From: Chang, David
Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 1:54 PM
Subject: [SBCWMA News] November 2006
SBCWMA Newsletter
November 2006
Hello SBCWMA Newsletter subscribers:
I want to point out that the
USDA CSREES grant deadline for researchers to submit a letter of intent to
study the biology of invasive plants in agriculture is December 6, 2006. – News
item found in “Grant Opportunities”. I also am including a new feature –
Weed of the Month – starting with Oxalis latifolia in this month’s
newsletter. And… note the news item, listed first below, for a
significant opportunity to influence the federal government on how they will
regulate plant imports into the United States.
Thank you.
– David Chang
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News
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Federal Regulators Ask for Electronic Discussion on
Methods to Predict Invasiveness (11/14/06)
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is hosting an electronic public
discussion on methods that can be used to evaluate the potential of imported
plants to become invasive species if they are introduced into the United States.
Any interested person can participate in the electronic discussion, which
will allow participants to upload files and interact with other participants
and with APHIS staff. The electronic public discussion will be held from
November 27, 2006 to January 26,
2007. Click
here for more information. Following are the instructions from the FR
notice, Docket No: APHIS-2006-0078 – Evaluating the Invasive Potential of
Imported Plants; Electronic Public Discussion. on participating:
"While anyone can access
the discussion and read the comments, registration is required in order to
participate in the discussion. You will be asked to register at the time you
post your comment. The discussion will be accessible through a link on Plant
Protection and Quarantine's Web page for the nursery stock revision, http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/Q37/revision.html.
Participants will be required to enter their name and e-mail address.
Affiliation and mailing address are optional. Only the participant names will
be publicly displayed; the other information will allow us to contact you to
resolve technical difficulties or request additional information or
clarification. When the discussion begins, there will be a link to access the
discussion itself on the nursery stock revision Web page."
The Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service is hosting an electronic public discussion on methods that
can be used to evaluate the potential of imported plants to become invasive
species if they are introduced into the United States. Any interested person
can participate in the electronic discussion, which will allow participants to
upload files and interact with other participants and with APHIS staff. The
electronic public discussion will be held from November 27, 2006 to January 26,
2007.”
Cal-IPC’s Nearly $Half Million Grant Proposal to Map
Arundo Statewide Recommended for Funding (10/25/06)
Cal-IPC’s proposal for $412,500 for "Arundo
donax (giant reed) Complete High Resolution Regional Mapping: Salinas to
Tijuana" has been recommended for funding. (Decision will be
finalized at State Water Board meeting in November.) This project, when
combined with data from Team Arundo del Norte, will move Cal-IPC a long
way's towards having a good statewide map for arundo. This will be good
for strategic planning and for supporting funding needs for addressing
infestations. If you are working on arundo projects or know about arundo
infestations in Santa Barbara County, expect Cal-IPC and me to be asking for
your help.
Florida Transportation Department Agrees to Help Battle
Destructive Plants (10/27/06)
Florida's Department of Transportation (FDOT) has joined an effort promoted by
The Nature Conservancy to control invasive species, agreeing, among other
things, to encourage use of alternative plants in landscape projects. The
FDOT refined the Voluntary Codes of Conduct developed for government agencies and
will incorporate them in their statewide policy for roadside landscaping and
other related business practices. The Department is the first government
agency in the country to sign on. Click
here for the complete press report.
Milestone Herbicide Registered in California (10/25/06)
Milestone herbicide (generic ingredient – aminopyralid) was accepted for
registration by CalEPA on October 4, 2006. Click here for a copy of the
label. Following is a statement Beau Miller emailed to WMA
coordinators:
“As you have probably already heard, Milestone will become the new standard for
noxious and invasive weeds, including tough perennials like artichoke thistle,
Canada thistle and Russian knapweed. At this point there are over 50
weeds on the newly approved label. A second label version is already
under submission which has over 90 weeds and woody plants on the label-- stay
tuned for that one in 07! So you get the idea that this broad-spectrum,
reduced-risk chemistry herbicide is great for all kinds of difficult-to-control
weeds such as yellow star thistle, Scotch thistle, and the knapweeds.
Milestone has both pre- (up to 4 months) and post-emergent activity on these
weeds at use rates of 3-7 oz per acre.
Since Milestone does not affect grasses, range & pasture forage can be
demonstrably improved with early (December through March) applications to
control yellow star thistle. The benefits of application often persist
for one or more years after treatment with very high performance on labeled
weeds, as almost all of the longer-
term evaluations
demonstrate.
