Cal-IPC News
Protecting California’s Natural Areas
fr
om Wildland W
eeds
from
Weeds

Vol. 12, No. 2, Summer 2004

Quarterly newsletter of the California Invasive Plant Council

Ventura!
Site of the 2004 Cal-IPC Symposium…
and just a little Arundo
Workers plan their approach for the Ventura River Arundo
Removal Demonstration Project, a program of the Ventura
County Arundo Task Force (ATF). Story p. 8
Photo courtesy of Ventura County Watershed Protection District

Inside:
Santa Cruz Island restoration ……… 4
New yellow starthistle biocontrol …. 6
Survey of college weed programs … 11
Eucalyptus impacts …………………. 14

From the Director’s Desk

California
Invasive Plant
Council
1442-A Walnut Street, #462
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 843-3902
fax (510) 217-3500
www.cal-ipc.org
A California 501(c)3 nonprofit organization

Our Mission
To protect California’s natural areas
from wildland weeds through
research, restoration, and education.
Staff
Doug Johnson, Executive Director
dwjohnson@cal-ipc.org
Brianna Richardson, Project Manager
brichardson@cal-ipc.org
Board of Directors
Steve Schoenig, President (2004)
California Dept. of Food & Agriculture
Alison Stanton, Vice-President (2004)
BMP Ecosciences
Carri Pirosko, Secretary (2004)
California Dept. of Food & Agriculture
Beth Leger, Treasurer (2004)
U.C. Davis
Joe DiTomaso, Past-President (2004)
U.C. Davis Weed Science Program
Deanne DiPietro (2004)
Sudden Oak Death Project
Scott Steinmaus (2004)
California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo

Environmental grantmakers—Wake up and
smell the Vinca!
Many environmental grantmakers have yet to recognize the gravity of the invasive species
threat. Recently this situation hit home.
Cal-IPC applied for funding from a foundation whose focus is habitat conservation. Their
response? Don’t send a proposal because “we rarely fund invasive species initiatives.” The
logic—or lack thereof—of this response is astounding. How can one separate the goal of
habitat conservation from the issue of invasive species?
Other funders tell us that their priority in protecting habitat is to purchase property. This is
certainly an important aspect of conservation. After all, development is the one habitat threat
as serious as invasive species. But to ignore—or even delay—invasives work is unwise. As a
colleague put it, “invasive species are pollution just like an oil spill. Except once you spill
invasive organisms, they multiply.” The problem gets worse and more costly every day.
This same colleague also said, “I worked for years in nuclear waste cleanup, and I feel that
invasive species are an even bigger threat to the environment.” This sense of urgency on the
part of researchers and land managers needs to be felt by grantmakers whose funds can make
a significant difference in the effectiveness of our work.
On the bright side, there are some forward-thinking foundations that have taken the lead in
supporting work that protects habitat from invasive plants. In the last six months, Cal-IPC
has received grants from:
The True North Foundation
The San Francisco Foundation
The Coastal Conservancy of California
We greatly appreciate the support these funders are providing, and commend their
leadership in addressing the issue of invasive species. We will continue to encourage other
foundations to follow their lead.

Bill Winans (2004)
San Diego County Watershed
Management Program
Jon Fox (2005)
California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
Mark Newhouser (2005)
Sonoma Ecology Center
Dan Gluesenkamp (2005)
Audubon Canyon Ranch
Bobbi Simpson (2005)
National Park Service – Exotic Plant Management Team
Jason Giessow (2005)
Santa Margarita/San Luis Rey Weed Management Area
Wendy West (2005)
El Dorado County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office

Photo by Brianna Richardson

Affiliations for identification purposes only.
Last year of term noted.

Cal-IPC News
Summer 2004 – Volume 12, Number 2
Editors: Doug Johnson, dwjohnson@cal-ipc.org
Brianna Richardson, brichardson@cal-ipc.org
Cal-IPC News is published quarterly by the California
Invasive Plant Council. Articles may be reprinted with
permission from the editor. Submissions are welcome.
We reserve the right to edit all work.

2

Cal-IPC News

Summer 2004

“E
“Exxcellent for spring color
color.. Tenaciously invasive where adapted.” Scotch broom variety
for sale at a nursery in San Mateo County.

Wildland Weed N
News
News
News
News
Neews
wsN
wsN
wsN
wsN
Assemblymember Loni Hancock’s bill AB
2690 passed both the State Assembly and
the State Senate without opposition on May
26. This bill removes the restrictions on
volunteer labor being used for public works
projects (see Cal-IPC News, Spring 2004).

In May, Federal agents arrested a Glendale,
California man on charges of importing live
nor
thern snakehead fish
northern
fish. The fish were
hidden among a larger shipment, and labeled
“sea bass” or “bass, freshwater fish.”

California Assembly B
ill 2631 (Wolk, DBill
Davis) passed the State Assembly, and on June
29th passed in the Senate’s Natural Resources
committee. The bill, which would establish a
California Invasive Species Council, has been
re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
Ann Veneman, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, transferred $15.5 million from the
USDA Commodity Credit Corporation to the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) to help halt the spread of
Phytophthora ramorum, or sudden oak
death. APHIS will provide $6.9 million of
this emergency funding to California for
quarantine activities and identification of
infected nurseries. The remaining $8.6
million will be used for surveys, other
quarantine and regulatory enforcement,
public outreach, and laboratory diagnostics
and testing.
The Heinz Center has been working with a
task group comprising representatives from
business organizations, environmental groups,
academic institutions, and federal agencies to
refine the non-native species indicators
tate
contained in the Center’s report, “ The SState
cosystems: M
easuring
of The N
ation
Nation
ation’’s E
Ecosystems:
Measuring
the Lands, Waters, and Living R
esour
ces
Resour
esources
of the U
nited SStates.”
tates.” The Center plans to
United
improve the indicators’ consistency and focus
across taxa and biomes. Results of this work
will be included in the 2007 “State of the
Nation’s Ecosystems report.”

On March 10, the Japanese government
passed, without amendments, The Alien
Invasive Species Act. Among other provisions,
this bill requires new alien speices be investi-

Sa
vve the Date! 2004 Cal-IPC Symposium, V
entur
Sav
Ventur
entura,
entura,
a,
October 7-9. See the program on page 16.
gated for their potential to become invasive
before they are imported into Japan.

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed their
version of the Saltcedar and Russian Olive
Control and Demonstration Act, S.1516
S.1516,
last week. The final version of the bill is
currently being considered by the House, and
passage is expected. After that, S.1516 needs
only the President’s signature to become law. Plant pathologist Stephen M. Griffith of the
USDA Agricultural Research Service, Forage
Seed and Cereal Research Unit, is working
with Audubon California to study how
revegetation with perennial, native grasses
affects soil and water quality and whether
they supply quality grazing forage. Early
results indicate establishment can be difficult,
but once they are established, the deep roots
may outcompete annual grasses. Griffith
hopes that demonstrating the benefits of
perennial grasses will lead to increased
demand, encouraging greater seed production
and lower prices.
At a recent meeting in Salt Lake City, the

Steering Committee of the Forest Health
nterprise Team (part of the
Enterprise
Technology E
US Forest Service) announced they would
aggressively establish a national leadership role
in the development of technologies for control
of invasive species, focusing on coordination
of disparate IS databases and development of
detection, monitoring, biocontrol and
management technologies.
The Federal Interagency Committee for
the Management of Noxious and Exotic
Weeds (FICMNEW) won the American
Planning Association’s Excellence in Environmental Planning award for their National
Early Detection and Rapid Response System
for Invasive Plants in the United StatesConceptual Design.

Hawaii’s state gemstone, black coral (Family:
Antipathidae), is threatened by the invasive
snowflake coral (Carijoa riisei), which is
beginning to overrun deep sea reproductive
populations of the black coral. Black coral
accounts for an estimated $25 million in
annual jewelery sales for the islands.

Cal-IPC and
and The
Water
shed Pr
Project
oject announce
announce
Water
atershed
Project
The W
Cal-IPC
shed
publication o
of The
The W
Weed
eed W
Work
orker
s’ Handbook
Handbook!!
publication
s’
of
Weed
Work
orker
ers’
The 120-page Handbook was designed
for volunteers and those who organize
volunteer projects. It includes:
Control methods for 35 Bay Area weeds
Guidelines for organizing volunteer
projects
Strategies for project success
Public education and
interpretation tips
Tool descriptions and usage
Removal and disposal techniques
Weed biology and reproduction
More than 50 color illustrations
To or
der yyour
our H
andbook, visit
order
Handbook,
www
.cal-ipc.org or call 510.843.3902.
www.cal-ipc.org
Cal-IPC News

Summer 2004

3

Ventur
a
entura

An Island Called Sant
a Cruz:
Santa
Removing invasives on the Channel Islands
by Ken Owen, Santa Cruz Island, Native Plant Restoration Project
Editor’s note: This issue of Cal-IPC News
features two articles on the Ventura area, site
of the 2004 Symposium. A field trip to
Santa Cruz Island will be offered during the
Symposium.
Removing invasive plants on Santa Cruz
Island is far more than just the dream job my
partners and I had hoped for. We have the
privilege of helping to restore one of the most
unique and stunning nature preserves in
California. We have also seen our once
informal (and completely volunteer) weedpulling effort mature into an effective and
funded restoration project. Although the job
of removing exotic plants on the island is in
some ways just beginning, our project
presents a framework for sustained funding
and volunteer support toward the effort.
Together with programs to remove non-native
animals, we are part of a coalition of government and private groups who
work diligently to preserve a
very special place.

