Cal-IPC News
Protecting California’s Natural Areas
from Wildland Weeds
Vol. 17, No. 1
Spring 2009
Quarterly Newsletter of the California Invasive Plant Council
Southern Sierra and Tulare Lake…
2009 Symposium in Visalia!
National Park Service Weed Crew member
removes bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) from
a steep canyon wall in Bubbs Creek, Kings
Canyon National Park Wilderness. Bull
thistle is common in wilderness seeps,
streamsides, and meadows, where crews have
been controlling it by hand removal since
2001. NPS Photo by Richard Thiel.
Inside:
Ergonomics for weed workers……………………… 4
The state bond freeze and weed work…………… 5
The cost of weeds to California . …………………. 6
2009 Symposium………………………………………. 8
Greetings from the Low Desert WMA…………… 11
Fish & Game works on invasives………………….12
California
Invasive Plant
Council
1442-A Walnut Street, #462
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 843-3902
fax (510) 217-3500
www.cal-ipc.org
info@cal-ipc.org
A California 501(c)3 nonprofit organization
Protecting California’s natural areas
from wildland weeds through
research, restoration, and education.
STAFF
Doug Johnson, Executive Director
dwjohnson@cal-ipc.org
Elizabeth Brusati, Program Manager
edbrusati@cal-ipc.org
Heather Brady, Project Coordinator
hjbrady@cal-ipc.org
Bertha McKinley, Program Assistant
bmckinley@cal-ipc.org
DIRECTORS
Jason Giessow, President (2009)
Santa Margarita/San Luis Rey Weed Management Area
Wendy West, Vice President (2009)
U.C. Cooperative Extension
Carolyn Cromer, Treasurer (2009)
The Land Trust of Napa County
John Knapp, Secretary (2009)
Native Range, Inc.
Dan Gluesenkamp, Past President (2009)
Audubon Canyon Ranch
Edith Allen (2010)
University of California-Riverside
Jason Casanova (2010)
Los Angeles/San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council
Doug Gibson (2010)
San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy
Henry Gonzales (2010)
Ventura County Department of Agriculture
Julie Horenstein (2010)
California Department of Fish & Game
Beth Keer (2009)
East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden
Marc Lea (2010)
San Luis Obispo County Department of Agriculture
Cheryl McCormick (2010)
Santa Lucia Conservancy
Tanya Meyer (2009)
Yolo County Resource Conservation District
From the Director’s Desk
Big strides—forward and back
O
n February 9, California took a big step forward in invasive species coordination by
formally creating an interagency Invasive Species Council. Creating the council has
been a goal of Cal-IPC’s for several years. I count this as a significant accomplishment for
our organization and I am excited about the opportunities it presents.
The new council was announced at the World Ag Expo by Secretary of Food & Agriculture A.G. Kawamura and Secretary of Natural Resources Mike Chrisman. They will
lead the council, which also includes Cal EPA, Caltrans, Dept. of Health Services, and Cal
Emergency Services. Federal agencies, tribal and local governments, universities and private
stakeholder groups will serve on an advisory council.
In forming such a council, California follows other states including Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Idaho and Arizona. Though we will not have the benefit of a $5 million
budget like the New York council, we will be able to build on the experience of other states.
Cal-IPC’s advocacy goals include both “strategy and structure”. Our risk mapping aims
to provide baseline data for designing sound statewide strategy. The new council offers a
structure for implementing such broad strategy. Now our job is to help the council be as
effective as possible.
At the same time as the state recognizes the importance of invasive species in creating
this council, organizations working on the issue are being damaged by the economic crisis.
In a move that puts the situation in stark relief, The Nature Conservancy disbanded their
highly regarded Global Invasive Species Team as part of organization-wide layoffs. John
Randall, director of the team, was last year’s recipient of Cal-IPC’s Jake Sigg Award for Vision and Dedicated Service. Cal-IPC has written to TNC to urge that they maintain focus
on invasive species as a core part of their mission.
Many Cal-IPC members, including several on our board of directors, have lost employment recently. Though the promise of federal stimulus dollars may help replace lost state
funding in the short term, the long term situation remains troubling. We will continue
to work in coalition with others
seeking solutions to the state bond
freeze’s impact on restoration projects. We will also continue working to educate public and private
funders about the importance of
controlling invasive weeds. Hopefully we will look back on this
time as a shake-up that resulted in
increased, not decreased, capacity to
protect California’s wildlands from
invasive plants.
Mark Newhouser (2009)
Sonoma Ecology Center
Affiliations for identification purposes only.
Last year of term noted.
Cal-IPC News
Spring 2009 – Volume 17, Number 1
Editors: Elizabeth Brusati, Doug Johnson, Heather Brady
Cal-IPC News is published quarterly by the California Invasive
Plant Council. Articles may be reprinted with permission from
the editor. Submissions are welcome. Mention of commercial
products does not imply endoresement by Cal-IPC. We reserve
the right to edit all work.
Cal-IPC News Spring 2009
Heading to the Capitol, Cal-IPC’s
Doug Johnson and Ingrid Hogle of
the Invasive Spartina Project get set
for legislative visits during the 2009
Invasive Weeds Awareness Day at
the Capitol, March 11.
Wildland Weed NewsNewsNewsNewsNews
Cal-IPC Updates
We’re on Facebook!
We’ve joined the social networking
universe with a new Cal-IPC Facebook
group. Join and keep up on Cal-IPC
announcements between newsletter
issues. And don’t forget that the CalIPC Student Chapter has their own
Facebook group to help students share
ideas.
New Reduced Book Prices
Thanks to a reduction in the publisher’s
price, we are able to reduce our prices
I
t is with great regret that we announce
that The Nature Conservancy has cut
its Global Invasive Species Team and the
accompanying website tncinvasives.ucdavis.
edu (formerly tncweeds.ucdavis.edu). Many
of its resources, including the photo gallery,
Weed Control Handbook, and Element
Stewardship Abstracts, will be moved to
other servers such as the University of
Georgia’s Center for Invasive Species and
Ecosystem Health (a.k.a the Bugwood
network, www.bugwood.org). One of the
casualties is their new Invasipedia. We hope
to have more information on where these
resources find a home in the next issue.
The fires that burned in Southern California
last fall wiped out native vegetation in
some areas, leaving wildlife with no place
to go and opening up places for weeds to
invade. At Chino Hills State Park, native
shrubs and trees died in the fire and black
mustard, milk thistle, and wild radish have
moved in. Many California gnatcatchers, a
federally-listed threatened bird, died in the
fire and the endangered least Bell’s vireo will
find damaged nesting habitat when they
return this spring. Riverside Press-Enterprise,
3/23/2009.
