Newsletter, Spring 03, Draft 2
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Cal -- IPC News Protecting California’s Natural Areas from Wildland Weeds Vol. 13, No. 2, Summer 2005 Quarterly newsletter of the California Invasive Plant Council FFormingorming aa partnerpartnershipship ttoo preventprevent plantplant invasionsinvasions throughthrough horticulturehorticulture Ivy (Hedera spp.) climbs in a Bidwell Park woodland Inside: in Chico, site of this year’s Cal-IPC Symposium, October 6-8. As part of our role in a growing partner- Nursery partnership ................................4 ship with the horticultural community, Cal-IPC is High schoolers tackle carnation spurge....6 pursuing funding for genetic studies of escaped Hedera Sesbania control on Dry Creek.................7 species in California in order to determine problem species and support potential nursery actions. Weed research at UC Riverside .............. 12 (Photo: Steve Green, Friends of Bidwell Park) ...plus the 2005 Symposium! From the Director’s Desk Mapping the Lay of the Land Last issue, we ran a Red Alert article on Japanese knotweed (Polygunum cuspidatum). Field California biologists were finding what they believe to be new infestations in Humboldt County. Invasive Plant Because the plant is rated by the California Department of Food & Agriculture on the list of Council noxious weeds, historical maps of the remaining populations are available, and these 1442-A Walnut Street, #462 Berkeley, CA 94709 locations can be added—if indeed they are new— and monitored. (510) 843-3902 fax (510) 217-3500 Such cases point out the importance of mapping. Observations at a particular place and time www.cal-ipc.org are invaluable for tracking the dynamic geographic phenomenon of weeds. Was this here [email protected] before? How fast is it spreading? How and where is it spreading? These questions can only be A California 501(c)3 nonprofit organization answered by careful observation over time, and the way to share the information gleaned Protecting California’s natural areas such observations is through maps. from wildland weeds through research, restoration, and education. Our strategies for controlling them weeds need to fully incorporate what we know about the Staff lay of the land. Outlier populations, leading edges, protected native habitat “sweet spots”— Doug Johnson, Executive Director our approaches can maximize effectiveness by being spatially adept at understanding the [email protected] ecological behavior of weed populations. Elizabeth Brusati, Project Manager [email protected] Regional efforts are making strides at mapping weeds. In northern California, Modoc, Gina Skurka, Project Intern [email protected] Siskiyou, Shasta and Lassen counties are coordinating to aggregate their geographic data. In southern California, groups have assembled data on Arundo donax over most watersheds. Board of Directors Steve Schoenig, President (2005) New GPS software, like the Weed Information Management System (WIMS), are adding California Dept. of Food & Agriculture power to field data collection. Alison Stanton, Vice-President (2005) BMP Ecosciences Cal-IPC’s Mapping Committee is applying for funds to coordinate efforts statewide. The Carri Pirosko, Secretary (2005) California Dept. of Food & Agriculture lack of statewide maps of most weeds is a sizable gap in our ability to address invasive plants Jennifer Erskine-Ogden, Treasurer (2005) at a landscape scale. As the revision of our inventory of California weeds nears completion, U.C. Davis we will initiate surveying counties to determine distribution at a coarse level for each of the Joe DiTomaso, Past-President (2004) U.C. Davis Weed Science Program listed plants. Maps will help us envision ways to link our projects across the landscape—and Jon Fox (2005) to show the need for a higher level of resources to accomplish weed work at a greater scale. California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo Mark Newhouser (2005) Sonoma Ecology Center Dan Gluesenkamp (2005) Audubon Canyon Ranch Bobbi Simpson (2005) National Park Service - Exotic Plant Management Team Jason Giessow (2005) Santa Margarita/San Luis Rey Weed Management Area Wendy West (2005) U.C. Cooperative Extension, El Dorado County David Chang (2006) Santa Barbara Agricultural Commissioner’s Office Joanna Clines (2006) Sierra National Forest Christy Brigham (2006) Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Bob Case (2006) California Native Plant Society Affiliations for identification purposes only. Last year of term noted. Cal-IPC News Summer 2005 - Volume 13, Number 2 Editors: Doug Johnson and Elizabeth Brusati Cal-IPC News is published quarterly by the California Invasive Plant Council. Articles may be reprinted with permission. Submissions are welcome. We reserve the right to edit all work. Salmon