the coast between Point Conception and
Ventura. It is 24 miles long and up to 7 miles
wide. At 96 square miles, it is the largest of
the Channel Islands. The Nature Conservancy owns 76 percent of the Island, and the
National Park Service owns the eastern 24
percent. Santa Cruz Island hosts the greatest
number of plant and animal species of all the
islands. Sixty species that occur there are either
indigenous just to that island or occur on two
or more of the Channel Islands and nowhere
else in the world. Eight plant species are listed
as threatened or endangered and an additional
20 plants are considered rare or species of
concern.
Introduced species have had a moderate to
severe impact on most of the island’s habitats.
Past grazing by sheep and cattle has altered
many plant communities, increased erosion,
prevented species regeneration, and reduced
diversity. Feral pigs have been likened to

rototillers, because of the damage they cause
while rooting for food. This kills many native
plants, increases erosion, and spreads invasive
plants. Biologists blame non-native species
for the decline of the Santa Cruz Island fox
(Urocyon littoralis santacruzae) from a
population of 1,300 individuals in the wild a
decade ago, down to about 100 now. At least
one plant species (Mimulus brandegeei) may
have been extirpated from the island due to
grazing by non-native animals. Although the
last of the sheep were removed in the late
1980s, feral pigs continue to cause damage
island-wide.
Many exotic plants have become established
on the island. At least 170 of the 650 plants
known from Santa Cruz Island are introduced
(about 26%). Although sheep and cattle
removal led to a dramatic recovery of many
native plants, it has also encouraged the
growth of certain invasive non-natives like

Santa Cruz Island lies
between 19 and 25 miles off
4

Cal-IPC News

Photo courtesy Ken Owen

Often likened to the
Galapagos, the California
Channel Islands are known
for their unique and diverse
assemblage of plants and
animals, many found
nowhere else in the world.
Five of the eight islands
comprise the Channel Islands
National Park, home to a wide
collection of significant
natural and cultural resources.
Over 2,000 species of plants
and animals can be found
within the Park and at least
145 species are only known
from the islands. Although
the breathtaking beauty and
unspoiled landscapes of the
Channel Islands are within a
day’s travel to 18 million
people, they remain almost
untouched by development.
Volunteers on SSanta
anta C
sland remove Vinca major (periwinkle), one of 170 exotics on the island.
Crruz IIsland

Summer 2004

Photo courtesy Ken Owen

student volunteers were recruited at weekly UCSB seminars. In the
summer of 2002 we widened our volunteer base and started monthly
restoration trips to the island with diverse groups of committed
volunteers. Our work was generally unstructured, and we mostly set
our own priorities for weed control projects. We removed trees
(eucalyptus, acacia etc.) in watersheds and worked on selected
herbaceous invasives, particularly outlier populations and infestations
along roads. The UC Santa Cruz Island Reserve provided the heavy
equipment and many of the tools for our work, plus all of the vehicles
and housing. All of this required a large commitment of volunteer
time, but progress was made.

One hundred seventeen Italian stone pines (Pinus pinea) have
been removed from Santa Cruz Island since last November.

Fortuitously, Kate Symonds, a grant coordinator for the US Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS), volunteered to work on the island. She was
so impressed with the work that, in the spring of 2003, she applied for
and received funding for the island project on behalf of the Santa
Barbara County Weed Management Area (SBCWMA). The Santa
Cruz Island Native Plant Restoration Project was born with funding
from three grants: the “Private Stewardship Grant Program” and the
“Partners for Fish and Wildlife” (both from USFWS) and the “Pulling
Together Initiative” (from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation).
A multi-agency Steering Committee consisting of all the island’s
principle stakeholders (Park Service, Conservancy, UC Reserve,
SBCWMA, and more) formed to set priorities and to provide assistance. Duke McPherson, Clark Cowan, and I formed “Channel Islands
Restoration” and were hired as the project contractor to carry out the
goals of the project. The goals (in brief) are to:

fennel (Foeniculum vulgare). Over the years, eucalyptus and acacia
have spread beyond their original plantings and have become established in many areas, mostly in riparian zones. Periwinkle (Vinca
major) and smilo grass (Piptatherum miliaceum) have also spread in
many riparian areas. Yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) and hoary
cress (Cardaria draba) are both apparently spreading. Although other
significant invasives (Cortaderia, Tamarix and Arundo spp.) are present
on the island, they have not so far had
a chance to become widely estabWoody species rremo
emo
emovved
lished.
The Park Service and the Conservancy
have embarked on a multi-faceted
restoration program that involves
recovery of the island fox and bald
eagle populations, while eradicating
and/or removing non-native animals.
The control of invasive plants is also a
key element in the resource management plans for both agencies. Various
efforts at large and small-scale invasive
plant control have been studied and
tried over the years on the island,
including burning and aerial spraying
of fennel. Volunteer groups often
work with the Park Service to remove
invasives and to plant natives,
particularly on the eastern end of the
island. At present an important
component of the pig eradication
program is to control large sections of
fennel, which are utilized by the pigs
as cover.
Our project has its roots at UC Santa
Barbara where the campus botany
and restoration clubs made frequent
trips to the island to remove invasive
plants. By 1998, regular quarterly
weed-pulling trips were organized and

Species
Acacia melanoxylon
Albizia lophantha
Eucalyptus camaldulensis
Eucalyptus globulus
Pinus pinea
Robinia pseudoacacia
Schinus molle
Total

11/03-5/04
Number
226
153
2,223
112
117
35
8
2,874

Herbacious species removed 11/03-5/04
Species
Conium maculatum
Centaurea solstitialis
Centranthus ruber
Foeniculum vulgare
Marrubium vulgare
Pelargonium x hortorum
Phalaris aquatica
Piptantherum miliaceum
Raphanus sativus
Silybum marianum
Sisymbrium officinale
Vinca major
Total

Number
718
NA*
7,000+
423
9
765
557
1,969
8,217
660
3,022
NA**
23,340

* approximately 1.06 acres treated
** approximately 252 square meters removed

1) Synthesize existing information on
exotics into a priority list of control
needs,
2) Consolidate several volunteer efforts
into a coordinated program to control
invasive plants, and
3) Conduct an education campaign to
increase awareness about invasive plants
and methods to reduce or prevent their
introduction to the islands.
Working under the structure of grant
funding has provided a boost to the
project. With most of our short-term
goals met, we continue to focus on
removing exotic plants with an
emphasis on outlier populations,
watersheds, and those spreading from
historical plantings. The UC Reserve
and the Park Service continue to
provide enormous support to the
project. They contribute all of the
housing, transportation, and heavy
equipment, and they have referred
many volunteer groups to us. Since the
inception of grant funding in November 2003, we have been on 13 trips
with over 100 volunteers. We have
removed more than 3,000 trees (mostly

continued p.13…
Cal-IPC News

Summer 2004
5

Tools

Development and release of a plant pathogen as a new
biological control of yellow starthistle
by Dale M. Woods, California Department of Food and Agriculture

The biological effort against yellow starthistle
(YST) began decades ago with overseas
exploration for potential natural enemies. One
plant disease, rust of yellow starthistle, had
been noted around the Mediterranean for
many years and isolates were collected and
brought to the USDA-ARS quarantine
greenhouses at Ft. Detrick, Maryland for
evaluation in 1978. The evaluation effort on
insects as biological controls for YST was,
however, far more successful at achieving
regulatory approval eventually leading to the
release of five species of insect as biological
controls. These insects, along with the
accidentally introduced false peacock fly,
Chaetorellia succinea, all widely distributed in
California, focus their effort on the seeds and
seedheads of YST. This strategy has not yet
achieved satisfactory control over YST. A
renewed effort by the USDA-ARS is currently
seeking approval of additional arthropods
attacking other portions of the plant to
complement the seedhead insects already in
place. The rust, P. jaceae, should fit well with
this stratagey as it attacks primarily foliage and
is not likely to adversely interact with any
known YST biocontrol agents.

Photo courtesy Dale Woods, CDFA

A new biological control agent has received
approval for release in California against
yellow starthistle, Centaurea solstitialis. The
introduction and release of the rust, Puccinia
jaceae var. solstitalis, in July of 2003 marks the
first plant pathogen approved for release as a
biological control of a weed in the continental
United States.

Anna E
yler
apa County Agricultural Commissioner’s office biologist, and Dale Woods
Eyler
yler,, N
Napa
inoculate a site with the new rust pathogen, Puccinia jaceae var. solstitialis.
introduced in the United States, and has had
a significant impact, but did not undergo a
complete pre-release review and approval.

