TA N I A S I E M E N S

S WC D C O N N EC T

A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 1 1

Developing Early Detection and Rapid Response Networks in Oregon

Why, How, and Resources for Getting Started

Fire and Invader: How to Respond?

a. A new fire is sighted.. b. A small isolated patch of yellow starthistle found on a road side.

10 years later…

a. Forest recovery with very little management intervention

b. 150,000 acres of land infested with yellow starthistle after very costly control efforts. Population continues to spread and cause damage.

Case Study: Garlic Mustard(Alliaria Petiolata)

Garlic Mustard

Now too close for comfort!

May 2010 - Garlic mustard has

spread 5,700 gross acres in the

watershed and along about 20

miles of the Umatilla River!

$137 billion per year is the estimated economic

losses in the United States due to invasive species

83 million tax dollars spent on just 21 of the 91

noxious weeds in the state

Costs associated with the introduction of one

invasive mussel infestation in the Columbia Gorge

would exceed $25.5 million a year just for

maintenance of 13 hydropower facilities.

One invasive plant disease (Sudden Oak Death) is

estimated to cost Oregonians $80-$310 million per

year in lost nursery production if it becomes widely

established.

Cost of Invasive

Species

It costs more than money

to control invaders!

Bulldozing Invasive Beach Grass is helping the

snowy plover – but what are the unintended

consequences for native plants spices?

More than 40% of listed species are

declining due to non-native species.

Impacts from Invasives

• Reduce agricultural production

• Limit recreation

• Degrade wildlife habitat and forage

• Crowd out native plants

• Increase soil erosion

• Decrease water quality by increasing temperature and sediment

• And more….

THIS?

Or THIS?Dyers woad

Invasive Plant Legacies?

• Jordan et al. Evidence of Qualitative Differences between Soil-Occupancy Effects of Invasive vs. Native

Grassland Plant Species Invasive Plant Science and Management 2011 4:11–21

Although a weed has been removed, it can

leave behind negative effects in the soil.

Leafy Spurge

In a recent study, native species grown in soil

conditioned with invasive species did worse

than what gown in soil conditioned with natives.

WHAT CAN

WE DO

ABOUT

THESE

INVADERS?

Earth Day Issue, Eugene Weekly,

April 21, 2011

HAVE HOPE!

• Oregon still has a lot of areas that remain relatively free from harmful invaders

• It has the lowest percentage of perennial stream length occupied by invasive plants compared to other western states.

• N. Dakota 85%

• California 45%

• Utah 43%

• Washington 42%

• Oregon 38%

PREVENT

Help prevent the spread by

cleaning gear and

equipment!

Early Detection and Rapid

Response (EDRR)!

… is the most low-impact and cost-effective

way to address the problem invasive plants,

short of preventing the problem in the first

place.

Typical Invasion Curve Demonstrating the

value of EDRR

Addressing the problem early =

more success, less cost!

EDRR IN ACTION!

Yellow Starthistle

LESSON LEARNED?

EDRR PAYS!

$1 spent on prevention is $33

saved on control! (ODA)

What are the key EDRR components?

Rapid

Assessment

Early

Detection

Rapid

Response

Preliminary

risk assessment

Interoperable

data sets/

Maps

Detection

Networks

Species ListVerification

Vouchering

Education

Identification

Support for

planning

Adequate and

flexible funding

Experienced

practitioners

with defined roles

Adapted From: National Invasive Species Council. 2003. General Guidelines for the Establishment

and Evaluation of Invasive Species Early Detection and Rapid Response Systems. Version 1. 16

pp.

Multiple partners/Coordinated networks

NETWORKS! The key to

EDRR success!• Inter-agency cooperation!

• Share roles and responsibilities!

• Share distribution data!

• Treatment Information!

• Community Agency Connection!

• Improved landowner relationships!

• Added capacity!

False Brome Partnership

Are you willing to tackle any invader, alone???

More and More people and organizations

are starting EDRR networks!

Lincoln

SWCD

Clackamas

SWCD

Columbia

Gorge

CWMA

Determining your priority list

• EDRR = Large Scale!

• Look for species that are still not abundant

and possible to control at the county scale.

• Many counties already have species lists

developed.

• Suggest using ODA’s definition, only

applied to the county scale

Oregon Dept of Ag Noxious

Weed Lists

Mapping and Data

Tracking is criticalWhy? Because we have to prioritize.

For example: In the Willamette Valley, which

invasive species do we control first?

Giant hogweed? Scotch Broom?OR

Accurate distribution data

needed!