Hole, Upper Bidwell Park, Chico (Steve Green photo) 2 Cal-IPC News Summer 2005 Wildland Weed NewsNewsNewsNewsNews Register Now for the 2005 Cal-IPC Symposium in Chico! New Brochures Early registration ends September 1. See details on page 10. Got Weedy Items? Donate to our 2nd Annual Auction Available: Like last year, we’ll have a raffle and auction at our Thursday evening awards banquet at the Symposium, and we need your donated items to make it go! We already have a Scotch Biological Pollution broom tea cup set and 1907 pampas grass post cards from a generous donor—do you have Describes impacts of invasive a tool, book, piece of clothing or craftwork, bottle of wine, weekend retreat—OK, so this is plants for a general audience. a broad, eclectic definition of weedy items! Please contact the organizers Wendy West and Great for visitors’ centers or public Gina Skurka at [email protected] and [email protected]. Thank you! events. To help the National Park Service fight The Coastal Environment Motor Vehicle Don’t Plant a Pest! invasive species and preserve threatened Mitigation (AB 658, Kuehl) would allow Southern California natural resources, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) coastal counties to charge a DMV vehicle Adapted from original Bay introduced legislation—S. 1288, The registration fee, whose proceeds would be Area version, with invasives and Natural Resource Protection Cooperative applied to local environmental projects that wildland-safe alternatives for Agreement Act— to authorize the Secretary of address problems tied to roads, including California south of the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements invasive plants. (www.leginfo.ca.gov) Tehachapis. with watershed councils, non-profits organiza- Researcher Bill Bruckart at USDA is tions, private landowners and county and Trees in California conducting studies on a rust fungus state governments to protect, maintain and Recommended alternatives to 18 (tentatively identified as Puccinia acroptili) restore natural plant species and water invasive tree species in that attacks Russian knapweed, investigating resources in and around national park lands. California. The bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Daniel Akaka its potential as a biocontrol agent. He needs (D-HI). (Medford News) samples from infected plants. Infestations have been found in Santa Barbara. For more Central Coast In April, House Resources Chair Richard information, contact him at (310)619-2846 For San Luis Obispo and Santa Pombo (R-Stockton) requested a report from or [email protected]. Barbara counties. Available soon. the Government Accountability Office to identify lessons learned from a review of Governor Janet Napolitano of Arizona For orders or samples, www.cal- events related to the infestation of the nation’s signed an Executive Order creating an ipc.org or 510.843.3902 forests by several major invasive insects and Arizona Invasive Species Advisory Council. diseases (i.e. the cause of Sudden Oak Death, The EO requires state agencies to evaluate Asian long-horned beetle, and emerald ash their authorities and programs for invasive 2nd Annual Cal-IPC borer). The report will focus on federal efforts, species. (www.governor.state.az.us/press/ but will also include state and local govern- March05/040105~SDOC0731.pdf) Photo Contest ment agencies. (National Invasive Species More from Arizona… Arizona’s national Council newsletter, www.invasivespecies.gov) Give us your best shots! forests will soon be providing a smorgasbord Two bills sponsored by the California Native for weevils, flies, moths, beetles and sheep. Categories: Plant Society are moving through the The feast is part of a U.S. Forest Service plan Weed Impacts legislature without opposition. SB 502 to treat 25 species of weeds on 135,000 Weed Workers in Action (Kehoe) removes bias against native plants in acres of the Coconino, Kaibab and Prescott Landscape (big infestations) current statutes dealing with maintaining fire forests in northern Arizona over the next ten Specimens (single plants) breaks around structures and local weed years. Bull thistle and Dalmatian toadflax Before/After Projects make up 90% of the weeds that infest abatement actions. These laws now suggest Humorous Weeds that native plants are the problem. AB 1466 187,500 acres in Arizona. (Associated Press) (Laird) authorizes the state to enter into a Deadline September 1 The May 22 issue of Parade Magazine (a cooperative program with the federal st nd rd national Sunday newspaper insert) featured Prizes for 1 , 2 , and 3 places in each government and other Colorado Basin states a cover article on invasive species titled category. Winners will be chosen by the Cal- to undertake the removal of tamarisk from the “When Poison is Pretty.” Cal-IPC provided IPC board and displayed