POTOMAC HIGHLANDS COOPERATIVE WEED AND PEST MANAGEMENT AREA Photo: USFWS View of Germany Valley from North Fork Mountain 2013 ANNUAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 3 WHO WE ARE .............................................................................................................................................. 4 A REPORT FROM THE FIELD: CONTROLLING NON-NATIVE INVASIVE PLANTS IN THE CWPMA ........... 5 Monongahela National Forest ...................................................................................................... 6 George Washington & Jefferson National Forests ................................................................. 7 Private Lands ...................................................................................................................................... 9 NEW PARTNERSHIPS: WORKING TOGETHER TO PROTECT THE CWPMA ............................................ 11 OUTREACH AND EDUCATION: STOPPING NON-NATIVE INVASIVE SPECIES THROUGH PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE .............................................................................................................................................. 13 Garlic Mustard Challenge .............................................................................................................. 14 Discover Invasive Species Day ..................................................................................................... 15 Nuggets for Knotweed .................................................................................................................... 15 Tucker the Turtle Children’s Book ........................................................................................... 16 Slowing the Onward Movement of Pests (STOMP) Initiative .......................................... 17 Billboards .................................................................................................................................................... 18 Educational Display Panels ................................................................................................................... 18 Citizen Scientist Program ...................................................................................................................... 21 Autumn Olive Party ......................................................................................................................... 22 CWPMA FINANCES: THE MONEY THAT HELPS MAKE IT ALL POSSIBLE .............................................. 23 APPENDIX A: NEWS COVERAGE OF CWPMA ACTIVITIES ...................................................................... 24 APPENDIX B: STOMP EDUCATIONAL DISPLAY PANELS ......................................................................... 25 2 INTRODUCTION The Potomac Highlands CWPMA is a partnership between federal, state, and local agencies, community associations, non-profit organizations, and private landowners working to fight non-native invasive species. The mission of Potomac Highlands CWPMA is the prevention and management of invasive species in the headwaters region of the South Branch of the Potomac River in West Virginia and Virginia. Photo: USFS The CWPMA serves Grant, Hardy, and Pendleton Counties in West Virginia and portions of Highland County in Virginia that fall within the Potomac River Watershed. Nestled within the Central Appalachian Mountains, this landscape is part of one of the most biologically rich landscapes in the continental United States. Many species here exist nowhere else on Earth, flourishing due to the variation in topography, elevation, geology, climate, and drainage patterns. The Potomac Highlands region contains a diverse mix of pine/heath barrens, rocky summits, cliffs and balds, and subalpine coniferous forests. Over 120 rare animals, plants and natural communities have been identified in this area. Figure 1: A small stream in the CWPMA Counties in the CWPMA are economically dependent on forest products, agriculture, and natural resource-based tourism, and are well-known for their natural resources, recreational resources, and scenic beauty. Invasive plants are a serious threat to all of these values and uses. WHO WE ARE The CWPMA is proud to include the following partners: Appalachian Forest Heritage Area George Washington and Jefferson National Forests Monongahela National Forest Natural Resources Conservation Service The Nature Conservancy Private landowners U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – West Virginia Field Office U.S. Forest Service - Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry U.S. Forest Service - Northern Research Station West Virginia Department of Agriculture West Virginia Division of Forestry West Virginia Division of Highways West Virginia Division of Natural Resources West Virginia Native Plant Society 4 A REPORT FROM THE FIELD: CONTROLLING NON-NATIVE INVASIVE PLANTS IN THE CWPMA Through the generous support and guidance of our many partners and collaborations within the CWPMA, the 2013 field season was a resounding success. The CWPMA field crew is coordinated and managed by The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Under the direction of TNC’s Ecosystem Photo: USFS Restoration Crew Photo: TNC Leader Ben Rhodes, Figure 2: The 2013 CWPMA field crew at a morning safety technicians Jeremy talk before removing NNIS from a site Fendley, Jenna Gilmore, and Nicole Wyatt had a highly productive summer. Together, the crew treated 17 non- native invasive species on approximately 2,367 acres of land across 33 sites in the Potomac Highlands. Thirteen of the 33 sites (39%) were treated for two or more invasive species, and tree-of-heaven was the most frequently treated invasive plant (Table 1). Table 1: Invasive species most often treated by the 2013 CWPMA field crew Species Number of sites Percentage of sites Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) 13 39% Viper’s bugloss (Echium vulgare) 7 21% Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) 5 15% Spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) 5 15% Thistle (Cirsium spp.) 5 15% Project sites are located on public lands owned by the United Stated Forest Service (USFS), private lands, state owned lands and rights-of-way and private property owned by Davis and Elkins College. Our private lands work is largely guided by cooperating with interested landowners that own ecologically significant lands near and adjacent to public lands in order to maximize our impact. 5 The USFS lands include two different Forest Service Regions with the Monongahela National Forest in Region 9 and the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests in Region 8. One of the biggest accomplishments of the CWPMA on-the-ground work has been the coordination and communication of land managers and ecologists from these two forests who now work together to reduce the threats of non-native invasive species on their lands. In 2013, the USFS recognized the work of the CWPMA with an Eastern Region Honor Award for our work protecting ecosystems across boundaries. Monongahela National Forest During the 2013 field season, the CWPMA field crew worked on 15 sites and treated 940 acres in the Monongahela National Forest (NF). All of these sites were follow-up treatments from previous field seasons. The field crew is making good progress at controlling large NNIS populations and slowing their spread to new areas. Sites such as Barton Bench, Brushy Run Mine, limestone barrens along Cave Mountain, and the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center are a few of the well-known and ecologically significant locations within the CWPMA. The field crew continued work at Barton Bench and Lambert Strip where large scale ecological restoration of the Red Spruce ecosystem is being conducted by the USFS and multiple partners. While this site is outside of the official CWPMA boundary, the work there continues to be a high priority. Past disturbances and deep ripping of the soils have resulted in spotted knapweed Photo: USFS (Centaurea stoebe) mixed in Figure 3: Barton Bench on Cheat Mountain is the with desirable restoration site of red spruce restoration efforts (depicted) in species. Spotted knapweed addition to CWPMA NNIS control causes land managers much concern due to its negative impacts on native vegetation and the difficulty associated with its control. Continued efforts at this site will decrease the threat of this species and benefit the restoration of red spruce and northern hardwoods. Brushy Run Mine has many rare and threatened species including the federally endangered A running buffalo clover (Trifolium stoloniferum). Each year Monongahela NF staff and CWPMA field crews count numbers of running buffalo clover to evaluate potential negative impacts from management treatments. Populations of running buffalo clover at Brushy Run 6 Mine appear to be expanding with no negative impacts noted. The primary invasive species threatening running buffalo clover at this site is garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), and the crew uses a combination of treatment methods to remove this invasive. Photo: USFWS There are many monitored rare plant species on the B Monongahela National Forest lands along Cave Mountain A including Kate’s mountain clover (Trifolium virginicum), yellow Photo: WVDNR nailwort (Paronychia virginica), and adders tongue fern (Ophioglossum engelmannii). Monongahela NF staff and CWPMA field crew conduct pre- and post- monitoring of these species to ensure management is not negatively affecting