CalEPPC
News
A quarterly
publication
of the California
Exotic Pest Plant Council
Volume 6 Number 2
Spring 1998
IN THIS ISSUE
Presidents Message
by Mike Pitcairn ……………….. p. 3
Some Tips on Herbicide
Treatment of Cape Ivy
by Mike Forbert ……………… p. 4
Invasive Weeds Pose Major
Threat to American
Landscape
by Bruce Babbitt …………….. p. 6
Herbicide spraying of Cape ivy on San Bruno mountain.
Photo by Mike Forbert.
Legendary Stewardship
Award
by Suzanne Goodel ……….. p. 10
CalEPPC News
Who We Are
CalEPPC NEWS is published quarterly
by the California Exotic Pest Plant
Council, a non-profit organization. The
objects of the organization are to:
j provide a focus for issues and
concerns regarding exotic pest
plants in California;
j facilitate communication and the
exchange of information regarding
all aspects of exotic pest plant
control and management;
j provide a forum where all interested
parties may participate in meetings
and share in the benefits from the
information generated by this
council;
Officers
1998 CalEPPC Officers and
Board Members
President
Mike Pitcairn
Vice-president
Greg Archbald
Secretary
John Randall
Treasurer
Sally Davis
Past-president
Ann Howald
CDFA, 3288 Meadowview Road,Sacramento, CA
95832; 916.262.2049; email:
GGNPA, Fort Mason, Bldg. 201, San Francisco, CA
94123; 415.561.3034, Ext. 3425;
email:
TNC Wildland Weeds Mgmt., UC Section of Plant
Biology, Davis, CA 95616; 916.754.8890; email:
31872 Joshua Dr., No. 25D, Trabuco Canyon, CA
92679; 714.888.8541; email:
210 Chestnut Ave., Sonoma, CA 95476;
707.939.0775; email:
<102062.170@compuserve.com>
Board Members whose terms expire December 31, 1998
Joe Balciunas
j promote public understanding
regarding exotic pest plants and
their control;
Carl Bell
j serve as an advisory council regarding funding, research, management
and control of exotic pest plants;
Steve Harris
Joe DiTomaso
USDA Biocontrol, 800 Buchanan St., Albany, CA
94710; 510.559.5975; email:
UC Coop Ext., 1050 E. Holton Rd., Holtville, CA
92250; 760.352.9474; email:
UC Weed Science Prog., 210 Robbins Hall, Davis,
CA 95616; 916.754.8715; email:
P.O. Box 341, Arcata, CA 95518-0341;
707.443.6943; email:
Board Members whose terms expire December 31, 1999
j facilitate action campaigns to
monitor and control exotic pest
plants in California; and
Jo Kitz
6223 Lubao Ave., Woodland Hills, CA 91367;
818.346.9675; email:
Anne Knox
BLM, 2135 Butano Dr., Sacramento, CA 95825;
916.978.4645; email:
Brenda Ouwerkerk SLO County Dept. of Agriculture, 2156 Sierra Way,
Suite A, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401;
805.781.5910; email:
Ellie Wagner
909 Oak Ave., Davis, CA 95616; 916.653.8907,
email:
Peter Warner
P.O. Box 7208, Cotati, CA 94931; 707.792.2822;
email:
j review incipient and potential pest
plant management problems and
activities and provide relevant
information to interested parties.
Working Group Chairpersons
Database
Nursery growers/landscape
architects liaison
Slide Collection
Species Management & Control:
Biocontrol
Arundo
Brooms
German ivy/hoary cress
Please Note:
The California Exotic Pest Plant Council is a
California 501(c)3 non-profit, public benefit
corporation organized to provide a focus for issues
and concerns regarding exotic pest plants in
California, and is recognized under federal and
state tax laws a qualified donee for tax deducible
charitable contributions.
Page 2 Spring 1998
Lepidium
Pampas grass
Yellow starthistle
Tamarisk
Volunteers
Steve Harris
707.443.6943
Dan Songster
Tony Bomkamp
714.895.8161
714.837.0404
Mike Pitcairn
Nelroy Jackson
Need chairperson
Dave Chipping
and Greg Archbald
Joel Trumbo
Joe DiTomaso
Mike Pitcairn
Bill Neill
and Jeff Lovich
Mike Kelly
and Jo Kitz
916.262.2049
909.279.7787
CalEPPCs web site: http://www.caleppc.org
805.528.0362
415.561.3034, Ext.3425
916.355.0128
916.754.8715
916.262.2049
281.287.5246
909.787.4719
619.566.6489
818.346.9675
CalEPPC News
Presidents Message
Mike Pitcairn
T
he world is getting smaller
and a good reason for this is
the increasing use of e-mail
via the Internet and the existence of
the World Wide Web. More and
more information is becoming
available on the Web, especially the
newest information that hasnt made
it into publication yet. The good
side of this is that the Web is an
excellent way to get the latest
information out to those who need
The Web site will
be authoritative
and content rich;
the information
will be peer
reviewed, accurate
and current.
it. The down side is that the information may not have been reviewed
for accuracy and may be incorrect.