Princeton Researchers studying five invasive
species in the western U.S. suggest that
while climate change will allow some
species to expand their ranges, others
may retreat, creating opportunities for
restoration. They studied temperature,
rainfall, and other factors where cheatgrass,
for Weeds of
California and
Other Western
States to $80
(was $103)
and the set of
Broadleaf and
Grass Weeds
CD-ROMs to $50
(was $58). Tax and shipping
are additional. Take advantage of this
Stimulus Package Special! Go to www.
cal-ipc.org/shop or call (510) 843-3902.
spotted knapweed, yellow starthistle,
tamarisk, and leafy spurge now grow and
compared them to changes predicted
in the next 100 years. Yellow starthistle
is likely to spread in California while
tamarisk will remain approximately the
same. This study is published in Global
Change Biology. www.sciencedaily.com/
releases/2009/01/090127112055.htm
Scientists in Hawai’i have a new tool to
remove invasive algae that is choking reefs in
the islands. The Super Sucker is a modified
gold dredger that runs on biodiesel and can
remove up to 800 lbs of algae per hour.
Alien algae are a serious threat to Hawaii’s
coral reefs because they fill in crevices
and flatten the complex reef topography.
Smaller, more portable, versions of the
Sucker are also being tested. Unfortunately,
due to budget cuts, the State of Hawai’i
has not delivered the promised funding
needed to expand the program. The Nature
Conservancy, Hawai’i, www.nature.org
Oregon nurseries can no longer propagate
or sell named cultivars of butterfly bush
(Buddleia davidii) due to its invasiveness
in the Northwest. In 2004, the Oregon
Department of Agriculture banned the
sale of the species but excluded all named
ornamental cultivars. However, later
research showed that all cultivars contribute
to butterfly bush’s spread. Nurseries have
until the end of 2009 to sell existing stock.
(Cal-IPC considered butterfly bush for our
Inventory but did not add it because most
of California would not be suitable habitat.)
The Oregonian,11/17/2008.
A new study may help guide efforts
to intercept invasive species carried
intentionally or accidentally by airline
passengers. Researchers at the University
of Florida examined travel patterns and
weather to predict when invasive species are
most likely to be transported and survive
on airlines, comparing when conditions
at origination and destination sites are
most similar. June 2010 emerged as one
upcoming period with heightened potential
for transport of invasives. University of
Florida, news.ufl.edu/2009/02/25/travel-bugs
…continued page 15
2009 Field Course season begins
Our Wildland Weed Field Courses
kicked off the 2009 season on April
1 and 2 at San Diego’s Sycamore
Canyon/Goodan Ranch Open
Space. This year’s schedule offers
courses on control techniques,
biology/identification, revegatation,
mapping, and new advanced courses
on mechanical control and chemical
control techniques. Courses are
held around the state, and we offer
a significant registration discount to
volunteer stewards. Get full details
online at www.cal-ipc.org.
Cal-IPC News Spring 2009
Tools and Techniques
Thinking less to do more:
Ergonomics make weed work more effective
By Ken Moore, Wildlands Restoration Team
Since 1990, Ken Moore has directed the Wildlands Restoration Team, a volunteer program
dedicated to protecting and restoring biological
diversity on state parklands in the Santa Cruz
mountains. They have pioneered non-herbicidal control methods for many invasive plants.
Ken is a frequent instructor at Cal-IPC field
courses and is well-known for designing and
facbricating new tools to make weed work
more effective. In this essay, he urges weed
workers to consider how ergonomics can make
a difference in their work.
W
e are an interesting species, to say the
least. We are increasingly absorbed
with using our amazing brain to come up
with ways to avoid doing anything even
hinting at serious work with our bodies. I
won’t speculate on where this may lead us,
but it has already resulted in our being dramatically less physically capable than other
mammals even half our size.
While some things can be accomplished
quite well by pushing buttons, I doubt that
controlling wildland weeds on the ground
is likely to be one of them anytime soon.
Herbicides, biocontrol, fire, heavy equipment, flaming: all are valuable components
of controlling weeds on a landscape scale.
But human-powered control methods will
always be necessary. Indeed, most of my
field hours are still spent in this way, despite
my insatiable fascination with trying every
new mechanical contrivance and method I
can come up with!
Of course, if we can use that powerhouse
brain of ours to keep from doing physical
work, we can also use it to devise ways to
use our bodies more efficiently. The basic
principle here is to understand and utilize
what our bodies have become best suited
for: repetitive small motions rather than
sheer strength. To travel long distances, we
learned early on that we could get much
Cal-IPC News Spring 2009
further by taking
many small steps
rather than big
impressive looking leaps.
When I was
still a youngster, I
received a lesson
that I know now
to be a universal
truth. As I arrived at my very
first day on a
construction job,
an old timer saw
my awkwardness,
and walked over.
“Do you know
how to build a
house, son?” he
asked. “I have no Ken frilling a tree. Hand tools accomplish tasks taking a series of small
idea,” I blurted.
bites—we can significantly increase our overall effectiveness by optimiz“One nail at a
ing the ergonomics of each small bite.
time” was his
reply.
complish large tasks, we must maximize our
Look at any hand-held tool, think of
limited strength and energy by increasing
how it works, and you will realize that it
—just a little—the work we get done with
does so by doing just a little bit at a time.
each small motion.
A good tool simply does just a little bit
The tools we use in weed control (inmore with each movement. And that’s the
deed, all tools) operate on this same princisecret—a little bit more. That’s why the
ple: they are designed to maximize the effect
design of the tool, coupled with its correct
of small repeated movements to accomplish
use, is so critical to success. In order to aca task, rather than fast or strenuous exertion.
A hand saw, for instance, works by removing
Want to learn more about mechanical
minute particles of wood with each stroke.
methods for controlling invasive
And a very good one used properly will do
plants? Come to our Advanced
so with nearly no effort. Sure, we can use a
Mechanical Methods Control Course
chainsaw to supply more power and get the
in the Santa Cruz Mountains on July
job done faster, but the principle is still the
21. Ken Moore will be one of the
same. It still makes sawdust—just more of
instructors. For more information
it, and quicker!
about the course, visit www.cal-ipc.
I became intrigued with how much
org or contact Project Coordinator
difference
efficient design can make in
Heather Brady at hjbrady@cal-ipc.
repetitive
small
movements many years ago
org or (510) 843-3902.
…continued on page 14
Funding
State bond freeze slows weed work
W
e don’t need to tell anyone reading
this that the freeze on state bond
funding has caused severe impacts to natural
resources projects in California. The Los
Angeles Times (Jan. 21) estimated the bond
freeze has affected 1,100 restoration and
conservation organizations. The Sierra
Nevada Alliance surveyed 68 organizations
in the Sierra Nevada in January and found
that ten had laid off staff, 26 had laid off
contractors, and two had closed completely.
Most of those organizations’ projects related
to restoration and water quality. Cal-IPC
itself has two projects stopped.
To make matters worse, state support is
often used as required matching funds for
other grants, and the loss of state support
will cost organizations other funding as well.
Due to the seasonality of most restoration work, a short time without funding
can translate into a full year lost. The Yolo
County Resource Conservation District lost
a year’s worth of saltcedar removal on Cache
Creek without its grant from the Wildlife
Conservation Board. The Sierra Nevada
Alliance reported that five organizations are
unable to host AmeriCorps crews without
state funds, losing the work those volunteers
were going to accomplish this summer.
