2018 Accomplishments Report - BugwoodCloud€¦ · PHCWPMA Annual Accomplishment Report 2018 2018 Accomplishments Report INTRODUCTION 2 2018 HIGHLIGHTED PROJECTS 4 Kudzu Removal 4

PHCWPMA Annual Accomplishment Report 2018

2018 Accomplishments Report

INTRODUCTION 2

2018 HIGHLIGHTED PROJECTS 4

Kudzu Removal 4

Pike Knob Preserve 5

Formation of RGCWPMA 6

Discover Nature Day 2018 6

PHCWPMA ACCOMPLISHMENTS, 2018 7

Invasive Plant Treatments 7

Resistance & Bio-Control 8

Monitoring & Research 9

Education & Outreach 10

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PHCWPMA Annual Accomplishment Report 2018 2

The Potomac Highlands Cooperative Weed and Pest Management Area (PHCWPMA) is a

partnership of diverse interests with federal, state, and local agencies, non-profit organizations, and

private land owners working together to address the threat of non-native invasive species. The

PHCWPMA encompasses twelve counties in West Virginia and Virginia and strives to decrease the

impacts of invasive species on native plant and animal communities, public and private forests, aquatic

resources, agricultural lands and local economics using Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

This February, the PHCWPMA was joined in its efforts by the newly formed Rivers and Gorges

CWPMA (RGCWPMA). The RGCWPMA covers ten counties in West Virginia and 2.4 million acres

focused around New River Gorge. Both CWPMAs will be partnering on education and outreach as well

as research.

This report features highlighted projects from the past year as well as a complete list of reported

accomplishments from PHCWPMA partners.

Compiled by Hannah Wroton, AFHA AmeriCorps USFS Ecosystems Partnerships.

Introduction

PHCWPMA Annual Accomplishment Report 2018 3

Appalachian Forest Heritage Area (AFHA)

AmeriCorps

American Forests

Blue Ridge PRISM

Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge

(CVN WR)

Experience Learning

Fairmont State University—College of

Science and Technology

George Washington and Jefferson National

Forests (USFS– GWJ)

Monongahela National Forest (USFS– MOF)

Native Plant Society

Natural Resources Conservation Service

(NRCS)

Pendleton County Farmland Protection

Board

Potomac Valley Conservation District

Private landowners

National Forest Foundation

The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

Trout Unlimited

U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS)

U.S. Forest Service—Northeastern Area State

and Private Forestry (USFS NA S&PF)

U.S. Forest Service—Northern Research

Station (USFS– NRS)

WesMonTy Resource Conservation and

Development Project, Inc. (WesMonTy

RC&D)

West Virginia Conservation Agency (WVCA)

West Virginia Forestry Association

West Virginia Department of Agriculture

(WVDA)

West Virginia Division of Highways

(WVDOH)

West Virginia Division of Forestry (WVDOF)

West Virginia Division of Natural Resources

(WVDNR)

West Virginia Native Plant Society (WVNPS)

West Virginia Rivers Coalition (WVRC)

West Virginia University Extension Service

(WVU-ES)

Virginia Cooperative Extension

PHCWPMA is proud to include the following partners:

PHCWPMA Annual Accomplishment Report 2018 4

2018 Highlighted Projects

The West Virginia Division of Forestry (DOF) is fighting the first-known invasion of kudzu in

Pendleton County, with the help of the West Virginia Division of Highways and the West Virginia

University (WVU) Extension Service.

WVU Extension Agent and County Program Coordinator David Seymour spotted the aggressive

vine growing on private land near a county highway. The kudzu was growing in the highway right-of-

way and climbing up a residence. Seymour contacted West Virginia DOF’s service forester Rosey

Santerre to discuss teaming up to get the invasive vine under control. They worked with the landowner

and the Division of Highways to perform the first of several treatments using the Integrated Pest

Management (IPM) approach to eradicate the only known infestation of kudzu in Pendleton County.