Still, the World Wide Web is here
and we are learning its strengths and
weaknesses.
For those of us trying to control
invasive wildland weeds, almost any
information on these weeds is new
so the Web can be very useful in
getting information out quickly to
those who need it. Many CalEPPC
members are located at remote sites
and their only source of information
on invasive weeds and their control
is through their computer. For them
the Web is critical. In this spirit and
to better serve its members and the
conservation community at large,
CalEPPC has initiated an effort to
revamp its web page. The board
has set the general direction: the site
will be authoritative and content
rich; the information will be peer
reviewed, accurate, and kept
current. A committee has been
formed, consisting of Greg Archbald
(Chair), Anne Knox, Steve Harris,
John Randall, Steve Schoenig and
myself. The committee held its first
meeting in mid-March and worked
out the general organization of the
site. It will meet again to refine the
design and identify the specific tasks
needed to bring the new site together.
others. Representatives from
CalEPPC, California Native Plant
Society, The Nature Conservancy,
and the California Association of
Nurseryman were also present. This
committee is a big step forward in
coordinating weed control efforts
and avoiding duplication of effort in
these projects.
This is a major project that will
require the talents and energy of a
few key people to ensure its success.
We on the web committee would
greatly appreciate hearing from you
if you have web page construction
skills, if you can help convert documents to web-page-ready format, or
if you (and this is especially crucial)
can help maintain the site. If you
can help or if you have any suggestions for the site, please call Greg
Archbald at (415) 561-3034 ext.
3425 or e-mail him at
Steve Schoenig, California
Department of Food and Agriculture, is developing a weed database
that, I must say, looks like it will be a
very useful tool for CalEPPC members. At Symposium 97 in Concord, Steve provided a summary of
the database and an invitation to
CalEPPC members to input data.
An update on the database was
provided at the Coordinating Committee meeting and I was impressed
on how useful it will be. The database is available on the web at
the CalEPPC web site when our site
is upgraded. This database will
allow you to obtain information on
projects and methods of control of
individual weeds.
Along this same vein, I recently
attended a meeting of the California
Interagency Noxious Weed Coordinating Committee. The committee
was established to promote coordination and cooperation among
public and private land managers in
their efforts in eradicating and
controlling noxious weeds on federal, state, and private lands. The
committee meeting was attended by
representatives from US Forest
Service, US Bureau of Land Management, US Bureau of Reclamation, and California Departments of
Food and Agriculture, Transportation, and Fish and Game, among
For example, you can query for
French broom and all the French
broom projects will be listed. Then
one could query for a control
method, such as fire, hand removal,
or a specific herbicide, and those
projects using that method will be
listed. Contact personnel responsible for the project will be listed and
you will be able to communicate (via
e-mail) directly with these individuals
to ask specific questions or seek
advice on particular methods. This
will be a great networking tool, and
hopefully, facilitate communication
and knowledge of weed control
against invasive wildland weeds. j
Spring 1998 Page 3
CalEPPC News
Some Tips on Herbicide Treatment
of Cape Ivy (Delaireria odorata)
by Mike Forbert, Thomas Reid Associates
D
uring the 1997 CalEPPC
Symposium field trip I was
standing on the ridge top at
GGNRAs Milagra Ridge Park in
Pacifica, California with Sue
Gardner, surveying the coastal
mountains and wonderful ocean
view. Just south of Sweeney Ridge I
saw a large, light green vegetative
area which appeared to be vine-like,
growing on the northwest slope.
Normally this vegetative color is
reminiscent of manroot and of little
concern to me. However, as I drove
home on Highway One, I realized
that it was Cape ivy that had consumed over two acres of dense
coastal scrub in a remote wildland
area.
I am a state licensed applicator
(PCA) working for an environmental
consulting firm, Exotic Control
Specialists, a subsidiary of Thomas
Reid Associates. Recently, Cape ivy
has begun to encroach into endangered plant and butterfly habitat on
San Bruno Mountain where I do
most of my pest plant control work.
On our current list of invasive
exotics this species has been moved
up to high priority. For twelve years
I have used herbicides as one of my
tools to remove non-native plants. I
have direct experience with Cape
ivy and would like to share some
tips I have learned over the years.
The CalEPPC Symposium 97,
held last October, included working
group meetings on certain exotics
and one working group covered
German ivy (Senecio mikanioides),
now listed as Cape ivy (Delaireria
odorata). One method of Cape ivy
control discussed at the working
Page 4 Spring 1998
group meeting was the use of
herbicides. The working group
recommended herbicides for Cape
ivy are glyphosate (Roundup®) and
triclopyr (Garlon 4® or Brush-BGon®) mixed together with water,
and foliar applied.
An effective mixture is 1%
Roundup and 0.5% Garlon 4 (or
Brush-B- Gon). This mixture is
similar to Carla Bossards used in
her 1995 herbicide control experiments. Our Cape ivy test sites of up
to 5,000 square feet were treated
with individual and combined herbicides (Garlon 4, Roundup Pro, and
Rodeo).
