cal ipc news · cal-ipc news winter 2006 5 cultivated garden plants going wild: allium triquestrum...

Vol. 13, No. 4, Winter 2006 Quarterly Newsletter of the California Invasive Plant Council

Protecting California’s Natural AreasProtecting California’s Natural AreasProtecting California’s Natural AreasProtecting California’s Natural AreasProtecting California’s Natural Areas fr fr fr fr from Wildland Wom Wildland Wom Wildland Wom Wildland Wom Wildland Weedseedseedseedseeds

Cal IPC News-----

Inside:Inside:Inside:Inside:Inside:

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

Centaurea debeauxii (=Centaurea xpratensis), meadow knapweed, is one ofseveral plants expanding their range into theGolden State. Several new infestations havebeen found, and it was recently listed as anA-rated woxious weed by the state’s Depart-ment of Food and Agriculture. See page 4 formore weeds to watch out for. Photos: JoeDiTomaso, UC Davis.

WWWWWeedseedseedseedseedson theon theon theon theon themomomomomovvvvveeeee

WWWWWeedseedseedseedseedson theon theon theon theon themomomomomovvvvveeeee

22222 Cal-IPC News Winter 2006Winter 2006Winter 2006Winter 2006Winter 2006

CaliforniaInvasive Plant

Council1442-A Walnut Street, #462

Berkeley, CA 94709(510) 843-3902

fax (510) [email protected]

A California 501(c)3 nonprofit organization

Protecting California’s natural areasfrom wildland weeds through

research, restoration, and education.

StaffStaffStaffStaffStaff

Doug Johnson, Executive [email protected]

Elizabeth Brusati, Project [email protected]

Gina Skurka, Project [email protected]

Board of DirectorsBoard of DirectorsBoard of DirectorsBoard of DirectorsBoard 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 NewsCal-IPC NewsCal-IPC NewsCal-IPC NewsCal-IPC NewsWinter 2006 - Volume 13, Number 4

Editors: Doug Johnson and Elizabeth Brusati

Cal-IPC News is published quarterly by the CaliforniaInvasive Plant Council. Articles may be reprinted withpermission from the editor. Submissions are welcome.

We reserve the right to edit all work.

From the Director’s DeskFrom the Director’s DeskFrom the Director’s DeskFrom the Director’s DeskFrom the Director’s Desk

WherWherWherWherWhere the we the we the we the we the weedy things areedy things areedy things areedy things areedy things areeeeeMany 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, andillustrate 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 stillmostly 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.

Aggregating local data on a statewide basis has long been a goal of Cal-IPC. Now, with agrant 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 informationcan 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 partof 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 accessto 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 encourageCalifornia'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 NorthFoundation.

Cal-IPC News Winter 2006Winter 2006Winter 2006Winter 2006Winter 2006 33333

Wildland Weed NewsNewsNewsNewsNews

Cal-IPC Updates...Do you have unused frequent flier miles todonate to Cal-IPC? We plant to send asizable delegation to the 7th AnnualNational Invasive Weeds Awareness Week(NIWAW) in late February. NIWAW is anational effort where citizens from across thecountry travel to Washington, DC to talk toagency chiefs and legislators about howinvasive plants impact their state and torequest support for research and controlprojects. This is the fourth year that Cal-IPCwill participate. California’s large Congres-sional delegation gives us a lot of ground tocover to make our voices heard, and ourrepresentatives are critical on the nationalscene. The expense of travel and lodging inDC are significant, so we are seekingdonations of frequent flyer miles, airlinetickets, or funds to help send Cal-IPCrepresentatives to NIWAW. If you can help,please contact Elizabeth Brusati [email protected], 510-843-3902.<www.nawma.org>

Day at the Capitol 2006 is Wednesday,March 8, in Sacramento. Last year, 53people met with staff at 80 legislators’ officesand dropped off materials at 37 additionaloffices. We invite all Cal-IPC members toparticipate! All you need is your knowledgeof and enthusiasm for invasive plant issues.Legislators are most responsive when visitedby their own constituents, and we couldespecially use more participants fromsouthern California. Check the Cal-IPCwebsite for details or call us for information.

It’s time to renew your membership! For those who did not attend the Symposium, membership renewal noticesare 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 andAgriculture has completed the CaliforniaNoxious and Invasive Weed Action Plan.The 45-page report describes the existingstructure for noxious weed management inCalifornia as well as specific needs to improveprevention, rapid reponse, monitoring, andrestoration. A pdf version can be downloadedfrom CDFA’s website.<www.cdfa.ca.gov/weedhome>

False brome’s (Brachypodium sylvaticum)effect on redwood forests was reported bythe San Jose Mercury News and KPIX SanFrancisco, who called it a “forest-eating grass.”The dense cover of the invasive grass preventsseedlings from growing. Removal efforts areunderway. 1/6/05 <cbs5.com/video>,<www.mercury news.com>

The invasion of hemlock into the San GabrielValley and Whittier area was described in thePasadena Star-News. In addition tooutcompeting native plants, dense thickets ofhemlock inhibit hunting by hawks. 1/6/05<www.pasadenastarnews.com>

