Changes to the 2014 Noxious Weed List Wendy DesCamp November 7, 2013 Today’s talk • Weed law review • New species for the 2014 noxious weed list • Other changes for 2014 to noxious weed list Noxious Weed • “Noxious weed” means a plant that when established is highly destructive, competitive, or difficult to control by cultural or chemical practices. RCW 17.10.10 The Noxious Weed Laws • RCW 17.10 – Limit economic loss due to the presence and spread of noxious weeds – Holds landowners responsible for controlling noxious weeds on their property – Noxious Weed Control Boards—county and state • RCW 17.04 and RCW 17.06 – Weed Districts The Noxious Weed Laws • WAC 16.750 – Weed list and schedule of penalties • WAC 16.752 – Prohibited plants, aka the quarantine list Noxious Weeds • Plants are noted as aggressive and highly difficult to control • Plants have a significant ecological impact, economic impact and/or cause harm to humans and other animals • 3 class of noxious weeds Class A Noxious Weeds • Class A consists of those noxious weeds – not native to the Washington – of limited distribution or are unrecorded in the state and – that pose a serious threat to the state • Eradication is required of all Class A noxious weeds • Currently 41 species Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) Class B Noxious Weeds Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) • Class B: not native to the state and are of limited distribution or are unrecorded in a region of the state and that pose a serious threat to that region. • "Class B designate" means those Class B noxious weeds whose populations in a region or area are such that all seed production can be prevented within a calendar year. WAC 16-750.003(2g) Image: Thurston County NWCB • Currently 62 species Class C Noxious Weeds • All other noxious weeds – Already widespread in Washington or are of a special interest to the agricultural industry • Some counties may enforce control, but many choose to pursue education and Canada thistle, Cirsium arvense consultation avenues • Currently 44 species The Noxious Weed listing process • Jan-April: submission of proposals • May: Noxious Weed Committee (NWC) begins to review requested changes • September: NWC makes recommendations to State Weed Board • November: Public hearing, State Weed Board votes on changes • January: New changes take effect in new Noxious Weed List 2014 Noxious Weed List Changes • Species additions – Lesser celandine, Ficaria verna—Class B – Non -native Typha species and their hybrids—Class C – Russian olive, Elaeagnus angustifolia—Class C • Changes to listed species – Velvetleaf--Class A to B – Buffalobur--Class A to C – Yellow -flowered hawkweed species—two subgenera • Minor amendments to listed noxious weeds • Update on other proposals – Giant reed – Japanese eelgrass Lesser celandine, Ficaria verna Huds. • Class B noxious weed • Herbaceous perennial to 12” • Tuberous roots • Yellow flowers single on Tom Forney, ODA stems, ~ 1 inch wide Baldwin Laurel – March to April • Achenes, several to many in a globe-shaped head • Pale-colored bulbils are produced along stems Laurel Baldwin Lesser celandine Baldwin Laurel • Vigorous growing groundcover Short life-cycle – • Can spread by roots, bulbils, seeds • Ornamentally planted • Moist, shaded woodlands, wetlands, streambanks, lawns, roadsides • Outcompeting native plants and negatively impacting wildlife habitat • Difficult to control due to spread All Pictures Laurel Baldwin Laurel All Pictures Lesser celandine • County survey – Whatcom: 30-40 individual sites, totaling close to 20 affected acres. – Present in King, Snohomish, Clark, Klickitat – No known populations in Stevens, Grays Harbor, Okanogan, Kittitas, Walla Walla, Chelan, or Cowlitz. – But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist in these counties. Control • Prevention: do not plant • Small infestations: dig out • Do not mow • Sheet mulching • Herbicide: glyphosate, spray before flowering – 1%-2% • Follow up treatment and monitoring Nonnative Typha species and their hybrids • Class C noxious weed • Non -native cattail species and hybrids, including Typha angustifolia (narrow-leaf), Typha domingensis (southern), Typha x glauca (hybrid), and Typha minima (miniature) Andrea Moro, University of Trieste, Progetto Jenifer Parsons Dryades, http://luirig.altervista.org Ben Legler, 2005 Non-native Typha species and their hybrids • Perennial plants with thick rhizomes • Stems are unbranched and either vegetative or flowering, up to 4 m • Alternate linear leaves • Cylindrical spikes, male flowers occur above female flowers • Spread by rhizomatous growth and by seed (except for in most cases by T. x glauca) Typha angustifolia, Jenifer Parsons Left, T. latifolia Center T. angustifolia Typha angustifolia Right T. x glauca Typha latifolia Ben Legler Ben