Herbicides are used on Cape ivy
infestations of one-eighth acre and
larger where the biomass exceeds
80% of the surface. Two people
using herbicides can greatly reduce
the amount of Cape ivy within 8
months and follow up with hand
control such as Ken Moores
scorched earth method mentioned
in the CalEPPC newsletter, Fall
1997.
Spray Equipment:
The Solo Back Pack sprayer is a
very efficient applicator and holds up
to four gallons of mixture. The
pressure can be regulated to control
droplet size and spray tips are
interchangeable. Use canister
sprayers with caution, because they
are carried by the pump handle and
can be awkward to use when treating large areas. Ready-to-use HoseEnd sprayers are easy to use, but not
as accurate in the quality of the
applied mixture
For large infestations we use a
100-gallon tank mounted on our
spray truck which is equipped with
700 feet of high pressure hose, a
small gas engine and two types of
pumps. We have the capability to
attach more than 2,000 feet of hose
to access remote sites. The spray
truck is also a feeder source to fill
our backpack sprayers.
Herbicides:
Brush B-Gon contains 8% of the
active ingredient, triclopyr. Triclopyr
is a synthetic auxin, a plant growth
regulator that causes uncontrolled
growth and eventually depletes the
starch in the roots. The herbicides
full effect takes 3-6 months for
complete mortality.
Roundup Concentrate contains
18% of the active ingredient,
glyphosate. Glyphosate inhibits
ESPS synthase used in the production of aromatic amino acids necessary for the synthesis of proteins. It
also effects photosynthesis, cell
growth and plant respiration. The
plants exhibits dieback in 2 or 3 days
and complete mortality within 2-4
weeks, depending on the target
species. The combination of the two
herbicides will initiate immediate
dieback of the plant and eventually
exhaust the starch in the rhizomes.
Both herbicides contain a
surfactant (surface active agent) that
help translocate the herbicides from
the leaves to active growing sites
and the plant roots. Fertilizers high
in nitrogen, like Lawn Sweep 27-01, can be used to help the uptake of
herbicide into the leaves. Assess
your environment prior to adding
fertilizers to your solution. Avoid
applying fertilizers near a drainage,
Continued next page
CalEPPC News
creek, or in sandy soil. High concentrations of fertilizers in standing water
can produce rapid growth of aquatic
plants and will create more work to
remove them.
Brush-B-Gon is selective to
broad leaf plants and shrubs, but
when mixed with Roundup the
solution becomes non-selective and
grasses will be affected. Be target
specific to reduce damage to plants
in the adjacent area. I try to maintain a 12-inch buffer spray zone
around any plants or shrubs that I
want to preserve.
Home Use:
It is best to mix just what you
will use for one application. Spray a
gallon of your mixed solution on the
Cape ivy and measure the area
covered. This will help in calculating
how much herbicide is required to
treat your infestation.
Mix 4.0 oz of Brush-B-Gon and
3.0 oz of Roundup Concentrate for
each gallon of water. The herbicides
are best mixed in the applicator that
you will use to treat the Cape ivy.
Spray the leaves and vines until they
are wet, but not dripping. More
spray doesnt necessary result in a
better die back or kill rate of the plant,
so use only what is needed to treat
your target species.
Cape ivy can be sprayed any time
of the year. Two foliar applications,
four months apart, should reduce 8595% of the Cape ivy and expose the
understory. There are usually other
plants beneath the ivy since it is a
climbing vine. The application of this
mixture can stress or kill the other
plants.
Maintenance:
Assess your efforts 3-4 months
after the second application and
determine the next best method to
remove the remaining Cape ivy. At
this point painting the leaves with an
herbicide mixture is just as labor
intensive as hand removing any
remaining leaves, stolons and rhizomes. The physiology of Cape ivy
allows it to reproduce from multiple
sources. If you have a large rhizome
and one leaf there will be a diminished
effect. The herbicide is more effective
when there is a greater leaf surface to
translocate it into the plant.
Cape ivy is a climbing vine and
there is no natural vegetative competitor to keep the exotic in check. Walk
the site once or twice a year. The ivy
can be left in place to decay and any
native plants that subsequently
volunteer or are planted will not be
affected by the previous application
of herbicide.
Park Use: (City, County, State and
Federal):
Most park agencies have QAC
and/or QAL state licensed employees and are able to purchase commercial grade glyphosate and
triclopyr. A standard mix of 1.25 oz
Roundup Pro and 0.6 oz of Garlon
4 for each gallon of water is equivalent to the home use herbicide
solution.
If you are a volunteer working
on any park property ask the
Ranger what is their policy concerning herbicides. Work with the
applicators if this is a tool you think
is useful to Cape ivy reduction. If the
park has an active stewardship
program ask the site steward how
they work (i.e. mapping or flagging
the site) with the park employees
when herbicides are used. Make
sure you receive proper training for
handling herbicides by a licensed
applicator.
