Newsletter Vol 13 Issue 4, 2005 – California Invasive Plant Council

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

Vol. 13, No. 4, Winter 2006

Quarterly Newsletter of the California Invasive Plant Council

Weeds
on the
move
Centaurea debeauxii (=Centaurea x
pratensis), meadow knapweed, is one of
several plants expanding their range into the
Golden State. Several new infestations have
been found, and it was recently listed as an
A-rated woxious weed by the state’s Department of Food and Agriculture. See page 4 for
more weeds to watch out for. Photos: Joe
DiTomaso, UC Davis.

Inside:
Weed alerts! ……………………………………………. 4
Cordgrass and clapper rails ……………………….. 6
CDFA Proposes “H” Noxious Weed Rating …….. 8
CCC tackles Russian River arundo ……………….. 9
Invasives brochure in Spanish…………………….. 3

From the Director’s Desk

Wher
e the w
eedy things ar
e
Where
weedy
are
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

Many of us love maps, and all us of need them at one time or another. For weed workers,
maps are vital. They help us plan our work, follow the results of our work over time, and
illustrate our work for others.
Such mapping, often in GIS, is increasingly used on a local scale by many organizations.
However, broader scale maps that could help us plan landscape level restoration are still
mostly nonexistent. A proposed multi-agency project to limit yellow starthistle’s spread into
the Sierra Nevada and eastward is an example of an effort that will require such mapping.

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, Project Manager
edbrusati@cal-ipc.org
Gina Skurka, Project Intern
gmskurka@cal-ipc.org
Board of Directors
Dan Gluesenkamp (2006)
Audubon Canyon Ranch
Mark Newhouser, Vice President (2006)
Sonoma Ecology Center
Wendy West, Secretary (2006)
U.C. Cooperative Extension
Jennifer Erskine Ogden, Treasurer (2006)
U.C. Davis
Steve Schoenig, Past President (2006)
California Dept. of Food & Agriculture
David Chang (2007)
Santa Barbara Agricultural Commissioner’s Office
Joanna Clines (2007)
Sierra National Forest
Christy Brigham (2007)
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Bob Case (2007)
California Native Plant Society
Chris Christofferson (2007)
Plumas National Forest
Jennifer Drewitz (2007)
Yolo County Resource Conservation District
Jason Giessow (2006)
Santa Margarita/San Luis Rey Weed Management Area
John Knapp (2007)
Catalina Island Conservancy
Marla Knight (2007)
Klamath National Forest
Brianna Richardson (2007)

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

Cal-IPC News
Winter 2006 – Volume 13, Number 4
Editors: Doug Johnson and Elizabeth Brusati
Cal-IPC News is published quarterly by the California
Invasive Plant Council. Articles may be reprinted with
permission from the editor. Submissions are welcome.
We reserve the right to edit all work.

Cal-IPC News

Winter 2006

Aggregating local data on a statewide basis has long been a goal of Cal-IPC. Now, with a
grant from the USGS National Spatial Data Infrasturcture, we can take the first steps toward
coordinating those with existing maps. Early meetings are focusing on the goals of designing
a web-based system where data is accessible, sources are properly credited, and information
can be examined with flexibility.
Some groundwork has already been laid. The Information Center for the Environment at
UC Davis has developed tools for aggregating and displaying invasive plant datasets as part
of the California Invormation Node of the National Biological Information Infrastructure
(see sample screen capture below). Other organizations, such as CalFlora, the California
Native Plant Society, and the Jepson Herbarium, have designed interfaces to improve access
to information. CalFlora is set up to accept submissions of new field observations.
At recent Cal-IPC Symposia, the Mapping Working Group sessions have drawn a lot of
interest. Our eventual goals will be to design a useful web interface, and to encourage
California’s weed mappers to participate in sharing data. Getting a handle on the big picture
of weed distribution in the state is a crucial step in enhancing our ecological understanding
and strategic planning.
Special thanks to recent grant awards from the Marisla Foundation and the True North
Foundation.

Wildland Weed NewsNewsNewsNewsNews
It’s time to renew your membership! For those who did not attend the Symposium, membership renewal notices
are in the mail. Take advantage of our new online membership renewal system at www.cal-ipc.org.
Save the date! The 2006 Symposium will be held October 5-7 in Rohnert Park, Sonoma County.
The California Department of Food and
Agriculture has completed the California
Noxious and Invasive Weed Action Plan.
The 45-page report describes the existing
structure for noxious weed management in
California as well as specific needs to improve
prevention, rapid reponse, monitoring, and
restoration. A pdf version can be downloaded
from CDFA’s website.

