CalEPPC
News
A quarterly
publication
of the California
Exotic Pest Plant Council
Volume 6 Number 1
Winter 1998
IN THIS ISSUE
Presidents Message
by Mike Pitcairn ……………….. p. 3
Fort Ord Readies the
Troops for War – on Weeds
by Virginia Fry ……………….. p. 4
CalEPPC Symposium 97
Synopsis
by Peter Warner ……………… p. 6
Volunteers fight erosion and exotic weeds at the former Fort Ord.
Photo by Anne Knox.
Pampas Grass Research,
Control & Education Grants
Program Awards
by John Randall ……………. 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;
1998 CalEPPC Officers and
Board Members
Officers
President
Mike Pitcairn
Vice-president
Greg Archbald
Secretary
John Randall
Treasurer
Sally Davis
Past-president
Ann Howald
Board Members whose terms expire December 31, 1998
Joe Balciunas
j promote public understanding
regarding exotic pest plants and
their control;
Carl Bell
Joe DiTomaso
j serve as an advisory council regarding funding, research, management
and control of exotic pest plants;
j facilitate action campaigns to
monitor and control exotic pest
plants in California; and
Steve Harris
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:
Working Group Chairpersons
Database
Nursery growers/landscape
architects liaison
Slide Collection
Species Management & Control:
Biocontrol
Arundo
Brooms
German ivy/hoary cress
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 Winter 1998
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 review incipient and potential pest
plant management problems and
activities and provide relevant
information to interested parties.
Please Note:
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>
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
A
s I was driving back from
Symposium 97 in Concord
(wasnt it great!) the realization that I was to be the president in
1998 started to sink in. It is,
indeed, an honor to serve this
organization as president, especially
in following our excellent past
president, Ann Howald, and I thank
you for the opportunity. Then, a
another thought occurred to me.
Coordinating the activities of
CalEPPC will not be business as
usual because in 1998 we have a
substantial change in the membership of the board of directors.
Three long-standing board members, Jeff Lovich, Nelroy Jackson,
and Mike Kelly, will not be returning. These three individuals were
instrumental in the formation of
CalEPPC and setting it on its
current course. Much of the success that CalEPPC has achieved
was due to the efforts of the early
board of directors to which these
individuals belonged. On behalf of
CalEPPC, I want to say thank you,
Jeff, Nelroy, and Mike, for your
contributions to CalEPPC these
past years.
The flip side of this is that they
will be replaced by three enthusiastic, new board members: Ellen
Wagner, Peter Warner, and Anne
Knox. It will be a pleasure to work
with such knowledgeable and
dedicated individuals as we wage
our war against invasive exotic
weeds. These new board members
bring new ideas, perspectives, and
energy to the business of CalEPPC
and I am looking forward to working with them this year.
To make the transition as
smooth as possible, it was sug-
gested that we have an orientation
for the new board members and
provide them with a little history
and an update on the current
projects and issues being discussed
by the board. This gave me a
chance to look back on our accomplishments of the last five years,
and, you know, we have accomplished a lot! The hope of the early
organizers of CalEPPC was that it
would provide an avenue to educate
the general public on the threat to
our native ecosystems from invasive
exotic plants and to provide for the
exchange of information on how to
best control or remove these plants.
Certainly that has happened
through our newsletter, weed list,
annual symposium, and proceedings, which have been some of the
strengths of this organization. But
the existence of CalEPPC has also
provided an opportunity for individuals and organizations to provide
funds for actual weed control
projects throughout California.
Two recent examples are the efforts
directed toward Pampas grass and
Cape ivy (formerly German ivy).
Last year, in response to a request
by an anonymous donor, a committee was formed to distribute funding
for Pampas grass control, research,
and education projects. For this,
the committee issued a request for
proposals. The result was that over
two hundred thousand dollars will
be distributed to Pampas grass
removal and research projects, and
development of an educational
brochure and video. Details on the
award winners and their projects
are provided later in this newsletter.
All of us with CalEPPC are grateful
to this generous donor for providing
the funding for this work and I am
pleased that CalEPPC was able to
step up and provide the means for
this to happen.