Important: City, County and State
Parks are required to have herbicide
recommendations written by a Pest
Control Advisor (PCA) prior to
doing herbicide applications. Although federal parks are not under
Californias Department of Pesticide
Regulation administration, nevertheless I still write a recommendation
and submit it to the proper County
Agriculture office before working on
NPS or GGNRA lands. Every month
applicators are required to send the
County Agriculture office a written
summary of the herbicides used,
total solution applied and total area
treated.
Safety Measures:
Only aquatic approved herbicides like Rodeo® (glyphosate
without surfactants added) can be
used if you are working in or next to
streams, wetlands, or riparian areas
on your site. A buffer zone of 10
feet is standard near aquatic areas.
Be aware of your surroundings
prior to any application and read all
labels on the herbicide packaging.
The labels contain important information regarding application,
proper safety instructions, and
disposal of empty containers. Remember to label your spray equipment and list the contents to identify
what is in the container. Web sites
are listed below that may be helpful
in gathering more information and
obtaining the Material Safety Data
Sheets (MSDS) about the herbicides.
For questions concerning
herbicide applications around
waterways, honey bees, surrounding
vegetation, or general use always
call your County Agriculture office
and ask to speak to the biologist on
duty. The biologist should be able to
immediately answer most questions
concerning Californias regulations
on pesticides (herbicides and insecticide) and any particular regulation
governed by your county. Questions
about a particular brand should be
directed to the manufacturer. If there
is a need to contact the manufacturer you will always find the phone
number on any herbicide label. j
Contact information:
Mike Forbert, Field Supervisor,
Thomas Reid Associates, (650) 3270429 voice, (650) 327-4024 fax,
mforbert@igc.org, traenviro@aol.com,
tra@igc.org
Web Sites:
Monsanto Roundup:
www.roundup.com/index.html
Ortho Brush-B-Gon:
www.ortho.com/content/
products/index.html
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS):
www.ortho.com/content/
products/Solaris_msds/
SOLMSDS.HTML
Spring 1998 Page 5
CalEPPC News
Invasive Weeds Pose Major Threat
to American Landscape
April 28, 1998 Press Release from the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt
W
rong time, wrong place.
Accidentally and on purpose, America is sowing
seeds literal seeds of destruction. These are the conclusions of a
soon-to-be-published book examining weeds in the United States.
The invasion of noxious weeds
has created a level of destruction to
Americas environment and
economy that is matched only by the
damage caused by floods, earthquakes, wildfire, hurricanes and
mudslides, Secretary of the Interior
Bruce Babbitt said. This is truly an
explosion in slow motion by opportunistic alien species with few if any
natural enemies.
A multi-agency committee on
invasive weeds found that the march
of non-native plants across the
American landscape is so pervasive
that the unique differences of regional plant communities are blurring. Their report, Invasive Plants:
Changing the Landscape of
America, is a systematic attempt,
involving 17 partner agencies, to
define the seriousness of the problem. The report will be available for
public distribution this summer.
Invasive non-native plants, the
book says, are now considered by
some experts to be the second-most
important threat to native species,
behind habitat destruction. This fact
book will help readers understand
the scope and magnitude of the
problem. We hope it will encourage
them to act, to help us control the
invaders that are already here and
prevent future invasions, Babbitt
continued. People are carrying
plants or their seeds from the far
reaches of the globe into every
corner of our nation to compete
with often to destroy the
Page 6 Spring 1998
wonderful variety that nature once
gave us.
Over the past decade, the
report says, devastating impacts
from invasive species have been
reported on every continent except
Antarctica. In the United States,
introduced invasive plants comprise
from 8 to 47 percent of the total
flora of most states, a figure especially alarming considering a recent
report from the International Union
for the Conservation of Nature
documenting that 1 in 8 plant
species is globally threatened with
extinction.
Invasive plants are those that
have been introduced into an environment in which they did not
evolve. Consequently, the invaders
usually have no natural enemies to
limit their reproduction, and thus
easily spread, often unchecked. In
addition, aggressive non-native
species often deal a harsh blow to
rare species about two-thirds of
all endangered species are threatened by non-native species, the
report said. As the native plant
species decline, the animals that
depend on them for food and habitat
may also be jeopardized.
The book was developed by
many of the federal agencies and
others with weed management
responsibilities. These agencies are
part of the Federal Interagency
Committee for the Management of
Noxious and Exotic Weeds. In 1994,
in response to the economic and
biological threats posed by invasive
plants, these agencies began working together to develop biologically
sound techniques for managing
invasive plants on federal and
private lands. After noting the lack
of adequate surveys and reliable
monitoring data for many of these
invaders, the interagency committee
worked with more than 100 outside
authorities to publish a national
strategy on the management of
invasive plants.
Secretary Babbitt called for the
implementation of a national strategy for invasive plant species.
Invasive non-native weeds, he
said, are changing the landscape of
the United States … coming in as a
result of globalization of transportation and trade, and putting U.S.
ecosystems and lands at an increasingly greater risk of damage due to
invaders.
Invasive non-native weeds are putting U.S. ecosystems and lands at
an increasingly
greater risk of
damage.
