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SAN JUAN COUNTY NOXIOUS WEED BOARD |
CommitteeField Coordinator: Board membersLopez Island:
San Juan Island, South:
San Juan Island, North:
Orcas Island, East
Orcas Island, West More informationWashington State US Forest Service Noxious Weed WEB Site Weeds mandated for control in San Juan County
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Noxious Weed Program asks for fee increaseposted 06/17/2008 State law requires each county to control the spread of noxious weeds – typically invasive and sometimes poisonous non-native plants which threaten agriculture, livestock, domestic animals, and native plant communities. In a slide presentation Azous, showed the results of the program's efforts, including the elimination from the county of seven of the eight species classified as “Must Eradicate” by the state. Azous also noted that the program publicized seven new brochures on specific noxious weeds in 2007 alone. To deal with the ongoing noxious weed problem, to increase the program's ability to do public outreach and education, and to recruit and use more volunteer labor, Azous asked the Council to consider granting an increase in the County's Noxious Weed Control property assessment. The new fee would charge $8.10 in each parcel of land and 81 cents for each additional acre. She said 93% of the all parcel owners would pay less than $16.21 per year. The current assessment, which raises $75,750 per year is set at $3.25 per parcel plus 32 cents per acre. Today's presentation was the first of three "touches" by the County Council, so no action was taken. The Council will schedule a public hearing on the issue within the next few months. Weed Board Progress- 2006posted 10/11/2006 So, what species have been effectively eliminated? Giant hogweed, Eggleaf spurge, Spanish broom, Bighead knapweed, (Class A), diffuse knapweed, Gorse from SJI and Scotch thistle (Class B designates). There has been a reduction of spotted knapweed in Friday Harbor, sulfur cinquefoil along the roadways and all known Spartina are gone! Thanks to cooperation with WA State Dept. of Agriculture, the Land Bank, State Parks, Master Gardeners and local citizens, six separate outbreaks of Spartina have been eliminated leaving only site monitoring into the foreseeable future. Along with managing these weed infestations the coordinators have helped identify potential weed threats including getting statewide listings of several species. There has also been a large increase in community awareness of weed problems on private lands and public right-of-ways maintained by SJC Public Works. A far cry from the years past when noxious weeds were pretty much ignored! Also of note is an on going bio-control program in cooperation with WSU that uses specific insects that eat several species of noxious weeds including meadow knapweed, tansy ragwort and purple loosestrife. Finally, research and development of county specific and readily available printed materials and articles has enabled WB staff to effectively reach an ever increasing number of citizens through personal contact to assist them in the efforts to identify, control and prevent the spread of noxious weeds in San Juan County. There is still much to do. A continuing push to increase public visibility of our efforts to control noxious weeds on the county roadsides by working with County Public Works is a high priority. Concurrently, we are actively assisting citizens in identifying and eliminating noxious weeds from private lands. Continued support from the citizens of the county both in volunteer labor, personal property responsibility and the continuing dedication of WB staff will increase the effectiveness of control efforts in the years to come. As volunteer members of the SJC Noxious Weed Board we want to let the citizens of this county know that there has been real progress and the tax dollars you support this program with are well spent by two hard working staff members who need all of our support for a sometimes tiresome and seemingly hopeless job. Maintaining the ecological diversity of the San Juan Islands requires a private public partnership and with your help we have and will continue to make progress.
SJCNWCB members, Poison Hemlock in San Juan CountyBy Richard Lee, Coordinator
posted 06/23/2006 Recently I had the chance to revisit this landscape and found it drastically altered. Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), a weed uncommonly found in the valley forty years ago, has now become, along with milk thistle, the dominant plant. Miles of roadside and acres of grazing land are now choked with hemlock six to ten feet tall, interspersed with islands of thistle. In the canyons, familiar native plants such as tiger lilies, sages, and red delphinium are now rare, largely replaced by invasive species. Rangelands that were once used for light grazing are now so devoid of nutritious grasses that year around supplemental feeding is often necessary. The slopes of the oak woodlands are left bare and exposed to the fall and winter rains because the allelopathic chemicals left by the decomposing hemlock inhibit the germination and root growth of the grasses and other plants. Poison hemlock thrives in cool, moist climates. Originally from Eurasia and introduced to North America as an ornamental garden plant, hemlock is better adapted to the climate of the San Juan Islands than it is to coastal southern California. Seeing its success there gives us cause for concern about the potential for its spread in our islands where small stands of poison hemlock have been present for years. Only recently have we started to see signs that the population is expanding. As it is a Class C noxious weed, we have, in the past, tended not to put much emphasis on its control or eradication. Small patches, especially on Lopez Island, and to a lesser extent on San Juan and Orcas, are becoming larger and more common on roadsides, in gravel pits and in other disturbed areas. Poison hemlock is a potently toxic member of the parsley family. It is easily confused with other more benign members of this family, such as Queen Anne's lace or wild chervil. It may be distinguished chiefly by its lacey, fern-like leaves, its height (up ten feet) and its smooth purple-blotched stalks. Often called "fool's parsley", only small amounts can sicken or kill both humans and livestock. Poison hemlock can also cause birth defects when consumed by pregnant livestock. In ancient Greece, hemlock