The second recent project is
the fund raising effort for biological
Over
two hundred
thousand dollars
will be
distributed to
Pampas grass
removal and
research
projects.
control of Cape ivy in California.
This smothering vine covers acres
of ground in the drainages of
coastal streams from San Diego to
Del Norte Counties. A total of
$42,000.00 has been raised and an
cooperative agreement between the
United States Department of
Agriculture, Agricultural Research
Service, and CalEPPC has been
signed. The money will be used to
fund South African scientists to
explore and locate natural enemies
(insects and diseases) of Cape ivy in
its native habitat. Updates on this
and other projects will be published
in later issues of the newsletter.
So, it looks to be an exciting
year. We have so much for which
to be proud and thankful and I look
forward to serving CalEPPC in
1998.
Winter 1998 Page 3
CalEPPC News
Fort Ord Readies the Troops for
War – on Weeds!
by Virginia Fry, Professor Emeritis, Monterey Peninsula College
A
s far back as the 1950s or
earlier, a unique and fortuitous set of circumstances
began influencing attitudes about the
value of the local environment
among administrators at Fort Ord, a
28,000-acre military base in central
coastal California, adjacent to the
Monterey Peninsula.
Initially, two influential men and
one woman were responsible, in
very different ways, for sensitizing
Fort Ord Army commandants to the
worth of the native landscape;
S.F.B. Morse (grandnephew of the
inventor of the telegraph), the owner
and preserver of much of the 6,000
acre Del Monte Forest, better known
as Pebble Beach, and Allen Griffin,
founder, owner, publisher, and editor
of the then distinguished and nationally respected Monterey Peninsula
Herald. Both men socialized regularly, over many years, with the
commanding generals of Fort Ord.
These two strong community
leaders spoke ardently about saving
natural landscapes and planting
native pines, oaks and cypress trees.
Griffin, long before others thought
about noxious exotic plants, was
impassioned about the eradication of
iceplant (Carpobrotus edulis) from
the Monterey Peninsulas dunes and
highways, and French broom
(Genista monspessulana) from the
peninsulas pine forests. And his
views appeared in his newspaper.
In 1964, Beatrice Howitt,
retired virologist, published with coauthor John Howell, The Vascular
Plants of Monterey County, California in the Wasman Journal of
Biology, University of San Francisco.
They listed 1,713 indigenous and
introduced species in Monterey
Countys wildlands, making it one of
the most bountiful flora regions in
For decades, the community and
the Northern Hemisphere, with 37
the Army commandants had been
plants identified, at that time, as
sensitized and educated about the
occurring no where else in the
value of preserving the unique
world, …so that Monterey is renatural environments in the
markably blessed with some of the
Monterey area. The environmental
rarest plants known.
movement was well underway, and
Howitt somehow convinced the
more and more biologists were
Army to let her survey for rare
moving to the region. Into that
native plants and habitats on Fort
increasingly environmentally aware
Ords thousands of wild acres. At the
climate came the first U.S. Base
same time, she also started a local
Realignment and Closure Commischapter of the California Native
sion (BRAC I). In 1989 Fort Ord
Plant Society (CNPS) which, in
was listed among military bases
1967, negotiated an Administrative
scheduled for possible closure.
Agreement with General Robert G.
The California Native Plant
Fergeson, commandant of Fort Ord,
Society, unsure if the Administrative
(and friend of Griffin and Morse), to
Agreement they had made with the
set aside, preserve, and protect small
Army to protect rare plants and
rare Plant Reserves at Fort Ord.
habitats would be legally binding on
Later in 1972
another commandant, General
Harold Moore,
stated that he
wanted as many
trees planted as
there were people
on Fort Ord, the
total of which was
approximately
30,000. Jack
Massera, who at
the time was the
Armys Resource
Manager, was
involved in the
massive effort. He
Americorps Troops manually attack Pampas grass invading rare marine chapparal.
recalls, We
planted more
than that; maybe 100,000. Most
future Fort Ord owners, moved
were Monterey pines and cypresses,
successfully to place the preservation
but some were non-native eucalypconditions of the Plant Reserves in
tus. Several years later I oversaw
perpetuity in a legal agreement.
thousands more Monterey cypresses
In 1991, BRAC II closed Fort
planted as a windbreak all along the
Ord, the largest military base closure
western perimeter of Fort Ord.
in the United States, after 74 years
Continued on next page
Page 4 Winter 1998
CalEPPC News
as a military basic training facility.