A ninth-grader in Santa Barbara discoveredthat a “brew” of oleander has potential as anherbicide. She tested her concoctions onarundo and discovered an overall effective-ness of 96%. Her project won the SantaBarbara County Science Fair. Santa BarbaraNews-Press, 12/18/05 <news.newspress.com>

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported on theproblem of horticultural plants, especially ivy,escaping into northwestern natural areas.11/30/05 <seattlepi.nwsource.com>

Massachusetts has banned 140 plants fromsale, trade, or distribution, effective Jan. 1,2006. Some species will be phased out overthree years. The list was developed incollaboration with agricultural groups andthe Massachusetts Invasive Plants AdvisoryGroup. Banned species include tree-of-heaven, Brazilian waterweed, and purpleloosestrife. <www.mass.gov/agr/farmproducts/Prohibited_Plant_Index2.htm>

Proceedings from the 2005 Cal-IPCSymposium will be printed in Februaryand posted as a pdf on the website. If youordered a copy with your symposiumregistration, it will be mailed to you. Wewill have a limited number of extra copiesavailable for $10.

A Spanish translation of our “BiologicalPollution” brochure is available on thePublications section of the Cal-IPCwebsite. For the time being, it is available asan electronic download only. Thanks toUC Davis graduate student EugeniaGonzales for volunteering to translate the

brochure, andto several otherswho reviewedit. If you havetranslation skillsin Spanish,Mandarin, orother languagesspoken inCalifornia,please contactElizabethBrusati [email protected], 510-843-3902.

In 2001, Florida's leading association of plantgrowers and vendors asked nursery operatorsto voluntarily end the sale of 45 species ofecologically harmful plants. Now, more thanfour years later, some nurseries are still notcomplying. 1/13/06 <www.habitattitude.net>

New Zealand's native plants are officially out-numbered by invasive species. New Zealandhas about 2,350 native plant species but non-

native invasive plants that have naturalized inthe wild now number 2,400, according torecords from the country's herbariums. Newplants are added to the collections bybotanists, regional councils, Biosecurity NewZealand and the Department of Conserva-tion, and it is the first time invasive plantshave outnumbered natives. New ZealandHerald. 12/2/05 <www.nzherald.co.nz>


NeNeNeNeNew Ww Ww Ww Ww Weed Alerteed Alerteed Alerteed Alerteed Alerts!s!s!s!s!As presented by Joe DiTomaso, Extension Weed Ecologist, UC Davis, at the 2005 Cal-IPCSymposium. Photos by Joe DiTomaso unless otherwise noted. Color photos available atwww.cal-ipc.org in Joe’s“Red Alerts!” presentation on the 2005 Symposium page.

Piptatherum miliaceum (smilograss) Widespread perennial bunchgrass inCA, mainly on the coast, but also inland. Appears to be expanding its range in southernCA. Produces many viable seeds. Ideal climatic conditions in some years may account forrapid expansion.

Invasive plants that appear to be spreading:

Saccharum ravennae(ravennagrass) Has been knownto escape in southern CA, but hasrecently been rapidly expanding itsrange along Cache Creek in theCapay Valley between Clear Lakeand Woodland. It inhabits disturbedareas near creeks but has also movedinto relatively undisturbed riparianareas, occupying much of the samehabitat as Arundo donax and Tamarixparviflora.

Parentucellia viscosa (yellowglandweed) Widespread throughout thecoastal areas of central and northern CA, butreports indicate that it is spreading and becomingmore of a threat in Humboldt County, andperhaps Del Norte County.

Centaurea debeauxii (=Centaurea xpratensis) (meadow knapweed) Moreinvasive in Oregon and Washington, and onlysporadically found in northern CA, but appears to berapidly expanding its range in the northwesterncorner of the state. Recently listed as an A-ratednoxious weed by CDFA.

Cal-IPC News Winter 2006 Winter 2006 Winter 2006 Winter 2006 Winter 2006 55555

Cultivated garden plants going wild:

Allium triquestrum (three-cornerleek) Only occasionally escaped outside ofurban areas, but is becoming more prevalentalong the northern coast, particularly inHumboldt County.

Geranium robertianum (herb-robert) Widespread garden escape in theBay Area. Just beginning to get establishedaway from urban areas.

Geranium lucidum (shining gera-nium) Recently reported to be invasive inEugene, OR, by BLM. Found escaping in oakwoodlands in mesic/shaded areas, generallyunder the oaks and in monotypic stands. Theytried to hand pull it and it make the problemworse. Probably still only found near theBerkeley Botanical Gardens in CA, but isescaping cultivation there. Keep an eye out forit in wildland areas near there.

Nassella tenuissima (Mexicanfeathergrass) Widely sold and grownthroughout CA. Also called Stipatenuissima or ponytails. Touted as a gooddrought resistant plant. Australia andNew Zealand list it as a serious threat toagriculture. Q-rated by CDFA in 2004;recently proposed to change to C list.Has not yet established in the wild, but isa frequent escape in gardens. Need tokeep an eye on it in wildlands and makesure it does not get established, primarilyin coastal areas from the Bay Area tosouthern CA.

