Santa Barbara County Weed Management Area

June 2006 Newsletter

 

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News

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Weed Science Society Seeking Input on Interest in Invasive Weed Journal May 15, 2006

The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) publishes two well-respected peer reviewed journals, Weed Science and Weed Technology.  The papers in these publications focus on the biology and management of weeds that are problems primarily in crop production.  However, due to increasing economic and environmental impacts resulting from the continued introduction and spread of invasive plants affecting non-cropland areas, WSSA is considering the publication of a high-quality, peer reviewed journal that would publish research on invasive weeds, their biology and control in natural and managed ecosystems.

A brief survey is available at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=419992064627  to help WSSA better gauge both the need for an “Invasive Weed Science and Management” journal, and your colleagues’ interest in specific topics that should be included.  The information that you provide in the short questionnaire will be extremely helpful to WSSA as we examine the needs that exist in terms of information on invasive plant species and the type of publication that would best meet these needs.  Your support of invasive species’ research is greatly appreciated.

 

University of California Considering Establishment of a Coastal Invasive Species Center May 15, 2006

The University of California hosted a meeting on June 13th at the UC Center Sacramento to discuss the concept of establishing a regional or statewide Coastal Invasive Species Center.  The mission of the Center would be to promote excellent collaborative, interdisciplinary research, education, outreach, and development of science-based management strategies to prevent and mitigate the negative impacts of invasive coastal species in California/the West. The Center would accomplish its mission by maximizing partnerships between researchers and managers in order to foster the most effective and science-based management strategies; centralizing information on California’s invasive coastal species; developing a responsive, real-time framework for managing California’s most harmful coastal invasive species; improving widespread public understanding of coastal invasive species challenges and solutions; and training the next generation of coastal invasive species biologists in California.

Doug Johnson, Executive Director of California Invasive Plant Council, attended the meeting and reports that the meeting was the first broad stakeholder meeting they have had and that to date, it has mostly involved a group of UC marine invasives folks, including Lars Anderson, Ted Grosholz, and Susan Williams.  They are currently emphasizing "coastal species" – marine, estuarine, and coastal terrestrial (dunes, bluffs).  Doug is currently participating in the governance and demonstration project committees formed at the meeting.

Cal-IPC is coordinating a research roundtable on invasive plants.  There is talk of the creation of a statewide agency Invasive Species Council.  A UC supported center could provide significant resources as the science advisor for the invasive plant community.

 More information about the proposal can be found at http://www.ucop.edu/research/meetings/coastalinvasivespecies

 

$2.5 Million Added to CDFA’s Budget to Support WMAs May 22, 2006

In recent committee hearings, the California Senate and Assembly Budget Committees added $2.5M to the CDFA budget to support Weed Management Area programs. This budget still requires approval by the governor, but is a major step forward in efforts to renew funding for the program.

This success is due to the many letters received from over 100 organizations statewide, including preserves, conservancies, land trusts, agricultural commissioners, resource conservation districts, and native plant society chapters. Legislators commented about the obvious grassroots support for the program.

For the long term, even if funded in this year's budget, the program is not guaranteed funding in future years. Though it is clear that invasive plants need ongoing attention, budget realities will make it an annual challenge to obtain funding. Unlike past years, it may be necessary to develop projects that can be completed in one fiscal year.

Though the funding is not a done deal, it may be advisable for WMAs to do some preparation in case funding does become available after July 1. Implementing strategically important projects will be key to assuring future funding. In addition, making sure that your elected representatives are aware of the work that you do is also key.

 

Cal-IPC hosts Invasive Plant Mapping and Database Roundtable May 22, 2006

The California Invasive Plant Council recently invited many of the public agencies and non-governmental agencies involved in invasive plant mapping and management to a roundtable discussion on the current status, needs, and future of invasive plant mapping.  Invitees to the June 5th meeting at UC Davis included representative from CA State Parks, CA Fish & Game, CA Boating & Waterways, CA Food & Agriculture, UC Cooperative Extension, National Park Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish & Wildlife Service, CalFlora Database, Jepson Herbarium, CalTrans and The Nature Conservancy and others.

The agenda included a discussion of the Current Overview and Opportunities - Data Collection and Local Data Systems – Steve Schoenig – CDFA; California Invasive Weed Mapping Consortium – Doug Johnson – Cal-IPC; Designing a California Invasive Plant Digital Library – Deanne DiPietro – Sonoma Ecology Center and an Open Discussion and Planning the Future - What are the current strengths and gaps? Are there compatibility issues? What coordination functions would be most useful? How to best engage wide participation? What resources are needed?