Leon Panetta, then the local regions
U.S. Congressman, formed a large,
diverse, citizen Task Force to recommend what the 44 square miles of
Fort Ord, an area the size of San
Francisco, should become. State
senator Henry Mello introduced
legislation to create a special authority made up of the mayors of the
seven small cities surrounding Fort
Ord, and three Supervisors from
Monterey County [the Fort Ord
Reuse Authority (FORA)], to govern
and facilitate the transition from
military to civilian use.
The large citizen Task Force,
with views as diverse as its members,
recommended, after much discussion, that more than 16,000 acres
of Fort Ords wildlands be preserved
as public parkland and wildlife
habitat, and that educational facilities, such as universities, be given
development priority on the remaining acres. Congressman Leon
Panetta, the Army, and FORA
moved to implement the recommendations.
The Army was required (because
of the rare nature of the vegetation
on Fort Ord and the presence of
endangered and threatened species)
to prepare a Habitat Management
Plan (HMP), and that plan spawned
the formation of the Coordinated
Resource Management and Planning
Team (CRMP) to make the habitat
management work.
The three early harbingers of
save the land, Morse, Griffin, and
Howitt, were long deceased but their
environmental legacy lived on in the
community for which they worked
so hard and so long, in disparate
ways, to protect.
The next series of fortuitous
events was the Community Task
Force recommended that the U.S.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
manage 15,000 wildland acres of
Fort Ord. Steve Addington, the
assistant manager from the BLM
Hollister Field Office, was transferred to Fort Ord as the BLM
project manager, and Jack Massera,
who had worked for 23 years on
Fort Ord as the Armys Resource
Manager, became the BLMs Resource Advisor.
Within a few years the key
players to insure habitat management at former Fort Ord were firmly
in place: the BLM, the new California State University of Monterey Bay
(CSUMB), and the Coordinated
Resource Management and Planning
Team (CRMP) made up of representatives from the BLM, FORA, the
Army, California Department of
Parks and Recreation (who will
receive the 886 acres of Fort Ords
coastal dunes), the University of
California at Santa Cruz, Monterey
County, the City of Marina (all land
recipients), and California Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, and others.
Steve Addington, BLM Project
Manager, became the chairman of
CRMP and a driving force in its
cooperative efforts. Restoration
through erosion control, replanting
of native plants, monitoring of
endangered and threatened species,
and noxious exotic plant control
became the subjects of collaborative
discussions and coordinated action.
CSUMB started a Watershed
Institute dedicated to having students
and volunteers collects native plant
seeds on the site, propagate and
nurture them, and then plant the
young natives in eroded and dis-
turbed areas of the former Fort Ord.
An offshoot of that endeavor was
the formation of the Return of the
Natives Education Project (RON),
the education and outreach arm of
the Watershed Institute. RON is a
community and school based environmental education program
dedicated to involving students
(Kindergarten through university
level) in native plant and habitat
restoration in their schoolyards,
parks, and elsewhere. They are
partners with the BLM in restoration
education efforts and regular volunteer Planting Days on the 7,200
acres that so far has been transferred from the Army to the BLM.
More than 2,500 school children and community volunteers have
participated in the RON planting
events at Fort Ord during the past
two years. The local Native Plant
Society, still very involved with the
environmental direction it pioneered
long ago at Fort Ord, continues to
monitor the rare Plant Reserves and
is actively involved in Planting
Days.
The little known story about
Fort Ord is the incredible cooperation that occurs at the rolled-upsleeves-level of labor among those
combating erosion, building trails,
restoring habitats, and fighting
invasive weeds. The agencies all
share staff, shovels, volunteers,
bulldozers, ideas, camaraderie, and
respect; everything but cash.
