwood firewood -- including ash, oak, maple and hickory -- are considered quarantined.

Read the full story at link.

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Vermont lake group considers fees to fund treatment

By Tom Mitchell, RutlandHerald.com

CASTLETON — A private group is looking into the possible creation of a special services district on Lake Bomoseen that could impose fees on docks and boats to help pay for a herbicide to kill Eurasian water milfoil."

There is … a proposal by the water-quality committee of the LBA to seek to establish the lake as a separate specials service district," Michael Rosen, president of the Lake Bomoseen Association, said recently.

The plan or model now being presented by the water-quality committee to LBA directors involves in part the use of herbicides to kill Eurasian water milfoil, Rosen said. Creation of the services district would allow the body to charge fees that could support a treatment, Rosen said. Creation of a district would require approval by the Legislature, he added.

Funds raised by formation of such a district could also be used to pay for other long-term methods of managing the weed problem in the lake and other nuisances like zebra mussels that already invade the lake, Rosen said.

Bonding, grants and donations could help finance management projects, officials said. "Unfortunately, it appears the (Eurasian water) milfoil is fairly extensive, depending on the season and summer, year and weather," Rosen said.

LBA has begun looking at a special service district on Lake George as an example of what could be done on Bomoseen, he said.

A commission on the lake levies a $25 fee on docks for example, Barbara Woodard, an LBA director, said. The district also imposes fees for stickers on boats using the lake, she said. "You'd pick one up if you were going out for the day," Woodard said. The funds are used to pay for marine patrols, she said.

Read the full storyh at link.

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Albany Pine Bush Preserve is looking for volunteers

The Albany Pine Bush Preserve is looking for volunteers of all ages for a tree girdling event to help native plants on Sat. June 17 from 9:00 - 12:00. For more information, go to http://www.albanypinebush.org/getting_involved/volunteer_opportunities.htm and click on volunteer opportunities in the right hand column -or - sign up with bbemis@nycap.rr.com

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Online reporting form for wavyleaf basketgrass

To all land stewards and those concerned about invasive species,

Just wanted to let you know that an online reporting form for wavyleaf basketgrass locations is now up and operating on DNR's WLBG website:

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/WLBG/index.asp, on the Get Involved page. Information that comes in via this form (plus phone calls, FAX and email) will be ground-truthed and shared with the folks at the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health at the University of
Georgia, for the WeedsUS mapping effort. Over the course of this summer, we will be adding already reported sites to a master map, which will be posted both at WeedsUS and the DNR site.

Please make use of this method of reporting WLBG sites! And let me know of any difficulties you have with the form, or suggestions you may have for improving it.

Thank you,

Kerrie L. Kyde
Habitat Ecologist/ Invasive Plant Specialist
Wildlife and Heritage Service
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
11960 Clopper Road
Gaithersburg, MD 20878

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Week of August 17, 2008

Updated 8/21

Asian longhorned beetle makes it in Massachusetts

Walking the Berkshires Blog, by GreenmanTim

This past week, one of the worst of these pests jumped the fence from outbreaks on Long Island and in New jersey and is now in Central Massachusetts. Asian Longhorned Beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) is confirmed in Worcester, Mass. Jennifer Foreman Orth of the Invasive Species Weblog is trying to deal with the outbreak in her day job. These beetles kill maple trees. Other preferred host tree species include Elms, Willows, Ash, Poplar... But sugar maple is the prime species at risk. Blog

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Pond at North Carolina state park closed after thousands of fish die

WRAL.com

GATESVILLE, N.C. — Tens of thousands of fish have died in a 760-acre pond in a state park, and officials are blaming an invasive aquatic plant species.

The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk reports that park superintendent Jay Greenwood said decaying parrot feather likely has depleted oxygen levels in the pond at Merchants Millpond State Park, suffocating about 125,000 bass, bluegill and catfish.

Greenwood says the pond is closed until further notice.

Twin aerators are to be installed in the pond to promote decomposition of the dead fish and restore oxygen levels for the remaining fish. Article

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Pepperweed Patrol preventing northward spread of invasive plant

(Media-Newswire.com) - Portsmouth, NH - The New Hampshire Coastal Program at the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has developed an innovative program designed to stop the spread of an invasive plant, perennial pepperweed ( Lepidium latifolium ), at the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border.

In the last decade, pepperweed has been found in salt marsh edges, along roadsides, and in drainage ditches in Newburyport, Massachusetts and the islands of Boston Harbor, and is spreading northward. Isolated populations have been located along the New Hampshire coast, but there is no knowledge of the presence of pepperweed in Maine. The goal of the Pepperweed Patrol Program is to prevent the northward encroachment of this non-native plant, limit its current geographic range and to preserve the New England coastal ecosystem.