USDA Deputy Secretary Richard Rominger likewise called for a
greater awareness of the impact of
non-native invasive plants on all
ecosystems, be they agricultural or
natural areas.
The report calls the threat of
invasive weeds biological pollution
and a silent green invasion.
Thomas Casadevall, acting director
of the U.S. Geological Survey,
which is responsible for helping
develop better methods of dealing
with invasive species, explained that
on a plant-by-plant scale the effects
of these plant invaders are often
subtle. Its like metastatic cancer,
Continued next page
CalEPPC News
Babbitt (contd)
he said. It starts with a single
individual or seed and then is carried
to other places by people or nature
where nodes get established and
proliferate, eventually affecting
entire ecosystems.
The human-induced migrations
of invasive species now underway
around the world is unprecedented,
the report states. Unchecked, it
adds, the impact will be a devastating decline in biodiversity and everincreasing threats to food and fiber
production. In wild landscapes, the
book concludes, invasive plants alter
plant and animal communities,
water-flow regimes and are especially threatening to native plants
and animals.
According to a recent Department of the Interior survey, noxious
weeds are invading western wildlands at a rate conservatively estimated to be nearly 5,000 acres a
day. Pat Shea, director of the
Bureau of Land Management, says
that, Western wildlands and deserts
are an important part of our biological heritage and need to be protected from invasive non-native
species.
But the invasive species problem is not just in the West, as the
book emphasizes. It effects most
states and most public lands
throughout the country.
National Park Service Director
Robert G. Stanton called invasive
species one of the most significant
threats facing the natural and
cultural resources of the National
Park System. At least 1.5 million
acres of national park lands are
severely infested and need immediate treatment, the book reports.
Says Stanton: Although vast fields
of flowering plants may look attractive to the visitor, many of these
plants are actually silent, green
invaders, slowly destroying the
native, living natural heritage the
parks are supposed to preserve.
USDA Forest Service Chief
Michael Dombeck said that Forest
Service lands are in a similar situation, with non-native invasive plants
affecting every habitat type found on
National Forest lands. We need to
be paying particular attention to the
east where non-native invasive
plants such as kudzu, Japanese
honeysuckle and mile-a-minute weed
are completely draping forested
areas and affecting forest ecosystem
health, Dombeck said.
The reports authors blame the
increase and spread of invasive
plants on an increasing human
population that has led to greater
disturbance of the land, increased
demand for food and fiber, (more)
overuse of public land for recreation
and commercial purposes, increased
international travel and globalization
of world trade. The problem is
compounded, the report adds,
because many introduced plants
appear innocuous when first introduced; these plants then adapt, and,
in the absence of their co-evolved
predators, explode in their new
environment.
For more information contact
Duncan Morrow 703.648.4221 or
Catherine Puckett Haecker
703.648.4283 j
Call for Posters
P
osters addressing all areas of
exotic pest plant control in
wildland ecosystems of California
will be displayed in the symposium
break area. You and your colleagues
are invited to display your poster
regarding research, control methods,
tools, or other related topics. Informal presentations by poster authors
are invited but not required. Please
call Barbara Leitner at (510) 2538300. j
Announcements
C
Slides, Photos or
Illustrations Needed
alEPPC needs photos or illustra
tions of non-native plant species for the soon to be published
book, Noxious Wildland Weeds
of California, as well as its slide
collection. Please submit photos of
any or all species listed in CalEPPCs
Exotic Pest Plants of Greatest
Ecological Concern in California. What we hope to get are
photos or illustrations of important
taxonomic characteristics: seeds;
seedlings; closeup of flowers and
fruit; color photo of plant showing
form; and color picture of infestation
or invaded habitat. Please contact
John Randall, 916.754.8890,
email:
you need a copy of Exotic Pest
Plants of Greatest Ecological
Concern, please contact the editor.
Web Site
Check out this web site:
web page for the Native Plant
Conservation Initiative. Click on
the Exotic Plant Working Group
site to get to the weed fact sheets. j
Mark Your Calendars
for CalEPPC
Symposium 98
M
ark your calendars to reserve
the weekend of October 2-4,
1998 for CalEPPC Symposium 98
at the Sheraton in Ontario, California. Full day and short-day field trips
will tour local restoration sites. The
invitations for CalEPPC Symposium
98 will be in the mail in July. The
symposium has been awarded 2
hours of educational credits for laws
and regs and 7 hours of approved
credits for in the other category
by DPR. j
Spring 1998 Page 7
CalEPPC News
Biocontrol Against Cape Ivy Begun
by Joe Balciunas, USDA-ARS
T
hanks to generous donations from several CNPS chapters, individual CNPS member, the National Park Service,
the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, CalEPPC, and the California Department of Parks & Recreation, the
search for a safe and effective biocontrol weapon against Cape ivy is off to an excellent start. Through an
international agreement between the US Department of Agriculture here and the Plant Protection Research Institute
in South Africa, top scientists in South Africa are making field surveys and doing the careful detective work needed to
discover possible biocontrol agents for further testing. A number of insect species have already been found on Cape
ivy (A.K.A. German ivy) in its native range, and a list of possible candidate species is being prepared.
