Southern Illinois Invasive Species Strike Team
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Southern Illinois Invasive Species Strike Team 2014 Annual Report Acknowledgements This program was funded through a grant supported by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, and the River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area Contributions to this report were provided by: Nick Seaton and Caleb Grantham, Invasive Species Strike Team; Karla Gage, River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area; Jody Shimp, Natural Heritage Division, Illinois Department of Natural Resources; Tharran Hobson, The Nature Conservancy, and Fish and Wildlife Service. 2014’s field season has been dedicated to District Heritage Biologist, Bob Lindsay, whose dedication and insight to the Invasive Species Strike Team was greatly appreciated and will be sincerely missed. Equal opportunity to participate in programs of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and those funded by the U.S.D.A Forest Service and other agencies is available to all individuals regardless of race, sex, national origin, disability, age, religion or other non-merit factors. If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the funding source’s civil rights office and/or the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, IDNR, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL. 62702-1271; 217/782-2262; TTY 217/782-9175. - 1 - | P a g e Executive Summary The Nature Conservancy, in partnership with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the USDA Forest Service Northeast Area State and Private Forestry Program developed the Southern Illinois Invasive Species Strike Team (ISST) “formally known as the Southern Illinois Exotic Plant Strike Team” to control exotic plants in state parks, state nature preserves and adjacent private lands that serve as pathways onto these properties. This Strike Team is modeled after the very successful National Park Service Exotic Plant Management Team Program, and deploys a trained, mobile force of two plant management specialists who assist parks and preserves in controlling invasive, exotic plants. This report covers the results from the fifth year of the Strike Team program (2014) which was initiated in 2008-09. This program focuses on detection and removal of the invasive plant species and populations which pose the greatest threat to the ecological integrity of the natural areas in the southern Illinois region. Once risk has been identified, the Strike Team also serves as a Rapid Response Team. Applying the Early Detection & Rapid Response approach to invasive species management greatly improves the likelihood that invasions will be addressed successfully while populations are still localized and containable. The Southern Illinois Invasive Species Strike Team has primary responsibility for species identification, containment, eradication, and Microstegium viminium (Japanese Stilt Grass) encroaching monitoring. a population of Hymenocallis Carolina (Spider Lily) The Invasive Species Strike Team serves 11 counties (Alexander, Gallatin, Hardin, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Williamson and Union) in southern Illinois. The Strike Team works under the direction of The Nature Conservancy and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources approved management schedules, Integrated Weed Management Plans, and work plans for state parks and preserves. The Nature Conservancy works with Illinois Department of Natural Resources biologists and the River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area Coordinator to determine priorities for the Strike Team for combating exotic plants that reflect the needs and resources of the parks they serve. Priorities are based on the following factors: severity of threat to high-quality natural areas and rare species; extent of targeted infestation; probability of successful control and potential for restoration; opportunities for public involvement; and park commitment to follow-up monitoring and treatment. The Strike Team conducts and evaluates the removal of exotic species, and take appropriate native species restoration efforts. The Invasive Species Strike Team worked year round and treated 2,691.53 acres of different non- native invasive plant species. Treating exotics was the focal point of the Strike Team comprising 45 percent of their time. Comprehensive time and treatment records were taken by the Strike Team and will be used to refine the teams operations and assess treatment success. - 2 - | P a g e Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 5 Program Accomplishments ......................................................................................................... 6 Research .......................................................................................................................................... 6 Surveying and Monitoring .......................................................................................................... 7 Treatment and Prevention ........................................................................................................... 7 Cooperation and Collaboration .................................................................................................. 9 Safety ............................................................................................................................................. 11 Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) ................................................................................ 11 Threatened and Endangered Species……………………………………………………. 13 Invasive Species Strike Team Location Map ........................................................................... 14 Natural Areas Barker Bluff Land and Water Rreserve…………………………………………...….. 15 Berryville Shale Glade Nature Preserve...……………………………………………. 17 Big Grand Pierre Land and Water Reserve...………………………………………... 19 Brown Barrens Nature Preserve ……………………………………………………… 21 Cache River State Natural Area ………………………………………………………. 23 Cave Creek Glade Nature Preserve .. ………………………………………………… 25 Cave in Rock State Park .………………………………………………………………. 27 Cedar Draper Bluff Land and Water Reserve. ……………………………………… 29 Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge…………………………………………….. 31 Cretaceous Hills Nature Preserve ................................................................................. 35 Dixon Springs State Park ................................................................................................ 37 Fern Rocks Nature Preserve ........................................................................................... 39 Giant City State Park ....................................................................................................... 41 Gibbons Creek Barrens State Natural Area ................................................................. 43 Grassy Slough Land and Water Reserve ...................................................................... 45 Hayes Creek Canyon Horse Campground .................................................................. 47 Heron Pond-Little Black Slough Nature Preserve ...................................................... 49 Horseshoe Lake Nature Preserve .................................................................................. 52 IDNR Region 5 Office……………………………………………………….……….... 54 Kinkaid Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area………………………………………..... 56 - 3 - | P a g e Table of Contents (continued) Natural Areas (continued) Lake Murphysboro State Park ....................................................................................... 58 Lusk Creek Canyon Nature Preserve ........................................................................... 60 Lusk Creek Sanctuary ..................................................................................................... 62 Oak Rd County Highway 10…………………………………………………………. 64 Ozark Hills Nature Preserve .......................................................................................... 66 Piney Creek Ravine Nature Preserve……………………………………………….. 68 Pyramid State Park…………………………………………………………………… 70 Rauchfuss Hill State Recreation Area ........................................................................... 72 Round Bluff Nature Preserve ......................................................................................... 74 Simpson Barrens Ecological Area…………………………………………………… 76 Spivey’s Valley Glade Nature Preserve……………………………………….......... 78 Susan’s Glade Nature Preserve………………………………………….................... 80 Trail of Tears State Forest ............................................................................................... 82 Tunnel Hill State Trail ..................................................................................................... 85 Appendices Appendix A: Time Allocation ....................................................................................... 87 Appendix B: New Invasive Species Alert (Japanese Chaff Flower) ........................ 88 Appendix C: Invasive Plant Treatment Calendar ...................................................... 89 Appendix D: Invasive Plant Phenology Chart ........................................................... 90 Appendix E: 2011 Acres Treated Per Species Chart .................................................. 91 Appendix F: Standard Operating Procedures ............................................................ 92 - 4 - | P a g e Introduction southernmost