Nelumbo lutea (American lotus)Has taken over much of a 30 acre lake inTehama County. Need to watch that it doesnot spread to other areas. Has been invasivein the tropics and the seeds are very longlived, reportedly up to 400 years.

Scabiosa atropurpurea (pincushionflower or mourningbride) Very commoncultivar. Began to escape into wildlands 4-5 yrsago and form near- monotypic stands in SanBruno grasslands. Spreading along trails and fireroads between Claremont Canyon and Straw-berry Canyon in Berkeley.

Polygonum aubertii (Chinesefleecevine, silverlace vine) Perennial vinenative to China. Not a widely grown ornamental,but is available. Grows rapidly and forms densecover—the Sunset Western Garden Book says it cangrow 100 ft2 per season. Has become establishedin at least four locations on the banks of SanFrancisquito Creek in San Mateo and Santa ClaraCounties. Appears to move downstream whenthe stream bank collapses due to high flowconditions. Produces a large number of seeds thatalso facilitate rapid spread.

© 2002 Brent Miller, from CalFlora.org

© Mark Brand, U. of Connecticut

© E

. E

vans

. N

orth

Car

olin

a St

ate

Uni

vers

ity

Contact the author at [email protected]. H. Mohlenbrock, USDA NRCS Wetland ScienceInstitute, from plants.usda.gov


Cordgrass and Clapper Rails

The San Francisco Estuary InvasiveSpartina Project (ISP), was created by theCalifornia Coastal Conservancy (Conser-vancy) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service(USFWS) in 2000 in response to the rapidspread of non-native Spartina (cordgrass) inthe tidal marshes of the San Francisco Estuary(Estuary). Four species of Spartina wereintroduced into the Estuary starting in theearly 1970’s for erosion control and habitatrestoration. Two of these species, Spartinaanglica (English cordgrass) and S. patens (salt-meadow cordgrass) are still limited to single

sites in the northern Estuary. The remainingspecies, S. densiflora (Chilean cordgrass) andS. alterniflora (Atlantic smooth cordgrass),have spread extensively from their originalintroduction sites. In the case of S. alterniflora,the speed of its population expansion in theEstuary has been compounded by itshybridization with native S. foliosa (Pacificcordgrass), producing a vigorous andgenetically diverse hybrid swarm. From aninitial mapped net acreage in 2001 of justunder 500 ac, the plants, predominantly S.alterniflora x foliosa hybrids, had expandedover 300% to around 1,500 ac Estuary-wideby the end of 2003.

Also by the end of 2003, the ISPcompleted initial scoping and environmentaldocumentation, including a ProgrammaticEnvironmental Impact Statement/Report(EIR/EIS). By the end of 2004 the ISP, incoordination with its regional partners,including USFWS, East Bay Regional ParksDistrict, Alameda County Public Works,

California Dept. of Parks and Recreation, SanMateo Mosquito Abatement District, theSanta Clara Valley Water District, and others,completed pilot treatment on 435 ac of non-native Spartina in the Estuary at 42 locations.

In November, 2004, the ISP hosted the3rd International Spartina Conference in SanFrancisco to bring together worldwideexpertise on Spartina ecology and control,present the scope of the Spartina problem inthe Estuary, and solicit input on the ISP’sstrategy and approach to treatment. At theconclusion of the conference, a discussionpanel advised the ISP to act swiftly to ensurethat treatment efforts encompass the entireinfestation in the Estuary, as any effort shortof this would likely result in the infestationgrowing beyond control.

Taking this advice, the ISP reviewed theinventory mapping for the Estuary andidentified a total of 134 areas encompassingover 16,000 ac of marsh with 1,500 net ac ofnon-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 hybridgrows more densely and at a greater elevation range, resulting in significant alteration of mudflat habitats. Photo: Drew Kerr.

PrPrPrPrProject Update: Controject Update: Controject Update: Controject Update: Controject Update: Controlling olling olling olling olling Spartina Spartina Spartina Spartina Spartina hhhhhybrids in S.Fybrids in S.Fybrids in S.Fybrids in S.Fybrids in S.F. Ba. Ba. Ba. Ba. Bayyyyy

by Erik Grijalva, Field Operations Manager,Drew Kerr, Asst. Field Operations Manager,and Katy Zaremba, Field Biologist of the SanFrancisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project.

The Invasive Spartina Project is one of the state’smost ambitious, and most adequately funded,eradication projects. This update follows the firstmajor treatment season. See also an earlier featurearticle in Cal-IPC News, Fall 2003.

Cal-IPC News Winter 2006Winter 2006Winter 2006Winter 2006Winter 2006 77777

worked to develop site-specific plans for eachof the 134 locations with existing and newpartners around the Estuary. Each Site Planincluded detailed site descriptions, alterna-tives to the proposed action, treatmentapproaches and methods and EnvironmentalAssessments of each sub-area, detailed impactidentification and mitigation checklists to beused in the field during treatment, partnercontact information, site maps and photo-graphs and other site-specific information.