IPM achieves long-term pest control through a combination of techniques such as biological control,

habitat manipulation and monitoring. Pesticides, if needed, are used judiciously.

The DOH employee who worked with the WVDOF to get this treatment done had attended a

presentation done by PHCWPMA AmeriCorps in 2012 titled “Why you should care about invasive

species”. This presentation was designed to interest DOH employees by talking about the adverse effects

of NNIS on sportsmen and landowners. He remembered the Kudzu pictures from this presentation and it

motivated him to collaborate.

Excerpt from WV Division of Forestry Press Release, Rosey Santerre

BEFORE AFTER

The West Virginia Division of Forestry is Kicking Kudzu Out of

Pendleton County

Kudzu infestation before and after treatment by the WVDOF and WVDOH

PHCWPMA Annual Accomplishment Report 2018 5

The Nature Conservancy’s Pike Knob Preserve is one of the

most unique locations in West Virginia. The grassy bald supports a

wide variety of rare plants, the nearby forest is home to the

southernmost native red pine stand in the country, and the 360-

degree panorama offers views of Spruce Knob, Germany Valley, and

Allegheny Mountain. It is also home to seven different invasive

plants, all of which threaten the unique grassy bald community.

Along with other ecologically unique sites in the North Fork

Mountain geography, Pike Knob has been a focal area for the

PHCWPMA field crew since the early days of the CWPMA.

NNIS treatments

at Pike Knob have posed some interesting challenges for the

crews. When treatments began in 2011, several acres of the

bald were dominated by dense monocultures of invasive

plants. Herbicide treatments of those areas were very

effective, but they left large patches of exposed soil, which

were then re-colonized by the same invasive species. In order

to combat this, the field crews began spreading a mix of

native grass seeds post-treatment in 2013, with the intention

that those native species would establish themselves in the

patches of exposed soil and prevent invasive plants from re-

colonizing. Starting the following year, the crews also began

to use a highly specialized suite of herbicides – combined

with manual treatments – to maximize destruction of invasive

plants while minimizing effects on native plants.

These methods, combined with a successful biocontrol program for yellow toadflax, have been

extremely successful. Cheat grass and other invasive plants only occupy a small portion of their former

area, and native warm-season grasses dominate much of the

treatment site. This integrated approach is both easier and more

effective than traditional herbicide-only treatments. Although we

aren’t eliminating 100% of every invasive species every year, we

are drastically reducing their seed production while also exposing

a lot of bare soil, which native grasses have clearly been

colonizing even in years when we don’t spread seed ourselves.

Utilizing natural processes to supplement our traditional

treatments has greatly decreased the crew’s annual workload at

Pike Knob, and it has set this unique site on the path to recovery.

By Ben Rhodes, TNC Ecological Restoration Coordinator

Pike Knob Preserve

2013 crew member Jenna Stalnaker spreads

native warm-season grass seeds in a patch

of dead cheat grass (light brown).

2018: the cheat grass infestation is dramatically

smaller, and native warm-season grasses (tall clumps

of grass) planted by TNC have taken its place.

2018: The area is now overwhelmingly

dominated by a mix of native grasses.

PHCWPMA Annual Accomplishment Report 2018 6

On February 28th, 2018 the inaugural

meeting of the Rivers & Gorges CWPMA

was held in Beckley, West Virginia. The

RGCWPMA is a newly formed sister

CWPMA and encompasses 9 counties in

West Virginia: Pocahontas, Webster,

Nicholas, Fayette, Raleigh, Mercer, Summers,

Monroe, and Greenbrier. Centered around the

New River Gorge, the RGCWPMA includes

2.4 million acres of land and several DNR

focal areas.

The Education & Outreach committees

and the Research & Monitoring committees of

the RGCWPMA and the PHCWPMA will be

partnering together to expand their

capabilities and resources as well as some

shared Steering Committee members.