More information about the formation of a mapping consortium can be found at: http://www.cal-ipc.org/ip/mapping/consortium.php

 

SBCWMA Receives $103,700 Grant Award June 2, 2006

            The US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Private Stewardship Grant Program has awarded the Santa Barbara County Weed Management Area $103,700 for its Santa Cruz Island Native Plant Restoration Project.  The project is designed to control many herbaceous invasive and noxious weeds on Santa Cruz Island for the benefit of habitat and specific plant species of concern.

            This project is heavily dependent on volunteers.  If you would like to volunteer, please contact Ken Owen, Channel Islands Restoration, at (805) 448-5726, islands@rain.org and visit the project’s website at www.channelislandsrestoration.com/sci.

 

CalFlora Free for Amateurs in 2006 June 6, 2006

            Calflora announces that thanks to a generous donation, it's free to register or renew a personal account at Calflora this year.  CalFlora notified folks who tried out Calflora in the past but whose accounts have expired, to encourage you to try Calflora again, this time for free.  They have added a number of new features to Calflora in the past year, including dramatically improved maps; updates and additions to our CNPS, CNDDB, and many other plant occurrence data sets; a growing list of plant lists for local parks and other regions; a new way to map and share your own plant observations; an expanded plant name library; and updated links and many other site improvements.  It's easy to renew (or register for the first time) at Calflora's Registration Page.  

To keep Calflora alive, they are still asking folks to subscribe for a fee if they use Calflora for their professional work, but their mission is to make the data at Calflora available, not to raise money – they are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. If the professional fee is too steep for your organization, please get in touch with them so they can find a way to make Calflora affordable to you.  They are eager to hear how we can make Calflora better serve your interests in California's wild plants.

 

California Invasive Plant Council Releases New Guide for Invasive Plants June 8, 2006

The California Invasive Plant Council has released the new California Invasive Plant Inventory.

Cal-IPC’s Inventory Review Committee met between 2002 and 2005 to review nearly 300 species with known or suspected impacts in California wildlands. The California Invasive Plant Inventory uses a set of 13 criteria to rate the invasive plant species. It bases the rating on a plant’s impact on native habitats, potential for spreading in California, and current extent of invasion in the state. All of the information is backed up with published references or observations.

 “The new list is a result of a tremendous amount of time and energy on the part of many people in California, Arizona and Nevada,” says Joseph DiTomaso, Plant Sciences, UC Davis. “It should set the standard and provide a template for other states to use and develop their own lists.”

The 44-page publication updates the 1999 Exotic Pest Plants of Greatest Ecological Concern in California, “The list differs from the previous one because is uses quantifiable criteria to evaluate more than 300 species of non-native plants reported to be invasive in California wildlands,” says DiTomaso.  “When it was all done, 192 species received either a high, moderate or limited ranking.”

The California Invasive Plant Inventory serves as a scientific and educational report designed to prioritize plants for control, to provide information to those working on habitat restoration, to show areas where research is needed, to aid those who prepare or comment on environmental planning documents, and to educate public policy makers.

Support for this project was provided by the Center for Invasive Plant Management and the UC Exotic/Invasive Pests and Diseases Research Program of the UC Statewide IPM Program and UC Riverside Center for Invasive Species Research. USDA/CREES Special Research Grant funds the Exotic/Invasive Pests and Diseases Research Program.

More information about the inventory can be found at http://www.cal-ipc.org/ip/inventory/index.php.

 

Newsletters Available on SBCWMA Website June 16, 2006

SBCWMA Newsletters are now available at www.countyofsb.org/agcomm/wma/newsletters.htm.   

 

Are you a member of the listserv, CalWeedTalk? June 16, 2006

CalWeedTalk is a listserv started by the California Invasive Plant Council where invasive weed workers discuss invasive weed topics including requesting sightings of invasive and noxious weeds.  You can click here to send an email to CaliforniaWeedTalk-subscribe@topica.com to subscribe.  The website where you can see past discussions is at http://lists.topica.com/lists/CaliforniaWeedTalk

 

California Invasive Weeds Awareness Week is July 17-23, 2006!

Local weed management groups are encouraged to get the word out during California Invasive Weeds Awareness Week (CIWAW) that great invasive weed work is happening locally and around the state!  Begin formulating a plan to educate the general public, policy makers and state legislators regarding the incredible, successful projects and activities that YOUR group is spearheading to stop the introduction and spread of invasive weeds.

The California Invasive Weeds Awareness Coalition (CALIWAC) has produced an 11"X17", full color "They're relentless... Invasive Weeds" poster (see link below) that has been mailed to Weed Management Areas.  (I have 3 copies.)  In addition, a packet of ideas to increase outreach and educational efforts was included with the posters.  All of the information will also be posted on the California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) website at www.cal-ipc.org.