The Pepperweed Patrol Program is working to prevent massive infestations by mobilizing an early detection-rapid response strategy, finding and removing small populations before they are allowed to grow. This summer, staff and volunteers identified two populations along the New Hampshire coast, one at Odiorne State Park in Rye and one at the Hampton Transfer station in Hampton. Volunteer weed pulls were organized to remove the populations.

Residents of the New Hampshire Seacoast are asked to be on the lookout for the plant. In July, the N.H. Coastal Program held identification trainings to aid locals in recognizing the plant, and has identification guides available.

For more information on this destructive plant, find our fact sheet online at http://www.des.nh.gov/factsheets/cp/cp-22.html If you would like more information on the Pepperweed Patrol Program or to report a sighting please call the N.H. Coastal Program at 559-1500 or email at coastalprogram@des.nh.gov.

Read complete article
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Resident alerts school to poisonous plant at playground

By Karen Dandurant, Seacoastonline.com

GREENLAND, NH — When Sarah Linnehan found a poisonous plant growing in her yard, she went to check out her daughter’s school.

It was there, too. The plant by the playground has been removed from the grounds of Greenland Central School.

"We did have a poisonous plant but we removed it yesterday," said SAU50 Superintendent George Cushing." It was brought to our attention by a resident. Peter Smith (principal) went out and walked the grounds to make sure there were no others. We acted quickly and removed it from the roots."

The plant, a very invasive weed, is called climbing nightshade (Atropa belladonna). A spokesperson for the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension confirmed that the plant has the potential to be deadly. Article

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Sen. Susan Collins: Attack invasive lake species before they attack us

By Sen. Susan Collins, from an editorial at Fosters.com

Maine's lakes and ponds are under attack. Aquatic invasive species threaten our drinking water systems, recreation, wildlife habitat, lakefront real estate, and fisheries. Plants, such as Eurasian milfoil, are crowding out native species.

Maine was the last of the lower 48 states to be free of this plant, which forms stems reaching up to 20 feet high that cause fouling problems for swimmers and boaters, and degrades water quality by displacing native plants, fish and other aquatic species. There are now at least 28 documented cases of aquatic invasive species infesting Maine's lakes and ponds....

...While I am proud of the actions that Maine and many other states are taking to protect against invasive species, protecting our lakes, streams, and coastlines from invading species cannot be accomplished by individual states alone: a nationwide approach is required. The National Aquatic Invasive Species Act will help our state and states throughout the nation detect, prevent and respond to aquatic invasive species.

Our legislation offers the most comprehensive effort ever undertaken to meet this threat. Funded at $150 million per year, it would open numerous new fronts in our war against invasive species. The bill directs the Coast Guard to develop regulations that will end the easy cruise of invasive species into American waters through the ballast water of international ships, and would provide the Coast Guard with $6 million per year to implement these regulations.

The bill also would provide $30 million per year for a grant program to assist state efforts. It would provide additional funds for the Army Corps of Engineers and Fish and Wildlife Service to contain and control invasive species.

The best way to stop invading species is to attack them before they attack us. We need an early alert, rapid response system. For the first time, our bill would establish a national monitoring network to detect invaders, while providing $25 million to the Department of the Interior to create a rapid response fund to help states and regions react quickly. Finally, the Levin-Collins bill would provide $30 million annually for research, education, and outreach.

Our ponds, lakes, and coastlines are invaluable to our quality of life and essential to our economy. The National Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2007 offers strong protection that is long overdue. This legislation can help prevent the next wave of invasive species from destroying what is so precious here in Maine and throughout the country. Full Editorial

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Week of August 10, 2008

Invasion New York

It's not your typical type of tourism.

But plants and insects end up paying unintended visits to New York City just like any other traveler.

There's one difference, though: These pesky species end up staying.

Grounding their roots, literally, in our soil, invasive species come from far and wide, via barge or souvenir-stuffed suitcases, in what horticulturists and biologists across the city call a serious threat to our habitat. Deceiving to the common eye, these foreign born pests and plants raise significant challenges for the city's Department of Parks and Recreation: monitoring, controlling and even eradicating top the list.

Though the city welcomes visitors from far and ride (foreign tourism, according to the Bloomberg administration, is what is fueling our economy right now), advocates and the parks department have another message for the relentless Asian Longhorned Beetle or the slimy, practically amphibious Snakehead Fish. Article

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NH looks to stem migration of pepperweed

By Angeljean Chiaramida, Eagle-Tribune staff writer


SEABROOK — Fearing an invasion of pepperweed in proportion to its spread on Plum Island and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, New Hampshire environmental agencies are now working to prevent the invasive species before it takes hold in Granite State salt marshes.

Scientist worry that, if it goes uncontrolled, it could threaten the plant and animal species that make up the entire Great Marsh ecosystem.

"The reason we're concerned about this plant in particular is because, since its introduction to California in the 1930s, it has spread throughout most of the western states," said Catherine Foley of New Hampshire Costal Program, a division of the state Department of Environmental Services. "It is able to spread quickly due to its extensive root system and live in a wide range of habitats. Once pepperweed becomes established, it forms dense stands where nothing else is able to grow. These stands provide a very poor habitat to native species, especially water fowl."

