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

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

Summary

Rural Action Sustainable Forestry conducted educational programming and developed materials about invasive plants targeted toward Natural Resources Professionals (NRPs) who work directly with farmers and forestland owners. This work included working with an Invasive Plant Committee to develop a two-day training, a half-day training, and 9 one-hour presentations. Outreach was conducted at various regional conferences, fairs, and festivals. Participation in 3 listservs assisted with networking and information dissemination. Three invasive plant briefing sheets, three articles, and an invasive and native plant resource sheet were developed. Other resource materials include a website and a resource CD, both currently in development.

Objectives/Performance Targets

• -12 one-hour presentations to NRPs at existing training workshops.
  - 4 half-day trainings for NRPs (with optional field component) at existing meetings
  - 2 two-day intensive trainings for highly interested and motivated NRPs and landowner-leaders
  - Planning and evaluation with NRP/Landowner committee
  - Coordinate list-serv focused on invasive plants for interested NRPs
  - Strategy meeting with interested/motivated NRPs
  -With leveraging of other resources, exploring potential inclusion of distance learning for dissemination of intensive trainings
  - Resource CD and resource Website
  - 3 briefing sheets related to ID, control, and monitoring
  - Quarterly articles for publications, list-servs, and newspapers; “wanted posters” and more in-depth materials such as info bulletins on control also distributed

Accomplishments/Milestones

Introductory Presentations (one-hour)
East Central Ohio Forestry Association February 2006 (50 in attendance)
Southern Ohio Forestland Association, February 2006 (35 in attendance)
Ohio University Plant Biology Class, January 2006 (25 resource professionals in training)
Hocking College Conservation Management Class March 2006 (15 resource professionals in training)
Southeastern Ohio Woodland Interest Group, February 2006 (30 in attendance)
Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association Conference, March 2006 (20 in attendance)
Paul Bunyan Show, October 2006 (20 in attendance, including 3 resource professionals and others in training to be natural resource professionals)
Hocking Timber and Outdoor Show (2 Invasive Plant Identification hikes), October 2006 (10 in attendance)

Invasive Plant Control and Demonstration Day (half-day training)
9/22/06
Wayne National Forest, Athens, Ohio

The focus of this control and demonstration day was Japanese Stiltgrass. An infestation was found in the Wayne National Forest where its property meets that of 2 other landowners. Both landowners were informed about the event and given invasive plant resource packets, but were unable to attend. A neighboring landowner granted permission for participants to access the Wayne National Forest via their property. Four of the 10 attendees lived within or owned land in the Federal Valley Watershed. While it was a rainy daylong event, much was still accomplished.

During the workshop and demonstration part of the day, we trained landowners and resource professionals on such topics as Japanese Stiltgrass identification, control, reseeding with native species, and how to prevent spread. Control methods were demonstrated in research plots consisting of 3 replications of 6 treatments. Treatments included handpulling, weedeating, spraying with a 5% vinegar solution, pulling and covering with a leaf litter layer, pulling and reseeding, and a control.

Other invasive plant species were identified during the day. The day was concluded with a control portion of handpulling and reseeding. Research was conducted and designed in partnership with Ohio University Department of Environmental and Plant Biology. Other partners include Ohio State University Extension and Wayne National Forest. See attached flyer and announcement in OSU Extension Agriculture Newsletter. Also, see attached research trial summaries and maps.

Landowners Conference Invasives Track (2-day training)
A “track” of workshops was developed and implemented that addressed the problem of Non-Native Invasive Species (NNIS) in Ohio. This was part of the 8th Annual Landowners Conference which was attended by 196 participants, including 60 natural resource professionals. The track included “Invasive Plant Identification”, “Invasive Plant Control Options: what are the problem species and why?”, “Invasive Plant Control Options: What are practical Control Techniques?” and a workshop on “Restoration Methods”. The track was developed beginning in January 2006. In addition to the NNIS workshop track, several organizations including Rural Action and Wayne National Forest highlighted invasive plants in their exhibits. Exhibits by over 30 organizations were displayed during the entire conference and were highlighted during specific periods such as an Exhibit Session. This allowed all 196 participants to view pertinent materials. The Landowners Conference is designed to highlight a variety of issues affecting landowners. This provides for networking opportunities, which are built into the program each year. Please see attached conference brochure for session descriptions and speakers.