Milestone also has some woody plant activity – look for additions to the label
and blends of our actives for superior woody plant control in the future.
With some woody activity, Milestone will not be as selective as Transline, especially
on desirable small trees that have to be sprayed over the top. There is a
Milestone tree bulletin available.
Milestone has a broad label with range & pasture, general non-crop
vegetation management and a long list of natural use sites that you will want to
check out in more detail. It may be applied up to the water's edge in
many areas, but not on the inside banks of irrigation canals. For
irrigation canals, it will be OK to apply from the top hinge of the inner bank,
including the top and outside banks.”
Secretary Kempthorne Announces New Members of the
Invasive Species Advisory Committee
(11/2/06)
Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced the new members of the Invasive
Species Advisory Committee (ISAC) who will provide advice and recommendations
to the National Invasive Species Council (NISC).
NISC was established by Executive Order 13112 in February 1999 and is
co-chaired by the secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture and Commerce.
Its members include the secretaries of State, Defense, Transportation,
Treasury, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security and the
administrators of the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration, the
National Air and Space Administration, U.S. Agency for International
Development and the U.S. Trade Representative.
ISAC is made up of 30 individuals representing a broad range of stakeholders
including those in the scientific, conservation, agriculture communities, state
and tribal governments and industry organizations that are impacted by invasive
species.
During his tenure as governor of Idaho, Secretary Kempthorne was a member of
the first ISAC class, appointed by former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt in
1999.
The members of the fourth convening ISAC are: Peter Alpert, Ph.D.
University of Massachusetts; K. George Beck, Ph.D. Colorado State
University; Gary M Beil, Ph.D. Minnesota Crop Improvement Assn.;
E. Shippen Bright, Maine Lakes Conservancy Institute; Patricia
Bright, DVM, Wildlife Center of Virginia; David Brunner, National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation; Timothy Carlson, Tamarisk Coalition;
Earl Chilton, II, Ph.D., Texas Parks and Wildlife Department;
Janet Clark, Montana State University; Diane Cooper, Taylor
Shellfish Farms; Joseph Corn, Ph.D., University of Georgia; Lucius
Eldredge, Ph.D., Bishop Museum; Miles Falck, Great Lakes
Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission; Christopher Fisher, Colville
Confederated Tribes; Amy Frankmann, Michigan Nursery and Landscape
Assn., Ann Gibbs, Maine Department of Agriculture (Representing
National Plant Board); Catherine L. Hazlewood, Esq. The Nature
Conservancy; Jerome Jackson, Ph.D., Florida Gulf Coast University;
John Kennedy, Wyoming Game and Fish Department (Representing the
Assn. of Fish and Wildlife Agencies); Celia Smith, Ph.D.,
University of Hawaii; Marilyn B. Leland, Prince William Sound
Regional Citizens. Advisory Council; Ronald R. Lukens, Gulf States
Marine Fisheries Commission, Charles R. O.Neill, Ph.D.; New York
Sea Grant; Robert McMahon, Ph.D., University of Texas at
Arlington; Jamie K. Reaser, Ph.D., Pet Industry Joint Advisory
Council; Jeffrey D. Schardt, Florida Department of Environment
Protection; Jeffrey Stone, Ph.D., Oregon State University; John
Peter Thompson, The Behnke Nurseries Company; Jennifer Vollmer,
Ph.D., BASF Corporation; and Kenneth Zimmerman, Lone Tree Cattle
Company.
NatureServe Adds 28 I-Rank Assessments to Their Website,
NatureServe Explorer (11/10/06)
NatureServe has added U.S. invasive (I-Rank) assessments for 28 plants to their
website, NatureServe Explorer, http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/.
This brings the total number of assessed plants to 480. The I-rank
assessments are the result of applying a systematic protocol (Morse et al.
2004) to determine the degree of impact an individual non-native species has on
the native plants, animals, and ecosystems of the United States. NatureServe’s
hope is that these objective and transparent assessments will build consensus
and galvanize action.
This is an excerpt from Kat Maybury’s, (Botany Dept. Director of NatureServe),
original announcement. I saved the original announcement that lists the
28 new plants and gives directions for accessing the site. Contact me to
obtain the original announcement.
Steve Schoenig Update on CDFA WMA Grants (11/13/06)
$1.5 million was recently added to CDFA’s budget to fund noxious and invasive
weed management. Request for proposals were due in October. Steve
Schoenig, CDFA scientist and administrator of the WMA statewide program
provided an update on the proposal selection process. Following is that
update.
The selection committee met November 1st to evaluate and score proposals.