Importation of the yellow starthistle rust in
1978 to a domestic quarantine facility, was
the first step in the process of developing this
biological agent. With the near absence of
endemic North American pathogens on YST,
and the history of high degree of host
specificity of rusts in general, P. jaceae seemed
a likely prospect as a biological control
agent. Host testing to evaluate the
Puccinia jaceae vvar
ar
ar.. solstitialis is
the first plant pathogen approved for safety of an open field release was
undertaken in sealed greenhouses by
release as a biocontrol of a weed in scientists at the Foreign Disease and
the continental U.S.
Weed Research Facilities in Ft.
Detrick. Environmental parameters
Plant pathogens have not been utilized to the
for successful infection of yellow starthistle, as
extent of insects as biological controls of
well as, safety to native plants and crop
weeds. Although several exotic plant pathospecies were the focus of their research.
gens have been released as biological controls
in Hawaii, Australia and a few other countries, Rust fungi are known to be extremely host
specific plant pathogens, and most of the
none have completed the entire review,
early host testing bore this out. Unfortuapproval, and release process in the continennately, one variety of safflower proved
tal United States. One plant pathogen, the
susceptible to the rust under specific
skeleton weed rust, Puccinia chondrillina, was
6

Cal-IPC News

Summer 2004

conditions. Dr. William Bruckart performed
extensive tests to evaluate the limits of the
safflower problem, eventually demonstrating
that the rust was pathogenic to only one
cultivar of safflower which has been abandoned by the industry for over a decade ago,
and P. jaceae would not infect currently
utilized safflower genotypes. Additionally, the
infection was extremely minor and not
damaging to the cultivar, a finding that was
acceptable to industry representatives. No
other crop species proved susceptible.
Testing of native plant species, particularly
native thistles, was a particular concern to
several agencies including the US Fish and
Wildlife Service. Over 20 species of thistle
were tested as part of the review. The proposal
to release the rust received extensive review by
several agencies, perhaps greater scrutiny than
other proposals as plant pathogens had not
been proposed under the current review
system so the review was new to everyone. In
June of 2003, the California Department of
Food and Agriculture Biological Control
Program as co-petitioners with Dr. Bruckart,
received limited approval to release the rust in

Photo courtesy Dale Woods, CDFA

fully infected. Sites in the northern areas, (Tehema) and Central Coast
(Monterey to Santa Barbara County) were unusually hot and dry
during 2004 and infections under these conditions were usually less
than 30%.

Yello
w star
thistle leav
es covered in pustules formed by the rust.
ellow
starthistle
leaves
California. The approval came roughly 25 years after host testing
began.
A single site in an isolated valley in Napa County was selected for
the 2003 release. Laboratory research had indicated that a hot, dry,
midsummer day was a poor choice to accomplish a successful
infection, but it was the first week after permit approval so a single
release was made in July of 2003. A one square meter plot was
inoculated in early evening and monitored for several weeks. Little
more than a dozen pustules developed in the plot, but that alone
was heartening to the individuals who had worked so hard to get
the rust introduced.
The next step was to prepare for a larger scale biological control
project. The CDFA Biological Control Program began propagating
the rust in a greenhouse on potted yellow starthistle plants. Rust
fungi are obligate parasites, that is, they require a living host in
order to develop. Rosettes of yellow starthistle in 4-inch pots were
inoculated with the rust and grown in a greenhouse. The rust was
essentially farmed on potted starthistle over the next 9 months,
with new plants inoculated to replaced aging ones. Spores of the
rust were vacuum collected off the leaves and stored frozen in
anticipation of a larger field release effort. A modification in the
permit was achieved in 2004, allowing a broader release of the rust,
and the spring of 2004 was established as the time for widespread
release program.
A total of 25 release sites were selected, spread among 20 counties.
Releases were scheduled for April based on laboratory test results.
Biologists in the county Agriculture Commisioner’s offices were
trained about the biology of the rust and inoculation procedures
and then made the releases. For each release, spores of the rust were
suspended in water, and sprayed on a square meter plot of young
rosettes. The inoculations were made in early evening and the plot
covered with dark plastic tent overnight to simulate dew formation.
Rust spores germinate and infected the leaves overnight, then the
fungus develops within the leaf eventually producing new spores
in 2-3 weeks. These new spore pustules are usually the first
indication of a successful inoculation.
Almost all of the inoculations were successful in 2004, producing
pustules by three weeks. Sites around the Sacramento to Napa area
fared quite well, with 70-100% of the inoculated plants success-

Plans for the rest of 2004 are for the county biologists to continue
monitoring their release sites for evidence of natural spread of the
disease. Also, the rust will continue to be propagated in Sacramento
over the fall 2004 and spring 2005. Releases will be made in counties
throughout the state, not previously chosen for release. Additional
releases are likely to be made through California and other states as
spores are available. Data from the 2004 releases will be analyzed to
guide the 2005 releases, determining timing of release in relation to
plant growth stage and weather. Efforts are also underway to evaluate
any impact that the rust has on its host in the field both for short term
plant effects and long term changes in plant populations.
The use of a plant pathogen is not dramatically different than insects as
biological control when both are used as ‘classical’ biological agents.
Both are expected to propagate and spread on the intended host
without constant human manipulation. It is too early to tell how well
the YST rust will spread unaided by humans. The actual inoculations
with the rust are governed, unlike insects, by a series of laws and
regulations that treat the organism as a pesticide. Thus for the short
term, the early releases will continue to be handled by CDFA and
county Agriculture Commisioner’s offices. With the successful
approval of a plant pathogen as a biological control it is likely that other
pathogens will be considered in other biological projects.

Contact author Dale Woods at dwoods@cdfa.ca.gov.

S.144 Update
The outcome on United States Senate Bill 144 (S.144, the Noxious
Weed Control Act, or “Craig bill”) is keeping weed control advocates
on the edge of their seats. The bill would allocate $50 million dollars
per year to “weed management entities” for cost-share programs to
combat invasive weeds. The bill was introduced by Senator Larry
Craig (ID) in 2003, passed in the Senate last year, and was refered to
the House Resources Committee, where it stalled for some time.
CDFA scientist Steve Schoenig was asked to testify at a Resources
Committee hearing in Washington, DC in April. He was able to
portray the great successes of Weed Management Areas in California,
which helped move the bill out of Committee. (This should also help
speed funding to California if the bill is successful.) The bill was
finally amended and passed to the House Agriculture Committee,
where it remains as of this writing. Discussions are taking place in the
Agriculture Committee to re-shape the bill in such a way as to avoid
further debate once it leaves the Committee and moves to the House
calendar under suspension rules. If the bill is passed by the House,
the Senate will need to pick up the revised House version. Once that
has happened the bill will be ready for the President’s signature.
Those following the progress of the bill in Washington say that it may
pass this year, and it may not. The final steps in it’s passage are likely
to happen at the last minute. They don’t, however, see any reason
why President Bush would not sign the bill, as it is unlikely to be
controversial at that point and may help his re-election campaign in
some states.
Cal-IPC will continue to report on the progress of this important
weed legislation inCal-IPC News and at www.cal-ipc.org.
Cal-IPC News

Summer 2004

7

Ventur
a
entura

Setting the st
age: The V
entur
a County Arundo T
ask F
or
ce
stage:
Ventur
entura
Task
For
orce
by Peggy Rose, Ventura County Resource Conservation District
Editor’s note: Organizing programatic environmental documentsation
on a watershed or even regional scale can streamline future weed
control projects. Here’s how the Ventura RCD is addressing this need.

Using our watershed-based approach, the Arundo Task Force is
currently working on three major projects: the Ventura River Arundo
Removal Demonstration Project, the Santa Clara Arundo Removal
Plan, and Post-fire Arundo spraying in the Santa Clara River.

The Ventura County Arundo Task Force (ATF) is a consortium of
federal, state, and local agencies, property owners, and local special
interest groups formed to address issues associated with reducing or
eliminating Arundo donax (Arundo) from the Ventura County
watersheds. The ATF formed in 1997 and meets on a monthly basis to
explore opportunities for removal projects, exchange information, and
support the ongoing work of eradication of this harmful weed.

Ventura Riv
er Ar
undo R
emo
emonstration P
River
Arundo
Remo
emovval D
Demonstration
Prroject

The ATF determined that a watershed-based approach is the most
effective way to attack the Arundo problem in Ventura County
waterways. Many areas where Arundo is established have sensitive
plant and wildlife species. The Matilija Canyon alone hosts over 33
special status wildlife species, many of which are classified as threatened
and endangered. Because Arundo has established in extremely sensitive
riparian corridors, removal projects cannot be classified as exempt
under state and federal California Environmental Quality Act/
National Environmental Policy Act (CEQA/NEPA) law. To better look
at the cumulative impacts of Arundo removal in these sensitive areas on
a watershed-wide level, our Task Force has undertaken programmatic
environmental documentation on a watershed by watershed basis.
Once complete, these programmatic documents will provide a
foundation for other groups to develop Arundo removal projects with
limited environmental investigation and documentation.

The Ventura County Resource Conservation District (VCRCD) and
the Watershed Protection District (VCWPD) are acting jointly to
implement the Ventura River Arundo Removal Demonstration Project.
The project has multiple purposes. The first is to increase public
awareness of the threat caused by Arundo in our river corridors and to
build public support for the removal methods. The second is to
evaluate four different types of Arundo eradication techniques. Real
cost and methodology data generated by the project will allow for
effective planning and implementation of future Arundo removal
projects within the Ventura River watershed, and, ultimately throughout other watersheds within Ventura County. The third purpose is to
assess the effectiveness of six different riparian revegetation treatments
using native plant species. ATF partner, USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS), is heading up the revegetation treatments and the investigation of their effectiveness.
The demonstration site is a five-acre site located along the east bank of
the Ventura River, near the community of Casitas Springs. The site is
approximately 50 feet wide and 4500 feet long. The site will be
separated into four areas and four different removal methods will be
implemented to evaluate their effectiveness. Removal methods
include:
1. Mechanical (hand) removal of
the Arundo biomass immediately
followed by the painting the
remaining stumps with herbicide
at appropriate cut-stump
concentrations within a designated half-acre area.