It will take a concerted effort over the next three or four years to complete all the studies and tests required before
an approved biocontrol agent can be released against Cape ivy in California. CNPS members and chapters are urged
to continue their support for this extremely important effort. Funding for the next phase of the studies is being sought
now. If you can make a donation or if you can help with the fundraising effort, please contact Jake Sigg at (415) 7313028. j
Success with
Pulling Together:
Noxious Weed
Swat Team
Expands Efforts
USDA-ARS Consolidates Weed
Research in Western USA
By Carolyn Gibbs, BLM
he Agricultural Research
Service (ARS), a branch of
the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
(USDA), has announced the consolidation of weed research in the West.
Three small weed research labs in
California and Nevada will be
consolidated administratively although they will continue to operate
from their current locations.
The three research lab sites are:
the Biological Control of Weeds
Quarantine Facility at the Western
Regional Research Center in Albany, CA; the Aquatic Weed Management Lab in Davis, CA; and the
Range Ecology Lab in Reno, NV.
There are, respectively, one, two
and three permanent scientists (SYs)
at these three locations. The six
scientists operating at these three
sites will form the new Exotic and
Invasive Weed Management Research Unit, and will be joined by a
newly appointed Research Leader of
the Research Unit, Ray Carruthers.
B
ecause of the successes of a
combined effort of the
Lassen County Yellow
Starthistle (YST) Special Weed
Action Team (SWAT), the group has
expanded to include many more
private citizens and agencies. The
SWAT team is also including other
noxious weeds in the attack effort.
A new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is being established
to include the other noxious weeds
and to change the name to Northeastern California Noxious Weed
SWAT Team.
In 1994, the yellow starthistle
had become enough of a problem in
northeastern California to warrant
several federal, state, county and city
government agencies to gather
together to plan an eradication and
Continued on page 10
Page 8 Spring 1998
by Joe Balciunas, Project Leader, Biological Control of Western Weeds
Quarantine Exotic and Invasive Weed Management Research Unit, USDAARS, Western Regional Research Center
T
Dr. Ray Carruthers is currently
serving as the ARS National Program Leader for Biological Control
in Beltsville, MD. He will be based
in the Albany, CA location, and, in
addition to supervising the new
Research Unit, will conduct research
on biological control of salt cedar.
Dr. Carruthers is expected to arrive
in Albany in early July.
The consolidation of these three
research labs will enhance current
projects at all three locations.
Furthermore, the addition of new
scientists to some of the labs is also
possible. The 1999 Agricultural
Appropriations Bill, currently being
considered by Congress, includes a
request for two additional scientists
for this new Research Unit: one for
the Albany location and the other
for Reno. If approved by Congress,
this would bring the total permanent
scientific staff for the Weed Research Unit to nine scientists. j
CalEPPC News
War on Weeds Mini-Grant
A Request for Proposals by the Bureau of Land Mangement, California
T
he War on Weeds mini-grant initiative will provide funding opportunities on a competitive basis for weed
projects within California. A total of $15,000 is available for 1998. This year ALL projects must provide at
least a 1:1 match. In order of priority, the categories are:
1. Educational projects that will have statewide benefits.
2. Research projects that will develop new technology or approaches that will be useful for on-the-ground projects.
3. Cooperative weed projects that involve Federal agencies, State & County agencies, non-profit groups, and private
landowners (i.e. Weed Management Areas)
* Only proposals that are submitted or endorsed by one or more of the signatory agencies of the California Noxious
Weed MOU (http://www.ca.blm.gov/weeds) will be considered. Proposals cannot be submitted by BLM, although the
involvement or support of BLM will result in a higher priority.
Grant Application Deadline: July 7, 1998
Grant Award Date: July 15, 1998
For more information please call Anne Knox (916) 978-4645. Send proposals to Anne Knox, Bureau of Land
Management, 2135 Butano Drive, Sacramento, CA 95825. If you do not have a proposal, but wish to potentially
contribute matching funds to worthy projects, please provide contact information and the type of project you wish to
support. j
Exotic Pest Plants of
Greatest Ecological
Concern in California
T
he California Exotic Pest
Plant Council will be revising
our list, Exotic Pest Plants of
Greatest Ecological Concern in
California, later this year. Please send
new information on plants currently
listed or plants being proposed as
additions to the list to: Ann Howald,
210 Chestnut Avenue, Sonoma, CA
95476. Please send your information
on the Request for Information
form provided in the August 1996
edition of the list. If you have sent in
changes in the past, there is no need
to resubmit. The deadline for submitting new information is June 1, 1998.
If you do not have a copy of the
August 1996 edition of the list, please
contact Sally Davis at 714.888.8347,
email:
provide your name and address for a
copy. j
Book Review: Alien Invaders
F
rom back yards to nation
parks, alien species – plants
and animals found outside their
natural range – are running amok.
Theyre driving native species to
extinction, degrading natural ecosystems, and costing taxpayers and
businesses billions of dollars a year.
people off their ranches, fire ants
have made parks and back yards
unsafe for children, water hyacinth
has covered favorite fishing lakes with
impenetrable tangles of vegetation,
and avian malaria has joined other
exotics in driving several species of
Hawaiian birds to extinction.
