Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Invasive ...

<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 Managementor mechanical removal. Seedlings and tussocks can beremoved manually, while large clones will requiremechanical, in situ burial. Mapping should be conducted inJune when <strong>the</strong> plants have matured and are easily located,and removal efforts should be conducted during July.Flowering occurs from June to September, but may be aslate as November, and most seed is set in September(Dethier and Hacker 2004).Following <strong>the</strong> summer removals, FOC participation in<strong>the</strong> program was discontinued and Environment Canadaassumed <strong>the</strong> chair <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> steering committee. Senior agenciesshould make a higher commitment to S. anglicamanagement and provide sufficient manpower and financialsupport to bring <strong>the</strong> infestation under control. Withoutsufficient follow-up S. anglica will spread and make controland removal much more difficult and expensive in <strong>the</strong>future.Training is an important component <strong>of</strong> S. anglicaremoval. Some volunteers had difficulty distinguishing itfrom native salt marsh species. Although complete removal<strong>of</strong> above-ground plants and below-ground roots andrhizomes was stressed during site demonstrations, someremovals were incomplete. These concerns can beminimized by providing better training and by implementinginspections by qualified supervisors during removal efforts.During both 2003 and 2004 <strong>the</strong>re were substantial inkindcontributions from many particpating agencies. Forexample, FOC covered <strong>the</strong> hovercraft fuel costs; Deltaprovided <strong>the</strong> all-terrain vehicle, bag collection, and dikeaccess; FOC provided GPS and GIS support, a Spartina factsheet, and meeting rooms; MWLAP arranged for <strong>the</strong>excavator; and DUC arranged for portable toilets in <strong>the</strong> field,GIS mapping, and press releases.Increased surveillance is required, which benefits frombetter outreach. Providing presentations to interested partiesis useful for increasing awareness and building support for<strong>the</strong> program. Attempts were made to enlist <strong>the</strong> help <strong>of</strong>birders from <strong>the</strong> VNHS, but <strong>the</strong>re was no active follow-up tomake it more effective. A Spartina contact telephonenumber should established. Material should be prepared toassist in <strong>the</strong> identification <strong>of</strong> S. anglica and o<strong>the</strong>r species(e.g. S. alterniflora and S. densiflora). Outreach should alsobe extended to Vancouver Island and <strong>the</strong> Gulf Islands, wheresuitable conditions exist for establishment.POST PRESENTATION UPDATE:To manage Spartina infestations in British Columbia,<strong>the</strong> BC Spartina Working Group (BCSWG) was formed, ledby Ducks Unlimited Canada. The BCSWG has preparedannual reports and commissioned <strong>the</strong> BC Spartina ResponsePlan (Dresen et al. 2010). Spartina mapping and relatedinformation pertaining to <strong>the</strong> BCSWG efforts are providedon <strong>the</strong> Community Mapping Network websitewww.Spartina.ca.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe authors would like to thank all <strong>the</strong> volunteers forparticipating in <strong>the</strong> 2003 and 2004 Fraser Spartina Bustersremoval efforts, including <strong>the</strong> Langley EnvironmentalPartners Society, Vancouver Aquarium RiverWorks, TheNature Trust, Tsawwassen First Nations, NorthwestWildlife, American partipants from Whatcom County,Whatcom County Noxious Weed Board, Puget SoundAction Team, and many agency staff and individuals.Cheryl Lynch and Kay Kennes, FOC, conducted GPSsurveys and GIS mapping <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Spartina infestations and<strong>the</strong>ir contribution is appreciated. FOC librarians MarciaCroy VanWely, Louise Archibald and John Alexander,researched <strong>the</strong> eology <strong>of</strong> S. anglica for <strong>the</strong> fact sheet.We gratefully acknowledge Dr. Adolf Ceska, Dr. DebraAyres, Dr. Sally Hacker, Sharon Riggs, Dave Heimer, KyleMurphy, and Cindy Sayre for providing information andassisting with plant identification.The authors appreciate <strong>the</strong> financial contributions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>Western Regional Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species;Darrell Desjardin, VPA; Ted Lea; MWLAP, for funding S.anglica removal and surveillance; GVRD and EnvironmentCanada for funding 2003 surveillance efforts; and B. Naitoand B. Mason, FOC, for arranging <strong>the</strong> hovercraft surveys.The authors thank <strong>the</strong> Galiano Conservancy forpermission to use <strong>the</strong> estuary satellite image in Fig. 1. Theeditorial comments from Kristy Williams were appreciated.REFERENCESAdams, M.A., and G.L. Williams. 2004. Tidal marshes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> FraserRiver estuary: composition, structure, and a history <strong>of</strong> marshcreation efforts to 1997: In: B.J. Groulx, D.C. Mosher, J.L.Luternauer, and D.E. Bilderback , eds. Fraser River Delta, BritishColumbia: Issues <strong>of</strong> an Urban Estuary, Geol. Surv. Can. Bull.567:147-172.Anon. 2002. Strategy for <strong>the</strong> management <strong>of</strong> rice grass (Spartinaanglica) in Tasmania, Australia. Natural Heritage Trust andTasmania Department <strong>of</strong> Primary Industries, Water and Environment,Hobart, Tasmania.Ayres, D.R., University <strong>of</strong> California, Evolution and Ecology,Davis, personal communication.Ayres, D. R., and D. R. Strong. 2001. Origin and genetic diversity<strong>of</strong> Spartina anglica (Poaceae) using nuclear DNA markers.American Journal <strong>of</strong> Botany. 88(10): 1863-1867.Barkworth, M.E. 2003. Spartina Schreb., pp. 240-251. In: Barkworth,M.E., K.M. Carpels, S. Long, and M. B. Piep, eds., Flora<strong>of</strong> North America North <strong>of</strong> Mexico, Vol. 25: Magnoliophyta:Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, part 2, Oxford UniversityPress.Butler, R.W., and W. Campbell. 1987. The birds <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> FraserRiver delta: populations, ecology and international significance.Canadian Wildlife Service Occasional Paper 65. EnvironmentCanada.- 241 -