Giant hogweed? Scotch Broom?OR

Public and Staff trainings to

get more eyes on the ground!

• Overall trained over 1092 people!– 105 people 2007

– 252 people in 2008

– 423 in 2009

– 312 people in 2010

Various Audiences:

1) Volunteers

2) Train the trainer

3) Agency Staff and managers (BLM/USFS/ODF)

4) Weyerhaeuser staff

5) Students!

Educational Tools

Jackson County

Early Detection

Network Model

EDRR Plan

--Mix and Match Species –

Modular EDRR ID GUIDE

Click on Interactive map for a

list of species to report in

your area!

http://whatsinvasive.com/

WHERE TO REPORT?

http://oregoninvasiveshotline.org/

Select the county

Click on

Hybrid to

Zoom In

More

PLEASE include species

identification, location, size of

infestation and contact information

Images are helpful!

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Meadow knapweed

Eurasian watermilfoil

Milk thistle

Pokeweed

Policeman's Helmet

Phragmites australies

Purple loosestrife

Water primrose willow

Yellow archangel

Old Man's Beard

Shining geranium

False Brome

Spurge Laurel

Yellow Flag Iris

Lesser celandine

Knotweed

2010 Reports (number and species) (not including Portland)

Total number of reports: 56

HOTLINE MANAGER VIEW

Now will get added to the

iMapInvasives Database!

contacted landowner

11%

control plan in place26%

controlled14%

in planning process

7%

follow up needed

11%

mapped12%

not a priority7%

shared info with property owner

7%

Need to be verified

2%

unknown3%

Outcomes of invasive species reports 2010

44 reports

(78%) have

had some

level of

response.

27 reports

(48%) have

been

controlled or

there is

some

planning in

place.

Who is responding?

• The following organizations helped respond to priority species in their area:– County weed programs

– City weed programs/volunteer programs

– Oregon Department of Transportation

– Oregon Department of Agriculture (for A listed species)

– SWCD that have weed programs

• Lesson Learned: Established, funded, weed programs critical to successful responses !

Defining Response Pathways

Role of SWCDs in EDRR?

• Reach out to private land owners – this is

one of the biggest gaps in EDRR

networks!

• No one else taking the lead? Use EDRR

to meet your conservation goals!

• CWMA’s are the force behind weed work

when there is no weed district or weed

management area!

OK, I want to engage in EDRR

because it will help me reach my

conservation goals and save

money, but how do I get started?

Tip 1: Remember you are

not alone!

More and More people and organizations

are starting EDRR networks!

Lincoln

SWCD

Clackamas

SWCD

Columbia

Gorge

CWMA

You don’t have to do it all

by your self!

Tip 2: Find a Partner in

Crime!

• Find a partner in crime with an agency or other organization or person that is involved in your CWMA and has interest in weed control.

• Share the work load and bounce ideas off of each other.

• Or even multiple people – a separate EDRR committee if there that many willing participants!

Tip 3: Baby Steps!

• Take baby steps so you don’t get

overwhelmed!

• Perhaps focus on one species, or one

area, one audience, or one time of year.

Think about where can you fit in:

Rapid

Assessment

Early

Detection

Rapid

Response

Preliminary

risk assessment

Interoperable

data sets/

Maps

Detection

Networks

Species ListVerification

Vouchering

Education

Identification

Support for

planning

Adequate and

flexible funding

Experienced

practitioners

with defined roles

Adapted From: National Invasive Species Council. 2003. General Guidelines for the Establishment

and Evaluation of Invasive Species Early Detection and Rapid Response Systems. Version 1. 16

pp.

Multiple partners/Coordinated networks

Can you…..?

- Help put on a training for your staff or for the

public?

- Work with partners to decide priority species?

- Receive and forward reports from the hotline?

- Provide information to land owners?

- Agree to respond to invaders for certain areas?

Tip 4: Utilize Existing

Resources!

Tips 5: Take time to build

relationships – EDRR is

working together!

It is going to take all of us—land

owners, land

managers, recreationists, and

concerned citizens—working

together and sharing information

as quickly as possible, to keep

ahead of new weed invaders.

By working together we can

catch garlic mustard before it

goes to seed…

Thank you! Please feel free to contact me!

tania.siemens@oregonstate.edu

1-541-914-0701

Who is reporting?

• In 2010, 39 people submitted 56 reports.

• Most reports come from just a handful of

people.

• Only 26 of the reporters (66%), had

attended a weed watcher training.

• 14 (36%) of those who reported were

natural resource professionals!