If New Hampshire can stop pepperweed from becoming entrenched in its salt marsh, environmental experts believe it may stop it from spreading north into Maine.

The use of volunteers is pivotal in the state's early detection and rapid response program... The state is recruiting and training volunteers to map, monitor and pull pepperweed if found in the salt marsh along New Hampshire's coastline.

Volunteers are trained then go out in the field looking for pepperweed, reporting back, and mapping the infected areas. When found, pepperweed populations are hand-pulled by volunteers and monitored both before and after eradication.

For more information on pepperweed, the state's programs or to volunteer, contact Foley at 50 International Drive, Suite 200, Portsmouth, NH 03801, 603-559-0028 or Catherine.Foley@des.nh.gov.

Article

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New National Invasive Species Management Plan

Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne convened the National Invasive Species Council (NISC), on August 1, to oversee the adoption of the new 2008-2012 National Invasive Species Management Plan. The plan was developed collaboratively with 13 federal departments and agencies and their partners.

Federal expenditures on invasive species are estimated to exceed $1.3 billion annually. The plan is the culmination of an extensive process of expert review, and public comment. It can be found on http://www.doi.gov/news/08_News_Releases/2008-2012NationalInvasiveSpeciesManagementPlan.pdf

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Maine DEP removes Eurasian milfoil from Salmon Lake

BY AMY CALDER, staff writer, Morning Sentinal

NORTH BELGRADE -- Divers on Friday scoured the bottom of Salmon Lake, yanking a new and aggressive, invasive-plant species from a cove off Route 8.

In just more than two hours Friday morning, they had bagged more than 70 Eurasian milfoil plants and were expecting to spend the day collecting more.

Since the species was discovered in the lake Aug. 1, the state has launched an ambitious program to find and eradicate it.

"It's the pit bull of milfoil," said Paul Gregory, with the state Department of Environmental Protection, which was conducting Friday's eradication.

Gregory was one of four people working in a driving rain and stubborn wind to eradicate the Eurasian milfoil, which has been found only at one other site in Maine -- a Scarborough gravel pit.

Of 5,700 ponds and lakes in Maine, only 29 contain an invasive, aquatic-plant species, but the Eurasian milfoil is of particular concern because it is more aggressive than other species such as the variable-leaf milfoil found in Messalonskee Lake.

DEP biologist John McPhedran and Denise Blanchette, a diver contracting with DEP, pulled Eurasian milfoil plants and their root balls from Salmon Lake Friday, placed them in netted bags and sent them to the surface. Gregory and DEP biologist Ray Bouchard hauled the bags into boats.

"It sounds primitive, but hand removal is a very effective method," Gregory said. "We're going to give it our best." The milfoil collected Friday would likely be composted, he said.

Milfoil, when identified, must be eradicated quickly to prevent infestation, said Gregory. "Speed is of the essence," he said. Article

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Water Chestnuts taking over New York creek

WIVB-TV News4 Buffalo, New York

TOWN OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) - Fish and Wildlife experts are gearing up for an all out assault on Tonawanda Creek this weekend.

News 4's George Richert shows the invader these experts hope to wipe out before too much damage is done.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service discovered them a couple months ago on a routine fish survey.
Water Chestnuts starting to take over one stretch of Tonawanda Creek near Ellicott Creek Island.

Michael Goehle from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said, "We started what's called a Rapid Response. We quickly notified the local agencies, Erie County Parks and they've all been very supportive in our plans to go in and try to hand pull the water chestnuts." Article

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Long Pond Greenbelt, New York, gets funding for invasive species battle

Andrea Autichio, Hamptons.com

Southampton, NY - An on-going effort to restore the natural habitat in a portion of what is considered by some to be one of the state’s finest nature preserves has been moving ahead rapidly this year thanks to a private grant given to the Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt by the Brine Family Charitable Trust.

The $40,000 grant has enabled the volunteers to hire professionals to clear the 35-acre former Bridgehampton vineyard, part of the 600-acre greenbelt, to prevent an invasive species of shrubbery known as “autumn olive” from overtaking the landscape and destroying its ecological balance.

“It just grows everywhere,” Dai Dayton, a member of the Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt said. “We have been making great progress this year,” Dayton noted as she addressed the Southampton Town Trustees at their regular meeting this month.

Thanks to the grant, the Friends of the Greenbelt were able to clear 20 acres on the former vineyard this year alone, compared to the slow going clearing campaign of the first 10-acre portion that fronts the Bridgehampton-Sagg Turnpike which took the last few years to complete by volunteers.