The California Council of Land Trusts
(CCLT) has been pressing the Dept. of Fi-
nance and the legislature to develop creative
solutions to get the money flowing again.
Some agencies are willing to issue a “guarantee of payment” to their grantees, stating
that if grantees are able to continue work
through other funes, the agency will pay
for that work as soon as funds are available.
However, no date has been set for when
such payment might occur. CCLT says they
do not expect most bond-funded restoration
projects to be restarted in 2009.
One positive note in all of this is the
state’s action to open up sales of “private
placement bonds” to individual investors in
the “Buy California Bonds” campaign. And
in the first bond sale, the State Treasurer’s
office sold $6.5 billion in infrastructure
bonds in two days, far exceeding the $4 billion in three days they had expected.
However, we do not know when projects
will be allowed to move forward, or when
invoices for last fall’s work will be paid. The
California Prompt Payment Act requires
the state to pay invoices within 45 days of
receipt or pay a penalty, but the act exempts
nonprofits from receiving these penalties.
This means that once bond funding can
be distributed again, nonprofits such as
Cal-IPC are likely to be at the end of the
line as the state pays private companies and
other vendors first to avoid penalties. State
Senator Patricia
Wiggins has
introduced SB
553 to close this
loophole.
We hope
that by the time
you receive this
newsletter, some
of these options
have met with
success and the
future of bondfunded projects
looks more optimistic.
Stopped in their tracks. A crew from Clean Lakes, Inc., cleaning a
MarshMog amphibious vehicle after treating hybrid Spartina in San
Francisco Bay. Coastal Conservancy funding for the Invasive Spartina
Project has been halted. Photo by Drew Kerr, Invasive Spartina Project
Some projects on hold:
Cal-IPC – Two projects halted, one for
mapping arundo from the Mexican border
to Monterey County and estimating its economic impacts, the other for workshops on
invasive species management in the Delta.
Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers
Watershed Council – $2 million in work
and four jobs lost. Halted projects assisted
cities, predominantly low-income minority
communities, on restoring and revitalizing
parks and streams.
Mission Resource Conservation District
(San Diego Co.) – $700,000 of completed
work is unpaid, and $3.5M is frozen for
arundo removal projects addressing flood
and fire risk and restoring habitat.
Santa Ynez River Tamarisk and Arundo
Project (Santa Barbara Co.) – Delay on this
project to eradicate tamarisk and arundo on
the 90-mile river risks a significant increase
in cost due to an increase in the amount of
plants to control.
Invasive Spartina Project (S.F. Bay) – This
large eradication project to reverse damage
to bayshore habitats and flood channels is
nearing completion after five years of work,
but skipping control efforts for one season
will set the project back several years. Ten
jobs are on hold.
Sonoma Ecology Center – The staff of 20+
at the SEC conducts restoration work in
northern California watersheds. The organization has laid off several employees, and
has cut hours for most staff.
Tahoe Resource Conservation District
The RCD is unable to staff educational
work on terrestrial invasive weeds. Tahoe
relies heavily on educated community volunteers to assist with early detection.
More information:
ReSeed California – updates and a
discussion board on efforts to renew
funding. http://stopworkimpact.ning.com
California Bonds
www.buycaliforniabonds.com
Cal-IPC News Spring 2009
Impacts
The cost of weeds to California
By Elizabeth Brusati, Cal-IPC Program Manager
A
t least $82 million per year. That is
Cal-IPC’s conservative estimate of annual expenditures on invasive plant control,
monitoring, mapping, and outreach efforts
in California based on a survey of organizations that work on invasive plants.
The impacts of invasive plants include
displacement of native plants
and the wildlife that depends
on them, increased wildfires,
infrastructure damage, reduced
recreational opportunities and
reduced agricultural or ranching yields. Invasive species are
frequently cited as the second-most damaging factor for
endangered species after urban
development (Wilcove et al.
2000). Many of the impacts
of invasive species do not lend
themselves to easy economic
valuation. After all, how much
is an endangered plant worth?
Calculations on the cost of
invasive plants sometimes use
substitutes such as the damage caused by floods on a river
infested with giant reed or the
reduced agricultural yield in a
pasture covered by leafy spurge.
outreach to determine what is spent annually on invasive plants in California as
an indirect way of measuring economic
impacts. We focused on invasive plants in
wildlands, areas outside of human habitation or cultivation, rather than agricultural
weeds. Some of the programs we surveyed
However, it is no simple
task to compile impacts for an
entire state or to separate out
damage that can be attributed
to invasive plants. Determining the economic impacts of
invasive plants is hindered by
three factors: lack of data on the Full-color factsheet. Download at www.cal-ipc.org.
plants; lack of a framework for
valuing non-market impacts (i.e. “ecosystem also fund research into control methods but
function”) and considering uncertainty; and we did not focus on research as a category.
lack of case studies that apply economic
Because there are hundreds of organizations
analysis to invasive plants. In Cal-IPC’s
across the state working on invasive plants,
recent Research Needs Assessment (Robison our results rely on some extrapolation (dis2009, see article in Winter 2009 issue of
cussed later). Our estimate is conservative
Cal-IPC News), many participants pointed
for several reasons. First, it was impossible
out the need for better information on the
to cover all of the hundreds of organizations
economic impacts of wildland weeds.
across the state working on invasive plants,
from federal agencies to local “Friends of the
We surveyed expenditures on invasive
Creek” groups, and our extrapol. Second,
plant control, monitoring, mapping, and
Cal-IPC News Spring 2009
we did not include the many individual
private landowners removing invasive species (though some of the grant programs we
surveyed do distribute money to landowners). Finally, because we are surveying
expenditures as a proxy for impact, the fact
that most programs are underfunded tends
to make our estimate low.
How data was gathered
We surveyed state and
federal agencies, county agricultural departments, land trusts
and conservancies, resource
conservation districts (RCDs),
utility companies, and nonprofit organizations. Sustainable
Conservation (facilitator of the
California Horticultural Invasives Prevention partnership)
conducted an initial survey in
2007 and Cal-IPC followed
up with a more extensive
survey in 2008. We asked each
organization to estimate how
much they spend annually on
work related to invasive plants.
To avoid double-counting,
we asked them not to include
funds received from state or
federal grants in the totals they
reported. We interviewed state
and federal agencies directly to
ask how much money they distribute to weed work through
their programs.
For several types of organization (e.g. RCDs), we extrapolated from a set of respondees
to estimate expenditures from the whole
category of organization. For RCDs and
county agriculture departments, we extrapolated based on the number of organizations
in that category in California. For land
trusts, we extrapolated based on the number
of trusts and conservancies (California
Council of Land Trusts 2008). We did not
have a way to extrapolate for parks and open
space districts or utilities, so we only used
figures from survey respondees.
Results
Our results show that state agencies spend
the most on invasive plants, at least $25
million per year. This does not include all
bond-funded projects as we were unable to
obtain comprehensive information on bondfunded projects. We had limited survey
results from parks and open space districts,
so the estimate for that category is probably low given the many local and regional
districts scattered across California.