CDFA staff have compiled these scores and submitted them to Integrated
Pest Control Branch management for evaluation. A recommended funding
allocation will be sent up for final approval and awarded grants should be
announced in the week of November 27th.
DPR Reports 2005 Pesticide Use Data; Highly Toxic
Categories Down Again (11/14/06)
This is not exactly weed related, but I thought of enough interest to
include, here. This is a nearly verbatim, (formatted differently) reprint
of the original DPR news release. – dc
(Editors/reporters: See county pounds statistics and rankings www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/pur/pur05rep/lbsby_co.pdf
and the 2005 Pesticide Use Report Summary with "top" data lists www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/pur/pur05rep/05_pur.htm
)
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation today reported a statewide
decline in the use of several highly toxic chemicals in 2005, including
fumigants and other pesticides of regulatory concern.
DPR tentative statistics for 2005 show 194 million pounds applied for all
commercial uses, compared to 180 million pounds in 2004. Half of the increase
was attributed to sulfur, a natural compound used by organic and conventional
growers to combat mold and mildew. Wet weather was a factor for many growers in
2005.
At the same time, use of many higher risk chemicals declined, both in pounds
applied and acres treated, while use of some reduced-risk compounds increased
dramatically.
"DPR continues to put strong emphasis on reducing pesticide risks and use
whenever possible," said DPR Director Mary-Ann Warmerdam. "While last
year's weather presented challenging conditions for growers, we see a growing
reliance on sustainable pest management.
"The number of pounds applied is not as significant as the chemicals that
contribute to that total," said Warmerdam. "Increased use of less
toxic materials shows that we are moving in the right direction."
As in previous years, most farm pesticide use occurred in the San Joaquin
Valley, the nation's No. 1 agricultural area. Fresno, Kern, Tulare, San
Joaquin, and Madera counties had the highest use, as measured in pounds. Other
indicators summarized by DPR include the number of applications made and
cumulative acreage treated, statewide and by county.
Pesticide use varies from year to year based on many factors, including types
of crops, economics, acreage planted, and other factors - - most notably
weather. A cool, wet spring in 2005 promoted fungus and other diseases in crops
such as grapes, requiring more intensive pest management.
Some details from the 2005 DPR pesticide use summary:
As measured in pounds, the most used pesticides were sulfur, petroleum oils,
metam-sodium, 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D), and mineral oil. Sulfur use
increased by 7.3 million pounds (13 percent) and was the most highly used
pesticide in 2005, both in pounds applied and acres treated. By pounds,
sulfur accounted for 32 percent of all reported pesticide use. Sulfur is a
natural fungicide favored by both conventional and organic farmers.
Fumigant chemicals decreased in pounds applied from 2004 to 2005 (1 million
pounds, 2.5 percent) and decreased in cumulative acres treated (54,000 acres,
14 percent). Use of about half of the major fumigants decreased in pounds
but nearly all major fumigants decreased in acres treated.
Pounds of reduced-risk pesticides increased by 630,000 pounds applied (60
percent) and by 2.4 million acres treated (39 percent).
Crops that showed an overall increase in pesticide pounds applied from 2004 to
2005 included wine grapes (6 million pounds), oranges (2.7 million pounds),
raisin and table grapes (1.8 million pounds), walnuts (1.2 million pounds), and
almonds (1 million pounds). Major crops or sites with decreased pounds
applied included rice (1.5 million pounds), fresh tomatoes (700,000 pounds),
strawberries (420,000 pounds), and lemons (370,000 pounds).
For several years, DPR annual pesticide use summaries have included various
toxic categories. The statistical summaries for these categories are not risk
indicators. DPR uses the data to support regulatory activities to enhance
public safety and environmental protection. Some notable changes from 2004 to
2005:
Pounds of all the higher risk pesticide categories, except for toxic air
contaminants, decreased and use of all the lower risk pesticides increased.
Acres treated with carcinogens and organophosphates increased, mostly because
of increased use of the fungicides mancozeb and maneb and the insecticide
chlorpyrifos.
Chemicals classified as reproductive toxins decreased in pounds applied from
2004 to 2005 (2.1 million pounds or 8.8 percent) and decreased in cumulative
acres treated (88,000 acres or 4.1 percent).
Pounds of insecticide organophosphate and carbamate chemicals, which include
compounds of high regulatory concern, continued to decline as they have for
nearly every year since 1995.
Chemicals categorized as toxic air contaminants, another group of pesticides of
regulatory concern, remained nearly the same as in 2005 while cumulative acres
treated increased by 220,000 (6.1 percent).