California Clapper RailThe California clapper rail (Rallus

longirostris obsoletus), a federal and state-listedendangered bird, occupies intertidal habitatsthroughout the Estuary and, in many cases,uses non-native Spartina as surrogate nestingand sheltering areas in the absence of intact,mature native plant communities. TheUSFWS and California Dept. of Fish andGame (CDFG) have determined thateradicating non-native Spartina from the SanFrancisco Estuary is in the long-term bestinterest of the rail; however, ISP must avoidand minimize short-term impacts caused bySpartina control activities. A fundamentalchallenge is a requirement to avoid ground-based treatment during the rail’s breedingseason, Feb. 1-Aug. 31. This is particularlysignificant because Spartina plants godormant by mid-October, leaving a shortwindow of time, perhaps six weeks, in whichto complete work. Treatment opportunitiesare further restricted by tides and wind, sothat ground-based treatment within someclapper rail occupied habitat can be limited toas few as four days per year! For this reason,the ISP looks to helicopter treatment options,which may begin as early as July 15, atsuitable sites with clapper rails.

The ISP must also consider potentialshort-term impacts that may be caused by thetemporary loss of cover vegetation at sitesdominated by non-native Spartina. The ISPand USFWS developed a model, the SpartinaControl Impact Evaluation Matrix (SCIE-M), to tease out those sites where Spartinacontrol efforts were likely to result intemporary loss of clapper rail carryingcapacity, and would therefore requireadditional mitigations. In 2005, the SCIE-Mwas applied to 81 clapper rail-occupiedtreatment locations. Of these sites, only fourshowed a potential for short-term reductionin carrying capacity sufficient to justifyadditional mitigation beyond simplyremoving the non-native Spartina. The

treatment plans for these four sites weresubsequently modified to require phasing oftreatment over several seasons, and to includehabitat enhancements, such as replanting withnative vegetation.

To identify sites where clapper rails maybe an issue, the ISP teamed up with the PointReyes Bird Observatory, Avocet Research, EastBay Regional Parks District, USFWS, andCDFG to implement a coordinated, annualbay-wide clapper rail survey. As its part in thiscollaboration, the ISP surveys approximately50 marshes in the South and Central SanFrancisco Bay.

Glyphosate vs. ImazapyrAquatic formulations of glyphosate (i.e.

Aquamaster®, Rodeo®) have been used foryears in an attempt to control invasiveSpartina, but efficacy has been highly variableand the infestations have continued to expandrapidly. The Estuary is a tricky place forglyphosate, because effective Spartina controlrequires three main conditions to be satisfiedfor glyphosate to do its work. First, there mustbe very little to no sediment on the leafsurfaces of the plants during treatment.Second, the plants must get ‘good coverage’ ofthe herbicide, meaning that they are coatedwith the herbicide mixture top to bottom andon all sides. And the third condition is that theplants have adequate ‘dry time’, i.e. are not

inundated by tides or rained on for 6-24 hrsafter application. In an estuary with highsediment loads, twice-daily tidal regimes, andacres-thick infestations of Spartina requiringtreatment, the convergence of these condi-tions was difficult, if not impossible, toarrange in many cases. As a result observed killrates on Spartina stands treated in 2004 werenot nearly high enough to stay ahead of theobserved rate of spread of the infestation inthe Estuary.

Glyphosate was the only herbicideregistered in the U.S. for use in estuaries until2003, when USEPA finished a long evalua-tion of imazapyr and approved the aquaticformulation Habitat® (manufactured byBASF). Imazapyr had been highly effective oninvasive Spartina in Willapa Bay, WA, andpeer-reviewed literature indicated significantreduction in the amount of herbicide neededto produce the intended results, extremelylow toxicity to animals, and rapid dissipationin water and salt marsh sediments.

Seeing the continued marginal resultsfrom glyphosate applications on Spartina inSan Francisco Bay, the success in Willapa Baywith imazapyr, and the positive results fromsome 2004 applications the ISP conductedunder a California Department of PesticideRegulation (CDPR) experimental use permit,

...continued next page

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.


Thanks to Dorthea Zadig of CDFA forassistance with this article.

The California Department of Food andAgriculture (CDFA) and CACASA, theCalifornia Agricultural Sealers and Commis-sioners Association, are trying a new provi-sional rating for plants found during nurseryinspections that are suspected to be invasive.Nurseries are frequently inspected by countyagricultural inspectors for pest cleanliness andto quarantine significant pests and diseases,including plants listed as noxious weeds Thishas primarily meant looking for weeds ascontaminants in the pots,

The new “H” rating (standing for atemporary “Hold” order) addresses plants thatare not rated by CDFA, but which aresuspected of being potential weed problems.Currently, such plants are assigned a tempo-rary Q, pending determination of a perma-

RRRRRating prating prating prating prating proposed foposed foposed foposed foposed for suspectedor suspectedor suspectedor suspectedor suspectedwwwwweeds in nureeds in nureeds in nureeds in nureeds in nurseriesseriesseriesseriesseries