Our estimate would be much higher if
agencies and other organizations received
the level of funding they believe necessary
to make their programs fully effective. The
California Noxious and Invasive Weed Action Plan (CDFA 2005) compiled figures
on existing and needed budgets for invasive
plant control by state and federal agencies
(before the current round of budget cuts).
For example, the Dept. of Boating and
Waterways the $7 million per year spent
to control Brazilian elodea (Egeria densa)
and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in
the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta represents only 58% of what they need in order
to reach their state-mandated goals. The
Dept. of Parks and Recreation receives only
12-15% of the necessary funding to combat
weeds on its lands.
Long-term, the cost of removing plants
increases when programs that are not
adequately funded are forced to choose
between species or sites, allowing some
infestations to become larger and more
expensive problems. If plants grow back due
to lack of funds for monitoring or follow-up
treatments, money is wasted.
Other estimates
A number of authors have tried to put a dollar value on the damage caused by invasive
species. One of the most widely-cited figures
is the estimate by David Pimentel and colleagues at Cornell University that invasive
species cause $120 billion in damage in
the United States per year (Pimentel et al.
2005). They also found that 42% of species
on the federal threatened or endangered
species lists are there primarily because of
invasive species.
One detailed analysis on the cost-benefit
ratio of eradicating a particular invasive
plant shows how the values add up on a
large scale. Erica Zavaleta of UC Santa Cruz
quantified the impact of saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima) by calculating the costs to
Local/Regional Nonprofits
Parks
Utilities
County
Ag. Depts.
State agencies
Type of Organization
Annual Weed
Expenditures
State agencies
$26 M
Federal agencies
$21 M
Land trusts and
conservancies
$10 M
Resource Conservation
Districts
$10 M
RCDs
County agriculture
departments
$6 M
Land trusts
Regional Parks and Open
Space
$4 M
Nonprofit organizations
$3 M
Utilities
$2 M
Total
$82M
Federal agencies
What’s spent on wildland weeds. Expenditures on weed projects in California by type of
organization. This serves as a conservative baseline estimate of statewide impacts.
water supply, flood control, and wildlife.
She compared the cost of a program for
eradicating saltcedar in the western United
States to the benefits that would be gained,
and found a net total benefit of between
$3.8 billion and $11.2 billion over 55 years
(Zavaleta 2000).
Even the Marines have to contend with
invasive species. Camp Pendleton spent
$200,000 in emergency funds in 2005 to
remove arundo debris that had washed
downstream onto a beach during winter
floods. The base also spent $1.2 million over
five years to remove arundo and tamarisk
from training areas. Meanwhile, at Fort
Hunter Liggett the Army has a program to
remove yellow starthistle because it tears up
parachutes that cost $4000 apiece to replace
(Westbrook et al. 2005).
One weed with some estimates of its
cost in California is yellow starthistle, which
infests 14.3 million acres in the state, an
increase of 80% just since 1985 (Pitcairn
et al. 2006). Gerlach (2004) compared the
water used by yellow starthistle to other
species and estimated that the value of water
lost ranges from $16-75 million/year in
the Sacramento River watershed alone. On
rangeland, yellow starthistle can reduce the
capacity of pastures by 50% and cause the
overall value of the forage to drop 6-7% per
year (DiTomaso et al. 2006). In California,
yellow starthistle is managed on 500,000
acres at a cost of $25/acre, for a total direct
control cost of $12.5 million (DiTomaso
et al. 2006). If the weed is not managed,
control costs increase as it spreads onto
neighboring properties.
Recreation is another area where invasive
plants cause economic impacts. In Nevada,
one study estimated that invasive plants
cause between $6 million and $12 million
per year in reduction of wildlife-related recreation (Eiswerth et al. 2005). This included
impacts on swimming, boating, fishing,
hunting, and wildlife viewing. The authors
calculated their estimate based on the total
revenue from recreation in Nevada, the level
of weed infestation in parts of Nevada, and
the subsequent reduction in recreation. In
California, expenditures on wildlife-related
recreation in 2006 were estimated at $8
billion compared to $917 million in Nevada
(US Dept. of Interior and US Dept. of
Commerce 2006). A reduction similar in
percentage to that in Nevada yields a loss
of $52 million to $104 million a year in
wildlife recreation caused by invasive plants
in California.
We hope that these survey results will
convey the impact of invasive plants to
policymakers and members of the public.
Attendees at Invasive Weeds Awareness Day
at the Capitol in March made sure every
state legislator’s office received a copy of the
factsheet. Cal-IPC will continue to collect
data to improve these estimates, and work
with researchers to develop robust studies of
actual impacts.
continued page 13
Cal-IPC News Spring 2009
2009 Cal-IPC Symposium
The Leading Edge… this year’s Symposium brings you theme sessions on halting the leading edge of
spreading weed populations, leading edge tools and techniques, and leading edge research on climate
change and longterm ecological processes. Join 300 other weed workers in Visalia for the 18th annual CalIPC Symposium!
Invited and Contributed Paper Sessions
Poster and Exhibitor Session
Reception & Awards Banquet
Field Trips and Field Course
Discussion Groups
Raffle & Auction
Come share the latest in wildland weed biology and management!
“Wildland Weed Management
October 8-10, 2009
Field Course: Advanced Herbicide Control Methods.
October 7, Kaweah Oaks Preserve, Visalia
Want to learn more about how to effectively and appropriately use herbicides to control
weeds? This course is designed to provide more detailed information about chemical
control than is provided in our basic Control Methods Field Course. Topics will include
modes of action, selectivity, application methods, calibration for proper application rate,
personal and environmental safety, and specific treatment strategies for different types of
weeds. particular methods used for more. Instructors include Dr. Joe DiTomaso of UC
Davis and others with extensive experience controlling wildland weeds with herbicides.
DPR Continuing Education units will be available (specific hours will be listed on our
website this summer). Register with the Symposium and receive a discount. Cal-IPC field
courses provide attendees with reference information, lunch, and a great opportunity to
network with instructors and other attendees. Sign up early—space is limited!
Richard A. Minnich, Author of California’s Fading Wildflowers:
Lost Legacy and Biological Invasions (UC Press, 2008)
UC Riverside biogeographer Rich Minnich will be with us to describe the impact of nonnative
bromes on California’s renowned wildflowers. Forbs, not bunch grasses, may have been the dominant
vegetation in much of California’s current grassland habitat. Minnich’s research calls into question
long-held assumptions about historical ecology in California, and offers intriguing opportunities for
restoration of this “lost legacy.”
Cal-IPC News Spring 2009
Visalia… lies at the foot of the southern
Sierra Nevada in Tulare County, Visalia is
the gateway to Sequoia and Kings Canyon
National Parks. The mountains are home to
the world’s largest trees, the giant sequoia.
The productive valley, which today supports
250 different crops, was once home to
Tulare Lake, the largest in the western US.
The town itself is the oldest between Los
Angeles and Stockton, and boasts over 50
murals in its thriving downtown.