False brome’s (Brachypodium sylvaticum)
effect on redwood forests was reported by
the San Jose Mercury News and KPIX San
Francisco, who called it a “forest-eating grass.”
The dense cover of the invasive grass prevents
seedlings from growing. Removal efforts are
underway. 1/6/05 ,

The invasion of hemlock into the San Gabriel
Valley and Whittier area was described in the
Pasadena Star-News. In addition to
outcompeting native plants, dense thickets of
hemlock inhibit hunting by hawks. 1/6/05

A ninth-grader in Santa Barbara discovered
that a “brew” of oleander has potential as an
herbicide. She tested her concoctions on
arundo and discovered an overall effectiveness of 96%. Her project won the Santa
Barbara County Science Fair. Santa Barbara
News-Press, 12/18/05
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported on the
problem of horticultural plants, especially ivy,
escaping into northwestern natural areas.
11/30/05
Massachusetts has banned 140 plants from
sale, trade, or distribution, effective Jan. 1,
2006. Some species will be phased out over
three years. The list was developed in
collaboration with agricultural groups and
the Massachusetts Invasive Plants Advisory
Group. Banned species include tree-ofheaven, Brazilian waterweed, and purple
loosestrife.

In 2001, Florida’s leading association of plant
growers and vendors asked nursery operators
to voluntarily end the sale of 45 species of
ecologically harmful plants. Now, more than
four years later, some nurseries are still not
complying. 1/13/06
New Zealand’s native plants are officially outnumbered by invasive species. New Zealand
has about 2,350 native plant species but non-

native invasive plants that have naturalized in
the wild now number 2,400, according to
records from the country’s herbariums. New
plants are added to the collections by
botanists, regional councils, Biosecurity New
Zealand and the Department of Conservation, and it is the first time invasive plants
have outnumbered natives. New Zealand
Herald. 12/2/05

Cal-IPC Updates…
Do you have unused frequent flier miles to
donate to Cal-IPC? We plant to send a
sizable delegation to the 7th Annual
National Invasive Weeds Awareness Week
(NIWAW) in late February. NIWAW is a
national effort where citizens from across the
country travel to Washington, DC to talk to
agency chiefs and legislators about how
invasive plants impact their state and to
request support for research and control
projects. This is the fourth year that Cal-IPC
will participate. California’s large Congressional delegation gives us a lot of ground to
cover to make our voices heard, and our
representatives are critical on the national
scene. The expense of travel and lodging in
DC are significant, so we are seeking
donations of frequent flyer miles, airline
tickets, or funds to help send Cal-IPC
representatives to NIWAW. If you can help,
please contact Elizabeth Brusati at
edbrusati@cal-ipc.org, 510-843-3902.

Day at the Capitol 2006 is Wednesday,
March 8, in Sacramento. Last year, 53
people met with staff at 80 legislators’ offices
and dropped off materials at 37 additional
offices. We invite all Cal-IPC members to
participate! All you need is your knowledge
of and enthusiasm for invasive plant issues.
Legislators are most responsive when visited
by their own constituents, and we could
especially use more participants from
southern California. Check the Cal-IPC
website for details or call us for information.

Proceedings from the 2005 Cal-IPC
Symposium will be printed in February
and posted as a pdf on the website. If you
ordered a copy with your symposium
registration, it will be mailed to you. We
will have a limited number of extra copies
available for $10.
A Spanish translation of our “Biological
Pollution” brochure is available on the
Publications section of the Cal-IPC
website. For the time being, it is available as
an electronic download only. Thanks to
UC Davis graduate student Eugenia
Gonzales for volunteering to translate the
brochure, and
to several others
who reviewed
it. If you have
translation skills
in Spanish,
Mandarin, or
other languages
spoken in
California,
please contact
Elizabeth
Brusati at
edbrusati@calipc.org, 510843-3902.

Cal-IPC News

Winter 2006

Ne
wW
eed Alert
s!
New
Weed
Alerts!
As presented by Joe DiTomaso, Extension Weed Ecologist, UC Davis, at the 2005 Cal-IPC
Symposium. Photos by Joe DiTomaso unless otherwise noted. Color photos available at
www.cal-ipc.org in Joe’s“Red Alerts!” presentation on the 2005 Symposium page.

Invasive plants that appear to be spreading:
Piptatherum miliaceum (smilograss) Widespread perennial bunchgrass in
CA, mainly on the coast, but also inland. Appears to be expanding its range in southern
CA. Produces many viable seeds. Ideal climatic conditions in some years may account for
rapid expansion.

Parentucellia viscosa (yellow
glandweed) Widespread throughout the
coastal areas of central and northern CA, but
reports indicate that it is spreading and becoming
more of a threat in Humboldt County, and
perhaps Del Norte County.

Saccharum ravennae
(ravennagrass) Has been known
to escape in southern CA, but has
recently been rapidly expanding its
range along Cache Creek in the
Capay Valley between Clear Lake
and Woodland. It inhabits disturbed
areas near creeks but has also moved
into relatively undisturbed riparian
areas, occupying much of the same
habitat as Arundo donax and Tamarix
parviflora.

Centaurea debeauxii (=Centaurea x
pratensis) (meadow knapweed) More
invasive in Oregon and Washington, and only
sporadically found in northern CA, but appears to be
rapidly expanding its range in the northwestern
corner of the state. Recently listed as an A-rated
noxious weed by CDFA.