PPPPPolicolicolicolicolicy Updatey Updatey Updatey Updatey Update

the ISP Control Program worked to haveHabitat® registered for use in California forthe 2005 Treatment Season. Despite all thepositive characteristics of imazapyr, and itsproven record over 20 years of terrestrial use(mostly in forestry), the challenge of getting anew herbicide formulation registered inCalifornia proved difficult. BASF submittedthe required studies and other documentationto CDPR in early 2005. Since the ISP andCoastal Conservancy were hoping to useimazapyr in this first year of bay-wideSpartina control, they monitored the progressof the registration closely. ISP and Conser-vancy were very concerned that they wouldbe forced to use the less-effective glyphosatefor another treatment season, and repeatedlybrought these concerns to CDPR, along withreminders of the “practically non-toxic” ratingthat US EPA gave imazapyr. This provedeffective, and the aquatic formulation ofimazapyr (Habitat®) was registered by CDPRfor use in California on Aug. 30, 2005. Theregistration came with just enough time forthe ISP partners to acquire the herbicide and

Spartina, from p. 7

nent rating and are supposed to be treated astemporary "A" weeds, requiring eradication.However, this has been taking an extendedperiod of time to complete, creating someconfusion. Also, the rating system does notfully address plants that are products, notcontaminants.

Along with the new rating, the CDFA/CACASA task force is proposing a process bywhich a “triage team” will propose a perma-nent rating within 30 days. The triage teamwill consist of the current Plant HealthDivision study team and a representative fromeach CACASA area group and will consultwith stakeholders as appropriate. The chair ofthe triage team will be immediately notified ofnon-rated nursery plant samples submittedfor identification. If necessary the chair willthen notify the appropriate agriculturalcommissioner to submit an official sample and

the team will convene to propose a rating.In evaluating each plant, the team will

take into consideration the length of time ithas been in commerce as nursery stock, thequantity being sold; and any weedy character-istics or beneficial uses. They will also examinewhether it is established in the environment,in urban, rural, or landscape settings. Teammembers will consult with stakeholders,convene via e-mail where necessary, andpropose a rating of A, B, C, or D within 30days after the identification has been madeand an H has been assigned.

Once rated, an official Pest RatingAdvisory for Plants Sold as Nursery Stock willbe published. This rating will becomepermanent one year from the date of publica-tion unless new information warrants afurther review. All other non-rated plantsamples submitted will be given a Q or Daccording to the current policy, and theagricultural commissioners will be immedi-ately notified.

These proposed changes are currentlybeing worked on. For more information onCDFA’s existing noxious weed program, go towww.cdfa.ca.gov/weedhome and click on thelink to the Noxious Weed EncycloWeedia.

begin applications on Sept. 8, which is whenthe FWS completed the Biological Opinionfor the proposed work. As a result, 96% of theinvasive Spartina treated with herbicide in2005 utilized imazapyr.

Public OutreachPublic outreach is one of the key

components to a successful invasive speciescontrol program, especially one of this scale ina large metropolitan area. For the past severalyears, an extensive education campaign wasconducted with all affected landowners, landmanagers, and other stakeholders as the ISPprepared the Programmatic EIS/EIR and Site-Specific Control Plans for all of the invasiveSpartina infestations around the Bay. Thisoutreach effort focused on the impacts ofinvasive Spartina on salt marsh habitat as wellas flood control capacity, endangered speciesissues such as California clapper rail, and anevaluation of the full suite of control methodswith special emphasis on the advantages andlow level of risk of applying herbicide as partof the IPM strategy. The control plans arenow being implemented, and the outreach onthese issues continues to occur at forums suchas public meetings for residents adjacent to

infested marshes. For example, beforetreatment began at Elsie Roemer BirdSanctuary on Alameda Island in 2005, theISP and City of Alameda held three publicmeetings to allow residents and concernedparties to review the detailed plans for thesites, provide comments and get answers totheir questions. Notifications were mailed tonearby residents and businesses, and an-nouncements of the meetings were posted inlocal newspapers. These meetings ahead of on-the-ground control work allow the ISP to givepeople a sense of what to expect to see in thetreated marsh, and clearly identify thepurpose of the work, and the low level of riskto humans or animals from contact withimazapyr or glyphosate.

The ISP also incorporated signage intothe outreach effort in 2005. Sandwich boardsigns with brochure holders were created to beportable information kiosks that could bemoved from site to site while control work wasin progress. The signs use color photos andwritten descriptions of the Spartina invasion,native marsh ecology, and treatment methods,and also provide ISP and Partner contact

...continued page 11


NeNeNeNeNew and Contributing Memberw and Contributing Memberw and Contributing Memberw and Contributing Memberw and Contributing MembersssssThank you for your generous support! This list reflects donors and new members since the lastnewsletter.

