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<strong>Proceedings</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Third</strong> <strong>International</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on Invasive SpartinaChapter 4: Spartina Control and Management<strong>of</strong> California at Davis engaged in a lively debate over <strong>the</strong>feasibility <strong>of</strong> biological control with a senior <strong>of</strong>ficial <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>Washington State Department <strong>of</strong> Agriculture. Citizenslearned about <strong>the</strong> uncertainties common to research and <strong>the</strong>ways in which enterprising scientists respond to <strong>the</strong>m. Theywere able to draw <strong>the</strong>ir own conclusions after hearingfirsthand <strong>the</strong> various sides <strong>of</strong> a debate.LESSON 3: TIME IS OF THE ESSENCEWhen <strong>the</strong> Willapa Bay Spartina invasion becameevident as a serious threat, <strong>the</strong> outside world was not readyto see it as such. In <strong>the</strong> late 1980s, local civic leaders becameconvinced that <strong>the</strong> Spartina invasion was fast becoming anecological disaster. Unfortunately, <strong>the</strong> majority <strong>of</strong>environmental pr<strong>of</strong>essionals across <strong>the</strong> country had not yetrecognized <strong>the</strong> extent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> threat posed by invasive species.Within <strong>the</strong> ranks <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> many public agencies withjurisdiction, pr<strong>of</strong>essional staff held varying views. Conflictsover <strong>the</strong> acceptability <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> impacts tied to controltreatments made a prompt response to <strong>the</strong> spread <strong>of</strong> Spartinaimpossible.Responses were delayed because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> availability <strong>of</strong>legal mechanisms for individuals who held contrarian viewsto block agency action despite support for <strong>the</strong> program by<strong>the</strong> vast majority <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> public. In Willapa Bay, suchchallenges deflected energies and added to <strong>the</strong> costs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>management effort. Contrarian activists made repeatedefforts to derail <strong>the</strong> Spartina control program in <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong>environmental concern. Their “monkeywrenching” tacticswere ultimately defeated by <strong>the</strong> active participation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>Washington Chapter <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Nature Conservancy andAudubon Society Washington. It is vital to enlist <strong>the</strong> supportand involvement <strong>of</strong> credible pr<strong>of</strong>essional environmentalorganizations in order to prevent o<strong>the</strong>rs from framing <strong>the</strong>issue in <strong>the</strong>ir own terms. During that early period <strong>of</strong> delay,an aggressive control program would have solved <strong>the</strong>problem with <strong>the</strong> least costs and <strong>the</strong> least ecologicalimpacts. Instead, <strong>the</strong> invasion was allowed to accelerate.LESSON 4: SOMEBODY HAS TO BE IN CHARGEIn Willapa Bay, three state agencies and one federalagency are directly engaged in field operations. They areindependent <strong>of</strong> one ano<strong>the</strong>r, have separate lands, and pursuedifferent missions. In 1995, <strong>the</strong> Washington Legislatureenacted RCW 17.26—a statute calling for coordination <strong>of</strong>Spartina control efforts and strong leadership under a singlelead agency. The Legislature designated <strong>the</strong> WashingtonState Department <strong>of</strong> Agriculture (WSDA) as <strong>the</strong> leadagency, but also directed that each agency take responsibilityfor Spartina control on <strong>the</strong>ir own lands. WSDA hasinterpreted its lead role as comprised <strong>of</strong> two major functions:it convenes interagency meetings and drafts <strong>the</strong> annual reportto <strong>the</strong> Legislature. WSDA declined to interpret its assignmentexpansively, in o<strong>the</strong>r words to include all mission criticalleadership functions.Without a single agency in charge, it was impossible for<strong>the</strong> agencies to develop and implement a comprehensive andcoherent long-term strategy with an appropriate allocation <strong>of</strong>assignments and responsibilities. Without a single agency incharge, individual agencies were free to pursue <strong>the</strong>irindividual near-term interests ra<strong>the</strong>r than subordinate <strong>the</strong>m to<strong>the</strong> interests <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> overall program. No one agency was in aposition to demand <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs a timetable for success or toassess <strong>the</strong> level <strong>of</strong> funding needed for overall success. No oneagency was held accountable for <strong>the</strong> success or failure <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>program. No one agency was motivated to demand adherenceto an overall vision and coordinating scheme. As a result, <strong>the</strong>control effort in Willapa Bay drifted down a path that wasunnecessarily expensive and slow. Each