Dayton was flanked on either side by Sandra Ferguson, President of the Board of Directors of the Friends of Long Pond Bond Greenbelt and by Priscilla Ciccariello, another founding member of the volunteer organization that works to preserve the Greenbelt, an extensive natural habitat that runs from the shores of Sag Harbor Cove to the Atlantic Ocean. Article

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Basilisk lizard in Cape Coral raises invasive concern

By Brian Liberatore, The News-Press

When a Cape Coral woman spotted a 2 1/2-foot brown lizard clinging to her pool screen, her first thought was, "it doesn't belong here."

I guessed it was somebody's pet that got freed," said Carol Peppers. "All I know is it doesn't belong here."

According to local experts, Peppers is probably right.

Peppers' visitor is known as a Jesus lizard for its ability to run across the surface of still bodies of water. It likely found itself in Cape Coral, experts agree, after a negligent pet owner let it loose.

A small population of the brown basilisks, new to Cape Coral, joins a growing list of non-native species invading local ecosystems, and making problems for wildlife authorities who seem helpless to control them. Cape's City Council wants state officials to act, from reclassifying the species to forcing owners to register them. Article

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Saratoga Lake's milfoil curbed

By LEIGH HORNBECK, TimesUnion.com

STILLWATER, NY -- Eurasian milfoil, an invasive plant that creates a nuisance for boaters and swimmers, is almost under control in Saratoga Lake, according to the Saratoga Lake Protection and Improvement District.

The district, which is supported by 1,400 taxpayers who live around the lake, paid for an application of a herbicide to kill the weeds. Last year the chemicals were used on the south end of the lake and in May the district moved to the east side. The cost of the project is $550,000 so far.

This year the district switched from the Sonar brand of herbicide to Renovate, a chemical that needs only three days of contact with the weed to work, rather than 30 days, said lake administrator Dean Long, the director of Environmental Planning for the LA Group in Saratoga Springs.

"It killed the milfoil on the east side or stressed it to the point its growth was slowed down and it is 80 to 90 percent under control," Long said.

In 2009, the district will complete the application cycle on the west side of the lake. Article

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Small snail may pose threat to Great Lakes' ecosystem

The Windsor Star

A small but potentially dangerous snail has been spotted in all but one of the Great Lakes.

The New Zealand mud snail, which was first identified as an invasive species in the Great Lakes in 1991, has some academics wondering if the spread will wreak havoc with the delicate ecosystem.

Edward Levri, a biology professor at Penn State's Altoona campus, presented his research on the tiny mollusk at the Ecological Society of America's annual conference in Milwaukee.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the tiny snail has been documented in Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and Lake Superior. Now the Penn State researchers have reported the species in Lake Michigan, and the waters flowing from Lake Ontario. Article

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Week of June 15

Let the pepperweed war begin

By Joel Brown, Boston Globe Correspondent

NEWBURY, MA - The bikers and drivers passing by on Plum Island Turnpike, the fishermen on the riverbank, even the boaters eyed us curiously. Probably the pilots taking off from Plum Island Airport looked down and wondered what we were doing. On a sunny, scorchingly hot Saturday afternoon in June, we clambered around the muddy edges of the salt marsh yanking weeds.

But not just any weeds.

Perennial pepperweed - Lepidium latifolium to the scientists - is the latest invasive species to threaten the health of the Great Marsh. Our group of fewer than a dozen was an early scouting party in what's expected to be a summer-long battle against the pest. The war will likely go on for years.

"We're worried about pepperweed because it's such a strong invader," said Sarah Janson, who, as pepperweed coordinator at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, should know. "It replaces the native plants, trying to turn the marsh into a monoculture, a single field of pepperweed."

Already a major problem in Western states, the tenacious plant has begun to spread rapidly in Eastern Massachusetts and edge into New Hampshire. "The more we look, the more we find," Janson said.

"What might make pepperweed a little different," Jennifer Forman Orth, one of the authors of a key 2006 study of pepperweed, said by phone, "is that its spread is relatively new to our state, and that means we have a great chance to succeed in dealing with it."

Pepperweed likely arrived in California as a hitchhiker in a shipment of beet seeds from the Mediterranean in the early 20th century. No one knows how it arrived in New England, but the first reports came from Peabody in the 1920s.

Pepperweed remained relatively contained in a few spots in Eastern Massachusetts and Connecticut for decades before "exploding" in recent years, a progression typical of invasive plants, said Forman Orth, who is plant pest survey coordinator for the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.

"I have been to Yakima, Wash., and stood in a solid two acres of pepperweed," Forman Orth said. "We don't want to see it that bad here." Pepperweed spreads not only by seed but also via rhizomes - underground stems that make it particularly important to pull up as much of the plant as possible.

You can't just discard it, either, because even a small segment of stem tends to sprout new plants where it falls. At the refuge, a driveway is now used for drying pulled-up pepperweed plants until they're no longer viable.

Unlike many native species, pepperweed doesn't mind salt, so it's especially suited to the marsh. Its seeds can even survive long immersion in salt water, so the tides can spread them.

