North America Reports on the Status of Invasive Plants

Recently a North American connection was made in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the second Weeds Across Borders Conference. Each of the countries reported in on the status of weeds and need for cooperation. A synopsis follows:

CANADA REPORTS:

1. Claire Wilson of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) told of a national Canadian strategy evolving since the Convention on Biological Diversity was signed in 2001. This convention has been the basis for many governments to elevate the invasive plant issue. The United States did not sign it. She reported that three weeds are of particular concern in Canada: wooly cup grass which they believe they eradicated, fanwort which escaped from aquariums, and giant hogweed which has spread since the 1940's. At this time, only giant hogweed appears to be spreading in the U.S.

   The draft Canadian strategy aims at both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, native, domestic, and trade issues. Within that wide universe they define goals of prevention, early response, control/restoration, and eradication. They are currently reviewing existing law to identify gaps. The three main pathways for spread in Canada are the sale of live plants, seeds/grains, and wood products. The strategy will be finalized this summer after public hearings. The resulting plans will be sent to resource ministries in September. For more details visit the Canadian Journal of Plant Science, October issue, at http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/aic-journals/placontents.html

2. Kim Nielsen shared a view from the County level. He is from Alberta where this issue became hot in the 1980's. He sums up the issue of weeds as "time to go off the farm". Just as lands are evolving from farm use to multiuse, so should the weed issue evolve from being an agriculture issue to everyone's issue

   Kim suggests that invasive plants (many of agricultural origin) are compromising economics, aesthetics, biodiversity and causing biological pollution. Two species he suggested as biological pollution were smooth brome and Kentucky bluegrass, both planted widely in the U.S. He warned of other "farm weeds" to be reckoned with: toadflax, wild caraway, scentless chamomile, oxeye daisy, sweet clover, and dandelions. Alberta is now planning its second Weed Summit.

   Positive action is occurring there. Risk assessment tools are being created for orange hawkweed, crupina, and salt cedar. They have borrowed the Cooperative Weed Management Areas idea of the U.S. They use weed-free hay and related best management practices on pipeline and highway corridors. Public awareness work includes weekend pulls, their annual conference, and soon, an annual week-long weed awareness effort. Under consideration is a legislated attempt to join agriculture and environment on the weeds issue.

MEXICO REPORTS:

1. Francisco Espinosa-Garcia reports that definitions continue to be confusing the invasive plant issue in Mexico. He has defined terms without economic or environmental contexts as agricultural tradition has dictated. With the conclusions of his research in hand, he challenges a widely held theory that species-rich communities resist biotic invasion better than species-poor communities. He finds no positive correlation and suggests that the "rich get richer" resulting from climate change and people pressure.

   He continues by pointing out that the U.S. has 2,100 introduced weeds; but Mexico has as many as 2819 or 12% of their vegetation. Hot spots are the Vera Cruz and Baja peninsulas. He contends that the farther plants are from their origin, the more likely they are to invade.

   Mexico, too, signed the Biodiversity Convention which has served as an impetus to develop a national strategy; yet management continues to be done at the farm scale only. After North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed, a list of regulated species was thought to be a barrier to commerce and has been sidelined. Also because the federal government has cut jobs, the qualified people to make these judgments are few.

2. Mapping Large Scale in Mexico - Rafaela Paredes is mapping the huge Pinacate Reserve in the Sonoran desert, some 714,000 hectares. Invasives are being delineated to make management decisions. They are using the North American Weed Management Association (NAWMA) mapping standards and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to record data. There are 97 invasive plants in the Reserve, mostly grasses and asters. The top three are: buffelgrass, Sahara mustard, and salt cedar. They are observing a huge correlation between highway location and the spread of these weeds. Control methods include: Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) herbiciding buffelgrass; pulling/cutting of the mustard, and a cut stump treatment of salt cedar. They wrote a booklet, Bioinvaders, that they are translating to Spanish. It focuses on their top 10 impacting plants. It should be of use in all Southwestern border States.

UNITED STATES REPORTS:

1. Steve Dewey pointed out the high annual impact costs of $34.7 Billion in this country. The impacts include: recreation loss, rare species elimination, reduced wildlife grazing lands, compromised forage, degraded salmon beds, water quality impacted by increased erosion, increased fire frequency, and over consumption of water supply by invasives like Tamarisk. Dewey discussed both purposeful and accidental introductions.

   Some hope lies in Congress currently with possible funding for 1) States by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 2) a $100M cost share annual program, and/or 3) funds specifically for work on Salt cedar and Russian olive. Also mapping as a planning tool is catching on. Since our national parks are lightening rods for invasive plants, mapping has begun there, using the NAWMA standards (which appear to be used by many agencies at many levels and are likely to remain the standard for all data collected in this nation.) Steve said that a weed map is to a land manager as an x-ray is to a doctor.

2. Nelroy Jackson spoke optimistically about current activity. Some 23 States have created State and regional invasive plant organizations to define detrimental weeds above and beyond existing agriculture lists. In fact, Connecticut, Hawaii, and California legislatures have created State councils.

   Jackson's broad experience allows him to note important milestones in the United States. They include: a) an Early Detection/Rapid Response plan, b) the National Invasive Species Council (NISC)/Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC) Pathways Analysis, c) the annual National Weed Awareness Week in Washington, DC and d) the first Invasive Plants in Natural and Managed Systems (IPINAMS) conference of 800 in 2003.

   Continental cooperation means interfacing at different levels: diplomatic, regulatory, possibly ground-level teamwork, and land management levels.

   This is possible through mutual understanding and respect.

   His personal mission is to "Do the Doable". He believes that raising awareness, increasing action, and improving funding are doable. All three countries will need parallel laws or one common law to keep invasive plants out of North America. To achieve that goal, we must act with conviction, communication, and commitment.