Invasive Species Awareness

Objectives• Define what is a weed, an invasive

species and a noxious weed.• Describe how and why invasive species

are detrimental to public lands.• Describe your responsibility as a

employee in BLM’s weed management program.

• Explain why invasive management has become an “emergency” on public lands.

• Identify actions that prevent the spread or promote the introduction of invasives.

• Identify what you can do to help prevent the spread or introduction of invasives.

You will be able to:

• Assist the invasive program by discussing informally invasive awareness and prevention measures with the public.

• Explain:• what a weed is, • what an invasive species is, and • what a noxious weed is.

You will be able to:

WEEDAny plant that interferes with management objectives.•May be:

• native or non-native• noxious or non-noxious

INVASIVE SPECIES• A life form that aggressively spreads

into and takes over a site.

May be:native or non-nativenoxious or non-noxious

What are Invasive Species?

Include non-native or native• Plants,• Animals, • Insects, • Viruses, • Pathogens, • Parasites

Noxious Weed

Plants designated by law as undesirable and requiring control.

Usually non-natives and highly invasive or poisonous.

Why should BLM be concerned about invasive species?

Ecological Impacts• Disrupted ecological processes.• Displaced native species.• Polluted gene pools through

hybridization.• Can introduce exotic diseases.

Economic Impacts• cost of eradication or control.• reduced land values and crop yields.• reduced wildlife & livestock numbers.• competition of forest products.• aesthetic values reduced.• liabilities for allowing spread of weeds

(litigation).

• Of the 261 million acres managed by the BLM, over 35 million acres of public lands (an area the size of the State of Wisconsin) are infested with invasive and noxious weeds.

• Weed invasion is considered the second most serious threat to natural habitats, after habitat fragmentation and loss (Randall, 1996)

Aquatic vegetation impacts to Fish and Recreation

• Giant Salvinia, • First reported in Palo Verde Irrigation District in

California• Has moved into the Lower Colorado River

below Lake Havasu, Arizona. Also found in Texas, North Carolina

• Potential to impact critical habitat for Razorback Sucker.

Quagga Mussels

• Cousins of the Zebra mussel• Found in 2007 in Lake Mead National

Recreation Area • Now found in parts of the Colorado

River and its surrounding lakes -- such as Lake Havasu and Lake

• Prevention measures to figure out now how to stop from entering into the California water system.

• AZ & CA formulating a quagga control plan.

• State checkpoints along the borders with Arizona and Nevada to stop and inspect boats being towed

Other impacts from Invasive Species on Public lands: West Nile Virus

• Number of sage grouse known to have died from West Nile Virus in 2003

• 19 in Wyoming• 3 in Montana• BLM currently gearing up

for mosquito abatement this summer.

Sudden Oak Death• A plant pathogen Phytophthora

ramorum, which can have devastating effects in the wildlands it inhabits and has had substantial impacts on the nursery industry

• Found in California and Oregon. • Has killed hundreds of thousands

of native oak trees. • Infects the leaves and twigs of

common ornamental nursery plants, such as rhododendrons and camellias, which serve as vectors for pathogen dispersal.

Cactus Moth

• .

• The invasive Cactoblastis cactus moth threatens Opuntia (Prickly Pear and Cholla) cactus species in the United States and Mexico.

• The slow spread of this moth may have a devastating impact on sensitive cactus species in the Southwest.

Photo by S. Simonson, CSU

What is the BLM doing about Invasive Species?

The BLM emphasizes: Prevention Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) invasive

species. The effective use of EDDR through inventory and

monitoring efforts, followed by immediate control of infestations without regard to jurisdictional boundaries, so that whole weed infestations are treated. Current efforts are reducing the “net” rate of spread.

Control and Management – Integrated Pest Management approach using all available tools to control and manage invasive species:

• Prevention • Mechanical • Chemical• Biological• Prescribed fire• Manual control methods------ Inventory - 10 million acres annually------ Weed Treatments - 350,000 acres annually------ Monitoring - 475,000 acres annually------ Restoration - 25,000 acres annually

• Weed management projects supported by other BLM programs i.e., Range Improvements, Emergency Stabilization & Rehabilitation, and Wildlife

• Partnerships with over 50 Coordinated Weed Management Areas (CWMA’s) in the Western United States. Partners include state, federal, county, and private land managers.

National Initiatives• The Great Basin restoration strategy

“Healing the Land,” recognizes that the invasion of weeds is a major obstacle to restoration efforts.

• Recommends techniques such as establishing fuel breaks, greenstripping and other methods to protect areas from wildland fire impacts and weed invasions.

Other initiatives• National Fire Plan – includes

measures to reduce fine fuels such as cheatgrass

• Standards and Guidelines for Rangeland Health – reduce invasive and noxious weed impacts and increase restoration efforts to improve forest and rangeland health standards

Other programs:Stewardship Contracting• Stewardship contracting: contracting tool

available to BLM (and FS) • Provides new opportunities to work with our

partners on long-term projects (up to ten years). • It allows BLM to return any receipts from selling

the by-products of land treatments back into the projects.

• BLM is motivated in finding markets for invasives, such as salt cedar.

Fire Impacts•Increased fires in the Great Basin Region of Nevada, Oregon, Idaho and Utah have introduced Cheatgrass and other nonnative annual grasses

• Reducing sagebrush that is crucial habitat for the Sage grouse.

Recreation Dollars Lost.

$137 billion spent annually

to control invasive species

The estimated damage from invasives worldwide totals more than $1.4 trillion – five percent of the global economy. ( Nature Conservancy)

BLM’S RESPONSIBILITIES . . .

• Prevent the introduction of invasive species

• Detect, respond to and control these populations

• Monitor populations accurately and reliably

• Provide for restoration of native species and habitat conditions when and where possible

BLM’s Responsibilities (cont’d):• Conduct research on invasive species• Develop technologies to prevent the

introduction and spread, promote control.

• Promote public education.• Don’t authorize, fund or carry out

actions that would cause or promote the introduction or spread of invasives.

Your Responsibilities:

Don’t drive or park in weed infested areas.

Don’t incorrectly collect weeds

Wash Vehicles

Your Responsibilities

Clean shoes and socksRemove seeds from animalsPurchase and use weed-free materialsInform/educate public land users.Appropriately code time spent on weeds work.

YOUR Responsibilities (con’t):

Report it - know local and state weed coordinators.

Use other contacts.

Potential Clues for Invasive Plants• I’ve never seen this plant before.• It seems much more dense or wide

spread than before.• It is growing on a recently disturbed site.• It is adjacent to a trail, road, stream or

campsite.• It appears to be the dominant species.• Infestations form solid circular patches.

How do weeds spread?

Activities that promote thespread of weeds

Interdisciplinary Efforts to Combat Invasives•Environmental Assessments•Environmental Impact Statements•Plan Development• Interim Guidance

Sampling

1. Get identity confirmed.2. Collect a specimen.3. Bag, Tag and Flag.4. If in doubt, don’t pull it out.5. Facilitate future control.

any non-native species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health, and that outcompete native species for the resources necessary to exist.

Invasive:

Executive Order 13112 of February 3, 1999Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 25 / Monday, February 8, 1999 / Presidential Documents 6183Invasive Species

Executive Order 13286 of February 28, 2003Amendment of Executive Orders, and Other Actions, in ConnectionWith the Transfer of Certain Functions to the Secretaryof Homeland Security

Presidential Documents