New MembersDebra Bishop, SacramentoColleen Cory, VenturaReginald Durant, IrvineJudy Fenerty, San JosePam Hemphill, San FranciscoBill Hinderliter, OceansidePeter Hujik, Los MolinosJohn Knight, WeavervilleMarcia Milam, San DiegoChristine Moen, TemeculaKen Palensar, Los AngelesGerrit Platenkamp, DavisJolene Pucci, Northridge

Sustainable Solutions Ecological Services,LLC., PacificaJennifer Tillman, La JollaJulie Vandermost and Ceri Williams Dodd,San Juan Capistrano

Generous DonationsJohn Copeland, ChicoSandra Diedrich, Portland, ORMichael Halloran, San JoseJohnson and Theis, SebastopolMary Ann Matthews, Carmel ValleyCarri and Chris Pirosko, BurneyJennifer Tillman, La Jolla

ConservConservConservConservConservation Corps Aation Corps Aation Corps Aation Corps Aation Corps Attttttttttackackackackacks Arundos Arundos Arundos Arundos ArundoJohn Griffith, Conservationist 1 - Ukiah Center, California Conservation Corps, CCC crewsupervisor, relates a recent experience battling Arundo. Additional information by Kirstin Hill.

There were a couple weeks in July thatwere so hot, tying an ice berg to my back andducking under a shady tree seemed a muchbetter idea than eradicating invasive weeds.But after remembering what Arundo donaxwas doing to the Russian River Watershed --pushing out native vegetation essential forwildlife and creating a botanical monoculture-- I was ready to start sweating. My crew often young adults was ready too. They joinedthe California Conservation Corps (CCC) todo hard and rewarding work. Eradicatingarundo definitely qualified.

We metour projectsponsor fromCircuit Ridersalong the rivernot far fromUkiah. Theriparian areathere had beenreduced to athin stripbecause of anexpandingvineyard.Among theremaining oaks,box elder andcottonwoodswere vigorousstands of arundo. Armed with loppers, we

attacked. The strategy was to cut each giantreed to a stub, haul the stalks to the side of theroad and lay them into piles. The CircuitRiders planned to return in the fall to paintthe stubs with herbicides and burn the piles.

Most of the young men and women onmy crew could already recognize arundo,having seen it growing along riverbanks andditches all over California. Yet, before theyjoined the CCC, only few were aware of howdestructive the plant was. Our sponsorexplained that even a piece of the rhizomecould eventually create a sprawling stand.

With such a smallpercentage ofCalifornia's originalriparian habitatsremaining, we allunderstood theimportance of ourproject.

Removingnonnative weedsteaches the youngmen and women inour program a varietyof ecological realities.It demonstrates thedeleterious effects thathumans can have onthe ecosystem by

introducing invasive species. It also shows

WWWWWestern Western Western Western Western WeedeedeedeedeedCoordinatingCoordinatingCoordinatingCoordinatingCoordinating

CommitteeCommitteeCommitteeCommitteeCommittee

A CCC crew member is dwarfed by arundo.

The Western Weed CoordinatingCommittee convened for their annualmeeting on December 1-2, 2005 in LasVegas, Nevada. Representatives from thewestern states and tribes gave status reports ontheir weed control and eradication programs,along with federal government representativesfrom the US Dept. of Agriculture. Cal-IPCproject intern, Gina Skurka, attended thismeeting and presented the Yellow StarthistleInitiative; a proposal to fight the eastwardexpansion of yellow starthistle. So far, agenciesand NGO’s in seven western states haveexpressed interest in participating in this2008 initiative. The group also discussed thefuture of Weed Management Areas.

them that something can be done about it.Who better to restore the environment thanthose who will inherit it? We can't wait toattack arundo again!

In July of 2005, thanks to the efforts ofthe California Conservation Corps, three acresof arundo were cut down along the RussianRiver.

The CCC is a workforce developmentprogram that offers young men and womenthe chance to serve their state and becomeemployable citizens through life skills trainingand hard work in environmental conservation,fire protection, and emergency response.With 24 residential and non-residentialtraining centers throughout the state, theCCC provides an opportunity for communi-ties throughout California to benefit from thehard work, public service, and educationaltraining carried out by its knowledgeable staffand crews.

The CCC has extensive experience ininvasive species eradication efforts. To havethe CCC help YOU, contact one of ourdistrict offices:

Northern District (707) 725-5106

Central District (916) 341-3139

Southern District (909) 594-4206

Contact Kirstin Hill at [email protected]


Readings &ResourcesInvasive ornamentals: The San Diego CountyInvasive Ornamental Plant Guide, created bylocal chapters of the American Society ofLandscape Architects and the CaliforniaNative Plant Society, features invasive plantinformation as well as tools to assist landscapearchitects and others in protecting localbiodiversity. <www.asla-sandiego.org/content/plantguide.html>

Invasive species worker directory: TheBiological Invasions Researcher Database is apublic database where people working oninvasive species can find potential collabora-tors with skills that they seek. It is open toanyone working on invasive species ecology.<www.bio.miami.edu/nsfinvdb>Garden tour: Participants on the freeBringing Back the Natives Garden Tour (SanFrancisco Bay Area) will learn how to attractbutterflies, birds and bees, garden withoutusing pesticides, lower their water bills, designa low-maintenance garden, and select and carefor California native plants. More than 60showcase gardens will be open from 10 a.m. to5 p.m, Sunday, May 7.<www.BringingBackTheNatives.net>

