From: Chang, David
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2007 6:19 PM
Subject: [SBCWMA News] November 2007
SBCWMA Newsletter
November
2007
***************************************************
News
***************************************************
SBCWMA Awarded $35,200 in CDFA Grant Funds 10/4/07
The Santa Barbara County Weed Management Area has been awarded funds from the
latest round of AB 2479 funding from the California Department of Food and
Agriculture. The SBCWMA was awarded $22,000 for Arundo donax eradication
on Carpinteria Creek and $13,200 for Vinca major eradication in the
Cañada del Puerto of Santa Cruz Island. These
monies are budgeted for spending in 2008 and 2009.
These funds are partly a result of a grassroots campaign led by the California
Invasive Plant Council that some of you participated in. Over 100 letters
were sent to the governor’s office in support of AB 2479 (Cogdill)
which eventually led to the inclusion of $1.5 million in the state’s budget for
WMA efforts. Locally, the Santa Barbara Audubon, Land Trust for Santa
Barbara County, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, the County of Santa Barbara
Agricultural Commissioner's Office, and Channel Islands Restoration submitted
letters.
Cal-IPC Posts Results from WMA Weed Survey 10/8/07
The California Invasive Plant Council, in partnership with the California
Department of Food and Agriculture, and the University of California, Davis
surveyed weed management areas throughout the state requesting the abundance
and spread of some 36 invasive plants found on the Cal-IPC weed inventory.
The results are rough statewide maps that provide a landscape-level
assessment of where each weed is currently found, and whether they are
spreading. The maps are posted at http://www.cal-ipc.org/ip/mapping/statewide_maps/index.php
CDFA Proposes to Delist Certain
Noxious Weeds and Clarify Prohibitions on the Sale of Noxious Weeds 11/9/07
The California Department of Food and Agriculture is proposing to amend Section
4500 of the California Code of Regulations pertaining to Noxious Weed Species.
Section 4500 designates certain plants as noxious weeds. The CDFA
proposes to delist the following species: Cynodon spp. & hybrids (Bermuda grass); Gaura coccinea
(scarlet gaura); Gypsophila paniculata (baby’s breath); Imperata
brevifolia (satintail);
Iris douglasiana (Douglas iris); Iris missouriensis (western blue flag); Malvella
leprosa (alkali mallow); Orobanche
cooperi (Cooper’s broomrape); and Polygonum coccineum [=P.
amphibium] (kelp).
These are plants that are commercially grown or are California native plants.
The removal of the commercially grown plants from the list reduces the
conflict inherent in enforcing the rule on commercial growers. The CDFA
is preparing to amend the regulations pertaining to Nursery Stock Standards of
Cleanliness to clarify that noxious weeds do not meet the standards, and to
eliminate the sales of all noxious weeds throughout California. CDFA has
deemed it appropriate that 8 of 9 California native plants currently on the
noxious weed list do not need to be considered as noxious weeds.
The notice can be viewed at http://www.oal.ca.gov/pdfs/notice/45z-2007.pdf
(Go to page 6 of the PDF). The initial statement of reasons and proposed
changes can be obtained by contacting David Chang at dchang@co.santa-barbara.ca.us,
(805) 681-5600. A public hearing is not scheduled. The
comment period on the proposed changes is open until December 24, 2007. Direct comments or questions to Stephen Brown at sbrown@cdfa.ca.gov, (916) 654-1017.
California Rangeland Conservation Coalition Expands Focus 11/16/07
The California Rangeland Conservation Coalition is expanding its focus to
include restoration and enhancement on California ranches. The new committee
will take the partnership on the ground. All partners are invited to attend the
first committee meeting scheduled for November 29, 2007 at 1:30 in the
California Cattlemen’s Association office located at 1221 H Street,
More information about the California Rangeland Conservation Coalition can be
found at www.carangeland.org. The new version of the California Rangeland Conservation Coalition
newsletter is available at Summer/Fall
2007
***************************************************
Grant
Opportunities
***************************************************
DFG Launches Agricultural Riparian Buffers Initiative to
Benefit Central Valley Wildlife
Private landowners are vital to the survival of species in the Central Valley,
and a new program offers to rebuild streamside habitat to benefit plants,
animals and ranchers. The program will focus on properties along the
***************************************************
Educational
Opportunities
***************************************************
Northern California Botanists 2nd Annual Symposium
The
second annual symposium of the Northern California Botanists will be
held at CSU Chico on January 14 & 15, 2008. The Symposium’s theme is Northern
California plant life: Celebrating what we have with an eye to the
future. The keynote speech to be presented by Dr. Constance
Millar (US Forest Service, PSW) is entitled: "What to do about
Climate Change? Conservation, Blink! and the art
of beginner's mind" More information and conference
registration can be found through the following link: http://rce.csuchico.edu/norcalbotany/
E-Learning—Engaging Volunteers and the Public in Invasive
Plant Issues and Management
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Center for Invasive Plant Management
announce a new e-learning website aimed at engaging volunteers and the public
in invasive plant issues and management. Designed for National Wildlife Refuge
volunteers and Friends groups, the website provides science-based, introductory
information that is suitable for anyone interested in learning about invasive
plants. The five self-study modules address the purpose and history of the
Refuge System, how volunteers help in invasive plant management, how refuges
manage invasive plants, and tips for community outreach. Each module contains a
quiz and web-based resources that enable learners to explore topics more
thoroughly. The website is part of a larger program carried out by the U.S.
Fish & Wildlife Service in conjunction with partners, such as the National
Wildlife Refuge Association, to engage volunteers in managing invasive species
on National Wildlife Refuges. This program includes competitive grants and
training in how to map invasive plant infestations using hand-held computers
and GPS devices. Volunteers and Invasive Plants: Learning and Lending a Hand
website: http://www.fws.gov/invasives/volunteersTrainingModule/index.html
***************************************************
Weed of the
Month (before last)
***************************************************
Chondrilla juncea rediscovered in Carpinteria
Back
in September, botanically adept, Andrea Adams-Morden alerted the Agricultural
Commissioner's Office to a suspect noxious weed Chondrilla
juncea, that she found where the railroad tracks
cross Linden Avenue in Carpinteria. She provided a picture that did not
show the recursive hairs expected on the stems. Nevertheless, a sample
submitted to the Calif. Dept. of Food and Agriculture’s Botany Lab was
positively identified. Chondrilla juncea, also called skeletonweed,
is a CDFA “A” rated noxious weed. This is the same location where the
weed was found in the past and where an attempted eradication was conducted by
the Agricultural Commissioner's Office. This weed has also been found in
Live Oak Campground near Cachuma Lake. Andrea and David Chang of the
Agricultural Commissioner's Office spent a September morning digging out over
100 plants nearby the train stop. More information about Chondrilla juncea can
be found at http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/ipc/weedinfo/chondrilla-juncea.htm
***************************************************
Acknowledgement
***************************************************
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.
*****************************************
Sincerely,
David Chang
Agricultural Commissioner's
Office
County of Santa Barbara
(805) 681-5600
*****************************************
You have received this message because you are on the list to receive news about the SBCWMA. If you do not want to receive these messages, click here to reply to this email and place “Remove WMA NEWS” in the subject line. For more information about the SBCWMA visit http://www.countyofsb.org/wma