agency was free topoint to <strong>the</strong> inadequacies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> program withoutresponsibility for <strong>the</strong> whole. From presentations during thisconference, it is obvious that <strong>the</strong> California CoastalConservancy’s Invasive Spartina Project has very competent,hard-working staff. They have generated a number <strong>of</strong>impressive documents that will go a long way toward gainingcooperation through persuasion. Our experience tells us thatcoordination will require more than persuasion. Legal andcoercive authority will probably be needed.LESSON 5: SELL THE NEED FOR SCIENCELooking back, I now think that one <strong>of</strong> our biggest errorswas that we did not argue strenuously enough for a seriousmonitoring and research effort in <strong>the</strong> early years. We neverpersuaded our political leadership <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong>monitoring and research designed to inform <strong>the</strong> managementeffort. From <strong>the</strong> outset, we should have more adequatelycountered <strong>the</strong> strong antipathy towards spending dedicatedfunds on research. Public hostility towards research wasunderstandable: substantial sums had been spent exploring<strong>the</strong> non-target impacts <strong>of</strong> control tools that had beenapproved for years and used without problems in a widevariety <strong>of</strong> settings. Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> scientists involved in earlyresearch were seen as biased. They were more concernedwith <strong>the</strong> short-term and minor effects <strong>of</strong> control tools thanwith <strong>the</strong> long-term ecological devastation wrought by <strong>the</strong>invasion itself. In at least one case, a scientist was politicallyaffiliated with groups opposed to <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> herbicides. Thisbiased him to propose a research plan designed to ignore <strong>the</strong>longterm implications <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Spartina invasion whilehighlighting <strong>the</strong> very transient benefits <strong>of</strong> Spartina increating edge habitat. O<strong>the</strong>r scientists participating in <strong>the</strong>project objected to <strong>the</strong> inherent bias and forced a redesign <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> workplan. In <strong>the</strong> end, because <strong>the</strong> results were not to <strong>the</strong>liking <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> politically motivated scientist, he refused topublish <strong>the</strong> results. This intentional blurring <strong>of</strong> science andpolitics undermined trust in good science. It also led <strong>the</strong>- 231 -
Chapter 4: Spartina Control and Management<strong>Proceedings</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Third</strong> <strong>International</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on Invasive Spartinapolitical leadership to restrict <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> funds. Agencieswere forbidden from using funds for research, even studiesthat would directly improve <strong>the</strong> efficiency and effectiveness<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> control program. Ra<strong>the</strong>r than <strong>of</strong>ficially-sanctionedstudies, evaluations <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> costs and benefits <strong>of</strong> controltechniques were done using grant funds cobbled toge<strong>the</strong>r.Control technique trials were not conducted to providereliable information on <strong>the</strong> efficacy <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tools. Alternativestrategies could not be compared. Good consistent recordswere not kept. No agency could compare <strong>the</strong>ir work witho<strong>the</strong>rs. The control program was conducted year after yearwithout a good understanding <strong>of</strong> how well <strong>the</strong> tools and <strong>the</strong>application strategies actually worked.The lack <strong>of</strong> objective quantitative information harmed<strong>the</strong> personal relations among both <strong>the</strong> allied agencies andlocal stakeholders as well. More and more frequently,interagency meetings provided <strong>the</strong> occasion for majorsquabbles over whe<strong>the</strong>r particular treatment techniques weresufficiently effective to continue <strong>the</strong>ir use. Withoutdefinitive studies, <strong>the</strong> subjectivity inherent in our argumentscould not be overcome. The tension and distrust generatedby <strong>the</strong>se irresolvable debates eventually led factions to stoptalking.If I had it to do over, I would have spent much moretime selling our politicians and <strong>the</strong> public on <strong>the</strong> need forgood rigorous science and monitoring. We should have triedto learn how to kill Spartina effectively and affordably at <strong>the</strong>very start. A rigorous comparison <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tools should havebeen conducted to determine <strong>the</strong> conditions for maximumefficiency <strong>of</strong> each. We should also have gotten an earlierstart on <strong>the</strong> feasibility <strong>of</strong> biological control, and startedlooking for alternative chemicals soon after hearing from ourfriends in Australia and New Zealand that glyphosate doesnot work well on Spartina.LESSON 6: THINK AHEAD AND SHARE YOUR VISIONMy