The agencies recognized more
effort was necessary to successfully
eradicate noxious weeds. The BLM
had already been combating the
worst of the exotics in cooperation
with the Army and State Department of Parks and Recreation.
Those weed warriors, with the
Continued on page 8
Winter 1998 Page 5
CalEPPC News
CalEPPC Symposium 97
Peter J. Warner, Milo Baker Chapter, California native Plant Society
M
ore than 300 people
attended the California
Exotic Pest Plant Councils
sixth annual symposium in October,
a testament of the mounting awareness concerning the global phenomenon of invasive plant species. Many
of the ecological, economic and
social issues associated with invasive
plants were addressed in two days of
oral presentations; the symposium
also demonstrated its value as a
networking event with poster display
Speakers highlighted the
meetings central
themes of reaching
out and keeping
out with topical
seminars.
sessions and working group meetings affording opportunities for
interaction and conversation. On the
third day field trips enabled participants to witness the gains made in
returning several San Francisco Bay
Area habitats from the chokehold of
weeds.
Presenting from a wide range of
perspectives, speakers highlighted
the meetings central themes of
reaching out and keeping out
with topical seminars on invasive
plants and human initiatives to deal
with them. Discussions concerning
weed recognition, assessing their
ecological impacts, and projects
designed to keep weeds at bay were
complemented by those which
emphasized the importance of
community outreach. Clearly, the
technical successes of restoration
programs can often be accomplished
through educating, enlisting and
Page 6 Winter 1998
organizing people. Some speakers
summarized their strategies for
motivating individuals and groups of
volunteers while others discussed
opportunities for agency cooperation at the federal, state and local
levels.
The keynote speaker, Bonnie
Harper-Lore of the U.S. Department of Transportation, updated us
on the status of the Federal Interagency Committee on Management
of Noxious and Exotic Weeds
(FICMNEW). Seventeen federal
agencies, including the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Defense and
the Interior, have signed a memorandum of understanding in recognition of the need for cooperation in
combating both wildland and agricultural weeds. This coalition aims to
improve the communication among
the branches and agencies of federal
government pertaining to invasive
species research as well as management and habitat restoration issues.
A similar hub for information on
the state level was introduced by
Steve Schoenig of the California
Department of Food and Agriculture
(CDFA). Created by the California
Interagency Noxious Weed Coordinating Committee, with grant
assistance from the Bureau of Land
Management, a keyword-searchable
Internet database on noxious weed
control projects and methods will be
implemented pending the accumulation of statewide project information. Anne Knox of the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) stressed
the importance of a collaborative
strategy for the funding of weed
control projects. Sixteen state and
federal agencies have signed a
memorandum of understanding
(http://www.ca.blm.gov/weeds) for
the control of noxious weeds in
California. The local formation of
Weed Management Areas that
involve the co-signing agencies of
the MOU may provide an opportunity for grant awards through the
Partners Against Weeds action
plan of the BLM (see page 9 for
details).
Paul Jones of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
reviewed the current status of Team
Arundo del Norte, a Bay Area
group committed to controlling and
eradicating infestations of giant reed
(Arundo donax) and other invasive
plants along riparian corridors. Team
Arundo will work with local watershed management programs to
address a suite of critical ecological
issues including erosion, pollution,
and invasive plant species through
public education, research and policy
formulation.
Several speakers enthusiastically
promoted educational opportunities,
volunteerism and community involvement as invaluable social
components of invasive plant eradication and habitat restoration
programs. Brian ONeill, the General Superintendent of the Golden
Gate National Recreation Area
(GGNRA), summarized the parks
ambitious volunteer programs which
have enabled citizens to recognize
themselves as vital components of
the urban social community. Sharon
Farrell, GGNRAs plant ecologist,
expanded on the structure and
effectiveness of the parks stewardship programs which involves
thousands of volunteers in a myriad
of restoration and plant-propagation
projects every year. Carl Grimm of
the San Francisco League of Urban
Gardeners (SLUG) reinforced the
message that environmental work
can be an invaluable resource for
enhancing individual self-esteem by
relating his personal experiences of
working with inner-city youth in topto-bottom sustainable agriculture,
Continued on next page
CalEPPC News
gardening and restoration projects.