4 Cal-IPC News Winter 2006

Allium triquestrum (three-corner
leek) Only occasionally escaped outside of

Geranium lucidum (shining geranium) Recently reported to be invasive in

urban areas, but is becoming more prevalent
along the northern coast, particularly in
Humboldt County.

Eugene, OR, by BLM. Found escaping in oak
woodlands in mesic/shaded areas, generally
under the oaks and in monotypic stands. They
tried to hand pull it and it make the problem
worse. Probably still only found near the
Berkeley Botanical Gardens in CA, but is
escaping cultivation there. Keep an eye out for
it in wildland areas near there.

Cultivated garden plants going wild:

Nassella tenuissima (Mexican
feathergrass) Widely sold and grown

Geranium robertianum (herbrobert) Widespread garden escape in the
Bay Area. Just beginning to get established
away from urban areas.

Scabiosa atropurpurea (pincushion
flower or mourningbride) Very common
cultivar. Began to escape into wildlands 4-5 yrs
ago and form near- monotypic stands in San
Bruno grasslands. Spreading along trails and fire
roads between Claremont Canyon and Strawberry Canyon in Berkeley.

throughout CA. Also called Stipa
tenuissima or ponytails. Touted as a good
drought resistant plant. Australia and
New Zealand list it as a serious threat to
agriculture. Q-rated by CDFA in 2004;
recently proposed to change to C list.
Has not yet established in the wild, but is
a frequent escape in gardens. Need to
keep an eye on it in wildlands and make
sure it does not get established, primarily
in coastal areas from the Bay Area to
southern CA.

Nelumbo lutea (American lotus)
Has taken over much of a 30 acre lake in
Tehama County. Need to watch that it does
not spread to other areas. Has been invasive
in the tropics and the seeds are very long
lived, reportedly up to 400 years.

R. H. Mohlenbrock, USDA NRCS Wetland Science
Institute, from plants.usda.gov

Polygonum aubertii (Chinese
fleecevine, silverlace vine) Perennial vine
native to China. Not a widely grown ornamental,
but is available. Grows rapidly and forms dense
cover—the Sunset Western Garden Book says it can
grow 100 ft2 per season. Has become established
in at least four locations on the banks of San
Francisquito Creek in San Mateo and Santa Clara
Counties. Appears to move downstream when
the stream bank collapses due to high flow
conditions. Produces a large number of seeds that
also facilitate rapid spread.
Contact the author at jmditomaso@ucdavis.edu.
Cal-IPC News

Winter 2006

Pr
oject Update: Contr
olling Spartina hybrids in S.F
y
Project
Controlling
S.F.. Ba
Bay

Cordgrass and Clapper Rails
by Erik Grijalva, Field Operations Manager,
Drew Kerr, Asst. Field Operations Manager,
and Katy Zaremba, Field Biologist of the San
Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project.
The Invasive Spartina Project is one of the state’s
most ambitious, and most adequately funded,
eradication projects. This update follows the first
major treatment season. See also an earlier feature
article in Cal-IPC News, Fall 2003.
The San Francisco Estuary Invasive
Spartina Project (ISP), was created by the
California Coastal Conservancy (Conservancy) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS) in 2000 in response to the rapid
spread of non-native Spartina (cordgrass) in
the tidal marshes of the San Francisco Estuary
(Estuary). Four species of Spartina were
introduced into the Estuary starting in the
early 1970’s for erosion control and habitat
restoration. Two of these species, Spartina
anglica (English cordgrass) and S. patens (saltmeadow cordgrass) are still limited to single

sites in the northern Estuary. The remaining
species, S. densiflora (Chilean cordgrass) and
S. alterniflora (Atlantic smooth cordgrass),
have spread extensively from their original
introduction sites. In the case of S. alterniflora,
the speed of its population expansion in the
Estuary has been compounded by its
hybridization with native S. foliosa (Pacific
cordgrass), producing a vigorous and
genetically diverse hybrid swarm. From an
initial mapped net acreage in 2001 of just
under 500 ac, the plants, predominantly S.
alterniflora x foliosa hybrids, had expanded
over 300% to around 1,500 ac Estuary-wide
by the end of 2003.
Also by the end of 2003, the ISP
completed initial scoping and environmental
documentation, including a Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement/Report
(EIR/EIS). By the end of 2004 the ISP, in
coordination with its regional partners,
including USFWS, East Bay Regional Parks
District, Alameda County Public Works,

California Dept. of Parks and Recreation, San
Mateo Mosquito Abatement District, the
Santa Clara Valley Water District, and others,
completed pilot treatment on 435 ac of nonnative Spartina in the Estuary at 42 locations.
In November, 2004, the ISP hosted the
3rd International Spartina Conference in San
Francisco to bring together worldwide
expertise on Spartina ecology and control,
present the scope of the Spartina problem in
the Estuary, and solicit input on the ISP’s
strategy and approach to treatment. At the
conclusion of the conference, a discussion
panel advised the ISP to act swiftly to ensure
that treatment efforts encompass the entire
infestation in the Estuary, as any effort short
of this would likely result in the infestation
growing beyond control.
Taking this advice, the ISP reviewed the
inventory mapping for the Estuary and
identified a total of 134 areas encompassing
over 16,000 ac of marsh with 1,500 net ac of
non-native Spartina. As 2005 began, the ISP

Invasive cordgrass forms a series of circular islands that grow together into a continuous stand. Relative to native cordgrass, the invasive hybrid
grows more densely and at a greater elevation range, resulting in significant alteration of mudflat habitats. Photo: Drew Kerr.