Once rooted, Forman Orth said, the plant acts as "a salt pump," bringing it to the upper soil from below, making life even more difficult for its neighbors.

The Plum Island team's efforts involve either spraying a mild herbicide on pepperweed or uprooting it. Janson said the idea that pulling "could even be effective" came from the study by Forman Orth and her colleagues, which showed that in a few years it was possible to greatly reduce or even eradicate the plant in one spot.

Pepperweed is making inroads on New Hampshire's coast as well. "Early detection, rapid response," said Kevin Lucey, restoration coordinator for the N.H. Coastal Program, who came along to learn from Janson's efforts. "We're looking at the same model of community support" to locate and remove pepperweed in the Granite State, he said.

Janson has several pulls scheduled in the coming weeks. To participate, contact her at 978-465-5753, ext. 203 . In New Hampshire, call Lucey at 603-559-0026. Full Article

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Eurasian milfoil to be pulled from Skaneateles Lake

Skaneatales, New York (WSYR-TV) - We all know what a pain it is to pull weeds from our yards. But can you imagine weeding a lake? A local non-profit has taken on this seemingly impossible task in an effort to eradicate a weed called Eurasian milfoil from Skaneateles Lake.

The weed first made its appearance in the 70s and it slowly began to multiply. Today, patches of milfoil cover between 15 and 20 acres of the lake.

Left alone, milfoil basically grows like a weed.

Larry Rothenberg, who is heading cleanup efforts on the lake, says the lake could eventually be filled with it if it’s not pulled out.

It's bad for boaters, swimmers and the lake's ecosystem. The only way to get it out is by hand.
Divers pull the weeds and feed them through a vacuum to the boat's deck, where a pipe spits the milfoil out into onion bags.

Luckily the group says it has caught the problem before it really gets out of hand. They hope to have everything under control by next summer.

Weeding the lake is a dangerous job that only paid professionals can take part in. But you can help the cause by donating money.

To find out how to donate to help cleanup efforts, visit the Skaneateles Lake Milfoil Eradication Project’s website: Website Full Article

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Connecticut lakes to be surveyed

Lebanon, Conn. — Lake Williams has been chosen among 30 lakes and ponds to be surveyed this summer by the Invasive Aquatic Plant Program at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, announced Friends of Lake Williams Inc. this week. The surveys, which focus primarily on invasive plants, have been completed for 130 lakes or ponds, according to the Department of Environmental Protection Web site. The research will allow CAES to track the spread of invasive plants and to record the arrival of new ones. Article

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The spring/summer newsletter of the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) is now available online at this link.

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Week of June 8

Foxes are latest threat to sea turtle population, nesting shorebirds

By Gareth McGrath Staff Writer, StarNewsOnline.com

Fort Fisher, North Carolina - Kneeling next to a wire-mesh box turned upside down, Jeff Owen pushed back the sand to show the box's sides extending into the beach and the flaps protruding several feet.

Installed over the top of a buried sea turtle nest, the exclusion device looked like a pretty good deterrent.

But Owen, superintendent for the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, just shook his head when asked how effective the cages are in keeping the local red foxes out of the nests.

"They pick up things real fast," Owen said. "It didn't take them long to figure this stuff out."

Officials up and down the coast are struggling with what to do about foxes that have developed a hankering for sea turtle eggs.

Adding to their concern is the precipitous decline in the nesting population of the northern loggerhead, the predominant sea turtle found in North Carolina waters.

Last year North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida all saw loggerhead nesting numbers more than 30 percent lower than those in 2006. Smaller declines also had been observed in previous years.

That's prompted several environmental groups to petition the federal government to declare the northern population of the loggerhead a separate species and give it "endangered" status under the Endangered Species Act.

But sea turtles aren't the only creatures feeling the fox's bite.

Last year, not a single shorebird nested successfully on Masonboro Island, where half the turtle nests were raided. "We're assuming most of that impact came from foxes," said Hope Sutton, southern sites manager for the N.C. Division of Coastal Management.

The drop in turtle and nesting shorebird numbers comes just as the coast's fox population is increasing, apparently fueled by its ability to feel perfectly at home among humans.

Because the red fox is a non-native species, brought to coastal North Carolina by British settlers centuries ago as a game animal, eradication of nuisance animals is supported by some officials and environmentalists as a reasonable solution.

But that support hasn't carried over into the general public - yet. A proposal by Caswell Beach to use lethal means, probably sharpshooters, to control its fox problem prompted a strong reaction from residents. Full Article

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Beach in New Hampshire stays open during milfoil treatment

By Terry Date, staff writer, Eagle-Tribune

WINDHAM — Residents can swim at the town beach next week while Cobbetts Pond undergoes milfoil treatment.

The town's recreation director announced at the selectmen's meeting Monday there would be no swimming in the entire 2-mile-long pond for seven days.