Lisa Vittori, formerly of the California Conservation Corps, humorously
provided an insiders slant on how to
achieve the maximum benefits
possible from working with the CCC
or inmate crews in restoration work,
stressing the importance of educating
the labor forces, and providing work
breaks and refreshments for those
engaging in hand-to-hand combat
with invasive plants.
Michael Swezy of the Marin
Municipal Water District emphasized
the necessity of creating a multifaceted bureaucracy to address such
needs as equipment purchasing and
labor, while also engaging public
support. Linda Miller, the Humboldt
Project Manager for the Center for
Natural Lands Management, outlined
the diversification of outreach necessary in sparsely populated areas in
order to access the essential manual
labor for restoration projects. All
potential sources (schools, civic and
environmental organizations, and
inmate labor) need to be explored to
accomplish the work. Festive social
gatherings with refreshments and
entertainment are always well received.
David Boyd of the California
Department of Parks & Recreation
impressed the attendants with a slide
presentation on the reduction of the
Eucalyptus globulus population on
Angel Island State Park. Despite the
difficulties of promoting the removal
of these well-established trees to the
public sector, David reported that the
media was quite fair in presenting
opposing viewpoints on this largescale project and the citizens were
enlightened about the positive
ramifications of habitat restoration in
the process. In a somewhat less
controversial project, Andrea Pickart
of The Nature Conservancy summarized the three primary methods that
have been employed in the removal
of European beach grass from the
Lanphere-Christensen Dunes Preserve in Humboldt County. Comparing the results of manual removal
with those of both herbicide and
heavy equipment use, Andrea cautioned that the effectiveness of the
latter two methods often depends on
intense follow-up manual labor.
Joe DiTomaso, the non-crop
weed specialist with the University of
California Cooperative Extension,
provided a summary of potential
ecological effects resulting from
various weed reduction or elimination
treatments. Dr. DiTomaso asserted
that in choosing among weed management alternatives, assessments
should incorporate weighing the
possible risks to all physical and biotic
components of ecosystems as a
element of conscientious planning.
Similarly, in restoration planning
both the practical efficacy of revegetation techniques as well as the
often less apparent impacts on
ecosystems, component species, and
genetic diversity should be considered. Eric Knapp of the Department
of Agronomy and Range Science at
UC Davis detailed the results of
studies, conducted in collaboration
with Kevin Rice, on the genetic
variability among populations of two
native perennial grasses, purple
needlegrass and blue wild-rye, which
are used extensively in grassland
restoration projects. Each exhibits
substantial within-species genetic
differences among populations that
grow in different regions or environments. Introduction of non-local seed
may also negatively impact the fitness
of local populations of the same
species by genetic contamination,
especially in cross-pollinating species
where large quantities of non-local
plants are introduced into a habitat
supporting an existing native popula-
tion. When restoring habitat, using
the most local seed source possible
for each species may not only
produce better practical results, but
will also have less impact on the
ecology and evolution of those
plants.
One alternative for the control
of exotic weed species is the introduction of biological agents (e.g.,
insects) which are the natural predators of specific plant species. Joe
Balciunas of the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA discussed the required procedures prior
to the release of these biocontrol
agents. In order to avoid the exacerbation of ecological problems
through the introduction of ineffective or invasive insect species,
extensive study of the pertinent
ecological relationships is necessary.
The requisite field and laboratory
research demands both time and
financing, and unfortunately, funding
for this work has been slashed in
recent years. Public education and
political lobbying is essential in order
to restore such funding without
which reliance on other methods of
weed control will need to be increased.
John Randall of The Nature
Conservancys Wildland Weeds
Management and Research program
discussed about 20 non-native
species that have recently established themselves in the California
flora. Dr. Randall stressed the
importance of monitoring these
species and of establishing eradication activities for those that do
become invasive. Susan Donaldson
of the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension provided an
overview of the vulnerability of
riparian systems to invasive plants.