The Symposium will be held at the
convention center, a short walk from over
forty downtown restaurants and the historic
Fox Theatre.
Bavaria? No, Visalia! Photo from Visalia Convention & Visitors
Bureau.
on the Leading Edge”
Visalia Convention Center
Field Trips to Sequoia-Kings Canyon
National Parks, Kaweah Oaks Preserve,
and Atwell Island
Don’t miss these opportunities for insiders tours of the region’s
landscapes and invasive plant management efforts. In the Sierra,
we will visit montane meadow restoration projects, and hear about
strategies to gain public support for natural resource management.
In the valley, we will vist remnant valley oak and alkali meadow
habitats, and learn about innovative restoration efforts by the
Sequoia Riverlands Trust and the Tulare Basin Wildlife Partners.
At left, California NPS Exotic Plant Management Team Leader
Dan Boughter removes reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea)
from among the native vegetation in a wet meadow in Grant
Grove, Kings Canyon National Park. After two years of treatment
by herbicide, crews followed up with hand removal. Rein orchid
(Platanthera leucostachys) is in the foreground. NPS Photo by
Athena Demetry.
…see next page
More at www.cal-ipc.org
Cal-IPC News Spring 2009
More on the Symposium…
Registration, Transportation, Lodging
Call for Papers & Posters: due June 19
Registration will open in May. Register online for faster processing, and choose from several payment options. Includes all
meals Thursday, breakfast Friday, and 2010 Cal-IPC membership. Field trips and field course provide lunch.
We invite weed workers and researchers to submit abstracts
for oral presentations or posters at the 2009 Symposium
on invasive plant biology, management, monitoring, or
outreach programs. We especially look for presentations on
innovative projects that can be applied to other species or
other parts of the state beyond the current project. Presenters will have a 20-minute time slot. Info at www.cal-ipc.org.
Rates:
Regular: $250 ($275 after Sept. 14)
Student: $100 ($125 after Sept. 14)
Symposium Volunteer: $150 (before Sept. 14 only)
Field Trips: $25-$50
Field Course: $145 with Symposium, $165 solo
Getting There: Visalia is located in Tulare County, south of
Fresno. Three airports are located within 75 miles of Visalia
and it is also served by an Amtrak bus shuttle from Hanford
via the San Joaquin train.
Lodging: Rooms are available at a special conference rate at
the Marriott adjacent to the convention center ($99 single
or double) and the Comfort Suites one block away ($99 per
suite). Reserve your room by Sept. 14 to receive the discounted rates.
Sharing Rides and Rooms: In an effort to help attendees
keep costs down, we will be offering online bulletin boards for
arranging carpools and shared rooms. Comfort Suites rooms
are designed to accommodate multiple people.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsoring the Symposium is a great way for your company,
agency or organization to reach California’s weed workers
while supporting the event. Four levels of sponsorship offer
benefits including free registration, exhibit space, and recognition in Symposium materials. Info at www.cal-ipc.org.
Student Contest
Students are invited to enter our second annual Student
Paper and Poster Contest. First place in each category receives
$250. First, second, and third places will be recognized at the
Symposium and in Cal-IPC News. Info at www.cal-ipc.org.
Award Nominations: due July 31
The Symposium is an opportunity to honor individuals and
organizations who have make exceptional contributions to
invasive plant research or management. Our awards are: the
Jake Sigg Award for Vision and Service, the Golden Weed
Wrench Award for Land Manager of the Year, the Ryan Jones
Catalyst Award, the Invasive Plants Policy Award, and the Organization of the Year award. Send nominations to Cal-IPC
Executive Director Doug Johnson, dwjohnson@cal-ipc.org.
See past honorees at www.cal-ipc.org/symposia/awards.php.
Photo Contest: due Sept. 1
Show off your photographic talents in the annual Cal-IPC
Photo Contest! Photos will be displayed at the Symposium
and attendees will choose Best in Show. Entries can include
specimen shots of individual plants, landscape photos, or
weed workers. We especially encourage photos that show the
impacts of weeds. Info at www.cal-ipc.org.
Auction and Raffle
The Symposium is not just about listening to papers on the
newest research results and management techniques; it’s also
about having fun with fellow weed workers! The Thursday
night happy hour includes a raffle with a variety of great
prizes, from wine to books, tools to art. The banquet later
in the evening features a live auction of a few special items.
Come mingle with folks from around the state and recharge
your batteries.
Symposium attendees bid on raffle items. Photo by Bob Case.
10
Cal-IPC News Spring 2009
Do you have items to contribute as raffle or auction prizes?
Contact board member Tanya Meyer, at meyer@yolorcd.org
to coordinate your donation. Thank you!
Greetings from the Low Desert WMA!
Text and photos by Ilima Hawkins, Southern Low Desert RC&D Coordinator, Ilima.Hawkins@ca.usda.gov
currently developing a list of
prioritized projects to tackle over
the next five years.
A pair of endangered peninsular bighorn sheep watch
members of the Low Desert WMA hike through the
Santa Rosa San Jacinto National Monument during
the 2008 WMA review.
Once this work is complete
it will help us better coordinate
the weed management efforts
of individual partners and the
WMAs, ultimately enhancing
benefits to wildlife habitat and
agricultural areas. Support for
the inventory process is provided
by the Natural Resources
Conservation Service and the
Southern Low Desert Resource
Conservation and Development
Council. We expect to complete
the inventory this July.
Tamarisk: It’s everywhere!
T
he Low Desert Weed Management Area
provides a forum for communication
between weed managers in the eastern
portions of San Diego and Riverside
Counties. After the signing of our MOU
in 2006, we developed a WMA strategic
plan that identifies the Low Desert WMA
mission to promote education, research,
on-the-ground management, and exchange
of information related to the management
of invasive plants. We then identified the
12 worst invasive plants in our area, our
“dirty dozen”, and created a brochure that
we distribute at a variety of events.
The desert areas of Riverside and San
Diego counties can be extremely arid
and warm, making water a rare and vital
resource. Tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima)
seems to thrive on the harsh climate and
grows with a density and distribution
far exceeding patterns of native species.
Tamarisk suppresses native species through
a three-pronged approach: competition for
space, competition for water, and chemical
deterrents (tamarisk dramatically enhances
soil salinity).
For the past two years we have continued
one of our biggest priorities, managing
tamarisk in the Santa Rosa San Jacinto
Mountains National Monument. The
monument is home to a variety of native
plants and animals, including the peninsular
bighorn sheep. This winter the we
successfully coordinated tamarisk removal
in the upper reaches of the monument.
CDFA awarded $94,000 to the RC&D in
January 2007 but implementation had been
stalled due to challenges with environmental
documentation and gaining access to the
site. Early this year we secured a helicopter
contract and crew, and cleared 22.5 acres in
the upper reaches of Guadalupe Canyon.
We also continue to support smaller
volunteer efforts to remove tamarisk from
different areas in the Coachella Valley.
Program development through
partnerships
One of the items outlined in our
strategic plan is to complete an inventory
of invasive plants, and in August of 2008
we partnered with Imperial County
WMA and initiated a Rapid Watershed
Inventory throughout the watershed basin
of the southern low desert of California.