But yesterday, Recreation Director Cheryl Haas announced swimming would be allowed at the town beach, which is a good distance from the treatment area.

The confusion stemmed from incomplete information she received about a state law that restricts swimming for seven days in ponds and lakes that have been treated for milfoil with the herbicide Navigate.

Upon further research, the town learned the seven-day prohibition against swimming applies only to treatment areas. At Cobbetts, that is a 49-acre section at the north end of the pond and a 2.7-acre area in the middle of the pond — as well as 200-foot areas extended from those sections, said Amy Smagula, exotic species program coordinator for the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.

Smagula said the town beach is well outside the treatment area and the state has no problem with the beach being open for swimming during treatment. Full Article

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Restoring nature’s oasis in Norwalk, Connecticut

By Marcia Powell, NorwalkPlus.com

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Norwalk Seaport Association partner to restore natural biological habitat in the Norwalk islands

Due to heavy recreational use, habitat degradation by nonnative invasive plant species and unchecked animal populations, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection has identified the Norwalk Islands and their habitats as one of the 13 most imperiled natural communities in Connecticut.

Now, thanks to a long-term partnership between the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Norwalk Seaport Association, efforts to restore the natural habitat in the Norwalk Islands are underway. The Seaport Association, which owns and maintains Sheffield Island Lighthouse, is a recognized Friends organization of the National Wildlife Refuge System, in particular, the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge in the Norwalk Islands.

The ongoing Habitat Restoration and Conservation Project will encompass the 51-acre refuge on Sheffield Island and the 68-acre refuge on Chimon Island. In October of 2007, a Fish & Wildlife Service team visited Sheffield Island to begin identifying and mapping the location of specific invasive plants and determine a strategy for habitat restoration and conservation.

Among the invasive species that have been targeted on Sheffield Island are mile-a-minute, perennial pepperweed, garlic mustard, Japanese barberry, Asiatic bittersweet and phragmites. Full Article

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Invasive Water Lettuce Harms Bay Grasses And May Impede Boating in Maryland

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds water gardeners and aquarium owners to properly dispose of aquatic plants to prevent spread of invasive species like water lettuce that harm bay grasses and may impede boating. DNR biologists first identified invasive water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) in Maryland last summer during a routine survey of Mattawoman Creek, a large Potomac River tributary in Charles County.

A native of South America, water lettuce is an aquatic weed that floats on the surface of slow-moving rivers, lakes and ponds. Unmistakable in appearance with light green leaves grouped in rosette like an open head of lettuce, the commonly used household aquatic plant floats on the surface of the water alone or in dense mats. Water lettuce produces seeds and spreads rapidly; growing into thick mats of vegetation that block sunlight from reaching underwater grasses and using dissolved oxygen in the water that fish need to survive. Once established, water lettuce becomes impenetrable to boats, swimmers and waterfowl. Full Article

Week of June 1, 2008

Customized boats are a new weapon in the war on aquatic invaders

By DAVID BROOKS, Nashua Telegraph Staff

Nashua, New Hampshire - One of the reasons aquatic weeds are so hard to fight is that that by the time you see them, it's too late.

Right now, for example, most local ponds and rivers invested with milfoil, fanwort and water chestnut – the worst invasive aquatic weeds around here – look pretty good. The plants, which can overwinter in the mud under as much as 12 to 15 feet of water, are still sending sprouts upward. When they break the surface, they'll create the leaves and flowers that choke off light and oxygen below, but by the time it gets noticeable, they'll already have bulked out for the season.

So the idea is to tackle the plants when they're still submerged. But how can you find them?

"We have 800 water bodies, and nobody has the ability to see under the surface. That's a pretty severe restriction," said Ed Neister, a physicist who has been involved with the fight against invasives on Suncook Lake for years. Under contract with the state, Neister is building two "underwater survey vehicles" – boats (one 16-footer and one 18-footer) that have special cameras and lights underwater and Global Positional Satellites and computerized mapping software onboard.

The cameras see what's living on the lakebed, the boat operator marks it on a map – and voila, you've found targets for divers or herbicide.

"You mark the map, download it, make a DVD, supply it to lake associations and towns and say, 'That's where your milfoil is. You guys work with your treatment company to make sure the treatment happens in these areas,' " Neister said.

Neister became convinced of the need for such accurate mapping after past herbicide applications in Suncook Lake. Searches by divers, including some pulled by boats, indicated that all plants were gone, but milfoil returned with a vengeance two years later.

"We weren't sure whether we had missed these plants or whether they just popped up in spring of 2007," Neister said. "It came down to the realization: We've got to improve our ability to scan lakes, before and after treatment, so we don't miss plants. This makes it easy and almost fun to do."

"People thought they could throw herbicide in the lake and that would kill it – that's far from the truth, we've found with Suncook Lake. You have to find where the plants are, treat where the plants are, then go back and look to make sure you got them."