By Amy Coleman, USFS-MOF South Zone

Ecologist

Formation of the Rivers & Gorges CWPMA

Discover Nature Day was held for the 7th year in

2018 at the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center. Put on by

the U.S. Forest Service and partners, about 800 visitors

attended the educational event. 46 partner booths

provided visitors with a wide array of educational topics

and activities.

The activity fair included fly-tying, a bat cave,

animal tracking, and a morning garlic mustard pull. Nine

groups participated in providing nature education

featuring everything from pollinators to native fish to

agricultural pests.

By Hannah Wroton, AFHA AmeriCorps with USFS

Discover Nature Day 2018

Learning about animal tracks at Discover Nature Day

2018

PHCWPMA Annual Accomplishment Report 2018 7

2018

PHCWPMA Accomplishments

Following is a complete list of the reported projects completed by the CWPMA partners with-in the

PHCWPMA and RGCWPMA boundaries with in the last year.

Invasive Plant Treatments

THE NATURE CONSERVANCY (TNC): The

PHCWPMA field crew treated a total of 1635

acres on non-native invasive plant species. 17

Monongahela National Forest Sites totaling 1162

acres and 9 private and TNC sites totaling 473

acres both exceeded treatment goal. The crew

treated 19 species on 26 different sites.

RIVERS & GORGES CWPMA: Partnered with

private landowner Traci Hickson and Cass

Scenic Railroad State Park to remove Japanese

stiltgrass along a ten-mile road along

Leatherbark Run in Pocahontas County, WV.

GARLIC MUSTARD CHALLENGE: During the

spring of 2018, 132 volunteers pulled approximately 493 pounds of garlic mustard at

different locations in the Monongahela National Forest over the course of a month. See

Education & Outreach section.

The crew treated 6 different invasive species on the grassy

bald at TNC’s Pike Knob Preserve

Resistance & Biocontrol

USFS NORTHERN RESEARCH STATION (USFS-NRS) & THE

NATURE CONCERVANCY (TNC): Sampled the understory

vegetation both within a forested area and in a more open

area at Bickle Knob for pre-biocontrol (Ceutorhynchus spp.

-- beetles) release monitoring on garlic mustard

populations. The release may occur next year (if APHIS

approves) or in the next few years.

WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (WVDA):

A total of 1,500 R. latipes weevils were released at three

locations in Hardy and Grant Counties in May, 2018.

WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (WVDA):

A total of 600 M. janthinus biocontrol beetles were released at one location in Pendleton

County in June of 2018.

Running buffalo clover that was found

while sampling for pre-biocontrol release

at Bickle Knob. Photo Ellen Baker, WVU.

PHCWPMA Annual Accomplishment Report 2018 8

Monitoring & Research

THE NATURE CONSERVANCY (TNC): The

PHCWPMA field crew monitored 824 acres of

treated areas for treatment efficacy and

unintended environmental damage. The average

efficacy was 88% and no significant non-target

damage was noted at any site.

WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

(WVDA): Conducted 15 pest surveys at nurseries

in Grant, Hardy, Pendleton, Randolph,

Pocahontas, and Tucker Counties.

The PHCWPMA Field Crew celebrates after finishing a

woody NNIS removal project near Judy Gap

Education & Outreach

PHCWPMA EDUCATION & OUTREACH COMMITTEE: Reprinted brochures for pests and

pathogens, plants, and aquatic NNIS. Eight agencies contributed $8,798 to print 4,190

brochures.

PHCWPMA EDUCATION & OUTREACH COMMITTEE: Received grant funding through the USFS

Citizen Science Grant to expand the current NNIS citizen science program to grades K-12 and

into five counties around the Monongahela National Forest (MOF). The grant will support the

creation of two sets of four educational trunks for varying grade level for each zone of the

MOF. The grant program will be implemented in local schools in the spring of 2019.

CWPMA EDUCATION & OUTREACH COMMITTEE: In partnership with Play Clean Go, The Pests

that Girdle the Home of Tucker the Turtle and Fighting Invasive Pests: Tucker the Turtle’s

Field Guide were updated.