Photo courtesy of the Ventura Watershed Protection District

2. A foliar spray application of
the Arundo biomass at a 2-4%
volume-to-volume concentration
of herbicide within a quarter-acre
area. The biomass will remain on
site and dead material will later
be removed with handheld
equipment.

The Ventura Riv
er Arundo Removal Demonstration Project
River
8 Cal-IPC News

Summer 2004

3. Removal of the above ground
biomass within a designated 4acre site. Biomass would be
removed with handheld
equipment without applying any
herbicide and re-growth will be
treated with an herbicide as it
emerges.

ATF M
embers and Affiliates
Members

Photo courtesy Peggy Rose

The Ventura County Resource Conservation
District (VCRCD) and the Watershed
Protection District (VCWPD) fill lead roles
in the ATF. Other partners include:

Post-fir
egr
owth of Arundo in the Calleguas Creek watershed.
ost-firee rregr
egro
4. Mechanical removal of the Arundo biomass, including excavation
of the root mass within a quarter acre area.
A Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) was adopted on
September 9, 2003. A copy of the FEIR and supporting documents
are available at the Ventura County Watershed Protection District.
Removal activities are anticipated to begin in August or September,
2004 and will take approximately six weeks to complete. The demonstration site will be monitored for one year, allowing for treatment of
Arundo re-sprouts, then revegetation techniques will be implemented.
The majority of the project was funded by a grant from the California
Coastal Conservancy Wetlands Recovery Project. Matching funds and
a large amount of staff time will be provided by both the Natural
Resource Conservation Service and the Ventura County Watershed
Protection District. The California Department of Fish and Game also
contributed a large amount of money towards the project.
Santa Clara Arundo Removal Plan (SCARP)
The VCRCD has taken the lead in developing the Santa Clara Arundo
Removal Plan (SCARP). This plan will include a programmatic
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document and related documentation for
the implementation, maintenance, and monitoring of Arundo and
Tamarix species removal projects within the riparian corridors (500year floodplain) of the Los Angeles County portion of the Santa Clara
River watershed. Long-term plans for the ATF and its partners include
continuing the SCARP and its accompanying environmental documentation and mapping to the mouth of the river. The California
Coastal Conservancy is, as this article is published, moving ahead with
vegetative mapping in the Ventura County portion of the Watershed.
The goal is to allow any agency or organization to perform Arundo/
Tamarix removal projects of any size within the upper Santa Clara
Watershed. In general, the VCRCD will be working closely with its

· USDA Natural Resource Conservation
Service
· U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
· U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
· U.S. Forest Service
· U.S. Navy, Pt. Mugu Naval Air Station
· National Park Service, Santa Monica
Mountains
· U.S. Congressman Elton Gallegly
· California Department of Fish and Game
· California Coastal Conservancy
· California State Parks
· California Conservation Corps
· University of California Cooperative
Extension
· Ventura County Fire Department
· Ventura County Environmental &
Energy Resources Department
· Channel Islands Parks
· City of Ventura
· City of Thousand Oaks
· City of Santa Clarita

partners and an
environmental
consultant to
develop a comprehensive CEQA/
NEPA document.
SCARP will be a long-term eradication, monitoring, and maintenance
plan, which will take into consideration: land ownership; degree of
infestation; access; potential eradication methods and procedures;
presence of threatened or endangered species; current work being done
or planned/pre-existing environmental agency restrictions and permits;
and funding mechanisms in place and/or strategy for funding further
eradication in the Santa Clara River Watershed that may include
Federal and State grants, Federal cost-share programs and in-lieu fee
program potential. The programmatic environmental documentation
will contain everything necessary to fast-track projects.
The VCRCD will also develop a Memorandum of Understanding for
its partners, including the Arundo Task Force (ATF), the City of Santa
Clarita, the Friends of the Santa Clara River, and representatives of the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), Los Angeles Regional Water
Quality Control Board (LARWQCB), the Los Angeles Department of
Public Works (LADPW), California Department of Fish and Game
(CDFG), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the U.S. Forest
Service (USFS), and the Antelope Valley Resource Conservation
District (AVRCD).
The project was initiated in January 2004 and will end in March
2006. The SCARP Working Group is currently being formed. We
welcome all interested parties to the planning process.
Funding for this project has been provided in full through an
Agreement with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB)

continued on p.17…
Cal-IPC News

Summer 2004

9

Maps
These maps give a sense of the distribution of some of California’s
worst weeds. They were produced using data collected by Steve
Schoenig of the California Department of Food and Agriculture in
early 2003. Schoenig asked California Weed Management Areas
(WMAs) to list their top invasive weeds. Eighty-five different weeds
were cited by the 35 Weed Management Areas (representing 48
counties) that responded. The big winner, of course, was yellow
starthistle, listed in 45 counties. Other widely distributed weeds

salt cedar
Tamarix spp.

squarrose knapweed
Centaurea virgata
ssp. squarrosa

diffuse knapweed
Centaurea diffusa

jubata grass
Cortaderia jubata

Spanish broom
Spartium junceum

Scotch broom
Cytisus scoparius

pampasgrass
Cortaderia selloana

perennial
pepperweed
Lepidium latifolium

spotted knapweed
Centaurea maculosa

Present
Absent
Data not collected

10 Cal-IPC News

Summer 2004

These maps were generously produced for Cal-IPC by Christen
Powell-Essinger, indpendent GIS consultant.
Email: gis-cpe@sbcglobal.net or call 619.239.6648.

giant reed
Arundo donax

yellow starthistle
Centaurea soltitialis

French broom
Genista
monspessulana

included: perennial pepperweed (30 counties), arudo (29), Scotch
broom (27), purple starthistle (20), spotted knapweed (20), Tamarisk
(18), and puncturevine (17). The complete lists were published in the
Spring 2003 issue of Noxious Times, available at www.cdfa.ca.gov.

Teaching W
eeds: California university invasive plant programs
Weeds:
By Kristie Cole and Nicole Molinari, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Biology Department
“Prevention is the most cost effective Integrated Pest Management
method and education is the most efficient prevention method,”
according to Scott Steinmaus, professor of the Advanced Weeds class at
California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. “As this
has been true for agricultural pests, it will most assuredly be true for
invasive species as well.” As the invasive plant problem in California
grows, it will become increasingly vital that we have the scientific
information and expertise we need about the biology, ecology,
prevention, and control of these plants. With that in mind, we
surveyed each public university in California to determine what these
schools are doing to educate their students and the public about
invasive plants. The table on the following pages outlines the weed
education programs available in the California State University (CSU)
system and the University of California (UC) system. This article
highlights some of the ongoing research and outreach being conducted in these programs.
Invasion Prediction Research
The goal of Steinmaus’ introductory and advanced weed classes is to
educate Agriculture and Biology undergraduates about weed ecology,
evolution, and invasion. In the laboratory, Steinmaus and his graduate
students research mechanisms of weed resistance to herbicides. His lab
also employs computer models that couple the physiological constraints of potential invasives with climate parameters. UC Davis’
Marcel Rejmanek also employs models as an approach to predicting
the optimal parameters for a weed invasion to occur. Ultimately these
computer models may help predict state-wide invasions.
Predicting an invasion requires a great deal of knowledge about the
physiology and ecology of specific species. UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis,
and UC San Diego are just a few of the schools actively pursuing a
better understanding of the biology of invasive plants. Ingrid Parker at
UCSC has both undergraduate and graduate students working on a
wide range of weed-related topics, including studying the effects of
pathogens on invasive plants, which may provide a better understanding of the biotic pressures that keep weed populations in check. Her
lab is also looking at the impact of invasive Ammophila arenaria
(European beach grass) on dune ecosystems.
Single Species Research
Several researchers have focused their study on a specific invasive plant.
Joe DiTomaso, Weed Specialist for UC Cooperative Extension at UC
Davis, has done an incredible amount of work researching the
ubiquitous Centaurea solstitialis (yellow starthistle). Although
DiTomaso’s research extends beyond the realm of the yellow starthistle,
his work on this plant has become the cornerstone of weed research
and education throughout the state.
Often, weed research in California’s universities is based upon interests
shared between laboratories. Many collaborations, like the Seagrant
College Program, a joint venture between UC San Diego and CSU
Fullerton, have formed to study the impact of a single invasive species.
These schools share resources to prevent the spread of Caulerpa
taxifolia off the shores of California’s coast. Their efforts have eradicated all known populations of this invasive algae from the coast of San
Diego. According to Shauna Oh, Research and Education Coordinator
for the Seagrant Program, a primary aspect of this eradication effort has