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Weed of the
Month
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New Newsletter Section
(11/17/06)
Locals often report weedy plants to me and there are weeds I would like to
remind you about. Therefore, I am adding a new occasional feature to my
monthly newsletter – Weed of the Month. I am far from an expert, so let
me know and don’t hold me responsible, when I make mistakes or omissions.
All botanists and concerned locals out there are invited to submit a
story or report a weedy plant to me. I intend for the stories to be
timely, i.e. about a weed in flower, presenting a new or incipient discovery,
currently in the news, or needing more attention. Stories will usually be
about noxious or invasive weeds. (My first Weed of the Month is an exception.)
I hope you find the new feature useful. – dc
Oxalis latifolia (10/9/06)
Don Tate, a botanically astute local citizen, reported the presence of Oxalis
latifolia (Oxalidaceae) growing quite densely in celery fields and sparsely
in the ditch nearby in Lompoc this past September. We, (i.e. Mike
Champion, Agricultural Commissioner biologist), noticed this weed, 5 or 6 years
ago, growing in an asparagus field, which has since been disced. It has
also been spotted in Carpinteria, growing in an Avocado orchard. Routine
maintenance of the orchard apparently eliminated the infestation.
I believe O.latifolia is relatively uncommon as a weed in Santa Barbara
County. Let me know if you think it is a common weed. It is sold as
an ornamental. Looking very similar to O. cornicluata and O.
pes-caprae, (Bermuda buttercup), O. latifolia is a pretty plant with
pink flowers above shamrock shaped foliage. Click here for pictures. The horticulturist that submitted the
pictures notes that it is an “easy to grow bulb; nice in containers and window
boxes… Can be invasive in warm zones." It is not listed in
Clifton Smith’s, A Flora of the Santa Barbara Region. The Jepson Manual
of Higher Plants lists the distribution as NCo, CCo, SCoRo and native to NM
(New Mexico), and Mexico and as a weed of n SCoR (Salinas Valley). The
SCoRo designation includes Santa Barbara County. Jepson’s does not give
it a common name. Common names for this plant include broadleaf wood
sorrel, fishtail Oxalis, or Mexican Oxalis.
O. latifolia is not designated Cal-IPC invasive or CDFA noxious.
Apparently it is declared a secondary weed in Tasmania. An
Australian origin website
I found considers it a major garden weed in most areas, extremely difficult to
control once well established, and may cause oxalate poisoning in livestock.
Perhaps, while pretty (to some), it is a plant worth watching out for.
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Grant
Opportunities
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Biology of Weedy and Invasive Species in Agroecosystems
Grant Period Open (11/14/06)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cooperative State Research,
Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) has announced that $3.6 million in
funding is available for the Biology of Weedy and Invasive Species in
Agroecosystems Grant as part of the National Research Initiative Competitive
Grants Program. Grants are provided to organizations for the
interdisciplinary experimental, observation, theoretical, and modeling studies
of weedy and invasive species to generate ecologically and economically rational
strategies for their management, control, or elimination.
Letters of intent are required and due December 6, 2006.
Applications are due February 14, 2007. Click here for
more information.
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Educational
Opportunities
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Brooklyn Botanic Garden Publication on Native
Alternatives to Invasive Plants (09/01/06)
With the landmark release of Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants, Brooklyn
Botanic Garden presents the first-ever double issue in the acclaimed All Region
Guide series. In 1996, BBG published the groundbreaking handbook, Invasive
Plants: Weeds of the Global Garden – The first comprehensive publication to
identify North America's worst invasive plants and for years readers have asked
for a companion volume featuring ecologically safe alternatives. For the
complete news release and further information about the book visit http://www.bbg.org/abo/pressroom/gardenpubs/2006/2006native.html.
Plant Solutions – Quarterly NRCS Newsletter (10/31/06)
The Natural Resources Conservation Service publishes an electronic newsletter
that may be of interest to habitat conservation practitioners. The 2006 4th
qtr newsletter is now available. Click here to view the newsletter.
This issue discusses efforts to re-establish Roemer’s grass in the West; the
new book Living Landscapes of North Dakota: A Guide to Native Plantscaping; and
the Eagle Lake Shoreline Erosion Project. NRCS State Conservationist, J.
R. Flores, considers The Living Landscapes brochure to be a great resource for
utilizing native plant and plant resources. It should act as a model for
landscaping brochures across the nation. Click
here for a news release about the brochure.
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Acknowledgement
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This
newsletter is compiled from various sources, including emails I receive from
people who are involved in the invasive weed field, and from listserves.
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 or 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
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