Contact Katie Filippini, kfilippini@cdfa.ca.gov, to request posters and packets. See a copy online at http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/ipc/pdf/ciwaw_2006.pdf.  Let Elizabeth Brusati, edbrusati@cal-ipc.org, at Cal-IPC, know what your weed group is planning for CIWAW 2006 and your events will be posted on the Cal-IPC website!

 

SCINPRP Application to WRP Small Grant Program Rejected June 15, 2006

            The Santa Cruz Island Native Plant Restoration Project, a project of the SBCWMA, failed to receive additional funding from the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Projects Small Grant Program.  We had requested $30,000 to control periwinkle and kikuyu grass along Puerto de Cañada near Prisoners’ Harbor.  We were competing with 27 projects who had submitted over $600,000 in requests.

 

 

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Educational Events

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Tamarisk and Arundo Eradication Workshop

            The Cache Creek Conservancy and Cache Creek Watershed Stakeholders Group are hosting a Tamarisk and Arundo Eradication Workshop on Tuesday, June 20, 2006; 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.; at the Cache Creek Nature Preserve; 34199 County Road 20, Woodland, CA 95695. The workshop will feature Dr. John Herr, USDA – Biocontrol of Tamarisk; Mike Krebsbach, Monsanto – Glyphosate product update and treatment of Tamarisk and Arundo; John Smith, BASF – Imazapyr (Habitat) product update; Scott Johnson, Wilbur-Ellis – Adjuvants, when to use and products available; John Young, Yolo County Department of Agriculture – Permits and regulations; and Guy Kyser, UC Davis – Application techniques and calibrating equipment.  Three hours (0.5 hours L&R) of DPR continuing education credit is available.  For more information and to register, contact Jenny Drewitz, Yolo County Resource Conservation District at (530) 662-2037 ext. 114; drewitz@yolorcd.org or John Watson, Cache Creek Conservancy at (530) 661-1070.

 

Milestone® Meeting and Field Tour June 13, 2006

Dow AgroSciences is sponsoring a meeting and field tour to introduce their new herbicide, Milestone (aminopyralid).  Although Milestone is not yet available in California, it is expected to be registered by the end of 2006, in time for the next weed season.  These demonstrations are designed to show what Milestone can do for noxious and invasive weed control in environments such as pastures, roadsides and natural areas.  The meetings are scheduled for:

 

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Mimi’s Restaurant

9812 Mission Gorge Rd.

Santee CA

7:30 AM – 10:30 AM

Thursday, July 6, 2006

Marie Calendars Restaurant

1295 South Victoria

Ventura CA

7:30 AM – 10:30 AM

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Margarita Ranch

5995 W Pozo Rd

Santa Margarita CA

10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

 

At San Diego, attendees will have the opportunity to look at some Milestone treatments applied last winter or last May for control of artichoke thistle, tocolote, milk thistle, Italian thistle, horseweed and other critters on a landfill site. These treatments will include some replicated studies by Carl Bell (UCCE) and some demonstrations applied by Bruce Kidd.

At Ventura, attendees will see what Milestone and other herbicides can do to a savage forest of artichoke and milk thistle on rangeland. These treatments were applied last February by a local rancher. If you plan to participate in the Ventura tour, dress appropriately, as those needles are very, very sharp and the untreated plants are HUGE.

At Santa Margarita (near San Luis Obispo), attendees will see Milestone on yellow star thistle, distaff thistle and others in an 4- acre oak grassland community.

Each meeting will include complimentary breakfast (or lunch in Santa Margarita) and a brief introduction to the technical background of Milestone, followed by a one-hour field tour.  The whole thing should take 3 hours. Ideally, Bruce would like to have only 25-40 people at each tour, but if demand is strong then they’ll find a way to accommodate more. Please contact Bruce Kidd, Dow AgroSciences (951)-698-3081, bekidd@dow.com, directly to confirm your attendance.

 

Coal Oil Point Tours June 13, 2006

            UCSB’s Coal Oil Point Reserve is offering tours:

Only a mile from UCSB is an amazing natural area with 4 miles of trails, a salt marsh, dunes, and breeding populations of Snowy Plovers and CA Least Terns.  Summer is the best time to take a tour of the reserve and see wildflowers, nesting birds, and wildlife.  The walk is easy enough for kids to join.

The tours are on Saturdays, from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM.  Meet in front of the Cliff House.  Free guided tours are available on July 15; August 5; and September 2, 2006.  To sign up for a tour, please email the tour coordinator, Jen Stroh at stroh@lifesci.ucsb.edu

 

Registration opens for Cal-IPC’s 2006 Symposium

This is a reminder that the California Invasive Plant Council will be holding their 15th annual symposium this October 5 through 7 at the Sonoma Doubletree Hotel in Rohnert Park, California.  This year’s theme is “Research and Management.  Bridging the Gap.”  A pre-Symposium field course on Tools for Early Detection, on October 4, will also be available.  Registration opens June 1, 2006.  For more information, visit www.cal-ipc.org.   

