<str<strong>on</strong>g>Proceedings</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Third</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Internati<strong>on</strong>al</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>C<strong>on</strong>ference</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Invasive</strong> SpartinaChapter 4: Spartina C<strong>on</strong>trol and ManagementFig. 6. Tracked amphibious machine with ground broadcast herbicide applicati<strong>on</strong>equipment, Willapa Bay, Washingt<strong>on</strong>, USA.Fig. 7. Airboat with high-pressure spray equipment, Willapa Bay, Washingt<strong>on</strong>,USA.c<strong>on</strong>tinued overall decline <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Washingt<strong>on</strong>’s Spartinainfestati<strong>on</strong>.Many things have c<strong>on</strong>tributed to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> current success <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> program. C<strong>on</strong>sistent c<strong>on</strong>trol made possible with adequatefunding led to effective treatment. Washingt<strong>on</strong>’smanagement plans called for a multi-year commitment totreatment sites, c<strong>on</strong>trolling a site until eradicati<strong>on</strong> has beenachieved. Permitting c<strong>on</strong>solidati<strong>on</strong> also c<strong>on</strong>tributed to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>program’s success. WSDA is granted an Nati<strong>on</strong>al PollutantDischarge Eliminati<strong>on</strong> System (NPDES) permit that allowsfor <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> chemical treatment <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Spartina. As <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> permit holder,WSDA extends coverage to o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r entities to treat Spartinainfestati<strong>on</strong>s, while WSDA retains <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> resp<strong>on</strong>sibily form<strong>on</strong>itoring and reporting. This allows <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r entities t<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ocus <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir resources towards <strong>on</strong>-<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>-ground c<strong>on</strong>trol, ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rthan <strong>on</strong> manuevering through <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> bureaucratic permittingprocess.Finally, through a l<strong>on</strong>g and painful learning curve,managers and field coordinators have discovered what worksbest to c<strong>on</strong>trol Spartina infestati<strong>on</strong>s within a complicated,and sometimes c<strong>on</strong>troversial, envir<strong>on</strong>mental, social andpolitical c<strong>on</strong>text. Garnering public support, havinglegislati<strong>on</strong> in place to provide incentive and funding,working collaboratively with o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r agencies, having accessto a wide breadth <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> tools, and knowing where and how tobest use those tools have all c<strong>on</strong>tributed to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> currentsuccess <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> program. While <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is still much progress tobe made, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> partners involved are c<strong>on</strong>fident that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ireradicati<strong>on</strong> goal will be achieved. The effort in Washingt<strong>on</strong>will c<strong>on</strong>tinue searching for better tools and equipment toincrease efficacy and efficiency, while minimizing costs.2010 UPDATEAt <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> time <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this article’s publicati<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> cooperativeSpartina eradicati<strong>on</strong> effort in Washingt<strong>on</strong> State hasc<strong>on</strong>tinued to yield great success in effectively reducing <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>infestati<strong>on</strong> statewide. During 2009 <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> partners involved in<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> eradicati<strong>on</strong> effort treated approximately 110 solid acres<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Spartina. WSDA now estimates that, as a result <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>2009 effort, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> infestati<strong>on</strong> statewide has been reduced to<strong>on</strong>ly 40 solid acres (Phillips pers. com. 2010). Thisrepresents a 99.5% overall reducti<strong>on</strong> from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> historic high<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 9,260 solid acres estimated in 2003.This c<strong>on</strong>tinued success provides evidence that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>management effort, originally detailed in this article in 2004,was and c<strong>on</strong>tinues to be an effective approach. Since <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>2004 <str<strong>on</strong>g>Internati<strong>on</strong>al</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>Invasive</strong> Spartina <str<strong>on</strong>g>C<strong>on</strong>ference</str<strong>on</strong>g>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> effortin Washingt<strong>on</strong> has c<strong>on</strong>tinued to seek improvements in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>tools and approaches used to eradicate Spartina. Imazapyr,first aerially applied to 2000 solid acres during <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2004seas<strong>on</strong> (Murphy 2005), proved to be a huge success and abig reas<strong>on</strong> for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> success <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> overall Washingt<strong>on</strong> Stateeffort. Ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r obvious reas<strong>on</strong> for this success was <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>c<strong>on</strong>tinued program support and funding.As major reducti<strong>on</strong>s were made in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> overall size <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>infestati<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> remaining Spartina was scattered throughouta large area. This required <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> partners to modify <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong>-<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>groundapproach. The effort went from focusing <strong>on</strong> largescaleaerial and ground broadcast applicati<strong>on</strong>s, to smallscale,targeted treatments <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> scattered infestati<strong>on</strong>s. Thishighlights <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> need to c<strong>on</strong>stantly re-evaluate <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> program toensure that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> most effective and efficient tools andapproaches are used to c<strong>on</strong>tinue <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> success <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>cooperative Spartina eradicati<strong>on</strong> effort.REFERENCESBritish Columbia Ministry <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Forests & Range. 2008. Definiti<strong>on</strong>s<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Adaptive Management. Posted athttp://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/amhome/Admin/index.htm.- 227 -
Chapter 4: Spartina C<strong>on</strong>trol and Management<str<strong>on</strong>g>Proceedings</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Third</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Internati<strong>on</strong>al</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>C<strong>on</strong>ference</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Invasive</strong> SpartinaJaques, D. 2002. Shorebird status and effects <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Spartina alternifloraat Willapa Nati<strong>on</strong>al Wildlife Refuge. Progress Reportto <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> WNWR.Murphy, K. 2003. Report to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Legislature: Progress <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2003Spartina Eradicati<strong>on</strong> Program. WSDA Pub # AGR PUB 850-110 (N/1/04).Murphy, K. 2004. Report to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Legislature, Progress <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2004Spartina Eradicati<strong>on</strong> Program. WSDA Pub # AGR PUB 850-132 (N/1/05).Murphy, K. 2005. Report to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Legislature, Progress <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2005Spartina Eradicati<strong>on</strong> Program. WSDA Pub # AGR PUB 850-151 (N/1/06).Patten, K. and C. Stenvall. 2002. C<strong>on</strong>trol <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Smooth Cordgrass(Spartina alterniflora): A Comparis<strong>on</strong> between mechanical andchemical c<strong>on</strong>trol methods for efficacy, cost and aquatic toxicity.In: <str<strong>on</strong>g>Proceedings</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 11th Int. C<strong>on</strong>f. <strong>on</strong> Aquatic <strong>Invasive</strong> Species,2001,Pembroke, Ontario, Canada. 25-28 February 2002,Alexandria, VA. The Pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>essi<strong>on</strong>al Edge, Pembroke, ON. Canada:340-350.Reeder, T.G., S.D. Hacker. 2004. Factors C<strong>on</strong>tributing to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Removal<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a Marine Grass Invader (Spartina anglica) and SubsequentPotential for Habitat Restorati<strong>on</strong>. Estuaries 27: 244-253.U.S. Dept <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Willapa Nati<strong>on</strong>alWildlife Refuge. 1996. Iterim Envir<strong>on</strong>mental Assessment: C<strong>on</strong>trol<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Smooth Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) <strong>on</strong> Willapa Nati<strong>on</strong>alWildlife Refuge in 1996: 20-21.- 228 -
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