experience has convinced me that long-termplanning is very necessary despite <strong>the</strong> discomfort andhumility you may feel in <strong>the</strong> face <strong>of</strong> many seemingly criticalunknowns. By taking a decent stab at planning, youcommunicate that you are serious about solving <strong>the</strong> problemin a logical and efficient manner. If all <strong>the</strong> facts are notavailable, assumptions will have to do for <strong>the</strong> time being.The concept <strong>of</strong> adaptive management is nothing more than<strong>the</strong> explicit promise to update your plan as you learn fromexperience. You are likely to attract <strong>the</strong> money you needonly if you have a compelling and well-defined plan <strong>of</strong>action. You are also likely to draw important allies if yourvision is clear and convincing. If you are asking citizens toaccept <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> chemical applications as a major part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>program, you had better have an endpoint in mind and beprepared to explain why it will take you that long to get<strong>the</strong>re. You need a flexible timetable. You need graphicimages showing how you can succeed with <strong>the</strong> resourcesyou have at hand. Then you need to take your vision forsuccess on <strong>the</strong> road and sell it to <strong>the</strong> key stakeholders.LESSON 7: CONSOLIDATED SYSTEMATIC PROGRESSOver <strong>the</strong> years, it became more and more apparent thatwe would make no progress unless we could eliminate largecontiguous blocks <strong>of</strong> Spartina in a systematic fashion.Ra<strong>the</strong>r than dispersing <strong>the</strong> control effort here and <strong>the</strong>rearound <strong>the</strong> Bay, we needed to consolidate our efforts. Tolimit re-infestation from nearby untreated areas, we adopteda strategy <strong>of</strong> working in consolidated blocks. Theoreticalweed management models advise that all outliers should betreated first in order to minimize <strong>the</strong> overall long-term costs.Logistical realities in Willapa Bay make <strong>the</strong> “outliers first”strategy untenable. Few tides are sufficiently low to allowtime for effective treatment <strong>of</strong> all outliers before o<strong>the</strong>r parts<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> infestation are tackled. Most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> outliers were alsoon private lands, while an agency’s first priorities are <strong>the</strong>irown lands. Chemical applications <strong>of</strong> glyphosate required drytimes rarely available where <strong>the</strong> outliers occur. The timerequired and costs <strong>of</strong> moving heavy equipment dictate thatcrews limit hopping, skipping, and backtracking as much aspossible. It is also far easier to keep track <strong>of</strong> where you haveleft <strong>of</strong>f if <strong>the</strong> progression <strong>of</strong> treatments is simple andmethodical. Based on <strong>the</strong>se practical considerations, ourcrews have adopted a strategy <strong>of</strong> sweeping Spartina from <strong>the</strong>eastern side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Bay first and <strong>the</strong>n finishing up on <strong>the</strong>west side. The federal crews are moving from south to north,while <strong>the</strong> state crews in general are operating from north tosouth.For many years, most parties were driven by narrowself-interest. Under those conditions, it was impossible tocreate a coherent and effective strategy. The lack <strong>of</strong> any—even a flawed—long-term vision allowed agencies to pursue<strong>the</strong>ir own near-term interests without political consequences.No one had <strong>the</strong> authority or permission to impose <strong>the</strong>discipline <strong>of</strong> working toge<strong>the</strong>r to treat some lands first,o<strong>the</strong>rs later, and some at <strong>the</strong> very end. Without such a multiyearcommitment, no one had confidence <strong>the</strong> program wouldlast long enough to serve <strong>the</strong>ir own interests. The brevity <strong>of</strong>budget periods constrained long-term thinking. With federalbudgets set on an annual basis and state budgets set everytwo years, <strong>the</strong>re were no absolute guarantees that <strong>the</strong>funding would be maintained to <strong>the</strong> very end. Still, with awell thought-out plan and <strong>the</strong> support <strong>of</strong> all parties, you candraw toge<strong>the</strong>r enough political will to have a good shot atsustaining <strong>the</strong> program over <strong>the</strong> required number <strong>of</strong> years.LESSON 8: LOSE THE THIN SKINI have to conclude with some cautionary words about<strong>the</strong> emotional toll that comes with difficult challenges likecontrolling a widespread invasive weed. Weed eradicationwork in <strong>the</strong> field is tough and dirty business. People get hurt,- 232 -
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FORWARD & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe <stro
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Community Spartina Education and St
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CHAPTER ONESpartina Biology
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Chapter 1: Spartina Biology
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CHAPTER THREEEcosystem Effects <str
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