Vol. 22, No. 2 Summer 2014 Cal-IPC News Protecting California’s Natural Areas from Wildland Weeds Newsletter of the California Invasive Plant Council VolunteersVolunteers in action Boy Scout Troop One removes invasive hanging sedge, Carex pendula, from Old Mill Creek, Marin County. See page 4. Photo by Betsy Wanner Bikle. INSIDE It takes a village to get rid of an invasive p. 4 A new tool for WHIPPing weeds p. 5 Get ready for the Symposium! p. 8 Revising bluegum eucalyptus p. 9 The road to WMA funding p.10 Working“climate smart” p.11 From the Executive Director The volunteer contribution Cal-IPC ommunity volunteer projects, like the one organized by the Mill Valley CStreamKeepers (page 4), are critical to stopping infestations at the urban-wildland 1442-A Walnut Street, #462 Berkeley, CA 94709 interface. Such efforts do even more than protect the unique natural areas at hand. ph (510) 843-3902 fax (510) 217-3500 www.cal-ipc.org [email protected] Because major invasive plant infestations can get their start in developed areas, these local efforts may also prevent more widespread problems. A California 501(c)3 nonprofit organization Protecting California’s lands and waters Fifteen years ago there may have been a chance to stop stinkwort, Dittrichia gra- from ecologically-damaging invasive plants through science, education, and policy. veolens, from spreading outside the Santa Clara Valley and a few other locations. John Beall of the San Mateo County Agricultural Commissioner’s office raised the alarm, but STAFF there was not enough capacity for a coordinated response to get a handle on Dittrichia. Doug Johnson, Executive Director Elizabeth Brusati, Senior Scientist Stinkwort is now found from Mendocino to San Diego, and into the Sierra Nevada. Agustín Luna, Director of Finance & Administration One of the lessons we learned from this episode was that we must do more than Bertha McKinley, Program Assistant Dana Morawitz, GIS Coordinator & focus on known invaders. Efforts like the Bay Area Early Detection Network brought Program Manager for Regional Conservation more focus on anticipating the next problem species, and considering on-the ground Christina Ripken, Conference Coordinator intervention earlier on the invasion curve. This precautionary trend is also evident in PlantRight’s recent addition of Stipa tenuissima, Mexican feather grass, to its list of DIRECTORS Jason Casanova, President horticultural plants to avoid in landscaping, despite the fact that the plant has not yet Council for Watershed Health become a significant problem in wildlands. Likewise, Cal-IPC is gearing up to conduct Kim Hayes, Vice-President Elkhorn Slough Foundation risk assessment on our Watchlist species to determine which pose the highest risk for Shawn Kelly, Treasurer detrimental impact in the future. Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project Jutta Burger, Secretary Volunteers form a connection between the activities of professional land managers Irvine Ranch Conservancy and our communities at large. They allow Californians to get their hands dirty with the Morgan Ball Wildlands Conservation Science realities of habitat stewardship, and to take ownership of their local environment. Some Tim Buonaccorsi volunteer efforts, like the Friends of Five Creeks in the East Bay (whose leader Susan RECON Environmental, Inc. Schwartz won our 2012 Catalyst Award) also weave in cultural history that builds a Jennifer Funk Chapman University deeper sense of place. Doug Gibson San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy Volunteer efforts make a major contribution to our work. Their local projects can be Jason Giessow integrated into broader landscape goals. The skills and knowledge developed in a local Dendra, Inc. effort can be exchanged with other volunteers in the region. And their enthusiasm for Elise Gornish UC Davis, Dept. of Plant Sciences stewardship can be shared among generations to create a genuine passion for California Marie Jasieniuk wildlands. For these reasons, Cal-IPC is looking at ways to coordinate diverse volunteer UC Davis, Dept. of Plant Sciences efforts at the regional level. The potential synergy is vital to our future success. Annabelle Kleist Capitol Impact Dan Knapp Los Angeles Conservation Corps John Knapp It’s the water... Symposium 23 in Chico! The Nature Conservancy Virginia Matzek rd Santa Clara University Our 23 annual Symposium will be in the Sutter Buttes. And did we mention David McNeill Oct. 8-11 at Chico State University, the awards banquet at the Sierra Nevada Baldwin Hills Conservancy with theme sessions focusing on the Brewery? Join us! See p.8. STUDENT LIAISONS intersection of wildland weed issues and Bridget Hilbig UC Riverside water issues. Plus all the latest reports on Meghan Skaer management techniques, program design, UC Davis and invasive plant research. Ken Moore Affiliations for identification purposes only. and Joe DiTomaso will team up to give a Cal-IPC News Summer 2014 - Vol. 22, No. 2 training on woody plant control, and our Editors: Doug Johnson & Elizabeth Brusati field trips include a visit to Peace Valley Published by the California Invasive Plant Council. Articles may be reprinted with permission. Previous issues are ar- chived at www.cal-ipc.org. Mention of commercial products Correction: The table of biocontrol species in our last issue contained a mistake. does not imply endorsement by Cal-IPC. Submissions are welcome. We reserve the right to edit content. Under yellow starthistle, the species Urophora jaceae should be Urophora jaculata. 