been community education. Public awareness is increased by placing
samples of this “killer” marine weed in public aquarium displays.
Public Outreach and Community Restoration
CSU Monterey Bay also has a community-oriented approach to weed
abatement. Their outreach program, Return of the Natives (RON), not
only benefits students but also educates the public. This unique
program brings the university and community together under a
common cause: to remove invasive vegetation and bring back native
plants. Return of the Natives is part of the Watershed Research
Institute and is an affiliate of the Department of Science and Environmental Policy at CSU Monterey Bay. RON provides in-class curriculum for all levels of learning, kindergarten through college, and
incorporates classroom learning with hands-on field experience at
restoration sites. Laura Lee Lienk, director of RON, conveys the
program’s success, “We have thousands of school children, hundreds of
teachers, and hundreds of community members involved in our
restoration efforts.” RON also has a War on Weeds Program that brings
together community members twice a month for weed education and
removal.
The Habitat Restoration Club at UC Santa Barbara joins CSU
Monterey Bay in coupling education with weed removal. In addition
to native restoration around campus, members of the club volunteer
three days a quarter to remove exotic plants from Santa Cruz Island.
“Weed populations,” according to Wayne Chapman, Restoration Club
Coordinator, “are devastating the island, and we feel that removal of
these populations is critical in restoring the island to its natural state.”
The club uses mechanical means to remove Eucalyptus globulus (blue
gum), Schinus molle (Peruvian pepper tree), and Foeniculum vulgare
(fennel) from all parts of the island.
At CSU Northridge several undergraduate and graduate students
conduct research on invasive plants, but they don’t always work in
their immediate community. According to Biology professor Paula
Schiffman, most of this work has been done at Carrizo Plain National
Monument in San Luis Obispo County. Schiffman and her students
are not alone in focusing their research on the larger community.
Integrating the larger community with the campus is the direction in
which education must head. It is the entire community that must learn
about the problem of invasive plants, for it is the entire community
that is ultimately at stake. See the table on the following pages for
an outline of who
ersities…
who’’s doing what in California univ
universities…

For more information, contact Kristie Cole, sid82much@aol.com, or
Nicole Molinaria, nmolinar@calpoly.edu

Table Legend
Faculty/U
nder/G
rad: identifies whether the school has faculty
aculty/Under/G
nder/Grad:
devoted to weed research, undergraduate classes or internships, and
structured graduate studies in weed science.
Focus: identifies the primary weed topic studied at the school; many
schools have additional curricula as well.
Department: identifies the department in which structured weed
programs are located.
Cal-IPC News

Summer 2004

1
1
11

A SSur
ur
ublic U
niv
ersity Weed Science and O
utr
each P
urvvey of California P
Public
Univ
niversity
Outr
utreach
Prrograms
Kristie Cole, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Biology Department
Nicole Molinari, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Biology Department
SCHOOL

PROGRAM
Focus

Faculty/U
nder/G
rad
aculty/Under/G
nder/Grad

OUTREACH

WEBSITE

Department

University of California (UC)
Yes / Yes / Yes

Invasive species control/
Biocontrol/Community
dynamics & invasions

Davis

Yes / Yes / Yes

Plant ecology and weed
biology (Centaurea
Biology (Evolution &
solstitialis and other specific Ecology)
invasions)

Irvine

Yes / Yes / Yes

Invasive species impact on
natives in Hawaii

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

None

Los Angeles

No / No / No

None

None

various consortium
programs

Merced

No / No / No

None

None

Riverside

Yes / Yes / Yes

Wildland weeds and
herbicide resistance

Botany/Plant Science

None

San Diego

Yes / Yes / Yes

Caulerpa taxifolia invasions

Agriculture and
Natural Resources

The Seagrant Program csgc.ucsd.edu

Santa Barbara

Yes / Yes / Yes

Impacts of exotic species
competition between rare
plants and invaders

Biology (Ecology,
Habitat Restoration
Evolution, and Marine
Club
Biology)

Santa Cruz

Yes / Yes / Yes

Ecology of invasives/Weed
Ecology and Evolupolicy/Physiology of
invaders/Endangered plants tionary Biology
& invasives

Berkeley

Range Science, College
UC Botanical Garden botanicalgarden.berkeley.
of Natural Resources
edu/research.html
& Biology
The Nature Conservancy and Weed
Research &
Information Center

Site Stewardship

California State University (CSU)
Bakersfield

No / No / No

None

None

None

Channel Islands

No / No / No*

None yet

Planned in Biology

None

Chico

Yes / Yes / No

Weeds in range and
agricultural systems

Agriculture

None

Dominguez Hills

No / No / No

None

None

None

Fresno

Yes / No / No

Agriculture and Natural
Systems

Plant Science

None

Fullerton

Yes / Yes / Yes

Coastal marine ecology
(Caulerpa taxifolia invasions)

Biology

None

Hayward

No / No / No

None

None

Humboldt

Yes / Yes / Yes

Invasion ecology

Biology

None

Long Beach

Yes / Yes / Yes

Wetland invasive grasses and Biology
eradicaton of Arundo donax

None

Los Angeles

No / No / No

None

None

12 Cal-IPC News Summer 2004

None

None

tncweeds.ucdavis.edu
wric.ucdavis.edu

ucscplant.ucsc.edu

SCHOOL

PROGRAM
Focus

Faculty/U
nder/G
rad
aculty/Under/G
nder/Grad

OUTREACH

WEBSITE

Department

California State University (CSU)
Maritime

No / No / No

None

None

None

Monterey

Yes / No / No

None

Earth Systems Science
& Policy

Return of the Natives watershedcsumb.edu

Northridge

Yes / Yes / Yes

Ecology of invasive plants

Environmental
Biology

state & federal agency
affiliations

Pomona

Yes / Yes / Yes

Herbicide resistance/
Environmental fate of
herbicides

Horticulture/Plant and
None
Soil Science/Agronomy

Sacramento

Yes / No / No

Disturbances and invasion

Biology

state & federal agency
affiliations

San Bernadino

Yes / Yes / Yes

Plant ecology and physiological plant ecology

Biology

USDA Conservation
Program

San Diego

Yes / Yes / Yes

GIS and Remote sensing of Environmental Biology Affiliated Research
Center Program
invasive plants

San Francisco

No / No / No

None

None

None

San Jose

No / No / No

None

None

None

San Luis Obispo

Yes / Yes / Yes

Agriculture & Natural
Systems/Weed Modeling
and Herbicide Resistance

Crop Science

None

San Marcos

Yes / Yes / Yes

Impacts of exotic species/
Physiology of non-native
species

Biology

Indian Rock Native
Garden

csusm.edu/indianrock/
consultants.html

Sonoma

No / No / No

Stanislaus

Yes / No / No

California weeds

Biology

Endangered Species
Recovery Program

esrp.csustan.edu

typhoon.sdsu.edu

*Channel Islands does not have graduates yet.
Only public universites were surveyed for this article. Many private universities and community colleges around the state also have weed science programs and classes.
It should also be noted that while some schools do not have structured weed research programs, graduate students at these schools often focus their research on invasive
plant topics.

…Island, continued from p.5
under 6” diameter) and have devoted much
time to removing herbaceous species in creeks
and in outlier locations (see table).
Of equal importance to removing exotic
plants is the prevention of new weed
introductions. Our project is gearing up for an
education campaign that will help ensure that
those who visit the island understand the
dangers of introduced species. We will install
signage and make public presentations to
various user groups including Park Service and
Conservancy staff, concessionaires, and private
boaters. Additionally, the Park Service is
preparing an “Introduction Prevention Plan”
that will recommend (in part) monitoring and

controlling potential non-native species at
boat and aircraft departure points, implementing guidelines for storage and cleaning of
equipment and supplies in transit to the
islands, and implementing an ongoing
education campaign. The plan also calls for
the installation of boot brushes on NPS and
concessionaires’ docks to help prevent
transporting seeds in footwear.
The control of invasive plants on Santa Cruz
Island is a daunting task; still there is reason to
be optimistic. There is now a permanent,
coordinated infrastructure in place that will
help insure ongoing work by volunteer
groups with the assistance of island stakehold-

ers. There now exists a single, prioritized
database of the distribution of exotic plants
on the island. An ongoing education campaign will help prevent future introductions
of exotic species to the island. With our new
structure and focus, together with a track
record of success, the prospects look bright for
continued support and interest in the project.

Contact Channel Islands Restoration to
comment or volunteer at islands@rain.org or
805.448.5726. Or visit
www.channelislandsrestoration.com/sci

Cal-IPC News

Summer 2004

13

The Ecology and Impacts of Blue Gum Eucalyptus in Coastal California
Grey Hayes, Ph.D., Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
70-year study period.