Neister knows creating good underwater lighting is tougher than it seems. He did underwater work for the Navy and has long experience using lasers to illuminate deep-sea pictures. The hardest part with this project is reducing the light-scattering effect of material floating in turbid New Hampshire lakes. The lights will be on movable "arms" descending from the bow to ensure their angle and distance from the camera. He expects to have at least one boat in the water this summer for testing, and if all goes well, weed-fighting groups should be lining up to reserve its use next year.

"If we don't attack it, it's going to take us out – we're going to lose our waterways, we're going to use our lakes," he said. "Suncook River was so bad last year that if the plants could support you, you could walk across it." Article

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Corps may battle weeds in Black Lake, New York

By Corey Fram & Marc Heller, Watertown Daily Times

MORRISTOWN, NY — Anglers, businesses and elected officials wrestling with dense weeds on Black Lake have landed a big backer.

U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., called Thursday on the Army Corps of Engineers to visit Black Lake and develop a plan to eradicate Eurasian milfoil, a dense invasive weed making navigation difficult.

"This plague of invasive weeds in Black Lake is devastating to boaters, anglers, homeowners and our tourism industry across St. Lawrence County, and it must be destroyed before further damage is done," Mr. Schumer said in a prepared statement.

"The summer season just kicked off and we must do everything we can to encourage fishing and boating in our lakes and rivers. The Army Corps, which has the resources and expertise, needs to investigate and eliminate these invasive weeds in Black Lake before it's too late."

The senator's intervention comes a week after the Black Lake Invasive Weeds Committee agreed to hire a New Jersey environmental consultant to develop a management plan that will be forwarded to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The state has set aside $5 million to deal with invasive species.

The study is expected to be submitted by late June. The town of Oswegatchie is fronting the money and the committee is looking for funds to cover the approximately $6,500 cost, Mr. Nichols said.

Control has proven elusive. Traditional methods, often repeated every year, can cost up to $2,000 an acre and take native plants with them, according to the University of Minnesota. That's bad because healthy native plant populations can prevent milfoil's spread.

Researchers are studying biological controls, including weevils that eat Eurasian milfoil. Some experiments have worked well but others have not, the University of Minnesota reported. The property association at Sylvia Lake, also in St. Lawrence County, has succeeded in controlling it through "hand harvest," but the spread there was not as extensive as in Black Lake. Article

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Pulling perennial pepperweed in Massachusetts

By Jennifer Forman Orth, Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project

On Saturday June 7th, from 1-4pm, the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge will host an information and training session on the identification and control of perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium). The training will be in Newburyport, MA at PRNWF Headquarters (6 Plum Island Turnpike).

The first hour will be spent indoors learning about pepperweed and control techniques, then participants are invited to gain hands-on experience by pulling Pepperweed at a site along the Plum Island Turnpike.

This meeting is open to the public with no obligation to volunteer.

Perennial pepperweed is an invasive plant that occurs in wetland habitats along coastal areas of Massachusetts, including salt marshes, and is also found along roadsides. In the western part of the USA, it is a major agricultural weed. It can be spread through soil or water movement, or as a contaminant in hay bales.

Throughout the summer, Parker River NWR and the Massachusetts Audubon society will be leading pepperweed pulls at sites throughout Essex County. The goal is to control or eradicate pepperweed before it becomes as pervasive as other wetland invasives, like phragmites or purple loosestrife. If you are interested in volunteering for this project but cannot make the June 7th training session, you can contact Sarah Janson (sarah_janson@fws.gov). Article

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Help Protect Adirondack Waters from Invasive Species

Get on-board with the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program's 7th annual aquatic invasive plant training and learn aquatic plant identification tips and survey techniques.

The training is free, but space is limited. Select a training location that best suits you. Please RSVP to Hilary Oles at holes @ tnc.org (delete spaces) by June 13.

All sessions are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

June 20, Darrin Fresh Water Institute, Bolton Landing;
June 24, Harrietstown Town Hall, Saranac Lake;
June 26, Old Forge Fire Hall, Old Forge

Volunteers are asked to conduct an annual survey on an Adirondack lake of their choice. To-date, 307 aquatic enthusiasts have spent over 3,000 hours surveying 205 Adirondack waterways. From the Fulton Chain to Lake Champlain - volunteer efforts are making a difference!

Are you a returning volunteer? Feel free to join us for a half day or full day refresher course. Or pass this along and invite someone new!

See you on the water~

Thank you!

