A View from the Trenches: Invasive Species

Management in Rural Coastal Communities

Robert Emanuel, Ph.D.Water Resources & Community Development SpecialistTillamook & Clatsop counties

Introduction• Geographic context• Challenges• Extension Agent Blues• Picking Battles• Moving Forward

Geographic Context

(Makes geographers very happy…)

Source: Oregon Conservation Strategy

Beautiful, but inevitably invaded…

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Photo - blackberries invading a creek in Yamhill Co.

Photo: Susan Aldrich-Markham

Photo – knotweed infestation in Lincoln Co.

Photo: Oregon Department of Agriculture

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Photo – butterfly bush infestation in Lane Co.

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Photo: Christine McDonald

Jan Sam

anek, Sta

te Phytosanitary A

dministration

Old Man’s Beard: Clematis vitalba

Carla C

ole, N

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Spurge Laurel: Daphne laureola

Common Reed: Phragmites australis

Environ

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t Canada

Dane Osis, OPRD

Photo: Glenn Miller, ODA

Petasites japonica var. giganteum

Photo: Kurt W. H

eckeroth

Yellow Archangel: Lamiastrum galeobdolon

Photos: WA State W

eed Control Board

But wait! There’s MORE!

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Sphaeroma quoianum

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Photo: Jeff Gunderson, MN Sea Grant

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) understories, riparian areas unknownGiant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) understories, riparian areas unknownShining Geranium (Geranium lucidum) understories unknownGorse (Ulex europaeus) Open areas yesPurple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) Riparian- Freshwater wetlands yes, sparseYellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus) Riparian- Freshwater wetlands Yes, Trask-Wilson

wetlandsKnotweeds (Fallopia spp., Persicaria wallichii) Riparian and upland Yes, abundantPoliceman’s Helmet (Impatiens glandulifera) Riparian areas and forest understory Yes, becoming more

abundant Common Reed (Phragmites australis) Aquatic - Estuaries, freshwater, riparian

areasunknown

Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) Aquatic - freshwater N. County lakesHydrilla (Hydrilla verticalis) Aquatic – freshwater unknownParrot feather watermilfoil (Myriophyllum aquaticum)

Aquatic – freshwater Trask-Wilson wetlands

False brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum) Understories, Riparian areasSpurge laurel (Daphne laureola) understories, open meadows South countyChordgrass, smooth and English (Spartina alterniflora, S. anglica)

Aquatic- Estuaries unknown

Tansy Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) Prairies and pastures CountywideCanada Thistle (Cirsium arvense) Prairies and pastures, forest

understoriesCountywide

Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) Prairies and pastures, forest openings CountywideNew Zealand Mudsnail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum)

Aquatic-fresh and brackish water Sloughs

Zebra or Quagga mussels (Dreissena spp.) Aquatic-freshwater Unknown

Challenges• Community awareness?• Chaotic landownership?• No coordinated monitoring• Who manages what species?• What controls work?• Who cares?

Extension Agent Blues• How to engage the community(ies)?• Political messes and other pitfalls• Who leads?• Stay non-regulatory• Being an advocate when it counts

Picking Battles

• Train for Early Detection• Organize the communities of interest• Look for new allies• Work at appropriate

scales

Early Detection (and sometimes Rapid

Response)

Are

a In

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ed

Time

Lag Time

Escape

IntroductionInvasion

Cos

t

Key Stages in Biological Invasions

• No land use focus• No audience• Too few partners• Lacked field-ready

materials• Reporting protocols

still rough

• CoastWatch Volunteers largely

• Too many partners• 1-day was not

enough but too long• Too many taxa,

habitats, spp.• Field-ready materials

a mixed bag• Protocols better

• Park-focused• Audience focused• Good mix of

partners• Only 8 species• Plants only• Right materials• Easy reportinghttp://tiny.cc/ccedin

www.oregoninvasiveshotline.org And click on “report now”

Community Organizing(AKA herding interests)

Tillamook Soil and Water Conservation District

Solution: organize them!

Lessons Learned from Others

• Formal structure & identity is important*• Build measurable action plan and honor it*• Build state, federal political support**• Quantify economic costs of I. spp.*• Public awareness is key*• Feedback to community important*

* Gunderston-Izurieta, Paulson and Enloe, 2008** Flint, personal communication, 5/20/2009

Tillamook County PRISM• Based on Cooperative Weed Management

Areas• Integrated and cooperative approach• PRISMs expand to address entire range of

taxa. • NY models to follow• First on the West Coast

CWMAs, PRISMS, etc.

NY State Department of Environmental Conservation - Invasive Spp. Task Force

Goals1. PREVENTION2. EARLY DETECTION & ERADICATION3. EDUCATION4. INFORMATION MANAGEMENT 6. CONTAINMENT 7. SUPPRESSION8. LARGE-SCALE CONTROL9. RESTORATION10. COOPERATION11. INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT12. RESEARCH

TC-PRISM Membership• Tillamook County** • Oregon Department of

Forestry**• Bureau of Land

Management*• Oregon Department of

Agriculture• Tillamook Bay Watershed

Council**• Nestucca/Neskowin

Watershed Council**• Lower Nehalem Watershed

Council*

• Stimson Lumber Company** • Tillamook County Soil and

Water Conservation District*• Tillamook Estuaries

Partnership* • Northwest Weed

Management Partnership** • Oregon State University

Extension Service**• Tillamook School Distric #9**• United States Forest Service,

Siuslaw NF

Find for New Allies

OSU Master Gardeners• Built in volunteer

group• Strong “green”

interest• Directly involved • Already

supported

http://tiny.cc/is4mg

Working @ appropriate scales

Working @ Community Scale

• Map the populations• Treat those possible as soon as possible• Plan to re-treat next growing season• Notify landowners in stages depending on

severity of infestation• Assist w. control where + when possible• Provide the best research on control• Deal seriously w. real or imagined fears

Robert M. Emanuel, Ph.D.Water Resources & Community DevelopmentTillamook & Clatsop counties2204 Fourth StreetTillamook, OR 97141(503) 842-5708 X 2 robert.emanuel@oregonstate.edublogs.oregonstate.edu/h2onc