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Global Invasive Species Team listserve digest #110
Thu Oct 31 2002 - 13:58:47 PST
(The scary, halloween edition...mwa ha ha HA HA!)
--CONTENTS--
1. Arundo donax in Florida (Florida, USA)
2. One-day workshop on fire and invasives (New Hampshire, USA)
3. 4th annual national invasive weed awareness week (Nationwide, USA)
4. Herbicide applicator replacement tips (Ohio, USA)
5. Aquatic nuisance species coordinator job (Vermont, USA)
6. 14th Annual USDA meeting on invasives (nationwide, USA)
7. News regarding the herbicide Atrazine (Global)
8. Feral hogs (Texas, USA)
9. More northern water hyacinth! (Massachusetts, USA)
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1. Arundo donax in Florida (Florida, USA)
From: Barry Rice (bamrice(at)ucdavis.edu)
Gather round, children, and listen to this scary news from Peter Hujik
(TNC California, phujik(at)tnc.org). Peter sent me a story from the 16
October edition of the Wall Street Journal, entitled "Arundo Has Two
Lives: A Pest In California, a Boon to Florida."
Essentially, an industry may shortly launch in Florida which would result
in the planting of this well known invader as a source of power and pulp.
This invasive plant is even being touted as a "green" solution to
environmental problems: "With the blessing of the Northern Florida Sierra
Club and Lung Association chapters, Mr. Sharpe has secured a contract to
supply Jacksonville's city-owned utility, JEA, with as much as $250
million in Arundo-fueled "green" power over the next 15 years. He plans to
plant 8,000 acres of Arundo next spring on leased land near the Florida
Everglades."
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2. One-day workshop on fire and invasives (New Hampshire, USA)
From: Alison Dibble (adibble(at)fs.fed.us)
A one day workship called, "Using fire to control invasive plants-- what's
new, and what works in the Northeast" will be held 24 January 2003,
8am-4pm, at the Urban Forestry Center, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Get caught up on the latest research results, hear from fire managers
whose observations might not have been summarized elsewhere, and add your
comments to invigorating discussions.
The registration fee is $45. For further program information please
contact Alison Dibble, adibble(at)fs.fed.us (put "F/I Workshop" in subject
line), to register contact Karen Bennett, UNH Cooperative Extension,
Durham, NH, karen.bennett(at)unh.edu. We are still getting set up and expect
to begin taking registrations on 11 Nov 2002.
**When more registration material is made available, it will be posted on
the WIST web site (http://tncinvasives.ucdavis.edu/meetings.html)--Barry
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3. 4th annual national invasive weed awareness week (Nationwide, USA)
From Alison Dalsimer (Alison.Dalsimer(at)osd.mil)
Come and join the activities of the National Invasive Weed Awareness Week
(NIWAW) in Washington DC, 24-28 February 2003.
Visit with fellow weed fighters, state and federal agency resource
managers, and policy-makers who are dealing with harmful, invasive
vegetation issues across the country.
The week will include meetings, hosted receptions, and opportunities to
talk with key agency managers from the USDA and USDI about their National
plans and priorities for helping in the war on weeds. Meetings with key
congressional members and their staff can also be scheduled so you can let
your congressional representative know how important their help can be in
this effort.
Watch for further information from your state Weed or Vegetation
Management Association leadership. Remember: You Can Make A Difference!
National Invasive Weed Awareness Week events are sponsored by the
Invasive Weed Awareness Coalition (IWAC) and its many partners.
http://www.denix.osd.mil/niwaw
http://www.nawma.org/ (click NIWAW link)
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4. Herbicide applicator replacement tips (Ohio, USA)
From: Jennifer Hillmer (jhillmer(at)tnc.org)
I use Nalgene brand Unitary lab wash bottles for cut stump treatment and
some basal bark applications. They work very well, but the nozzle tips
have a way of disappearing in the field. Lab Safety Supply (Janesville,
WI 1-800-356-0783) can order new tips in packages of 100 for $52.85. I do
not need 100 tips, but I would be glad to split an order several ways. To
view the bottles, see http://www.labsafety.com and search for item
2BW-12097. The tips fit all the sizes they offer.
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5. Aquatic nuisance species coordinator job (Vermont, USA)
From: Mary Droege (mdroege(at)tnc.org)
**Apply by November 4th, 2002**
Opportunity for bright, energetic, environmentally astute person with
excellent communication and teamwork skills, to work at the Lake Champlain
Basin Program (LCBP) Office in Grand Isle, Vermont. Work with the LCBP
staff to coordinate overall implementation of the Lake Champlain Basin
Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Management Plan. Serve as liaison with
technical and professional staff working on ANS issues in NY, VT, and
Quebec. Requires three years related experience with BS degree in
Environmental Science or related field. Job description available from
LCBP at 802-372-3213 or NEIWPCC at (978) 323-7929. Apply by November 4th,
2002. Resume and short writing sample to NEIWPCC, Boott Mills South, 100
Foot of John Street, Lowell, MA 01852 or sbrown(at)neiwpcc.org.
www.neiwpcc.org. Equal Opportunity Employer.
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6. 14th Annual USDA meeting on invasives (nationwide, USA)
From: Barry Rice (bamrice(at)ucdavis.edu)
We have posted on the WIST web site information about the 14th Annual USDA
Interagency Research Forum on Gypsy Moth and Other Invasive Species, to be
held 14-17 January 2003, in Annapolis, Maryland. The meeting will have
presentations on many invasive arthropods and pathogens, including emerald
ash borer, brown spruce beetle, sudden oak death, Siberian moth, and
painted apple moth.
Two of the keynote presentations are entitled, "New Strategies and
Opportunities in Pest Detection" and "The Role of Invasive Species in the
Demise of the US Forests" so this meeting looks very promising.
An Invasive Plant Session is scheduled to take place Wednesday January 15,
1:00 -3:00 pm.
For more information:
http://tncinvasives.ucdavis.edu/meetings.html
http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/morgantown/4557/forum2003/
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7. News regarding the herbicide Atrazine (Global)
From: Mandy Tu (imtu(at)tnc.org)
A new report in the journal Nature shows that the herbicide atrazine has
caused male leopard frogs (Rana pipiens) to develop sexual abnormalities.
The researchers have already demonstrated similar abnormalities with the
African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) in laboratory conditions earlier this
year. Atrazine is a commonly used herbicide in agriculture, namely in
corn, sorghum, sugarcane fields, and in christmas tree plantations.
Atrazine is, however, rarely (if at all) applied in natural areas. It is
also already a restricted-use herbicide, meaning that it is not available
to the general public (e.g. Home Depot), and can only be applied by
licensed applicators. It is already known that it may contaminate ground
and surface water supplies, and is highly persistent in soil.
For additional info, see:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/10/021031074404.htm
http://ace.orst.edu/info/extoxnet/pips/atrazine.htm
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8. Feral hogs (Texas, USA)
From: Suzanne Tuttle (suzanne.tuttle(at)fortworthgov.org)
We are about to embark on a feral hog control program. Our plan is to
live trap and shoot the animals. If any of you have prior experience and
would like to offer advice, please do so. If any of you are interested
in following our progress (and learning from our mistakes!), let me know
and I will post updates periodically on this site.
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9. More northern water hyacinth! (Massachusetts, USA)
From: Cynthia Boettner (cynthia_boettner(at)fws.gov)
Yesterday, Paul Somers was telling about a few populations of water
hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in Massachusetts, at least one of which
may be overwintering, judging from the size of the population (that is, it
seems too large for somebody to have planted it in the spring of the
year).