She reviewed how some non-natives
have capitalized on their abilities to
reproduce vegetatively along the
Continued on next page
Winter 1998 Page 7
CalEPPC News
CalEPPC Symposium 97 (contd)
Fort Ord (contd)
Truckee River since the January
1997 floods. Saltcedar, whitetop,
purple loosestrife and Eurasian
milfoil disrupt ecosystem functioning
through such mechanisms as increased erosion and reduced water
quality.
Thomas Van Devender addressed some of the ecological
impacts of alien grasses on Sonoran
Desert ecosystems. Bromus rubens
and Pennisetum ciliare are threatening the natural diversity of desert
plant communities. Both of these
species out-compete native plants
for soil moisture and nutrients, and
both are fire-adapted species that
have been implicated in promoting
the increased incidence of fire in
desert ecosystems, re-occupying
burned sites more rapidly than the
majority of native species.
Discussing the impacts of
another invasive plant species on
desert ecosystems, Jeffrey Lovich of
the U.S. Geological Survey, reviewed the ecological implications of
saltcedar (Tamarix sp.) invasions
into wetlands and riparian corridors
of the southwest. Supporting his
contention that concerns for individual native bird species (e.g., the
Southwestern willow flycatcher) must
not undermine the greater goal of
preserving habitat for the full assemblage of native species, Dr. Lovich
emphasized that the overwhelming
dominance of saltcedar is jeopardizing the structure of entire ecosystems. Efforts to restore habitat and
the functioning of ecosystems should
be accorded the highest priority for
the benefit of all native species.
Maria Alvarez of GGNRA
summarized the results of her
research on the effects of Cape ivy
(Delairea odorata) [formerly known
as German ivy (Senecio
mikanioides)], on riparian and
help of the Americorps, the California Conservation Corps, and volunteers, began a manual assault on
iceplant (Carpobrotus edulis) on the
dunes, and French broom (Genista
monspessulana), Scotch broom
(Cytisus scoparius), and Pampas
grass (Cortaderia jubata) in disturbed soil along trails, firebreaks,
and road sides.
It quickly became obvious that
the manual removal of non-natives
was not up to the task at Fort Ord.
Of the 886 coastal dune acres, 376
acres are covered with iceplant. On
the 7,200 acres currently under
BLM management, and the approximate 8,000 acres slated for future
transferral to the BLM, iceplant
covers a probable 500 acres. An
estimated 400 acres of pampas
grass infests those current and future
public lands, and French and Scotch
broom, in various patches, covers
about 50 acres.
On former Fort Ords public
lands the degree of noxicity is
determined by the existing coverage
of the exotics the second annual War
on Weeds Symposium at former
Fort Ord for November 1998. A
field trip is planned so participants
can view cooperative weed eradication projects and the thousands of
acres of rare habitats that the weed
warriors are attempting to preserve.
We owe a debt to the Army and the
conservationists over the
past 50 years that
wildlands remain to
preserve at
Fort Ord.
Page 8 Winter 1998
coastal scrub habitats. The explosive
growth rate and smothering vine-like
morphology of this species contributes to its success in reducing
diversity in native plant communities. Given its rapid rate of encroachment and displacement of
native species, park ecologists have
targeted this plant for the unequivocal management technique of
removal. Research on the ecology of
Cape ivy and effective control
methods (including the potential for
biocontrol), will require continued
support in order to prevent this pest
plant from becoming Californias
kudzu.
In a fascinating presentation
that connected agricultural land use
history with the biology of an
invasive species, John Gerlach of
the UC Davis Department of
Agronomy and Range Science
provided us with a data-supported
account of how yellow starthistle
was introduced into the western
United States. By tracing the entry
of starthistle into California as a
coincidental component of the
alfalfa crop system, Dr. Gerlach
delivered a compelling story that
explains how this weed rapidly
became so widely established. His
presentation provoked thought
about the deep impacts humans
have had on other species and how
much we have yet to learn about
living within the functional confines
of the ecosystems that we rely upon
for our collective survival and prosperity.
Proceedings of the CalEPPC
Symposium 97 are available for
$10 (delivery in Summer 1998).