Arizona weed list: The Arizona WildlandsInvasive Plant Working Group has released itsinventory of “Invasive Non-native Plants thatThreaten Wildlands in Arizona.” Using thesame criteria as the upcoming Cal-IPC InvasivePlant Inventory, the review committee assessed74 species. More than 20 organizationscontributed to the project. A full report and asummary booklet are available from theSouthwest Vegetation Management Associa-tion. <www.usgs.nau.edu/SWEPIC/SWVMA>

New website: The New Mexico State Univer-sity Weed Information Website providesinformation to the public on weedy plants inthe southwestern US, specifically NewMexico. It contains an interactive Weed IDtool, fact sheets and presence/absence maps bycounty on New Mexico’s state-listed weeds,and pdfs of weed management reports fromNMSU. <weeds.nmsu.edu>

Scholarship: The Western Aquatic PlantManagement Society announces a $1000scholarship to support students pursuing a

Quotable

degree in aquatic sciences. Course work orresearch related to the biology, ecology, ormanagement of aquatic plants in the west isrequired. Due February 15. Contact DavidSpencer, [email protected].<www.weedcenter.org>

Grant listings: The Center for Invasive PlantManagement, out of Montana State Univer-sity, has an extensive listing of grants for weedworkers, and offers some of their own.Guidelines and application information arenow available for CIPM’s research grants,with proposals due March 10. CIPM alsooffers grants for Weed Management Areas.<www.weedcenter.org>

Workshops: Wildland Weed MappingTraining Workshops at Utah State Universitycover field methods for landscape-scale weedinventory and mapping. Offered continu-ously, whenever there are enough applicantsto fill a session. Three-day workshop costs$525, with extended training at $125 peradditional day. Trainees bring a GPS unit,and supply their own transportation, meals,and lodging. Contact Steve Dewey,[email protected], 435-797-2256.

Federal weed website: In 2006, the NationalInvasive Species Council will move itswebsite to a new site managed by theNational Agricultural Library. It will replacewww.invasivespecies.gov and containinformation on impacts of invasive species,the federal government’s response, speciesprofiles, and links to agencies and organiza-tions. <Invasivespeciesinfo.gov>

Native plants book: The recently releasedCalifornia Native Plants for the Garden byCarol Bornstein, David Fross, and BartO'Brien features 500 native plants forhorticulture, illustrated with 450 colorphotos. Includes chapters on design,installation, and garden care, with lists ofrecommended natives for a variety ofsituations. $27.95 paperback and $37.95hardcover, with a 20% discount whenordered directly from Cachuma Press, (805)688-0413. <www.cachumapress.com>

SOD proposals requested: The PacificSouthwest Research Station will issue its2006 Sudden Oak Death/Phytophthoraramorum Request for Proposals in January.Proposals will be due in mid-February. TheRFP will fund research to increase the

understanding of SOD and to guidedevelopment and implementation ofregulatory policies, monitoring programs, andmanagement and treatment strategies.Contact Susan Frankel, SOD ResearchProgram Manager, [email protected].<www.suddenoakdeath.org>

Restoration grant program: The Partners forFish & Wildlife Program in the San FranciscoBay Focus Area invites requests for assistancefor voluntary habitat restoration projects onprivate lands in Sonoma, Marin, San Mateo,and Alameda counties. Landowners, tribes,for-profit and nonprofit organizations, andlocal public agencies are encouraged to applyfor projects on working lands, particularlyranches. Landowners are required to providein-kind (labor, materials) or monetary cost-share, with most awards ranging from$5,000-$18,000. Emphasis is placed on highpriority on-the-ground activities that improvehabitat for federal trust species. [email protected], 707-578-8515,by February 28. <www.fws.gov/capartners>

come all ye stewardsOf our coastal beautiesAnd rise to the challenge of theInvasive plants.Come to the wetlandsAnd the coastal watersheds-

O extirpate SpartinaO extirpate SpartinaO extirpate Spartina

From the Bay!

from “O Come All Ye Stewards,” to thetune of “Adeste Fideles,” Hal Hughes,

California Coastal Conservancy

“S cale of dragon, tooth of wolf, witch’smummy, maw and a gulf, of the ravin’dsalt sea shark, root of hemlock digg’d inthe dark ...

From Shakespeare’s Macbeth(the witches’ brew), quoted in the

Pasadena Star-News

“O

”

”


The WILDLAND WEED CALENDARKnow of an event that should be posted here?

Please contact [email protected].

Weed Science Society of America

February 13-16, 2006New York, NY<www.wssa.net>

Salmonid Restoration Conference andSteelhead Festival

February 22 – 25Santa Barbara, CA

24th annual conference, with focus onriparian habitat quality.<www.calsalmon.org>

National Invasive Weeds Awareness Week

February 26-March 3, 2006Washington, D.C.

