Creating Capacity to Confront Invasive Plants as Barriers to Economic Productivity and Environmental Sustainability

Project Overview

ENC05-085
Project Type: Professional Development Program
Funds awarded in 2005: $75,000.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2008
Region: North Central
State: Ohio
Project Coordinator:
Tom Redfern
Rural Action

Annual Reports

Commodities

Not commodity specific

Practices

  • Animal Production: parasite control
  • Education and Training: demonstration, extension, networking, workshop
  • Pest Management: prevention

    Proposal abstract:

    This project, submitted in the Agroforestry and Alternative Land Use Issues priority area, will develop educational programming and materials about invasive plants targeted toward Natural Resources Professionals (NRPs) who work directly with farmers and forestland owners. It builds on an earlier SARE-supported PDP project that engaged Extension Educators, Service and Consulting Foresters, and other NRPs about forest-cultivated crops (FCCs).

    Project objectives from proposal:

    Short-term Outcomes: NRPs able to identify plants of concern and make management recommendations to landowners, and enhance awareness of available resources for additional technical support. Some NRPs develop more in-depth knowledge and skills related to integrated approaches to control and monitoring.
    Intermediate Outcomes: NRPs providing informational resources to landowners, developing land use recommendations and management plans that include considerations of invasive plants; and ongoing partnership between collaborators on this project.
    Long-term Outcomes: invasive plants included as standard consideration in new forest management plans; invasive plants treated as major forest health threat; and agencies include invasive plants in training plans of new employees in forested areas. Activities carried out to achieve outcomes: conducting overall planning/evaluation with project committee, conducting trainings (at least 12 introductory, four focused half-day trainings, tow intensive two-day trainings), coordinating a list-serv, developing educational materials, and facilitating a strategy meeting to identify next steps. Our plan for ensuring NRP participation will involve a multi-faceted strategy of utilizing existing training structures, developing readily accessible programming, blending field and classroom activities, and relying on a strong collaboration with well regarded partners for promotion and implementation.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.