Submit requests to: CalEPPC, c/o
Sally Davis, 31872 Joshua Drive,
Apt. 25D, Trabuco Canyon, CA
92679-3112.
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.
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:
your name and address for a copy.
ERRATUM
In Vol. 5 No. 4, Battling the Kudzu
of the West, Cape ivy was referred to as cape ivy. Cape ivy is
the convention used by the Australians, from whom we have taken
inspiration and with whom we need
to keep faith on this to get a uniform
usage.
Tuolumne/Calaveras Partnership Against Weeds
T
uolumne/Calaveras counties have recently formed a group geared towards
educating the public on noxious weed. Our group is made up of several government agencies (CAC, USFS, CDFG, NRCS, Farm Advisor, etc.) and private parties
who have a common goal of seeing a control or slow down to invasive weeds in the
central Sierra. Our main focus is to educate the public on what are noxious or
invasive weeds. The group has identified 12 weeds of local importance: yellow
starthistle, spotted knapweed, Russian thistle, medusahead, puncture vine, Italian
thistle, klamath weed, tarweed, brooms, and cocklebur.
If you can give us any assistance or comments on getting started it will be
greatly appreciated. Our first goal is to publish a pamphlet of the 12 weeds to at
least get the public informed on what we are focusing on. Please contact Marian
Chambers, email:
209-533-5691
Winter 1998 Page 9
CalEPPC News
Pampas Grass Research, Control
and Education Grants Program
John M. Randall, Ph.D, TNC Weed Program
The California Exotic Pest Plant Councils Pampas Grass Research, Control and Education Grants Program has
selected the following proposals for funding under the program:
YEAR 1
1. Management of jubata grass (Cortaderia jubata): germination biology, seedling establishment, control & site
restoration [research project] Joe DiTomaso, Jennifer Drewitz & Alison Tschol (U. California, Davis). $30,000
2. Wildland Restoration Teams focus on pampas grass: education, control, and sharing information Wildlands
Restoration Team (contact, Ken Moore). $7,000
3. Pampas grass control within the Big Sur Management Area. (GIS mapping project) Jeff Kwasny (Los Padres
National Forest). $4,000
4. Pampas grass control demonstration project, Goleta Slough Management Area, Santa Barbara County, CA.
Santa Barbara Audubon Society, Inc. (contact, Darlene Chirman). $18,975
5. Pampas grass control: an instructional video and outreach campaign. Leif Joslyn (Xenobiota Control, Ltd.).
$28,950
6. Development of a Jubata Grass (Cortaderia jubata) and Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) brochure. Joe
DiTomaso and Evelyn Healy (University of California, Davis). $9,000
7. Arana Gulch pampas grass eradication program (Santa Cruz, CA) Natural Resources and Employment Program,
Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, Inc. (contact: Tom Helman). $17,935
YEAR 2
1. Management of jubata grass (Cortaderia jubata): germination biology, seedling establishment, control & site
restoration [research project] Joe DiTomaso, Jennifer Drewitz & Alison Tschol (U. California, Davis). $30,000
2. Wildland Restoration Teams focus on pampas grass: education, control, and sharing information Wildlands
Restoration Team (contact, Ken Moore). $7,000
3. Pampas grass control demonstration project, Goleta Slough Management Area, Santa Barbara County, CA.
Santa Barbara Audubon Society, Inc. (contact, Darlene Chirman). $21,835
YEAR 3
1. Management of jubata grass (Cortaderia jubata): germination biology, seedling establishment, control & site
restoration [research project] Joe DiTomaso, Jennifer Drewitz & Alison Tschol (University of California, Davis).