Invasive Plant Advisory Committee of Rural Action Sustainable Forestry
Includes Wayne National Forest, Friends of the Lower Muskingum, Ohio University Departments of Geography and Plant Biology, Hocking College, Ohio State University Extension, landowners, and others. Met (3) times during reporting period. During strategy meeting, members reviewed coarse grain and rough grain NNIS inventories done in Federal Valley Watershed and recommended dissemination strategies to resource professionals. Met with Invasive Plant Committee members about possible Cooperative Weed Management Area formation. Please see attached list of committee members.

CD Development
Under the supervision of Tom Redfern, Elise George, and the Rural Action Invasive Plant Committee, RA Forestry AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer has spent 120 hours developing a rough draft invasive plant resource CD.

Outreach
Rural Action Sustainable Forestry maintained at least a full invasive plant display panel, invasive plant articles, and a resource sheet at 8 regional fairs and festivals during the grant period. Some of these specifically targeted natural resource professionals, such as the Southeast Ohio Tree Care Conference, Farm Science Review, Paul Bunyan Show, and Hocking Timber and Outdoor Show. Other fairs and festivals listed below included attendance by a diverse audience, including many natural resource professionals.

Southeast Ohio Tree Care Conference (August 4, Athens, OH)
Pawpaw Festival (September 16-17, Albany, OH)
Farm Science Review (September 19-21, London, OH)
Sustainability Festival (September 30-October 1, Athens, OH)
Paul Bunyan Show (October 6-8, Cambridge, OH)
Hocking Timber and Outdoor Show (October 6-8, Nelsonville, OH)
National Herb Day, (October 14, Nelsonville, OH)
Little Cities of Black Diamonds Day (October 15, Hemlock, OH)

Invasive Briefing Sheets
Briefing sheets were developed on the following species: Japanese Stiltgrass, Garlic Mustard, and Japanese Knotweed. These consisted of 2-page overviews drafted by AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer Tanner Filyaw, under supervision of Tom Redfern, Elise George, and Rural Action Invasive Plant Committee. Please see attached briefing sheets.

NNIS Monitoring Project of Federal Valley Watershed
Through funding from National Forest Foundation, Rural Action Sustainable Forestry developed a coarse inventory of invasive plant infestations along at least 100 miles of roads in the 92,800 acre watershed.
Supervised by RA staff, six AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers spent over 150 hours walking the roads of the Federal Valley Watershed surveying for the occurrence of specific varieties of invasive plants selected by Rural Action Sustainable Forestry Invasive Plant Committee. AmeriCorps Volunteers recorded hundreds of threatened sites in 7 subsheds of the watershed. This data is being shared with the private landowners as well as with concerned academics and natural resource professionals. It is being used as baseline data to bring together area landowners to work as a community to protect their resources. A detailed inventory was also conducted on at least 100 acres of WNF land in the watershed by this team of VISTAs. See attached project summary and maps of coarse grain results.

Listserv Participation
Rural Action Sustainable Forestry is currently involved and contributing to 3 listservs where invasives are discussed.

Website Development
Currently being revamped. Includes chart of species, resources, and general information.
http://www.ruralaction.org/forestry_invasive_plants.html

Articles
The Grapevine, Rural Action Sustainable Forestry’s Newsletter, has included 3 articles during the past year reaching approximately 1500 people. Members and affiliates received these in the mail while others have picked them up at fairs, festivals, workshops, events, and conferences.

Winter 2005- “Japanese Stilt Grass- Watch Out for Upcoming Invader” &
“Reclaiming an Invaded Pasture”
Summer 2006- “Native Plant Rescue Project Kicks Off”

Other related publications distributed at fairs, festivals, workshops, events, and conferences include:
The Native Plant Rescue Brochure
A one page 2-sided Resource Sheet on invasive and native plants

Please see attached copies of above materials.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

1. 1. 60 NRP professionals participated and exhibited and networked at 2006 Landowners Conference (2 day training.)
   2. Expanded and maintained RA NNIS committee, 15 professionals participated.
   3. 3,500 attendees exposed to NNIS information during outreach events coordinated in part and attended by NRPs.
   4. 205 future or current NRP professionals, (Farmers, Foresters) attended one-hour workshops.
   5. RA staff spent 40 hours consulting with NRPs on NNIS.
   6. This year was a capacity building year for us. We’ve built our foundations for the larger steps in this project and built coalitions with partners.