PETERSBURG CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAM: A 4-week program for the 5th graders at

Petersburg Elementary educates the students about NNIS, the problems, and their

treatments. 104 students participated in the 4 class series.

RCWPMA CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAM: The Rivers & Gorges CWPMA expanded the four week

non-native invasive species education program to Green Bank Elementary Middle School and

Marlinton Middle School. The program concluded with a field trip to the Monongahela

National Forest where students removed garlic mustard from the Blue Bend Campground

along Anthony Creek in Greenbrier County.

PHCWPMA Annual Accomplishment Report 2018 9

Education & Outreach

MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST (USFS-MOF): Selected as a pilot Forest for the Wild

Spotter app, a program that aims to build citizen science volunteer capacity to protect

America’s wild places from harmful invasive species (https://wildspotter.org)

MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST (USFS-MOF) & WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF

AGRICULTURE (WVDA): Provided

educational materials and information

about NNIS at the 2018 Forest Festival in

Elkins to 540 community members.

DISCOVER NATURE DAY: Approximately

800 people attended Discover Nature Day

at the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center. 46

partners volunteered to provide NNIS and

other information to the public. 42 of the

attendees volunteered to pull Garlic

Mustard during the event, see Garlic

Mustard Challenge.

GARLIC MUSTARD CHALLENGE: Last

spring, USFS in conjunction with partners and volunteers coordinated the Garlic Mustard

Challenge. Over the course of about a month, approximately 492.5 pounds of Garlic Mustard

were removed by 132 volunteers. See table below.

MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST (USFS-MOF): 100 kids participated in river snorkeling

events at White’s Run where they learned about aquatic NNIS.

NNIS EDUCATION IN VISITORS CENTERS: Seneca Rocks Discovery Center, Cranberry

Mountain Nature Center, Cass Railroad State Park, Lost River State Park, Blackwater State

Park all have NNIS educational displays and distribute educational materials.

WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (WVDA): Held five presentations on

invasive insects with over 300 attendees.

Date Location # of Volunteers Pounds of Garlic Mustard Removed (lbs)

5/31/2018 Blue Bend 46 140

N/A Ice Mountain 8 52.5

4/28/2018 Discover Nature Day 68 100

5/5/2018 Greenbrier State Forest 10 200

TOTAL 4 Locations 132 Volunteers 492.5 lbs. of Garlic Mustard

Volunteers pull Garlic Mustard at Discover Nature Day 2018

PHCWPMA Annual Accomplishment Report 2018 10

WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (WVDA) & WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT

OF FORESTRY (WVDOF): Taught NNIS classes to Potomac State College Integrated Pest

Management (IPM) class.

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SERVICES (WVU-ES): Programs such as A Walk in

the Woods and Four Season Forests now include invasive species coverage.

WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (WVDA): Provided outreach and

presentations on various NNIS at the West Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association

Summer Farm meeting and at the Logging BMP workshop.

WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (WVDEP): Held

educational programs for 15 youth groups where NNIS was discussed.

WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (WVDNR): Held presentations on

NNIS for the West Virginia Conservation Agency, WVDNR trainings, and the West Virginia

Department of Highways (WVDOH).

WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (WVDNR): Held presentation on

NNIS and their native look-alikes at Innovations in Invasive Species Conference.

FACEBOOK: the PHCWPMA page has 336 likes and has reached 1,234 people through posts

this year.

PHCWPMA WEBSITE: The PHCWPMA website remains updated and active.

RGCWPMA GARLIC MUSTARD PULL: Coverage of the Blue Bend Garlic Mustard Pull in the

Pocahontas Times.

NEW RIVER GORGE NATIONAL RIVER GOATS: Three news outlets covered New River Gorge’s

herd of NNIS eating goats.

DISCOVER NATURE DAY: Discover Nature Day was publicized on WBOY and on the Alleghany

Mountain Radio.

Education & Outreach

Media