Registration has opened and can be done online at http://www.cal-ipc.org/symposia/register1.php.  A program schedule is due out shortly.

 

Watershed Partnership Seminar

The next CALFED Bay-Delta Program Watershed Partnership Seminar will be held in Riverside, California, October 10-20, 2006.  This is an intensive two-week seminar that was developed to help increase the effectiveness of local watershed management in support of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program. This is the first time the partnership seminar has been scheduled to be held in southern California. Nominations are due on June 28, 2006 (two weeks from today). Self-nominations are also accepted.

For more information and a nomination form, visit the CALFED Bay-Delta website http://www.baydeltawatershed.org/.

 

 

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Grant Opportunities

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NOAA Grant Funds for Fiscal Year 2007 (Closing Dates: Multiple)

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/06-5225.htm

 

National Marine Sanctuary Program's California B-WET Grants. (Closing Date: 10/2/06)

http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?oppId=9928&mode=VIEW

 

Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program (Closing Date: 7/7/06)

http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/environment/ecogrant

 

 

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Work Opportunities

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Job opportunities in the invasive plant, habitat restoration, and environmental fields can be viewed and posted on the CalWeedJobs listserv website.  Visit the website at http://lists.topica.com/lists/CalWeedJobs/.  To subscribe to the listserv, send an email to CalWeedJobs-subscribe@topica.com.

            The following news item was received from the listserv and is repeated here just because it sounded like so much fun.  I refer you to the CalWeedJobs website for more information on other job opportunities.

 

Volunteers Sought for Tree Census in Puerto Rico June 14, 2006

University of Puerto Rico - Recinto de Rio Piedras, Institute for Tropical Ecosystem Studies

 

TROPICAL FOREST RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR COLLEGE GRADUATES.

September 13, until December 20, 2006.  Applications to be submitted by July 4, 2006

 

The Institute for Tropical Ecosystem Studies (ITES) of the University of Puerto Rico is carrying out a tree census in the 16-ha Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot (LFDP; part of the Center for Tropical Forest Science network) in the Caribbean National Forest in Puerto Rico.  We need eight volunteers work on this census.  After training in tree identification, census protocol and database management the volunteers will work in the forest to locate, tag, measure, identify trees in the plot, then enter the data into a database.  Volunteers will work Monday through Friday with weekends free.  While working in Puerto Rico volunteers will have the opportunity to learn about many aspects of tropical ecology from scientists involved in the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Program.

 

For more information see http://ites.upr.edu/  and http://luq.lternet.edu/

 

STIPEND: $500 per month to cover food and general living expenses.

PERIOD: Approx 14 weeks.  September 13th until December 20th 2006. 

ACCOMODATION: Free accommodation at the El Verde Field Station in Puerto Rico.

TRAVEL: Refund of up to $600 towards a round-trip plane ticket from mainland USA, if not already living in Puerto Rico.

NOTE:  We are unable to provide any medical insurance.

 

REQUIREMENTS:

Graduate with an interest in ecology and preferably with some experience of field work and plant identification.  Tropical experience useful, but is not required.  Puerto Rican and USA citizens or permanent USA residents only (unfortunately it is too complicated to obtain work visas).

 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Please send the following:

1)         A letter describing your relevant experience and indicating why you wish to work in tropical forest, and stating that your application is for a volunteer position.

2)         Full resume

3)         University transcripts (unofficial transcripts will be accepted for the application but official transcripts will be required if invited to participate)

4)         Name, title, telephone number, mailing and email addresses, of two references. 

5)         Applications should be sent preferably by mail, (but email is acceptable) to arrive by July 4th 2006.  Successful applicants will be invited by the end of July 2006. 

 

Please mail applications to:  

Dr Jill Thompson

El Verde Field Station,

HC-05 Box 8974

Río Grande,

Puerto Rico 00745-9601

 

If it is not possible to mail applications, then email to jill@coqui.net.  All attachments must have the name of the applicant as part of the file name.

 

 

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Acknowledgement

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This newsletter is compiled from various sources, including emails I receive from various people I know, who are involved in the invasive weed field, and from listservs.  I modify the emails, but sometimes they are inserted here nearly verbatim.  I thank those people for this information and for their devotion to protecting and conserving habitat.  If you recognize something that you wrote and object to its use here and on my website, contact me and I will promptly remove it from my website.

 

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Sincerely,

David Chang

Agricultural Commissioner's Office

County of Santa Barbara

(805) 681-5600

June 16, 2006

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