Alien Invasion: Americas
Battle with Nonnative Animals
and Plants (National Geographic
Books, June 1998) is the first book to
expose the full extent of the environmental and commercial impact of the
calamitous onslaught of invasive
species.
In addition to sounding the alarm
Alien Invasion delivers a message of
hope and a blueprint for action. The
invasion is still in its early stages,
Devine said. If we act now we can
handle this problem before it becomes
overwhelming.
We cant afford to keep ignoring
or underestimating the invasion,
writes author Robert Devine in Alien
Invasion. Left unchecked, nonindigenous species could transform
much of the American landscape.
Already invasive weeds have forced
Devines book discusses what
government, science, business and
the conservation community need to
do. He also shows what ordinary
citizens can do.
Alien Invasion will be on sale in
bookstores nationwide on June 15. j
Spring 1998 Page 9
CalEPPC News
Legendary Stewardship
Award
by Suzanne Goode
T
he Los Angeles/Santa
Monica Mountains Chapter of
the California Native Plant
Society was honored for its 15 years
of work in the Angeles District of the
State Department of Parks and
Recreation for restoring habitat within
the state parks.
At a recent awards ceremony,
the Angeles District recognized
outstanding performances in several
areas of park management. The
Weed Warriors of the Los Angeles/
Santa Monica Mountains chapter of
the California Native Plant Society
received the Legendary Stewardship
Award for its outstanding services to
the State of California, the only award
given that day to a volunteer organization.
The awards presentation stated
that, These Weed Warriors have
been working quietly in the state
parks of the Santa Monica Mountains
for over 15 years, eradicating invasive
exotic plants. They spend at least one
full day per month cutting, hacking,
pulling, mowing and poisoning such
weeds as tree-of-heaven, milk thistle,
castor bean, sweet fennel, pepper
grass, ice plant, artichoke thistle and
Myoporum. They start early in the
morning and work until dark, rain or
shine, in the heat and in the cold.
They work on the number-one threat
to natural resources in the parks invasion by exotic plants. They work
without pay and without much thanks
or recognition. They have provided
the energy and continuity of effort
that state parks has been unable to
provide in the stewardship of our
native plant communities and wildlife
habitats.
In accepting the award, the Weed
Warriors spoke of their work saying
that when the work is done, it cannot
Page 10 Spring 1998
be detected. Limited by number, time,
and mechanisms for control, the
Weed Warriors select areas for habitat
restoration that have a strong base of
native plants struggling against the
invaders. Once the invaders are
removed, the native vegetation
rebounds, leaving no vulnerable area
for reinfestation.
The work is never done, though,
because following any disturbance,
whether it is fire, flood, grading, or
certain types of maintenance disturbance, the door is once again opened
and the non-native plants will outperform the natives; so the cycle
begins again. Eventually, it is hoped
the seed bank of non-native species
will be deleted and there will be no
need to monitor post-disturbance
areas.
Plants that are particularly known
to respond to disturbance are castor
bean, milk thistle, tree tobacco, sweet
fennel and when floods are involved,
the bamboo-like grass, Arundo
donax (giant cane).
The importance in removing
these non-native species is that they
do not perform as habitat. Faunal
species that have evolved with the
native flora do not fully utilize the
plant, being unable to recognize it as
a viable element of their habitat.
Some of the areas that have
been, or are continuously being,
cleared of non-native species are
portions of Sycamore Canyon in
Point Mugu State Park; County Line
State Beach; Leo Carrillo State Park;
Malibu Lagoon State Beach; and
Malibu Creek State Park.
The work continues and according to the weed warriors, the work
brings a tremendous amount of
satisfaction.Its fixing what is broken.j
Success (contd)
control program. Bureau of Land
Management botanist Gary
Schoolcraft and Glenn Nader of the
University of California Cooperative
Extension believed the weed, although evident in large populations,
could be controlled in the county.
They formed a group among those
who were interested in attacking the
problem.
The objectives of the group were:
To identify all locations of
infestations.
Teach the public to identify YST,
and provide information on
control methods.
To work together and coordinate
information, activities and control
methods.
Long range plans to eradicate
YST using an integrated pest management program were then put
into action with good results. Several YST locations are showing
fewer and fewer plants each year.
Some of the smaller populations no
longer exist.
The SWAT team received grant
funds and thus provided new avenues for inventory, control and
education. An example is the
Northeastern California Noxious
Weed Booklet. This field handbook
is available in a limited supply at this
time and is a useful tool for identifying the noxious weeds found in the
area. The SWAT team was also able
to provide a seasonal individual to
inventory, map and mechanically
remove noxious weeds and helped
fund a portion of a local county/
state spray crew.