Much of the workshop focused on the avian
impacts of blue gum. Diana Wakimoto and
Anna Kopitov, research interns working with
Dr. Kerstin Wasson at the Elkhorn
Slough National Estuarine Research
Reserve, presented their one-year studies
in which they compared bird abundance
and species richness in blue gum stands
with similarly sized coast live oak groves
near the Slough. David Suddjian, a bird
biologist/consultant who has extensive
experience and records of bird use on
California’s central coast, compared his
long-term data on bird communities in
blue gum with riparian, mixed evergreen, coast live oak, and grasslands. The
Organizer Grey Hayes addresses attendees at the
message from these presentations was
Eucalyptus globulus workshop.
that blue gum stands are not devoid of
native bird species: species nest, forage,
county and city planners, land managers, and
and perch within the stands. Suddjian even
staff and volunteers from a wide range of
pointed out that some species prefer blue
environmental organizations. Many were
gum, probably because of their tall stature
anxious to gather information to justify their
and the stands’ locations, which are sometimes
blue gum control projects; others were
in areas lacking other trees or close to producconcerned that information might be
tive aquatic habitats. Wakimoto’s study
presented that would condemn groves of
suggested that species richness and abundance
what they have come to know is important
was similar in coast live oak and eucalyptus
habitat. There was also a large contingent who groves, but that individual species may favor
knew there would be no easy answers, but
one habitat over the other. Both her and
nevertheless wanted to hear what could be
Kopitov’s data suggested that exotic species
said about this large, woody invader. And,
may be pairing up: the European starling is
indeed, there were no easy answers.
much more abundant in blue gum stands
than in coast live oak. On the other hand,
The workshop’s first speaker, Eric Van Dyke,
an ecologist with expertise in GIS, aerial photo Kopitov’s study found greater species richness
interpretation, and ecological history, gave one and abundance of birds in coast live oak
of the day’s most popular presentations. He
groves, which were favored by titmice, quail,
began with a comprehensive history of the
spotted towhee, and dark-eyed juncos.
introduction of blue gum in California,
Another research intern working with Dr.
beginning in the mid 1800’s with widely
Wasson, Jason Nicholson, presented his
publicized advertisements of the “miracle
comparison between allelopathic compounds
tree,” which would save the country from the
from coast live oak and blue gum leaf litter
impending “timber famine.” Eric then
and the impact on native species germination.
presented analysis of the spread of several
Nicholson found that compounds leaching
groves of blue gum in the Elkhorn Slough
from the leaves of both of these species equally
watershed, near Moss Landing. While one
suppress the germination of yarrow (Achillea
grove, adjacent to a heavily grazed pasture and millefolium) and sticky monkeyflower
a saltwater estuary, did not spread during the
(Mimulus aurantiacus). This may explain why
study period (1931 – present), most groves
Kopitov’s data suggested similar plant species
(even the grove entirely cut down for
richness and abundance in the two plant
firewood!) spread considerably. Although he
communities. A poster presented by researchcautioned that his estimates are preliminary
ers at the National Park Service’s Golden Gate
and rough, Eric conservatively put the rate of
National Resource Area suggested that, where
spread at approximately 4% per year, or nearly blue gum understory vegetation is depaupera tripling of the size of the stands during the
ate, management to reduce litter accumulation
14 Cal-IPC News

Summer 2004

can help to restore native species, adding to
blue gum groves’ habitat quality.
Entomological ecologist Susie Fork presented
data on insect communities in coast live oak
versus blue gum stands. She found that
overall insect order richness and abundance
was not different between the two forest
types, though specific groups of insects were
associated with each type. For instance, beetles
were more abundant in coast live oak whereas
flies were more abundant in blue gum stands.
Most people have heard about monarch
butterflies overwintering in eucalyptus groves
in coastal California. Dr. Stuart Weiss gave an
excellent presentation on his work at two
monarch gathering areas: Pacific Grove (a.k.a.
“Butterfly City, U.S.A.”) and Andrew Molera
State Park, near Big Sur. He illustrated how
the monarch requires warmth and protection
from wind in these overwintering areas and
how scientific analysis of canopy structure and
wind patterns can help design management
regimes to assure long-term habitat quality of
the monarch’s winter roosts. Another poster
presented at the workshop helped demystify
the connection between monarchs and
eucalyptus by presenting data on the
butterfly’s use of pines and cypresses at
Andrew Molera State Park.
After the presentations, audience members
and presenters engaged in a lively discussion.
It was clear that a lot of questions remain
unanswered. For instance, do data from
Australia bear out here in California where
blue gum’s water consumption can actually
dry up wetlands? Will longer term data show
more clear impacts of blue gum on bird
communities? With more work, will science
demonstrate the widespread anecdotal
evidence of low native understory plant
diversity and abundance in blue gum
compared with native forest communities?
And ultimately, will blue gum researchers be
able to present to planners and land managers
clear guidelines for where, when, and how to
control blue gum?

Visit www.elkhornslough.org/CTP/bluegum/
bluegum.htm for more information about the
workshop and blue gum eucalyptus.

Photo art by Brianna Richardson

Photo courtesy Doug Johnson

On June 3rd 2004, one hundred people came
together in Moss Landing, California at a
workshop entitled “The Ecology and Impacts
of Blue Gum Eucalyptus in Coastal California.” The audience included scientists,

2004 Cal-IPC Symposium
“Inv
e Plant
Invasiv
asive
Plantss and the Wildland/Urban Interf
Interface
asiv
ace”
Ventura, October 7-9

Ventur
a
entura
The historic city of Ventura is the site

Downto
wn Ventura
wntown

dealing with infestations of fennel,
vinca, eucalyptus, and feral pigs.
Birders can add the island scrub jay to
their life list.
Santa Monica Mountains (part-day)
Enjoy a half-day in the Santa Monica
Mountains, visiting the Mediterranean ecosystem of Solstice Canyon to
see the multi-pronged treatment of
Euphorbia terracina (Geraldton
carnation spurge). On the way, visit
restoration work at Point Magu salt
marsh.
Santa Clara River (part-day)
Visit a riparian forest restoration

The Santa Clara River

Buenaventura Mission

project organized by Audubon,
Coastal Conservancy, and local groups
at Valley View Ranch along the Santa
Clara River, with a focus on Arundo
donax.

Photo © Rebecca Wells,
The Nature Conservancy

and restaurants, as well as the historic
city hall and Buenaventura Mission are
all within easy walking distance of the
conference site. Outside the hotel, a
beachfront promenade lines the Pacific
to Surfer’s Point, offering beautiful
views of the
palm-lined
ocean.

Field T
rips
Trips
Channel Islands (full-day)
Spend the day on Santa Cruz Island,
enjoying an unusal opportunity to
visit the Nature Conservancy/National
Park Service reserve. After boating to
Prisoner’s Bay, unwind with a guided
hike or truck tour from beaches to
stunning vistas. Discuss strategies for

Photo by Brianna Richardson

Photo by Brianna Richardson

The interplay between invasive plants
and human development at the
wildland/urban
interface can
both challenge
and benefit
weed management and
restoration. At
this year’s
Symposium,
invited speakers
will focus on:
the migration of
The Symposium site ornamental
plants across the
interface; habitat fragmentation and
edge effects; and fire and invasive
plants at the interface. We will also
host four sessions of contributed
papers focusing on volunteer issues,
funding for urban weed work, academic research, and cutting-edge field
techniques. During it all, the exhibit
hall will house trade exhibits and
posters highlighting research findings
and successful projects.

Photo by Brianna Richardson

The Symposium

of this year’s Symposium. Meetings
will be held at the Holiday Inn
Ventura Beach Resort, overlooking the
ocean two short blocks from the
downtown shopping district. Antique
shops, thrift stores, art galleries, cafes,

Photo by Brianna Richardson

The Cal-IPC Symposium is the ideal
place to learn the latest in invasive
plant biology, management, and
policy issues from researchers and
practitioners working around the
state. Invited speakers, contributed
papers, working groups, field trips,
posters, and trade exhibits make the
Symposium the most comprehensive
overview of wildland weed work in
California. Join us for our 13th
annual Symposium!

Island P
ackers will take us to Santa Cruz
Packers
Island for the Channel Islands field trip.

For mor
e Symposium inf
ormation and rregistr
egistr
ation fforms
orms visit www
.cal-ipc
.or
g or call 5
10.843.3902
more
information
egistration
www.cal-ipc
.cal-ipc.or
.org
51

2004 Cal-IPC Symposium

Preliminary Program
Thur
sda
y, Oct
ober 7
Thursda
sday
October

Frida
y, Oct
ober 8
riday
October

Laws & R
egulations
Regulations

Migr
ation o
als A
cr
oss the WUI
Migration
off Ornament
Ornamentals
Acr
cross

Regulations we use as tools to deal with invasive plants.
Courtney Albrecht, California Department of Food and
Agriculture

A tale of two inv
aders: The dynamic history of
invaders:
pampasgrass and jubatagrass in California. John
Lambrinos, UC Davis

Encouraging conservation on private lands through permit
coordination. Mike Gerel, Sustainable Conservation

Genetic and reproductive factors contributing to the
invasiveness of escaped ornamentals in wildlands. Marie
Jasieniuk, UC Davis

Why yyou
ou may need a licensed Pest Control Advisor. Diana
Bartel, California Association of Pest Control Advisors
Herbicide to
xicology and signal words. Robert Krieger,
toxicology
UC Riverside

Habitat Fragmentation and Edge Effects
Habitat fragmentation in California: Current extent, rate
of edge generation, and a look at our likely future. TBA
A comparison of flora in San Francisco’s fragmented
natural areas. Christopher Campbell, San Francisco Natural Areas Program
Corridors: Crossing political boundaries. Bonnie HarperLore, Federal Highway Administration
Managing remnants of natural habitat in an urban sea.
Suzanne Goode, California State Parks
Effects of the invasive Argentine ant on northern California grassland community composition. Lisa DiGirolamo,
UC Santa Cruz

Water gar
dening: Pathway to paradise or plant invasion?
gardening:
Holly Crosson, UC Davis
Par
tnering to pr
ev
ent invasive plant introductions of
artnering
prev
event
horticultural origin. Sarah Connick, Sustainable Conservation

Invasive Plants and Fire at the WUI
Overview of fire and wildland weeds at the WUI in
California. Chris Ducas, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Fir
iree management practices and alien plant invasions. Jon E.
Keeley, USGS Western Ecological Research Center
Weeds in WUI fuel br
eaks: Challenges and opportunities.
breaks:
Janet Klein, Marin Municipal Water District
Effects of invasive plants on fire regimes in coastal sage
and chapparal. Richard Minnich, UC Riverside

Funding Invasive Plant Projects (concurrent)

Volunteer W
eed Contr
ol Eff
ort
ent)
Weed
Control
Effort
ortss (concurr
(concurrent)

Wetland rreco
eco
ecovver
eryy projects through the Coastal Conservancy. Karen Bane, Coastal Conservancy

Contributed papers will be selected in August. Visit
www.cal-ipc.org for program updates.