$30,000
2. Wildland Restoration Teams focus on pampas grass: education, control, and sharing information Wildlands
Restoration Team (contact, Ken Moore). $7,000
3. Pampas grass control demonstration project, Goleta Slough Management Area, Santa Barbara County, CA.
Santa Barbara Audubon Society, Inc. (contact, Darlene Chirman). $13,305
Page 10 Winter 1998
CalEPPC News
CalEPPC New Members
CalEPPC would like to welcome the
following people who have joined CalEPPC
in the months from November 1997
through February 1998:
Regular Members
Jeanne Dickey
Mitch English
Valerie Eviner
Phyllis Faber
Philip Hoehn
Lawrence Janeway
Kathy Kramer
Marcia Mann
Denis Philbin
John Robles
Edward Smith
Daniel Tolson
Linda Willis
David Wimpfheimer
Contributing Members
Martha Blane
Elkhorn Native Plant Nursery
Mitch English
Robert Gilbert
Rosemary Jones
Mary Platter-Rieger
Peter Slattery
Sustaining Members
Arthur Morley
William McCoy
Nancy Brownfield
Lifetime Member
Elizabeth Crispin
CalEPPC Sponsors
USGS Biological Service
Monsanto Company
AgriChemical & Supply
CA State Parks, Sacramento
Circuit Riders Production
City of Palm Desert
Golden Gate National Park
Association
Huntington Library
Natures Image
Ocean Trails Management
Pestmaster Services, Bishop
Redwood National Park
Riverside Co. Regional Parks &
Open Space
Smith & Reynolds Erosion
Control
Strybing Arboretum
Target Speciality Products
Tom Dodson & Associates
US Fish & Wildlife Service,
Honolulu
Jepson Herbarium Classes
For information contact: Susan DAlcamo, Jepson Herbarium, 510.643.7008, email:
May 1 – 3
Ecological Habitat Restoration, Pam Muick, Solano County
Examine wetlands on Suisun Marsh and vernal pools at Jepson Prairie, was well as grasslands and oak wood
lands, comparing different restoration techniques.
May 2 – 3
Poaceae, Travis Columbus
Understand the states secondmost diverse plant family (after Compositae). Time will be spent learning to use
the identification keys in the Jepson Manual, with special attention to difficult couplets and taxa.
May 15 – 17 Northern Dune Ecology, Bruce Pavlic, Eastern California
Desert sand dune ecology begins in Bishop, then on to Panamint and Death Valleys, and culminate with a
camp-out in Eureka Valley.
May 23 – 24 Compositae, Bruce Baldwin and John Strother
Topis will include overviews of characters used in circumscription, classification, and identification of composites at tribal, subtribal, and generic ranks.
June 12 – 14 Southern Sierra Flora and Ecology, Jim Shevock, Sequoia/Kings Canyon
Field excursions will focus on the diversity of plant communities and numerous geological formations which
provide the backdrop for an evaluation of the flora.
June 19 – 21Boraginaceae, Ron Kelley, Sierra Nevada Field Campus, Yuba Pass
This weekend workshop will focus on montane and Great Basin members of the family with field `
identification of genera and species flowering in the vicinity of the station and montane areas of California.
Winter 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:
CalEPPC Membership
c/o
Sally Davis
31872 Joshua Drive, #25D
Trabuco Canyon, CA 92679-3112
City/State/Zip
Office Phone
Home Phone
Fax
email
* Students, please include current registration and/or class schedule
Calendar of Events
May 17 – 22 3rd Annual Short Course on Constructed Wetlands for Water Quality Improvement,
Arcata, CA. Sponsored by Humboldt State University Environmental Resources Eng. Dept. Contact: Barbara Smith,
707.826.3619, fax 707.826.3616, email:
May 27 -30
Specialty Conference on Rangeland Management & Water Resources, Reno, NV. Sponsored by American Water Resources Assoc. and the Society for Range Management. Contact: Don Potts,
406.243.6622, email:
June 17
Arundo and Tamarisk Workshop, Ontario, CA. Sponsored by CalEPPC. Contact: Nelroy
Jackson, 909.279.7787, email:
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:
October 2 – 4 Working Smart, Working Together. CalEPPC Symposium 98, Ontario, CA. Contact: Sally
Davis, 714.888.8541, email:
CALIFORNIA
EXOTIC
PEST PLANT
COUNCIL
31872 Joshua Drive, #25D
Trabuco Canyon, CA 92679-3112
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
TRABUCO CANYON, CA
PERMIT NO. 7