Professional facilitator Ray Ledgerwood
led the kickoff meeting, and active partners
include the Imperial county agricultural
commissioner’s office, several water districts,
federal, state and local government agencies,
several tribes and non-profit groups. So
far we have identified our most serious
invasive species, the extent of mapped data
that is available on infestations, and we are
During a hike into the Santa Rosa mountains, Sam Cobb, NRCS, and Kate Kramer, US
Forest Service, stop to examine a tamarisk specimen.
Cal-IPC News Spring 2009
11
Tackling invasive plants on
California Dept. of Fish & Game lands
Brianne O’Rourke and Julie Horenstein, California Department of Fish and Game
T
he California Department of Fish and
Game (DFG) manages 711 properties statewide totaling over 1 million acres.
These properties range from fish hatcheries
and marine reserves to wildlife areas and
ecological reserves. They are maintained to
provide maximum benefits for fish, wildlife
and plants as well as recreational opportunities to the public, but how is optimum
habitat on DFG lands upheld?
of 71 DFG facilities reported 709 invasive
weed infestations. Most of these are small
incipient infestations of one acre or less
(65%) or medium infestations of 1 – 10
acres in size (20%). However, many have
established populations between 10 – 100
acres (7%) and infestations exceeding 100
acres (7%).
Nearly 60 invasive plants were identified
The Invasive Species Program
works with partner agencies and organizations to reduce the negative
effects of invasive species throughout California, including on DFG
lands. This work includes preventing the introduction of these species into the state, detection and response to introductions when they
occur, and preventing spread once
invasives have become established.
Examples include preventing the
spread of quagga and zebra mussels
throughout California’s waterways,
the development and implementation of the California Aquatic
Fish & Game crew removing tamarisk. DFG Photo by
Invasive Species Management Plan, Randy Botta.
and administering one-time funding from the legislature for weed control
in 2008 as having a significant adverse effect
projects on DFG lands.
on DFG lands and their restoration efforts.
Of these, tamarisk (Tamarix spp), Russian
DFG’s Pesticide Investigation Unit
thistle (Salsola tragus), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus
(PIU) investigates problems caused by
exposure of fish and wildlife to pesticides. It spp) and tocalote (Centaurea melitensis) are
reported as having the most occurrences.
is also an important entity through which
invasive species, in particular weeds, are
controlled and eradicated on DFG lands.
Working with DFG land managers, the PIU
provides recommendations on integrated
pest management methods to control invasive plants to ensure optimum habitat. This
is no easy task when approximately 1,800
exotic plant species compete with native
plant species statewide.
The PIU produces an annual report to
share information and statistics on which
invasive plants are most prevalent, what
methods are used to control them and
herbicide use on DFG lands. A 2008 survey
12
Cal-IPC News Spring 2009
DFG facilities use both chemical and
non-chemical to control invasive plants.
More than half (63%) reported using nonchemical methods such as mowing (42%),
grazing (23%) and disking (18%). Several
non-chemical methods are often combined
with chemical methods as an integrated pest
management strategy. Seventy six percent
of facilities used chemical methods, mostly
applied herbicide formulations including
the active ingredients glyphosate (65%), clopyralid (11%) and triclopyr triethylamine
salt and butoxyethyl ester (9%).
In fiscal year 2006-07, 28 DFG wildlife
areas and ecological reserves were provided
with one-time funding from the legislature
for invasive plant control projects. The
objectives of these projects were to eradicate
both outlying populations of established
invasive plants to limit their spread and new
infestations to avoid larger control costs in
the future. Twenty species were treated,
including tamarisk, several species of thistles
and knapweed and Cape ivy (Delairea odorata). Removing tamarisk
from desert springs and creeks may
increase native habitat for such California threatened and endangered
species like desert pupfish, peninsular
bighorn sheep and least Bell’s vireo.
Eliminating incipient infestations of
Italian thistle (Carduus pycnocephalus), spotted knapweed (Centaurea
maculosa) and yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) at six DFG facilities
in the San Joaquin valley may prevent
their establishment at these properties and avoid their spread onto
neighboring lands. The reduction of
Cape ivy at Elkhorn Slough Ecological Reserve will allow restoration and
recolonization of native oak trees and
their associated native understory species.
Tackling invasive plant species on DFG
lands is an ongoing effort that requires the
coordination of many programs, people
and facilities statewide. One-time funding
that lasts for just a few years cannot solve
the problem, but we hope with documentation of our work, we stand a better chance
of obtaining additional funds in the future.
With continual eradication and control
projects, public recreational opportunities
and optimum habitat for native fish, wildlife
and plant species will be ensured.
For more information:
DFG Invasive Species Program:
www.dfg.ca.gov/invasives/
DFG Pesticide Investigation Unit:
www.dfg.ca.gov/ospr/about/science/labs.
html
Thank You for Supporting our Work!
Donors
Your tax-deductible donations are extremely valuable in supporting our programs. This list represents donations received through
March 31. Thank you!