Urban str
eam rrestoration
estoration grants through the Department
stream
of Water Resources. Susan Woolam, DWR

Academic R
esear
ch P
aper
ent)
Resear
esearch
Paper
aperss (concurr
(concurrent)

EQ
UIP
EQUIP
UIP,, WHIP
WHIP,, & conservation programs through the
Farm Bill. TBA, NRCS

Contributed papers will be selected in August. Visit
www.cal-ipc.org for program updates.

Working Gr
oups I
Groups
Riparian: arundo, perennial pepperweed, Tamarix, Cape
ivy…
Aquatic: Eurasian watermilfoil, caulerpa, Spartina, water
hyacinth…
Grasses: medusahead, barbed goatgrass, cheat grass,
Harding grass…
Forbs: thistles, knapweeds, dalmation toadflax…
Trees & SShr
hr
ubs: brooms, eucalyptus, tree of heaven,
hrubs:
Sesbania…
Dunes: pampas/jubatagrass, iceplant, Ammophila…

Watershed assistance grants and other bond funded grants
through Regional Water Quality Control Boards. TBA,
RWQCB
State and federal legislative funding initiatives supported
througth CALIWAC. Wendy West, El Dorado Co. Agriculture Dept.

Field T
echniques (concurr
ent)
Techniques
(concurrent)
Contributed papers will be selected in August. Visit
www.cal-ipc.org for program updates.

Working Gr
oups II
Groups
ire…
e…
Risk Assessment… Critical Habitat… Nurseries… Fir
Mapping… Environmental/Social Issues… Roadsides…

New and Contributing Members
Thank yyou
ou for yyour
our gener
ous suppor
t! This list reflects donors and new members since the last newsletter.
generous
support!
Foundation Grants
The Coastal Conservancy of California
The San Francisco Foundation
Generous Donations
Edith & Michael Allen (UC Riverside,
Riverside)
Stephen Batchelder (Consulting Arborist,
Crockett)
erman (CNPS, Pacific Grove)
Rober
obertt B
Berman
Charles Blair (CNPS, Lompoc)
Daniel Boughter (California Exotic Plant
Management Team, Point Reyes Station)
Carroll Brentano (Berkeley)
Eva Butler (Riverside Consulting,
Sacramento)
Elizabeth Carlton (Oakland)
Bob Case (Alameda/Contra Costa County
WMA, Concord)
Marian Chambers (Central Sierra
Partnership Against Weeds, Sonora)
David Chang (Santa Barbara County
WMA, Santa Barbara)
John Copeland (CNPS/Mt. Lassen
Chapter, Chico)
Pam D
alton (I Care, San Diego)
Dalton
Kir
kE
kelund (Garrapata Creek Watershed
Kirk
Ekelund
Council, Monterey)
Sally F
alkenhagen (Menlo Park)
Falkenhagen

Ron Felzer (Merritt College, Oakland)
Jill Flores (Santa Ana)
William & Wilma Follette (Sausalito)
Paul G
Grrunland (CNPS, Berkeley)
Philip Hoehn (San Francisco)
Kenneth Howard (Sausalito)
Sarah Jayne (Irvine)
Verna JJigour
igour (Verna Jigour Assoc., Santa
Clara)
Ralph Kraetsch (Walnut Creek Open Space
Foundation, Walnut Creek)
Rober
obertt P
P.. Leach (West Sacramento)
Elizabeth Leger (ESA, Davis)
Judith Lowry (Larner Seeds, Bolinas)
Audrey Miller (Novato)
Edward Munyak (Los Altos)
M.P
urphy (Ornamental Horticulturist,
M.P.. M
Murphy
Garden Valley)
Val P
age (Mojave Desert RCD, Apple Valley)
Page
Mike P
eters (Fallbrook Land Conservancy,
Peters
Fallbrook)
Ramona Robison (UC Davis, Sacramento)
Susan Sanders (Nevada City)
Lincoln Smith (USDA ARS, Albany)
Jean Starkweather (Marin Conservation
League, San Rafael)
Don Stiver (CNPS, El Cerrito)
Allan Thode (Murphys)
Gilber
ilbertt R. (Ray) Van D
Dee Water (CNPS,

Gualala)
ence Weinmann (Oakland Museum of
Clarence
Clar
California, Berkeley)
Anonymous (Petaluma)
Contributing Members
Kir
kE
kelund (Garrapata Creek Watershed
Kirk
Ekelund
Council, Monterey )
Elaine & D
uncan Walker (Moss Beach)
Duncan
Institutional Members
DeAngelo B
nc. (Hazleton, PA)
Brrothers, IInc.
City of P
ittsburg Clean Water P
Pittsburg
Prrogram
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
(Martinez)
Center for Natural Lands Management
(Fallbrook)
CNPS/Sierra Foothills Chapter
(Groveland)
Peninsula O
pen SSpace
pace Tr ust (Menlo Park)
Open
Center for Invasive Plant Management
(Bozeman, MT)
Marin County SStormwater
tormwater P
ollution
Pollution
Prevention Program (San Rafael)
Marin/Sonoma Counties WMA (Novato)
istrict (Fairfield)
Fair
field/S
uisun SSee wer D
airfield/S
field/Suisun
District
San Francisco PUC, Bureau of Environmental Regulation & Management

Individual Members
Elizabeth B
ickmor
usnar
do (H.T. Harvey & Associates, Ben
Busnar
usnardo
Bickmor
ickmoree (Southern Nevada Water Authority, Las Vegas, NV), Maximilliano B
Lomond), Robert G. Clement (USDA, Morgan Hill), Michelle A. Cloud-Hughes (Soil Ecology & Restoration Group, San Diego),
Geoff Coffey (San Francisco), Donna Dormody (Carmel Garden Club , Carmel), Rod Dossey (Dossey & Assoc., Encinitas),
unt (University of Florida, Gainesville), Nancy JJamison
amison (Woodside), Jon K
eeley
Kristie E
hrhar
Keeley
hrhartt (Wildlands, Inc, Rocklin), Thaddeus H
Hunt
Ehrhar
enga (Carpinteria), Clar
ondon (Rancho Palos Verdes), Car
oline K
uiz
Caroline
Kuiz
uizenga
Claree Leger (Montara),
(USGS, Three Rivers), Cynthia K
Kondon
cD
owell (Gold Beach, OR), Sierra SSmith
mith (Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, Ft.
Walter J. M
cCall (The C.R.E.W., Ojai), Melissa M
McCall
McD
cDo
d SSw
weet (Friends of the Santa Clara River, Ventura), Michael Thometz (Campo), Jean Witzman (CA Dept. of Water
Bragg), Richar
Richard
Resources, Sacramento)

…Arundo, continued from p.9
pursuant to the Costa-Machado Water Act of 2000 (Proposition
13) and any amendments thereto for the implementation of
California’s Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program.
Project partners such as the US Forest Service, City of Santa Clarita,
US Army Corps, Friends of the Santa Clara River, Los Angeles
County Public Works and many others will be contributing time
and energy to make the SCARP document comprehensive and
implementable.
Post-fir
undo spraying in the SSanta
anta Clara Riv
er
ost-firee Ar
Arundo
River
This project is a timely response to a fire occurrence in the Santa
Clara River Watershed in October, 2003. Due to the nature of

Arundo, it is quickly re-sprouting, well ahead of the native vegetation.
One of the primary costs of Arundo removal is the cost of removing and
disposing of the biomass generated by cut Arundo. The fire has afforded
us a tremendous opportunity to use approved herbicides on the Arundo
sprouts without posing any threat to native vegetation and eliminated the
need for biomass removal. This project is being funded by a grant from
the Santa Clara River Trustee Council and is being administered by the
US Fish & Wildlife Service. Spraying is expected to occur in September
and October of this year.

Contact the Ventura Arundo Task Force through the Ventura County
Resource Conservation District at 805.386.4684.
Cal-IPC News

Summer 2004

17

The Nature Conservancy’s Wildland Invasive
ob
Species Team website is now hosting “R
“Rob
Randall’s B
ig Weed List.” One of the best
Big
indicators that a non-native plant is likely to
be invasive is if it has a history of being
invasive elsewhere. Randall’s list will let you
know if a plant you have your eye on has
caused problems somewhere else.