6 Cal-IPC News Winter 2006

worked to develop site-specific plans for each
of the 134 locations with existing and new
partners around the Estuary. Each Site Plan
included detailed site descriptions, alternatives to the proposed action, treatment
approaches and methods and Environmental
Assessments of each sub-area, detailed impact
identification and mitigation checklists to be
used in the field during treatment, partner
contact information, site maps and photographs and other site-specific information.

California Clapper Rail
The California clapper rail (Rallus
longirostris obsoletus), a federal and state-listed
endangered bird, occupies intertidal habitats
throughout the Estuary and, in many cases,
uses non-native Spartina as surrogate nesting
and sheltering areas in the absence of intact,
mature native plant communities. The
USFWS and California Dept. of Fish and
Game (CDFG) have determined that
eradicating non-native Spartina from the San
Francisco Estuary is in the long-term best
interest of the rail; however, ISP must avoid
and minimize short-term impacts caused by
Spartina control activities. A fundamental
challenge is a requirement to avoid groundbased treatment during the rail’s breeding
season, Feb. 1-Aug. 31. This is particularly
significant because Spartina plants go
dormant by mid-October, leaving a short
window of time, perhaps six weeks, in which
to complete work. Treatment opportunities
are further restricted by tides and wind, so
that ground-based treatment within some
clapper rail occupied habitat can be limited to
as few as four days per year! For this reason,
the ISP looks to helicopter treatment options,
which may begin as early as July 15, at
suitable sites with clapper rails.
The ISP must also consider potential
short-term impacts that may be caused by the
temporary loss of cover vegetation at sites
dominated by non-native Spartina. The ISP
and USFWS developed a model, the Spartina
Control Impact Evaluation Matrix (SCIEM), to tease out those sites where Spartina
control efforts were likely to result in
temporary loss of clapper rail carrying
capacity, and would therefore require
additional mitigations. In 2005, the SCIE-M
was applied to 81 clapper rail-occupied
treatment locations. Of these sites, only four
showed a potential for short-term reduction
in carrying capacity sufficient to justify
additional mitigation beyond simply
removing the non-native Spartina. The

A MarshMog treats invasive Spartina along the edge of a marsh in.the San Francisco Estuary.
The vehicle is designed to drive on soft surfaces with minimal disruption. Photo: Drew Kerr.
treatment plans for these four sites were
subsequently modified to require phasing of
treatment over several seasons, and to include
habitat enhancements, such as replanting with
native vegetation.
To identify sites where clapper rails may
be an issue, the ISP teamed up with the Point
Reyes Bird Observatory, Avocet Research, East
Bay Regional Parks District, USFWS, and
CDFG to implement a coordinated, annual
bay-wide clapper rail survey. As its part in this
collaboration, the ISP surveys approximately
50 marshes in the South and Central San
Francisco Bay.

Glyphosate vs. Imazapyr
Aquatic formulations of glyphosate (i.e.
Aquamaster®, Rodeo®) have been used for
years in an attempt to control invasive
Spartina, but efficacy has been highly variable
and the infestations have continued to expand
rapidly. The Estuary is a tricky place for
glyphosate, because effective Spartina control
requires three main conditions to be satisfied
for glyphosate to do its work. First, there must
be very little to no sediment on the leaf
surfaces of the plants during treatment.
Second, the plants must get ‘good coverage’ of
the herbicide, meaning that they are coated
with the herbicide mixture top to bottom and
on all sides. And the third condition is that the
plants have adequate ‘dry time’, i.e. are not

inundated by tides or rained on for 6-24 hrs
after application. In an estuary with high
sediment loads, twice-daily tidal regimes, and
acres-thick infestations of Spartina requiring
treatment, the convergence of these conditions was difficult, if not impossible, to
arrange in many cases. As a result observed kill
rates on Spartina stands treated in 2004 were
not nearly high enough to stay ahead of the
observed rate of spread of the infestation in
the Estuary.
Glyphosate was the only herbicide
registered in the U.S. for use in estuaries until
2003, when USEPA finished a long evaluation of imazapyr and approved the aquatic
formulation Habitat® (manufactured by
BASF). Imazapyr had been highly effective on
invasive Spartina in Willapa Bay, WA, and
peer-reviewed literature indicated significant
reduction in the amount of herbicide needed
to produce the intended results, extremely
low toxicity to animals, and rapid dissipation
in water and salt marsh sediments.
Seeing the continued marginal results
from glyphosate applications on Spartina in
San Francisco Bay, the success in Willapa Bay
with imazapyr, and the positive results from
some 2004 applications the ISP conducted
under a California Department of Pesticide
Regulation (CDPR) experimental use permit,
…continued next page
Cal-IPC News