Patron ($500-$999)
Carolyn Cromer (Napa)
Contributor ($100-$249)
Edith Allen (Riverside)
Timothy Babalis (Oakland)
Jason Casanova (Los Angeles)
Dan Gluesenkamp (San Francisco)
Barbara Meislin (Tiburon)
T. Charles Moore (Sunnyvale)
John Randall (Davis)
Wendy West (Placerville)
Friend (up to $99)
Marcia Basalla (Novato)
Chip Bouril (Yountville)
Leif Christiansen (San Francisco)
Sandra DeSimone (Trabuco Canyon)
Tom Dudley (Santa Barbara)
Jenn Erskine Ogden (San Francisco)
Hyla Fetler (Santa Barbara)
Larry M. Jones (Richmond)
Cynthia Kondon (Rancho Palos Verdes)
Fred Kramer (San Diego)
James Pea (San Diego)
Elizabeth Proctor (Pacifica)
Steve Schultz (Buellton)
Philomene Smith (Monterey)
Jean Starkweather (San Rafael)
Sara Sweet (Galt)
New Members
Maureen Abare-Laudy (County of San Diego Parks and Recreation), Leslie Allen (LSA Associates, Inc, Point Richmond), William
Allison (Tri Valley Landscape, Westlake Village), Jennifer Allison (Tri Valley Landscape, Westlake Village), Rebecca Alvidrez (Chambers Group, Inc., Redlands), Yidelwo Asbu (County of San Diego Parks & Recreation), Timothy Babalis (National Park Service,
Oakland), Domenic Bongio (Caltrans, Eureka), Tamara Camper (McKinleyville), Brian Castelluccio (Dept. of Parks and Recreation,
Roseville), Jacqueline Cully (County of San Diego Parks and Recreation), Mary Dellavalle (CA State Parks, Colorado Desert District, Borrego Springs), Andrew Doran (University of California & Jepson Herbaria), Debbie Evans (Tree of Life Nursery, San Juan
Capistrano), Anne Fege (San Diego Natural History Museum), Hyla Fetler (Santa Barbara), David Greenwood (BLM, Midpines),
David Holt Jr. (County of San Diego Parks & Recreation), Melissa Holton (Woodbridge), Julie Janssen (Native Plant Connection,
Descanso), Nicole Jurjavcic (Stillwater Sciences, Berkeley), John Kleinfelter (South Lake Tahoe), Tim Koopman (Koopman Ranch,
Sunol), Paul Kucharczyk (County of San Diego Parks & Recreation), Betsey Landis (CNPS Los Angeles/Santa Monica Mountains
Chapter), Sarah Marino (Natural Resource Conservation Service, Escondido), Brian Mathews (Alameda Co. Waste Management
Authority, Oakland), R. Steve Miller (Caltrans, Bishop), Bonnie Muehlner (Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation, Carlsbad), Helen &
Fraser Muirhead (Tiburon), Bill Nantt (Caltrans, Stockton), Linda Novy (Fairfax), Everett Papp (County of San Diego Parks & Recreation), Shawn Peterson (SMP Services, Inc, Roseville), Heidi Petty (Contra Costa Resource Conservation District, Concord), Marc
Pumpkinthief (County of San Diego Parks & Recreation), Gerry Ramsey (County of San Diego Parks & Recreation), Michael Read
(Burlingame), Lee Reeder (Santa Ana Watershed Association, Redlands), Rick Riefner (Rancho Santa Margarita), Catherine Rom
(City of San Diego), William Schlegal (San Bernardino National Forest, Idyllwild), Mike Sexton (Tri Valley Landscape, Westlake
Village), Christina Smith (California Plant Materials Center-NRCS, Red Bluff ), Adam Stackhouse (County of San Diego Parks &
Recreation), Melinda Taini (County of San Diego Parks & Recreation), Valerie Van Way (Cal. Dept. of Fish & Game, Sacramento),
Justin Wages (Rocklin), Carl Weidert (Shingletown), Susan Wickham (Benicia), Nancy Withrow (Natural Resources Conservation
Service, Escondido), Chino Yip (Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District)
Cost of Weeds from page 13
References
CDFA. 2005. California Noxious and Invasive
Weed Action Plan. California Department of
Food and Agriculture, Sacramento, CA. 45
pp. Available: www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/ipc/
noxweedinfo/noxweedinfo_hp.htm
DiTomaso, J. M., G. B. Kyser, and M. J.
Pitcairn. 2006. Yellow starthistle management guide. Cal-IPC Publication 2006-03.
California Invasive Plant Council, Berkeley,
CA 78 pp. Available: www.cal-ipc.org
Eiswerth, M. E., W. S. Johnson, J. Agapoff, and
T. R. Harris. 2005. Input–output modeling,
outdoor recreation, and the economic impacts of weeds. Weed Science. 53: 130-137.
Pimentel, D., R. Zuniga, and D. Morrison.
2005. Update on the environmental and
economic costs associated with alien-invasive species in the United States. Ecological
Economics 52: 273– 288
Pitcairn, M. J., S. Schoenig, R. Yacoub, and J.
Gendron. 2006. Yellow starthistle continues
its spread. California Agriculture. April-June
2006. Available: californiaagriculture.ucop.
edu. Accessed 2/13/09.
Robison, R.. 2009. Assessing Research Needs
for Invasive Plants in California. Cal-IPC
Publication 2009-01. California Invasive
Plant Council, Berkeley, CA.
U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and
Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of
Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau. 2006.
National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and
Wildlife-Associated Recreation. Available:
www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/fishing.html
Accessed January 26, 2009
Westbrook, C., K. Ramos, and M. La. 2005.
Under Siege: Invasive species on military
bases. National Wildlife Federation. Washington, D. C. Available: www.nwf.org/wildlife/pdfs/UnderSiege.pdf. Accessed January
26, 2009
Wilcove, D. S., D. Rothstein, J. Dubow, A.
Phillips, and E. Losos. 1998. Quantifying
threats to imperiled species in the United
States. BioScience. 48:607-615
Zavaleta, E. 2000. Valuing ecosystem services
lost to tamarisk in the United States. Pp.
261-300 in Invasive Species in a Changing
World. Mooney, H. A., and R. J. Hobbs
(eds.) Island Press, Washington, D.C.
Cal-IPC News Spring 2009
13
Readings &
Resources
Know of a resource that should be shared here?
Send it to edbrusati@cal-ipc.org for inclusion
in the next issue.
State WMA meeting presentations
Powerpoint presentations from the March
statewide Weed Management Area meeting
are posted online. Topics include mapping
programs, prioritizing weeds, new tools, and
information on contracts and invoices for
WMA partners. www.cdfa.ca.gov/wma
Lake Tahoe website
The Lake Tahoe Basin Weed Coordinating
Group has a new website with information
on impacts of the weeds in the region and a
link for reporting new weeds.
www.tahoeinvasiveweeds.org
Weed identification tool
Joe DiTomaso at UC Davis and Mark Renz
at U. Wisconsin have developed an online
ID tool that can be set up for an agency,
state, or organization. The agency provides
the plant list and they do the rest. There is
a set-up cost but it provides a customized
identification tool. See an example at:
weedid.wisc.edu/ca/weedid.php
Wildfire and invasive plants
Powerpoint presentations from the
December workshop on Wildfire and
Invasive Plants sponsored by the Society for
Range Management are posted online. The
conference’s goal was to discuss practical
techniques for managing invasive plants and
fire. www.rangelands.org/deserts
Climate change presentations
In January, the US Fish and Wildlife Service
and US Geological Survey held a meeting
in San Francisco to discuss the challenges of
managing natural resources along the west
coast under global climate change. Videos of
the presentations are available online.
www.fws.gov/pacific/Climatechange/meetings/
coastal.cfm
Aquatic species newsletter
“Aquatic Species News in a Nutshell”
from the Pacific States Marine Fisheries
Commission is a quarterly email newsletter
that summarizes new announcements
and resources on marine and freshwater
14
Cal-IPC News Spring 2009
aquatic invasive species, with some items
on terrestrial invasive species as well. To
subscribe, contact editor Joan Cabreza,
Joan_cabreza@psmfc.org.
www.aquaticnuisance.org/newsletters
SeaGrant publications
California SeaGrant has three recent
publications related to invasive species
(see below). Contact them at pubadmin@
seamail.ucsd.edu, phone (858) 534-4446 or
see their online bookstore at www.csgc.ucsd.
edu:
1) Early detection manual for quagga and
zebra mussels
This manual is designed to direct early
detection monitoring by citizen volunteer
groups at small lakes, reservoirs and streams.
46 pgs, color, $10.00, discounts available for
multiple copies. Order online at anrcatalog.
ucdavis.edu/Items/SG027.aspx or see above.
2) Wallet cards
Educate the public
about Brazilian elodea
and hydrilla with
these convenient
illustrated cards.
Free (listed under
Complimentary
Publications on the
SeaGrant website).