In addition to information on the effects of
fire on specific plants, vegetation types, and
or
est SSer
er
vice
ir
ervice
vice’’s F
Fir
iree
wildlife, The U.S. F
For
orest
Effects Information Systems database and
website also contains extensive write-ups on
fire effects and fire ecology for a number of
invasive plant species, including information
on species distribution, potential habitats in
which they occur, and management considerations.
For invasive plant gifts and kitch, visit
Invasive Species, the Store at cafepress.
Don’t miss the “It’s time to wipe out invasive
plants” wall clock.
Ayres, D.R. and D.R. Strong. 2003.
tina foliosa (P
oaceae) – a common
partina
(Poaceae)
Spar
species on the road to rarity? Madroño
50(3): 209-213.
Spartina foliosa, a saltmarsh cordgrass native to
the US Pacific coast, is forming hybrid swarms
with S. alterniflora, a cordgrass from the
Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The authors
conclude that S. foliosa is in immediate danger
of extirpation in San Francisco Bay, and
perhaps beyond.
Boydston, R.A. and M.M. Williams, II.
2004. Combined effects of Aceria
malherbae and herbicides on field

bindweed (Convolvulus
ar
owth. Weed
arvvensis) gr
gro
Science 52: 297-301.
Combining the biocontrol agent
Aceria malherbae (a gall mite)
and a sublethal dose of the
herbicide 2,4-D or glyphosate
(active ingredient in Roundup
and Rodeo) reduced field
bindweed root biomass more
than either treatment alone.
A new invasive alien species
event calendar is available online. The site is set-up to allow
the addition of events instantly.

Photo courtesy Eric Lane

Readings &
Resources

Tamarisk! Good for something.

Plenary talks from the American Institute of
Biological Sciences March meeting, “Invasive
ear
ch for SSolutions,”
olutions,” are
Species: The SSear
earch
available at
Speakers included Ann Bartuska, David
Lodge, and Daniel Simberloff.

and will help set priorities focusing scarce
management resources on the very worst
invaders. To date, NatureServe has assessed
over 300 of the more than 3,500 non-native
plants that have escaped cultivation in the
U.S.

Last fall the Weed Science Society of America
entered a cooperative agreement with USDAAPHIS to examine the weed management
implications of the potential deregulation of
glyphosate- and glufosinate-resistant
etermination of
bentgrass. The report, “D
“Determination
the P
otential IImpact
mpact fr
om the R
elease of
Potential
from
Release
Glyphosate-and Glufosinate-Resistant
Agr
ostis stolonifera L. in Various C
Agrostis
Crrop
and Non-Crop Ecosystems,” is now
available at

emo
Looking for a weed-r
eed-remo
emovval tool you’re not
sure exists? The ergonica website offers links to
dozens of manufacturers that produce
unusual weeding tools.

NatureServe announces the release of “An
Invasive Species Assessment Protocol:
lants for Their
Evaluating N
on-N
ativ
Non-N
on-Nativ
ativee P
Plants
Impact on B
iodiv
ersity
,” a new scientific
Biodiv
iodiversity
ersity,”
methodology evaluating the impacts of nonnative plants on native species and conservation areas. The protocol is designed to make
the process of assessing and listing invasive
plants objective, systematic, and transparent

A new book, Harmful Invasive Species:
Legal Responses
Responses, edited by Marc L. Miller
and Robert N. Fabian, describes the law and
policy regarding harmful, non-indiginous
species in six countries: New Zealand, South
Africa, Argentina, Poland, and the United
States. Published in January, 2004 by the
Environmental Law Institute

The Baltimore Declaration
Declaration, initiated at the
Experts Meeting on Implementation of a
Global Invasive Species Information Network
(GISIN), April 6-8, 2004 has been released
for distribution. The Declaration outlines the
mission, goals, and guiding principles for the
GISIN.

Can’t Get Enough R
est
or
ation?
Rest
estor
oration?
ociety for E
cological R
estoration
Joint memberships are now available with the California SSociety
Ecological
Restoration
ativ
rass Association (CNGA)
(SERCAL), and the California N
Nativ
ativee G
Grass
2005 Cal-IPC & SERCAL
2005 Cal-IPC & CNGA
2005 Cal-IPC & SERCAL & CNGA
See the back page of this newsletter to sign up, or call 510.843.3902
18 Cal-IPC News

Summer 2004

$55 ($10 savings!)
$70 ($10 savings!)
$95 ($15 savings!)

The WILDLAND WEED CALENDAR
Flora of Lassen Volcanic N
ational P
ar
k
National
Par
ark
July 22 – 25, 2004
Lassen National Park, California
Participants will hike to explore several areas of
botanical interest within the Park. For more
details and to register contact Cynthia Perrine
at cperrine@uclink4.berkeley.edu.
Ecological Society of America 89th
Annual Meeting
August1-6, 2004
Portland, Oregon
“Lessons of Lewis & Clark: Ecological
Exploration of Inhabited Landscapes.”

Sierra Nevada Alliance Eleventh Annual
Conference
August 6 – 8, 2004
South Lake Tahoe, California
“Local Efforts – Regional Results” Learn about
the latest conservation information, tactics
and tools.
12th IInternational
nternational Confer
ence on Weed
Conference
Biology
August 31, 2004
Dijon, France

If you know of an event that you would like
to see mentioned here, please contact
.
California Vegetation M
apping and
Mapping
Classification Wor
kshop
orkshop
September 8, 2004
Yosemite National Park, California
Learn the basics of mapping and classification,
making use of the park’s recently completed
vegetation map and classification.

2nd National Conference on Coastal and
Esturaine Habitat Restoration
September 12-15, 2004
Seattle, Washington

Nor
th American Weed M
anagement
orth
Management
Association Annual Meeting
September 21-24, 2004
Rapid City, South Dakota

3rd International Conference on Biological IInv
nv
asions, NEOBIO
TA – F
nvasions,
NEOBIOT
Frrom
Ecology to Control
September 30-October 1, 2004
Bern, Switzerland

Quotable:
“I would recommend belts from 100 to 150 feet in width, each quarter of
a mile, planted at right angles with the prevailing direction of the winds,
and to line all the highways, parallel with or to the general currents, with
belts of two or three rows, closely planted. This planting would occupy
about one eighth of the land… Contemplate the beauty, the grandeur, the
productiveness of the great valleys of the Sacramento, the San Joaquin, the
Salinas plain, and of every strip of arable land in the State, with belts of
Eucalyptus trees planted as I have recommended. With such shelter
California would become the paradise of the world.”

Ellwood Cooper, in Forest Culture and Eucalyptus Trees, 1876

“Just how ‘saved’ are our national parks if they’re overrun with exotic
species? In the Grand Canyon alone, over 100 non-native plants, 26 fish,
and 4 birds have established themselves in the Colorado River corridor…
[I]nvasive species have yet to sink into the public’s environmental
conciousness the way clearcuts and oil spills have…”

Association of Natural Biocontrol
Producers Conference
October 1-2, 2004
Colorado Springs, Colorado

CALFED Science Conference
October 4 – October 6, 2004
Sacramento, California
The Third Biennial California Bay-Delta
Program (CALFED) Science Conference is a
forum for presenting scientific information
and ideas relevant to the Program’s goals and
objectives in the Bay-Delta, its watershed, and
the adjacent coastal ocean.

2004 Natural Areas Conference
October 13-16, 2004
Chicago, Illinois

Third International Conference on
Invasive Spartina
November 8-10, 2004
San Francisco, California
A forum for the latest Spartina research from
around the world, and an opportunity to hear
and discuss the experiences of a wide range of
marsh managers and technical experts. The
conference will include scenic ground and
helicopter tours.
California Association of Resource
Conservation Districts Annual Meeting &
Conference
November 17-20, 2004
San Luis Obispo, California
Annual gathering of California’s 103 resource
conservation district directors and employees
and other agency, agricultural, and environmental groups interested in current natural
resources conservation issues.

10th B
iennial Watershed M
anagement
Biennial
Management
Council Conference
November 15 – November 19, 2004
San Diego, California
“Watershed Management on the Edge:
Scarcity, Quality, & Distribution.”

Heather Millar in “When Aliens Attack,” cover story in the July/August issue of Sierra,
magazine of the Sierra Club
Cal-IPC News

Summer 2004

19

Cal-IPC Membership Form
We’re wor
king to pr
otect California
om inv
asiv
working
protect
California’’s wildlands fr
from
invasiv
asivee plants—join us!
Cal-IPC’s effectiveness comes from a strong membership, including scientists, land managers, policy makers, and concerned citizens. Please
photocopy the form below, complete, and mail with your payment. Additional donations are always welcome to support our projects; we are a
501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and donations beyond regular membership rates are tax deductible.
Individual
Regular
$35
Family
$60
Contributing
$75
Life
$1,000
Joint Cal-IPC/SERCAL
$55
Joint Cal-IPC/CNGA
$70
Cal-IPC/SERCAL/CNGA
$90
Student/Volunteer
$15

Institutional
Regular
$150
Contributing
$300
Patron
$600
Sustaining
$1,000
Small company
or Nonprofit
$100

Name
Affiliation
Address
City, State & Zip

Ways to join:
Mail: send this form with check (made out to “Cal-IPC”) or credit card
info to Cal-IPC, 1442-A Walnut Street #462, Berkeley, CA 94709
Fax: fax form with credit card info to 510/217-3500
Email: send contact and credit card info to dwjohnson@cal-ipc.org
Phone: call us at 510/843-3902 and provide contact and credit card info

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Invasive Plant
Council
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