Winter 2006

Polic
y Update
olicy

Rating pr
oposed ffor
or suspected
proposed
weeds in nur
series
nurseries
Thanks to Dorthea Zadig of CDFA for
assistance with this article.
The California Department of Food and
Agriculture (CDFA) and CACASA, the
California Agricultural Sealers and Commissioners Association, are trying a new provisional rating for plants found during nursery
inspections that are suspected to be invasive.
Nurseries are frequently inspected by county
agricultural inspectors for pest cleanliness and
to quarantine significant pests and diseases,
including plants listed as noxious weeds This
has primarily meant looking for weeds as
contaminants in the pots,
The new “H” rating (standing for a
temporary “Hold” order) addresses plants that
are not rated by CDFA, but which are
suspected of being potential weed problems.
Currently, such plants are assigned a temporary Q, pending determination of a perma-

Spartina, from p. 7
the ISP Control Program worked to have
Habitat® registered for use in California for
the 2005 Treatment Season. Despite all the
positive characteristics of imazapyr, and its
proven record over 20 years of terrestrial use
(mostly in forestry), the challenge of getting a
new herbicide formulation registered in
California proved difficult. BASF submitted
the required studies and other documentation
to CDPR in early 2005. Since the ISP and
Coastal Conservancy were hoping to use
imazapyr in this first year of bay-wide
Spartina control, they monitored the progress
of the registration closely. ISP and Conservancy were very concerned that they would
be forced to use the less-effective glyphosate
for another treatment season, and repeatedly
brought these concerns to CDPR, along with
reminders of the “practically non-toxic” rating
that US EPA gave imazapyr. This proved
effective, and the aquatic formulation of
imazapyr (Habitat®) was registered by CDPR
for use in California on Aug. 30, 2005. The
registration came with just enough time for
the ISP partners to acquire the herbicide and

8 Cal-IPC News Winter 2006

nent rating and are supposed to be treated as
temporary “A” weeds, requiring eradication.
However, this has been taking an extended
period of time to complete, creating some
confusion. Also, the rating system does not
fully address plants that are products, not
contaminants.
Along with the new rating, the CDFA/
CACASA task force is proposing a process by
which a “triage team” will propose a permanent rating within 30 days. The triage team
will consist of the current Plant Health
Division study team and a representative from
each CACASA area group and will consult
with stakeholders as appropriate. The chair of
the triage team will be immediately notified of
non-rated nursery plant samples submitted
for identification. If necessary the chair will
then notify the appropriate agricultural
commissioner to submit an official sample and

begin applications on Sept. 8, which is when
the FWS completed the Biological Opinion
for the proposed work. As a result, 96% of the
invasive Spartina treated with herbicide in
2005 utilized imazapyr.

Public Outreach
Public outreach is one of the key
components to a successful invasive species
control program, especially one of this scale in
a large metropolitan area. For the past several
years, an extensive education campaign was
conducted with all affected landowners, land
managers, and other stakeholders as the ISP
prepared the Programmatic EIS/EIR and SiteSpecific Control Plans for all of the invasive
Spartina infestations around the Bay. This
outreach effort focused on the impacts of
invasive Spartina on salt marsh habitat as well
as flood control capacity, endangered species
issues such as California clapper rail, and an
evaluation of the full suite of control methods
with special emphasis on the advantages and
low level of risk of applying herbicide as part
of the IPM strategy. The control plans are
now being implemented, and the outreach on
these issues continues to occur at forums such
as public meetings for residents adjacent to

the team will convene to propose a rating.
In evaluating each plant, the team will
take into consideration the length of time it
has been in commerce as nursery stock, the
quantity being sold; and any weedy characteristics or beneficial uses. They will also examine
whether it is established in the environment,
in urban, rural, or landscape settings. Team
members will consult with stakeholders,
convene via e-mail where necessary, and
propose a rating of A, B, C, or D within 30
days after the identification has been made
and an H has been assigned.
Once rated, an official Pest Rating
Advisory for Plants Sold as Nursery Stock will
be published. This rating will become
permanent one year from the date of publication unless new information warrants a
further review. All other non-rated plant
samples submitted will be given a Q or D
according to the current policy, and the
agricultural commissioners will be immediately notified.
These proposed changes are currently
being worked on. For more information on
CDFA’s existing noxious weed program, go to
www.cdfa.ca.gov/weedhome and click on the
link to the Noxious Weed EncycloWeedia.