3) Eelgrass
brochure
“Stop the
Spread of
Dwarf Eelgrass”
describes how to identify
and prevent the spread of an eelgrass that is
invading Humboldt Bay. Free (listed under
Complimentary Publications)
Resources for citizen science programs
Citizen Science Central, a project of the
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, has a website
that allows groups to post details about their
citizen science projects and to connect with
other such collaborative research projects.
Soon they hope to add a discussion board
and more resources. www.citizenscience.
org/projects
Ergonomics, continued from page 14
when I was researching kayak paddle design.
I had always felt that a single blade canoe
paddle was a more efficient way of propelling a small boat over long distances than
the double paddles most kayakers use. But
I never saw anyone use a canoe paddle in a
kayak, and every kayaker I talked to assured
me I was wrong. Turns out I was right.
While the increased speed provided with the
double blade moves the kayak faster initially,
over the long haul the lighter weight of the
single blade wins the day. The very slight
amount of increased energy used to wield
the heavier double paddle higher on each
stroke adds up to many tons when multiplied by the thousands of strokes taken in
long trips. It’s all in the numbers.
Selecting the right tool for a job is a
matter of considering the specific task at
hand as well as the way your particular body
works. I have found that we are all a little
different in this regard. And knowing how
to use that tool in the most effective way
and when to switch to a different tool
or a different method of using the same
tool is what makes the difference between
success and failure out there over the long
haul. Simple things like sharpening, or a
drop of oil to reduce friction between moving parts, or knowing the range of motion
in which the human hand works most efficiently contribute much more than the little
time it takes to do or learn them. We simply
have too many weeds out there not to be
thinking about maximizing our efficiency
and output on a daily basis.
Working with thousands of people in
weed control over the years has revealed yet
another dynamic at work along with employing the best possible tool and technique,
having to do with human psychology. It’s so
simple: if a worker is accomplishing more
than they thought they could, they become
enthused by their progress. It actually becomes fun, instead of just work! This translates not only to their getting more done
in a given day, but in their more positive
outlook about weed control work overall.
It’s a win-win. I believe it is the single most
important factor in our completing projects
that every observer thought impossible with
a little band of weekend warriors. These
things are easy to overlook, but I truly
believe they make a huge difference in the
long run, and I encourage all weed workers
to take them into account in your work.
The WILDLAND WEED CALENDAR
SERCAL-CNGA Joint Conference
Natural Areas Conference
Cal. Society for Ecological Restoration and
Cal. Native Grasslands Association
September 11-18
Vancouver, WA
April 29-May 1
Lake Natoma Inn, Folsom, CA
With invasive species session hosted by the
National Association of EPPCs.
www.sercal.org, www.cnga.org
www.naturalarea.org/09Conference
Cal-IPC Wildland Weed Field Courses:
North America Weed Management
Association Conference
May 13 – Biology and ID
May 14 – Control Methods
Mountain Home Ranch, Santa Rosa
September 21-24
Kearney, NE
Discount for registering for both courses.
www.nawma.org
www.cal-ipc.org /fieldcourses
Cal-IPC Symposium & Advanced
Herbicide Techniques Field Course
Cal-IPC Wildland Weed Field Course:
Advanced Mechanical Control Methods
October 7-10
Visalia
July 21
Santa Cruz Mountains, location TBD
Abstracts due June 19. Registration opens
in May.
www.cal-ipc.org /fieldcourses
www.cal-ipc.org/symposia
National Conference on Ecosystem
Restoration
Cal-IPC Wildland Weed Field Courses:
July 20-24
Los Angeles
November 4 – Control Methods
November 5 – Mapping
Audubon Center at Debs Park, Pasadena
www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2009
www.cal-ipc.org /fieldcourses
continued from page 3…
Researchers at the University of Utah say
they can monitor the progress of beetles
released to control saltcedar (Tamarix
spp.). Satellites that take pictures of the
earth using red and infrared spectra can
distinguish between areas with saltcedar and
areas where the beetles have defoliated the
trees. They studied areas along the Colorado
and Dolores River in Utah. The study is
published in Remote Sensing of Environment.
www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-03/
uou-sso030909.php
L.L. Bean has chosen a creative way to
reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species.
The company designed their Riverkeeper
boots to minimize aquatic hitchhikers
by reducing the number of seams, using
nonporous materials, and using materials
that dry quickly. They even include a brush
for scrubbing the boots. www.llbean.com
Do you want to be part of the largest ever
international effort to study an invasive
plant? Join a joint cross-continental
field study on garlic mustard (Alliaria
petiolata) sponsored by the National Science
Foundation’s Global Invasions Research
and Coordination Network. Download
instructions, sample data sheets, and a
policy on co-authorship. invasionsrcn.org/
portal/activities/alliaria-sampling/
Quotable
Searching the internet for articles on invasive plants reveals the creativity of newspaper editors —and their
love of bad puns. A sample of headlines from around the world…
P
P
irates of the Caribbean – Invasive species in the Bahamas
– Nassau Guardian
redator vs. Alien: Killer bug to battle knotweed
– The Scotsman, Edinburgh, Scotland (the paper’s logo is a very patriotic Scotch thistle!)
Invasive plant takes root in bureaucracy
– Honolulu Star-Bulletin (editorial on iceplant planted along highways in Hawaii despite a Dept. of Transportation ban)
Beetlemania” to hit Ausable watershed to fight purple loosestrife
“
– Lake Placid News, New York
Cal-IPC News Spring 2009
15
Cal-IPC Membership Form
We’re working to protect California’s wildlands from invasive plants—join us!
Cal-IPC’s effectiveness comes from a strong membership of scientists, land managers, policy makers, and concerned citizens.
Memberships run on a calendar year; those who join after June 30 will be extended through the following year. Additional donations
support our projects. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; memberships and donations are tax deductible. Join or donate online at
www.cal-ipc.org.
Membership Donation
Amount of gift
Regular
$40
Friend ($1 – $99)
Student/Volunteer
$20
Contributor ($100 – $249)
Organization*
$150
Champion ($250 – $499)
* Receives member benefits for three individuals.
Attach contact information for add’l individuals.
Patron ($500 – $999)
Stewardship Circle ($1,000+)
Joint Memberships*
I would like to consider
Cal-IPC + SERCAL
$65
a legacy gift. Please send
Cal-IPC + CNGA
$75
information on planned
Cal-IPC, SERCAL, CNGA $105
giving.
*$5 discount on each organization’s normal rate.
Check here to receive the Cal-IPC News as a link to a pdf file online rather
than a paper copy.
Occasionally, we share members’ addresses with like-minded organizations.
Check if you do not want your information shared.
Mail this form with check (payable to “Cal-IPC”) or credit card info to:
Cal-IPC, 1442-A Walnut Street #462, Berkeley, CA 94709
Name
Affiliation
Address
City
State Zip
Phone
E-mail
Credit Card No.
Exp. Date
Volume 17, No. 1, Spring 2009
California
Invasive Plant
Council
1442-A Walnut Street, #462
Berkeley, CA 94709
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
2009 Symposium
information inside!
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Berkeley, CA
Permit No. 1435