was the classic executioner's potion used to assassinate Socrates. All parts of the plant are toxic, although livestock will normally avoid it, due to its characteristic "mousey" odor, unless there is nothing else to eat. Plants left in the field after cutting become more palatable, although the toxins are only slightly lessened by slow drying. While timed mowing of hemlock before seed ripening is a good control method, the cut plants should not be left on the ground as chemicals leaching from the decomposing plants (and, especially, the flower heads) suppress the regrowth of other vegetation. Other control methods include digging out individual plants before the carrot-like roots become too large and spot treatment with herbicides such as glyphhosate (e.g. Roundup®) when the plants are still in the rosette stage. Repeated cultivation in croplands can prevent hemlock from becoming established. In some areas of the northwest, the hemlock moth (Agonopterix alstroemeriana) has been used successfully to defoliate large stands, but this insect has not yet been particularly effective in the San Juan Islands. For more information on poison hemlock and other noxious weeds call or email the County Noxious Weed Control Program at 376-3499 rich@sanjuanweeds.org or judy@sanjuanweeds.org. Invasive Spartina Threatens Our BaysContributed photo
Jeremy Snapp and Bob Rowland remove spartina. posted 11/11/05
Spartina (Spartina anglica and other species), also known as cordgrass, is an aggressive weed that has caused serious environmental and economic damage across the Pacific Coast. In Willapa Bay in Washington state, for example, spartina has radically changed the nearshore habitat, with dire consequences for many of the area's oyster growers. Spartina control efforts in Willapa Bay have cost state taxpayers millions of dollars. Until recently, the plant was believed to be exterminated from San Juan County. But this year a state crew from the Department of Agriculture located patches at several locations in the county. In addition to the Weeks Wetland Preserve, infestations were found at Mud Bay and Spencer Spit Lagoon on Lopez, Buck Bay on Orcas, and Jakle's Lagoon on San Juan. Eradication of the plant is a top priority for the state and for the San Juan County Noxious Weed Control Board. "Spartina is a real threat to our county's intertidal lands," said Eliza Habegger, Land Steward with the San Juan County Land Bank. She noted that the natural saltmarsh at Weeks Wetland Preserve is popular with waterfowl and other wildlife, not to mention local walkers. Left unchecked, spartina has the potential to change that habitat and displace native species. " Fortunately," she said, " The local infestations are still small. If we are vigilant and don't delay, we have a good chance of eradicating this nasty weed from our island shores." The San Juan County Noxious Weed Control Board is available to help landowners identify and combat spartina. "Saltmarshes, mudflats, and estuaries are the perfect habitat for the plant" said Rich Lee of the Weed Control Board. "We're asking landowners to be on the lookout. Please contact us at 376-3499 to learn more." There are also a number of informative Web sites. Cordgrass removal in the San Juansposted 09/05/05
Until this year this invasive intertidal weed was only found in a few small patches in San Juan County and had been thought to have been extirpated. This summer, however, a crew from the Washington State Department of Agriculture, while on a routine coastal survey, spotted sizable outbreaks in Buck Bay (Orcas Island). Mud Bay, Spencer Spit Lagoon, and Fisherman's Bay (all on Lopez Island). The WSDA crew alerted the staff of the County Noxious Weed Control Board who started control efforts by notifying adjacent landowners and appropriate state and county agencies responsible for the stewardship of those tidelands. A more thorough search of the affected areas confirmed several sizable stands of the grass as well as many isolated seedlings. The Weed Board staff was able to collect seedlings, flowering stalks and seed heads in most of the known locations which will slow the spread of cordgrass. Dedicated volunteers provided indispensable help in these control efforts. Jay and Janet Booth and their family successfully removed the county's largest clump by hand from Buck Bay and Master Gardeners Denny Doyle-MacDougall and Barbara Mino from Lopez volunteered to dig out many seedlings and the large clump from Mud Bay. Richard Smith and his family, adjacent property owners, provided easy access to the Mud Bay tidelands and helped haul many pounds of cordgrass debris to the county road for disposal. Bob Lemon has also been of great assistance by helping us track Spartina populations on San Juan Island. As with so many of our weed control projects, this sort of volunteerism has made a huge difference in our being able to prevent the further spread of noxious weeds in San Juan County. Many thanks to all you
Tansy Ragwort out of control on Orcas Islandposted 07/21/05
Tansy is best controlled by pulling the entire plant out of the ground, but it is critical to remove the flower heads before discarding the rest of the plant. These heads should be bagged and taken to the Solid Waste facility, where they may be disposed of at no charge. If the heads are left on the plant the seeds will mature and re-infect the area which is being cleared. This is especially important along roadsides where the flower heads and developing seeds can be picked by tires and dispersed over great distances. Because of its threat to livestock, every effort needs to be made to find and eradicate this plant from pastures and hayfields. While horses and cattle will usually avoid the plant while it is green, they cannot distinguish the dried plant from the rest of the hay. The toxin is cumulative and causes irreversible liver damage and, ultimately, the death of the animal. While herbicides may be used on private land, their use on public rights-of-way is prohibited. For information on appropriate herbicides call Rich Lee or Judy Jackson at the Weed Board at 376-3499 and leave a message. From the number of dead tansies that we are seeing along the county’s roadsides it is obvious that a lot of people have been active in the tansy ragwort control effort- many thanks to all of you! But- remember to pull and bag the flower heads before discarding the rest of the plant. Combatting noxious weeds
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