infested marshes. For example, before
treatment began at Elsie Roemer Bird
Sanctuary on Alameda Island in 2005, the
ISP and City of Alameda held three public
meetings to allow residents and concerned
parties to review the detailed plans for the
sites, provide comments and get answers to
their questions. Notifications were mailed to
nearby residents and businesses, and announcements of the meetings were posted in
local newspapers. These meetings ahead of onthe-ground control work allow the ISP to give
people a sense of what to expect to see in the
treated marsh, and clearly identify the
purpose of the work, and the low level of risk
to humans or animals from contact with
imazapyr or glyphosate.
The ISP also incorporated signage into
the outreach effort in 2005. Sandwich board
signs with brochure holders were created to be
portable information kiosks that could be
moved from site to site while control work was
in progress. The signs use color photos and
written descriptions of the Spartina invasion,
native marsh ecology, and treatment methods,
and also provide ISP and Partner contact
…continued page 11

Ne
w and Contributing Member
New
Memberss
Thank you for your generous support! This list reflects donors and new members since the last
newsletter.

New Members
Debra Bishop, Sacramento
Colleen Cory, Ventura
Reginald Durant, Irvine
Judy Fenerty, San Jose
Pam Hemphill, San Francisco
Bill Hinderliter, Oceanside
Peter Hujik, Los Molinos
John Knight, Weaverville
Marcia Milam, San Diego
Christine Moen, Temecula
Ken Palensar, Los Angeles
Gerrit Platenkamp, Davis
Jolene Pucci, Northridge

Sustainable Solutions Ecological Services,
LLC., Pacifica
Jennifer Tillman, La Jolla
Julie Vandermost and Ceri Williams Dodd,
San Juan Capistrano

Generous Donations
John Copeland, Chico
Sandra Diedrich, Portland, OR
Michael Halloran, San Jose
Johnson and Theis, Sebastopol
Mary Ann Matthews, Carmel Valley
Carri and Chris Pirosko, Burney
Jennifer Tillman, La Jolla

Conserv
ation Corps A
tt
ack
Conservation
Att
ttack
ackss Arundo
John Griffith, Conservationist 1 – Ukiah Center, California Conservation Corps, CCC crew
supervisor, relates a recent experience battling Arundo. Additional information by Kirstin Hill.
There were a couple weeks in July that
were so hot, tying an ice berg to my back and
ducking under a shady tree seemed a much
better idea than eradicating invasive weeds.
But after remembering what Arundo donax
was doing to the Russian River Watershed -pushing out native vegetation essential for
wildlife and creating a botanical monoculture
— I was ready to start sweating. My crew of
ten young adults was ready too. They joined
the California Conservation Corps (CCC) to
do hard and rewarding work. Eradicating
arundo definitely qualified.

attacked. The strategy was to cut each giant
reed to a stub, haul the stalks to the side of the
road and lay them into piles. The Circuit
Riders planned to return in the fall to paint
the stubs with herbicides and burn the piles.
Most of the young men and women on
my crew could already recognize arundo,
having seen it growing along riverbanks and
ditches all over California. Yet, before they
joined the CCC, only few were aware of how
destructive the plant was. Our sponsor
explained that even a piece of the rhizome
could eventually create a sprawling stand.
With such a small
percentage of
California’s original
riparian habitats
remaining, we all
understood the
importance of our
project.

We met
our project
sponsor from
Circuit Riders
along the river
not far from
Ukiah. The
riparian area
there had been
reduced to a
Removing
thin strip
nonnative weeds
because of an
teaches the young
expanding
men and women in
vineyard.
our program a variety
Among the
of ecological realities.
remaining oaks,
It demonstrates the
box elder and
deleterious effects that
cottonwoods
humans can have on
A CCC crew member is dwarfed by arundo.
were vigorous
the ecosystem by
stands of arundo. Armed with loppers, we
introducing invasive species. It also shows

them that something can be done about it.
Who better to restore the environment than
those who will inherit it? We can’t wait to
attack arundo again!
In July of 2005, thanks to the efforts of
the California Conservation Corps, three acres
of arundo were cut down along the Russian
River.
The CCC is a workforce development
program that offers young men and women
the chance to serve their state and become
employable citizens through life skills training
and hard work in environmental conservation,
fire protection, and emergency response.
With 24 residential and non-residential
training centers throughout the state, the
CCC provides an opportunity for communities throughout California to benefit from the
hard work, public service, and educational
training carried out by its knowledgeable staff
and crews.
The CCC has extensive experience in
invasive species eradication efforts. To have
the CCC help YOU, contact one of our
district offices:
Northern District (707) 725-5106
Central District (916) 341-3139
Southern District (909) 594-4206
Contact Kirstin Hill at Kirstin.Hill@ccc.ca.gov

Western W
eed
Weed
Coordinating
Committee
The Western Weed Coordinating
Committee convened for their annual
meeting on December 1-2, 2005 in Las
Vegas, Nevada. Representatives from the
western states and tribes gave status reports on
their weed control and eradication programs,
along with federal government representatives
from the US Dept. of Agriculture. Cal-IPC
project intern, Gina Skurka, attended this
meeting and presented the Yellow Starthistle
Initiative; a proposal to fight the eastward
expansion of yellow starthistle. So far, agencies
and NGO’s in seven western states have
expressed interest in participating in this
2008 initiative. The group also discussed the
future of Weed Management Areas.