7th annual gatehering brings together weedworkers from across the country to thenation’s capitol to visit congressional represen-tatives and agency officials. If interested inattending with the California delegation,contact [email protected].<www.nawma.org/niwaw/niwaw>

Invasive Weeds Awareness Day at the Capitol

March 8, 2006Sacramento, CA

Attendees from around the state visitlegislators to discuss the importance ofinvasive plant control projects. An excellentopportunity to increase support for resourcemanagement work. Organized by theCalifornia Invasive Weeds AwarenessCoalition.<www.cal-ipc.org>

Western Society of Weed Science

March 14-16Reno, NV<www.wsweedscience.org>

Western Aquatic Plant Management Society25th Annual Meeting

March 27-29San Diego, CA<www.wapms.org>

National IPM Symposium: Delivering on aPromise

April 4-6St. Louis, MO

Sessions address technologies and strategies tosolve pest problems in agricultural, recre-ational, natural, and community settings.<www.ipmcenters.org/ipmsymposiumv>

12th Annual California GIS Conference

April 5-7, 2006Santa Barbara, CA<www.calgis.org>

Noxious Weed Management Short Course

April 24-27, 2006Pray, MT

Lab and field exercises, in addition toclassroom sessions. Contact: Melissa Brown(406)558-4568, [email protected]

Weeds Across Borders

May 25-28, 2006Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico

The 3rd Weeds Across Borders Conferencesponsored by the Federal Highway Adminis-tration and the Arizona-Sonora DesertMuseum. Share information with scientists,practitioners, and policy makers from Canadaand Mexico.<www.desertmuseum.org/borderweeds> [email protected]

15th Australian Weeds Conference:Managing Weeds in a Changing Climate

September 24-28, 2006Adelaide, South Australia<www.plevin.com.au/15AWC2006>

Society for Conservation Biology:Conservation Without Borders

June 24-28San Jose, CA

This meeting aims “to transcend real andperceived boundaries of ecology, sociology,politics, and human behavior that impedeconservation science and its application.” Earlyregistration deadline is March 17.<www.conbio.org/2006>

information. These signs helped engagepeople, provided a basis for discussing thetreatment work, and assisted with trail andsidewalk closures. The ISP is developing morepermanent signs for a subset of the infestedmarshes, which will go into greater depth onthe ecology of invasions, including the floraand fauna supported by a healthy tidal saltmarsh.

ResultsThe treatment window in 2005 was

only Sept. 7-Oct. 19, although manualcontrol at several sites in Corte Madera Creekin Marin County continue over the winter.Seventy-eight sites were treated representing60% of the known infestation sites. Somesmall, discrete sites were controlled by diggingor covering, while the remainder were treatedwith herbicide applied by amphibious trackedvehicle, helicopter, airboat, backpack sprayer,or trucks working from levees. Approximately1,010 net acres of Spartina were treated(67% of infested acreage), with 70% treatedaerially using helicopters with boom sprayers.According to estimates from applicators, theuse of imazapyr (and its significant reductionin required spray volume) increased theefficiency of treatment operations by as muchas 1/3.

OutlookThe ISP was designed from its inception

as a project that would ultimately work itselfout of a job. As a regionally coordinatedprogram, the goal of the ISP is to do the heavylifting necessary at the outset of this majorweed control effort—environmental docu-ments, permits, research, funding, monitoringand treatment—such that the ISP caneventually hand off Spartina control to aninformed and empowered land managernetwork in the Estuary. It will be severalcontrol seasons, likely through 2008, beforethe infestation is reduced to levels that are lowenough to be easily absorbed into regularmaintenance activities of land managers.However, given the project’s success inbringing large groups of stakeholders togetherfor the 2005 season, the improved efficacyexpected from imazapyr, and the political willbehind the Spartina control effort, ISPplanners believe that this is an eminentlyachievable goal.

For more information, visit www.spartina.org.

Spartina, from p. 8

1442-A Walnut Street, #462Berkeley, CA 94709

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. PostagePAID

Berkeley, CA

Permit No. 1435

Cal-IPC Membership FormWe’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. Pleasecomplete this form and mail with check or credit card number. Additional donations support our projects. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofitorganization, and donations beyond regular membership rates are tax deductible. You may also join or donate online at www.cal-ipc.org.

Name

Affiliation

Address

Phone

City State Zip

E-mail

Credit Card No. Exp. Date

CaliforniaCaliforniaCaliforniaCaliforniaCaliforniaInvasive PlantInvasive PlantInvasive PlantInvasive PlantInvasive PlantCouncilCouncilCouncilCouncilCouncil

2006 Individual Membership 2006 Institutional MembershipRegular $35 Regular $150Family $60 Small companyContributing $75 or nonprofit $100Life $1,000Joint Cal-IPC/SERCAL $55 Donation: $_________Joint Cal-IPC/CNGA $70Cal-IPC/SERCAL/CNGA $95Student/Volunteer $15

It’s time to renewyour membership

for 2006!

Mail this form with check (payable to “Cal-IPC”) or credit card info toCal-IPC, 1442-A Walnut Street #462, Berkeley, CA 94709.

Fax form with credit card info to 510/217-3500.

Phone us at 510/843-3902 with contact and credit card info.

Check here if you would prefer to receive the Cal-IPC News via email asa link to a pdf file online rather than a paper copy.

Occasionally, we share our members’ addresses with like-mindedorganizations. Check here if you do not want your information shared.

cal ipc news · cal-ipc news winter 2006 5 cultivated garden plants going wild: allium triquestrum...

Documents