Hilary Oles
Coordinator
Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program
The Nature Conservancy - Adirondack Chapter

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Emamectin benzoate pesticide now registered for use in treating ash trees for emerald ash borer (EAB)

Emamectin benzoate is the name of a new insecticide that can be used to protect valuable landscape ash trees from EAB in Michigan. A special 24(c) registration request for this product has been approved in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and West Virginia. These are the only states that have permission to use the product in ash trees to control EAB at this time. The product will be sold as Tree-äge™ (pronounced "triage") and should be available for use this spring. Article

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NY bans shipping firewood in effort to stop harmful insects

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ Conservation officials have banned hauling, importing or selling untreated firewood in New York in an effort to stop the spread of tree-killing insects. The Department of Environmental Conservation said Wednesday the emergency regulations are effective immediately for 90 days. They prohibit importing out-of-state firewood unless treated to eliminate invasive insect species, fungi and pathogens. Transporting any untreated firewood within the state is limited to less than 50 miles.

The Sirex woodwasp, native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa, kills pines and sometimes other conifers by introducing a toxic mucus and fungus when the female lays her eggs through the bark and into the sapwood. It has been found in 28 counties in the state, DEC spokesman Yancey Roy said.

The Emerald Ash Borer, native to China, has destroyed an estimated 20 million ash trees nationally since the beetle was noticed in Michigan five years ago and has been found as far east as Pennsylvania.

The Asian Longhorned Beetle, which appeared in the New York metropolitan area in 1996, has larvae that bore into trees and feed on healthy wood until emerging as adult beetles to eat twigs and leaves. Some 17 species of hardwoods are vulnerable, including four varieties of maples, elm, birch, poplar, willow, ash and sycamore. It has been found in Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island and Nassau County. Article

Week of February 17, 2008

Updated February 21

There has been an extension of the public comment period for 2008-2012 National Invasive Species Management Plan -- Draft for Public Comment (PDF 143 KB) All comments must be received by close of business on Mar 12 , 2008.

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New York State's State’s road, bridge, rail infrastructure grim

COLONIE — The state transportation system will need more than $175 billion in capital investment over the next 20 years, Department of Transportation Commissioner Astrid Glynn told a forum at DOT headquarters Friday.

She painted a gloomy picture of “a system under stress,” with inadequate funding and old infrastructure that is about to produce “a deficient bridge wave” of aging structures needing repair or replacement.

Scott Lorey of the Adirondack Council called for alternatives to road salt and actions to discourage invasive plant species. Full Article

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Volunteers needed to eradicate invasive pepperweed at Massachusetts marsh

Essex - Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and Massachusetts Audubon are looking for volunteers to help with their ongoing project to control and eradicate perennial pepperweed in the Great Marsh.

Perennial pepperweed is a recent invader to New England and is threatening its salt marshes. Volunteers are needed to help map, pull and monitor this invasive plant in Essex, Salisbury, Amesbury, Haverhill, Newburyport, Newbury, Rowley and Ipswich.

On Thursday, Feb. 21, 7-8:30 p.m., Parker River Refuge will host a training session on how to identify and map this invasive at the Refuge Headquarters at 6 Plum Island Turnpike in Newburyport. This meeting is open to the public with no obligation to volunteer. Anyone interested in volunteering for this project but cannot make the training is encouraged to contact Sarah Janson (sarah_janson@fws.gov).

The goal is to control or eradicate pepperweed before it becomes as pervasive as Phragmites or purple loosestrife. Volunteers are essential to the success of the pepperweed control project. Last year, 80 volunteers treated pepperweed on over 70 sites removing it from 8.5 acres of salt marsh. In 2008, the refuge and Mass Audubon will continue pepperweed control in the entire Plum Island Sound watershed and have teamed up with partners such as Parker River Clean Water Association, Ipswich River Watershed Association, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Plum Island Kayaks. Plum Island Kayaks are training their staff in Newburyport and Salem on pepperweed identification and will help to educate the thousands of people they bring to the marsh each year. Article

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Conservation Commission in Massachusetts to discuss herbicide in pond

WAYLAND, MA - Milfoil weeds have grown so invasively in Dudley Pond that some residents say the only way to completely clean up the body of water is to use chemicals. Responding to petitions and requests from residents and town officials, Conservation Commission Chairman Roger Backman said the ConCom may vote next week to sanction the use of an herbicide called fluridone to clean weeds from Dudley Pond. The chemical, also known as Sonar, would rid the pond of weeds faster than residents say it would take to accomplish the same task using water circulators or harvesting weeds mechanically and by hand. Full Article

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The 9th Annual National Invasive Weed Awareness Week (NIWAW) reminds us to spread the word, not the weeds

Nearly 200 scientists and invasive plant management stakeholders from industry associations, professional societies, government agencies and private organizations all over North America will gather in our nation's capital to raise awareness about the severe economic and environmental impacts caused by invasive plants during the 9th Annual National Invasive Weed Awareness Week, February 24 - 29 at the Four Points by Sheraton, Washington, D.C.

This special awareness week, hosted by the Invasive Weeds Awareness Coalition, will continue a national conversation about the destructive effects of invasive weeds. The impact of invasive weeds on the nation's agriculture, water quality, wildlife and recreation already costs the U.S. an estimated $34.7 billion annually, according to a recent Cornell University report. PDF News Release

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