Cal-IPC News

Winter 2006

Readings &
Resources
Invasive ornamentals: The San Diego County
Invasive Ornamental Plant Guide, created by
local chapters of the American Society of
Landscape Architects and the California
Native Plant Society, features invasive plant
information as well as tools to assist landscape
architects and others in protecting local
biodiversity.
Invasive species worker directory: The
Biological Invasions Researcher Database is a
public database where people working on
invasive species can find potential collaborators with skills that they seek. It is open to
anyone working on invasive species ecology.

Garden tour: Participants on the free
Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour (San
Francisco Bay Area) will learn how to attract
butterflies, birds and bees, garden without
using pesticides, lower their water bills, design
a low-maintenance garden, and select and care
for California native plants. More than 60
showcase gardens will be open from 10 a.m. to
5 p.m, Sunday, May 7.

Arizona weed list: The Arizona Wildlands
Invasive Plant Working Group has released its
inventory of “Invasive Non-native Plants that
Threaten Wildlands in Arizona.” Using the
same criteria as the upcoming Cal-IPC Invasive
Plant Inventory, the review committee assessed
74 species. More than 20 organizations
contributed to the project. A full report and a
summary booklet are available from the
Southwest Vegetation Management Association.
New website: The New Mexico State University Weed Information Website provides
information to the public on weedy plants in
the southwestern US, specifically New
Mexico. It contains an interactive Weed ID
tool, fact sheets and presence/absence maps by
county on New Mexico’s state-listed weeds,
and pdfs of weed management reports from
NMSU.
Scholarship: The Western Aquatic Plant
Management Society announces a $1000
scholarship to support students pursuing a

10 Cal-IPC News Winter 2006

degree in aquatic sciences. Course work or
research related to the biology, ecology, or
management of aquatic plants in the west is
required. Due February 15. Contact David
Spencer, dfspencer@ucdavis.edu.

Grant listings: The Center for Invasive Plant
Management, out of Montana State University, has an extensive listing of grants for weed
workers, and offers some of their own.
Guidelines and application information are
now available for CIPM’s research grants,
with proposals due March 10. CIPM also
offers grants for Weed Management Areas.

Workshops: Wildland Weed Mapping
Training Workshops at Utah State University
cover field methods for landscape-scale weed
inventory and mapping. Offered continuously, whenever there are enough applicants
to fill a session. Three-day workshop costs
$525, with extended training at $125 per
additional day. Trainees bring a GPS unit,
and supply their own transportation, meals,
and lodging. Contact Steve Dewey,
steved@ext.usu.edu, 435-797-2256.
Federal weed website: In 2006, the National
Invasive Species Council will move its
website to a new site managed by the
National Agricultural Library. It will replace
www.invasivespecies.gov and contain
information on impacts of invasive species,
the federal government’s response, species
profiles, and links to agencies and organizations.
Native plants book: The recently released
California Native Plants for the Garden by
Carol Bornstein, David Fross, and Bart
O’Brien features 500 native plants for
horticulture, illustrated with 450 color
photos. Includes chapters on design,
installation, and garden care, with lists of
recommended natives for a variety of
situations. $27.95 paperback and $37.95
hardcover, with a 20% discount when
ordered directly from Cachuma Press, (805)
688-0413.
SOD proposals requested: The Pacific
Southwest Research Station will issue its
2006 Sudden Oak Death/Phytophthora
ramorum Request for Proposals in January.
Proposals will be due in mid-February. The
RFP will fund research to increase the

understanding of SOD and to guide
development and implementation of
regulatory policies, monitoring programs, and
management and treatment strategies.
Contact Susan Frankel, SOD Research
Program Manager, sfrankel@fs.fed.us.

Restoration grant program: The Partners for
Fish & Wildlife Program in the San Francisco
Bay Focus Area invites requests for assistance
for voluntary habitat restoration projects on
private lands in Sonoma, Marin, San Mateo,
and Alameda counties. Landowners, tribes,
for-profit and nonprofit organizations, and
local public agencies are encouraged to apply
for projects on working lands, particularly
ranches. Landowners are required to provide
in-kind (labor, materials) or monetary costshare, with most awards ranging from
$5,000-$18,000. Emphasis is placed on high
priority on-the-ground activities that improve
habitat for federal trust species. Contact
Kate_Symonds@fws.gov, 707-578-8515,
by February 28.

Quotable
“O come all ye stewards

Of our coastal beauties
And rise to the challenge of the
Invasive plants.
Come to the wetlands
And the coastal watershedsO extirpate Spartina
O extirpate Spartina
O extirpate Spartina
From the Bay!