Legler MN Board of Water & Soil Resources Nonnative Typha species and their hybrids • Non-native Typha species and hybrids displace native plants – deeper water, higher salinity tolerance • Hybridize with our native Typha latifolia • Invade managed aquatic systems Narrow-leaf and hybrid cattail, WDFW • Limited distribution in WA Control • Mowing, burning, tilling and flooding can be used in combination • Cut stem covered by water • Repeated mowing • Tarp small patches • Herbicide: – 2,4 -D in spring before flowering; – glyphosate after flowers formed, before frost; – imazapyr after flowers, before frost • Read and follow herbicide labels • Retreatment may be necessary T. angustifolia, Jenifer Parsons, DOE Russian olive, Elaeagnus angustifolia L. David J. Moorhead, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org Georgia, of University J. Moorhead, David • Class C Noxious Weed • Deciduous multi-stem shrub or tree, up to 7 m • Stems may have sharp thorns • Alternately arranged, narrow leaves, silvery 2008, G. D. Carr Ben Legler, 2005 Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org Russian olive, Elaeagnus angustifolia • Fragrant yellow flowers Bugwood.org Conservancy, The Nature Randall, M. John form olive-like fruit • Plants primarily reproduce from seed • Spreads along waterways and has naturalized along many of our major rivers in the interior western U.S. • Planted on CRP land • Crowds out important native riparian plant species and communities that provide wildlife habitat • May have important effects on ecosystem nutrient dynamics – Larger input of nitrogen Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org Russian olive • Primarily found in eastern Washington • Some ornamental plantings in western Washington • Spreading along irrigation waterways, right-of-ways and around lakes such as in Grant County J. Scott Peterson, USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org Control • Watch out for thorns! • Seedlings and small plants can be dug out • Cutting alone will not kill the plant • Herbicide: cut stump method (best in late summer, early fall), foliar applications – 2,4-D when fully leafed out – Crossbow, leaves fully expanded, dormant treatment National Park Service – Glyphosate, fully leafed out – Imazapyr , fully leafed out – And others Proposed reclassifications of listed noxious weeds • Reclassify velvetleaf, Abutilon theophrasti, from a Class A to a Class B noxious weed, to be designated everywhere except Yakima and Franklin counties Proposed reclassifications of listed noxious weeds • Reclassify buffalobur, Solanum rostratum, from a Class A to a Class C noxious weed John D. Byrd, Mississippi State University, Bugwood.org Reclassification of yellow-flowered hawkweed species by subgenera • Class B listing, Hawkweeds: all nonnative species and hybrids of the Meadow subgenus (Pilosella) • Class B listing, Hawkweeds: all nonnative species and hybrids of the Wall subgenus (Hieracium) Challenges of current listing • Having 10 separate yellow hawkweed listings can be overwhelming • Possible confusion within a county where control is required of some yellow hawkweed species but not others. • Hybrids between hawkweed species would either need to be listed separately tall hawkweed Yellow-devil hawkweed • Variation of traits among species can make a definitive identification difficult. Even hieraciologists have differing opinions. This challenge can make enforcement especially difficult. Smooth hawkweed leaf European hawkweed leaf Subgenus Pilosella: the meadow hawkweeds • Includes orange, yellow, whiplash, king-devil, yellow-devil, pale, mouseear, tall, and queen-devil hawkweeds. Mouseear hawkweed, Hieracium pilosella • In general: – Stolons present – No or few stem leaves – Leaves entire or minutely toothed Yellow hawkweed, Hieracium caespitosum Yellow-devil hawkweed, Hieracium x floribundum Subgenus Hieracium: the wall hawkweeds • Includes smooth, common, European, polar, spotted, and wall Legler Ben 2004, hawkweeds (and two native species). • In general: – Stolons absent – Stem leaves present European hawkweed, Common hawkweed, – Leaves toothed or lobed Hieracium sabaudum Hieracium lachenalii Proposed minor amendments to listed noxious weeds including Class B designations • Undesignate wild chervil in Island County • Designate yellow archangel in Island County • Undesignate spurge laurel in Pierce and Jefferson counties • Undesignate myrtle spurge in Clallam and Jefferson counties • Modifying Eurasian milfoil designation to include Pend Oreille County in all lakes with public boat launches except Fan Lake • Designate hairy willow herb in Pend Oreille County • Designate tall hawkweed in Pend Oreille County (pending hawkweed reclassification) • Designate meadow knapweed in Pend Oreille County • Designate Bohemian knotweed in Pend Oreille County