2 Cal-IPC News Summer 2014 Cal-IPC Updates carrying out conservation in the face of a rapidly changing climate. www.nwf.org/ Symposium registration open. Cal- Wildland Weed What-We-Do/Energy-and-Climate/Climate- IPC 23 happens in Chico this October, Smart-Conservation/Guide-to-Climate- complete with a banquet at the Sierra Smart-Conservation.aspx Nevada Brewery! See p.8. News Future invasive plant “hotspots.” AB2402 stripped of funding. The bill to Australian researchers modeled suitable renew the state’s Weed Management Area in Sacramento on Wed., Aug. 13, from habitat for 292 naturalized plants to (WMA) program passed the Assembly 6:30-8:00pm. We’ll also be giving a talk determine locations that may be most floor with a 73-0 vote, but with funding that day in the session on “Science at suitable for a large number of potentially removed. Cal-IPC continues to pursue Non-Profit Conservation Organizations” invasive plants later this century. They other avenues to secure WMA funding in (OOS 32). www.esa.org/am propose pre-emptive management in such next year’s budget. See p.11. Talking to landscape architects. Cal- “hotspots.” weedfutures.net WHIPPET online. With support from IPC’s Doug Johnson spoke on a panel for Mexico invasive species website. With the USDA Forest Service and the US Fish the San Francisco chapter of the American information in both Spanish and English, & Wildlife Service, a beta version of this Society of Landscape Architects on the lists of invasive species, the national multi-species population prioritization issue of invasive ornamental plants. strategy plan, and information about tool is now available. See p. 6. Other Updates prevention and collaboration programs. Weed management on military bases. PlantRight adds species. The partner- www.biodiversidad.gob.mx/invasoras Staff met with resource managers at Camp ship added Mexican feather grass ( Stipa Rancher describes worst drought in a Pendleton and other bases in California ), water hyacinth ( tenuissima Eichhornia lifetime. As a rancher and president of the to help set strategy, with support from the ), and yellow water iris ( crassipes Iris pseud- California Cattlemen’s Association, Tim Dept. of Defense Legacy Program. ) to its list of plants that nurseries acorus Koopmann is keenly aware of the tough and consumers should avoid. Retail Work begins on Sierra meadows. choices ranchers in California are making nurseries can pledge to follow PlantRight’s Cal-IPC is contracting with Placer to cope with drought. He is an Aldo list, have their staff trained on invasive County, the Truckee River Watershed Leopold Award recipient and a founder plants, and receive acknowledgment on Council and others to control wildland of the California Rangeland Conservation PlantRight’s website. www.plantright.org weeds in and around meadows this Coalition. Hear an interview at www. summer, as part of a project funded by the SoCal land manager listserv. Join a new accuweather.com/en/weather-news/ Wildlife Conservation Society’s Climate listserv to discuss new invasive threats, cattle-ranchers-forced-to-cull/26595624 Adaptation Fund. restoration questions, and other topics of interest. To subscribe, contact Sandy New training video posted. Ken Moore Breaking News! Help remove DeSimone at [email protected]. of the Wildlands Restoration Team Mexican feathergrass from demonstrates methods for controlling Boating & Waterways now a division production. woody species. Thanks to Lynn Overtree of State Parks. The group controls The largest grower of Mexican for providing the footage. www.cal-ipc.org/ Egeria densa, water hyacinth, and South feathergrass in California (see update fieldcourses/videos American spongeplant in the Delta. www. above) has agreed to phase out the dbw.ca.gov/BoaterInfo/AquaInvSpec.aspx New board members. Four new plant and sell the remaining inventory members have been appointed by the Western Governors urge federal coop- to PlantRight at a discount. PlantRight Cal-IPC Board of Directors: Morgan eration on invasive species. Saying that will dispose of the plants safely but first Ball of Wildlands Conservation Science, invasive species create economic and eco- it needs to raise funds for this purchase. Elise Gornish and Marie Jasieniuk from logical damage across western landscapes, An anonymous donor will match each UC Davis, and David McNeill from the governors want to work with federal donation up to a total of $10,000. This Baldwin Hills Conservancy. See p.14. agencies to develop and implement a new is a unique chance to catch a new inva- New staff.