”

from “O Come All Ye Stewards,” to the
tune of “Adeste Fideles,” Hal Hughes,
California Coastal Conservancy
cale of dragon, tooth of wolf, witch’s
“Smummy,
maw and a gulf, of the ravin’d
salt sea shark, root of hemlock digg’d in
the dark …

”

From Shakespeare’s Macbeth
(the witches’ brew), quoted in the
Pasadena Star-News

The WILDLAND WEED CALENDAR
Know of an event that should be posted here?
Please contact edbrusati@cal-ipc.org.
Weed Science Society of America
February 13-16, 2006
New York, NY

Salmonid Restoration Conference and
Steelhead Festival
February 22 – 25
Santa Barbara, CA
24th annual conference, with focus on
riparian habitat quality.

National Invasive Weeds Awareness Week
February 26-March 3, 2006
Washington, D.C.
7th annual gatehering brings together weed
workers from across the country to the
nation’s capitol to visit congressional representatives and agency officials. If interested in
attending with the California delegation,
contact dwjohnson@cal-ipc.org.

Invasive Weeds Awareness Day at the Capitol
March 8, 2006
Sacramento, CA
Attendees from around the state visit
legislators to discuss the importance of
invasive plant control projects. An excellent
opportunity to increase support for resource
management work. Organized by the
California Invasive Weeds Awareness
Coalition.

National IPM Symposium: Delivering on a
Promise
April 4-6
St. Louis, MO
Sessions address technologies and strategies to
solve pest problems in agricultural, recreational, natural, and community settings.

12th Annual California GIS Conference
April 5-7, 2006
Santa Barbara, CA

Noxious Weed Management Short Course
April 24-27, 2006
Pray, MT
Lab and field exercises, in addition to
classroom sessions. Contact: Melissa Brown
(406)558-4568, writemlb@yahoo.com
Weeds Across Borders
May 25-28, 2006
Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
The 3rd Weeds Across Borders Conference
sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration and the Arizona-Sonora Desert
Museum. Share information with scientists,
practitioners, and policy makers from Canada
and Mexico.

borderweeds@desertmuseum.org
15th Australian Weeds Conference:
Managing Weeds in a Changing Climate
September 24-28, 2006
Adelaide, South Australia

Western Society of Weed Science
March 14-16
Reno, NV

Western Aquatic Plant Management Society
25th Annual Meeting
March 27-29
San Diego, CA

Society for Conservation Biology:
Conservation Without Borders
June 24-28
San Jose, CA
This meeting aims “to transcend real and
perceived boundaries of ecology, sociology,
politics, and human behavior that impede
conservation science and its application.” Early
registration deadline is March 17.

Spartina, from p. 8
information. These signs helped engage
people, provided a basis for discussing the
treatment work, and assisted with trail and
sidewalk closures. The ISP is developing more
permanent signs for a subset of the infested
marshes, which will go into greater depth on
the ecology of invasions, including the flora
and fauna supported by a healthy tidal salt
marsh.

Results
The treatment window in 2005 was
only Sept. 7-Oct. 19, although manual
control at several sites in Corte Madera Creek
in Marin County continue over the winter.
Seventy-eight sites were treated representing
60% of the known infestation sites. Some
small, discrete sites were controlled by digging
or covering, while the remainder were treated
with herbicide applied by amphibious tracked
vehicle, helicopter, airboat, backpack sprayer,
or trucks working from levees. Approximately
1,010 net acres of Spartina were treated
(67% of infested acreage), with 70% treated
aerially using helicopters with boom sprayers.
According to estimates from applicators, the
use of imazapyr (and its significant reduction
in required spray volume) increased the
efficiency of treatment operations by as much
as 1/3.

Outlook
The ISP was designed from its inception
as a project that would ultimately work itself
out of a job. As a regionally coordinated
program, the goal of the ISP is to do the heavy
lifting necessary at the outset of this major
weed control effort—environmental documents, permits, research, funding, monitoring
and treatment—such that the ISP can
eventually hand off Spartina control to an
informed and empowered land manager
network in the Estuary. It will be several
control seasons, likely through 2008, before
the infestation is reduced to levels that are low
enough to be easily absorbed into regular
maintenance activities of land managers.
However, given the project’s success in
bringing large groups of stakeholders together
for the 2005 season, the improved efficacy
expected from imazapyr, and the political will
behind the Spartina control effort, ISP
planners believe that this is an eminently
achievable goal.
For more information, visit www.spartina.org.
Cal-IPC News

Winter 2006

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 that includes scientists, land managers, policy makers, and concerned citizens. Please
complete this form and mail with check or credit card number. Additional donations support our projects. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization, and donations beyond regular membership rates are tax deductible. You may also join or donate online at www.cal-ipc.org.
2006 Individual Membership
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$35
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$60
Contributing
$75
Life
$1,000
Joint Cal-IPC/SERCAL
$55
Joint Cal-IPC/CNGA
$70
Cal-IPC/SERCAL/CNGA
$95
Student/Volunteer
$15

2006 Institutional Membership
Regular
$150
Small company
or nonprofit
$100
Donation: $_________

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