The Northeastern California
Noxious Weed SWAT Team is
pulling together to control weeds
and weed spread. j
CalEPPC News
CalEPPC New Members
CalEPPC would like to welcome the following people who have joined
CalEPPC in the months from March 1998 through May 1998:
Karen Cotter
Drew DeShazo
Carolyn Gibbs
Steve Hartman
Mak Langner
Rich McClure
Lynn Overtree
James Popenoe
Gale Rankin
Institutional Members who have joined CalEPPC from March 1998 through
May 1998:
City San Diego Parks & Recreation
UC Genetic Resources Conservation
Program
Quail Botanical Gardens
Jepson Herbarium Classes
For information contact: Susan DAlcamo, Jepson Herbarium, 510.643.7008, email:
July 10 – 12
Scrophulariaceae, Margriet Wetherwax, Sierra Nevada Field Campus. Learn to identify this family.
It may be a member or it may be moving out! The weekend workshop will study many different
groups within this family and discover some new affiliations with as much time in the field as possible.
July 17 – 19
Juncus, Barbara Ertter, Sierra Nevada Field Campus, Yuba Pass. Time to rush out and learn the
third group of graminoids, Juncaceae. Focus will be on the two genera that occur in California,
Juncus and Luzula. The workshop will end in the field tracking down a diversity of species with their
feet in the ground.
July 24 – 26
Salix, George Argus, Sierra Nevada Field Campus, Yuba Pass. The genus Salix has a well deserved
reputation for being taxonomically difficult. The purpose of this workshop is to help the participants to
learn to identify these important wetland species with confidence through field observation, lab study
and practical identification.
August 1-2
Apiaceae, Lincoln Constance and Jim Affolter. Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) is one of the first, if not the
first, plant families to have been recognized by Europeans as a natural group and the first to have
been monographed, in the 17th century. The family is the source of many familiar vegetables, spices,
and medicinal plants including carrot, celery, parsley, dill, parsnip, fennel, coriander, cumin and anis ette. Because of the relative uniformity of the small flowers and the alleged uniformity of their
arrangement, the family is reputed to be one of the most difficult in which to make identification.
August 7-9
Fabaceae, Michael Sanderson and Martin Wojciechowski, White Mountain Research Station, Crooked
Creek. This workshop will consist of both lecture and hands-on laboratory sessions presenting an
introduction to many of the common legume genera (woody and herbaceous) found in California,
including a discussion of currently accepted taxonomic classifications as well as new insights into
phylogenetic relationships of the major groups, their ecological distribution in California and beyond,
and a review of general morphological features used for identification.
August 14-16 Alpine Flora, Steve Botti, Sonora Pass. This workshop will focus on the striking morphological and
ecological adaptations displayed by alpine plants in response to the harsh environment. The class will
learn to recognize the major families, genera and species that comprise alpine plant communities in
the central Sierra Nevada.
Spring 1998 Page 11
1998 CalEPPC Membership Form
If you would like to join CalEPPC, please remit your calendar dues using the form provided below. All members will
receive the CalEPPC newsletter, be eligible to join CalEPPC working groups, be invited to the annual symposium and
participate in selecting future board members. Your personal involvement and financial support are the key to success.
Additional contributions by present members are welcomed!
q Status
Individual
Institutional
Name
q Retired/Student*
$15.00
N/A
Affiliation
q Regular
$25.00
$100.00
Address
q Contributing
$50.00
$250.00
q Sustaining
$250.00
$1000.00
q Lifetime
$1000.00
N/A
Please make your check payable to CalEPPC and
mail with this application form to:
City/State/Zip
Office Phone
Home Phone
Fax
email
CalEPPC Membership
c/o
Sally Davis
31872 Joshua Drive, #25D
Trabuco Canyon, CA 92679-3112
* Students, please include current registration and/or class schedule
Calendar of Events
July 5 – 9
Balancing Resource Issues: Land, Water, People, San Diego, CA. Sponsored by the Soil
& Water Conservation Society. Contact: Sue Ballantine, 515.289.2331, ext. 16,
email:
July 30 – Aug. 2
Green and Gold: Californias Environments; Memories and Visions, Santa Cruz, CA.
Sponsored by the California Council for the Humanities, American Society for Environmental
History. Contact; Carolyn Merchant, email:
http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/departments/espm.env-hist/
September 1-2
GIS for Resource Managers and Professionals, Sacramento, CA. Sponsored by UC Davis
Extension. Contact: 800.52.0881
Sept. 27 – 30
7th Workshop on Oak Physiology & Growth Problems in Oak Plantings, South Lake October 2 – 4 Working Smart, Working Together. CalEPPC Symposium 98, Ontario, CA. CALIFORNIA NON-PROFIT ORG. PAID TRABUCO CANYON, CA
Tahoe, CA. Sponsored by the Integrated Hardwood Range Management Program. Contact:
Joni Rippee, 510.643.5429, fax 510.643.5438, email:
Doug McCreary, 530.639.8807, email
Sponsored by the California Exotic Pest Plant Council. Contact: Sally Davis, 714.888.8541,
email:
EXOTIC
PEST PLANT
COUNCIL
31872 Joshua Drive, #25D
Trabuco Canyon, CA 92679-3112
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
U.S. POSTAGE
PERMIT NO. 7