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TIPPC Update: Chinaberry Proposal to TDA Noxious Plants List This October, the Texas Invasive Plant and Pest Council (TIPPC) submitted a formal request to the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) to add Melia azedarach (Chinaberry) to the state Noxious and Invasive Plants list. If approved, it would be illegal to sell or distribute Chinaberry without a permit. This will help control the spread and protect Texas forests. |
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New Website Launched: Aquatic Invasive Species in N. Texas A new website, www.invasiveswatch.org, was recently launched with the mission of protecting North Texas lakes from giant salvinia and other invasive aquatic species such as alligator weed, hydrilla, and water hyacinth. The website goals are to educate the public and promote cooperation and communication among governmental agencies, groups, and individuals dedicated controlling aquatic invasive species. The website is the centerpiece of the Great Raft Invasives Program, and it features a map tracking tool where the public can view recent control applications, such as chemical and biological treatments, and view observations made by volunteer Weed Wardens. Currently, it is only available for Caddo Lake, but is expected include other lakes in the near future. The website will also maintain videos, news alerts, instructional material, and photo galleries that users of the site can contribute to. Organizations wishing to link to the website should contact info@caddolake.us. |
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Invasive Species as Biofuels: Giant Reed as an Alternative Energy The EPA is in the final stages of approving a rule that would allow Arundo donax (Giant Reed), a highly invasive species, to qualify as an “advanced biofuel feedstock” under the Renewable Fuel Standard. If this rule passes, there would be federal incentives to cultivate this known invasive species - a species with very clear and documented ecological damages in Texas and California. In fact, Giant Reed is listed in the top 100 invasive species worldwide. The Texasinvasives.org participated in the National Wildlife Federations effort to stop this action by: (1) Sending a letter to the Obama administration asking federal agencies to evaluate the potential of biofuel feedstocks to become invasive before providing incentives for their cultivation. (2) Asking for you to do the same in an impromptu iWire request. Thank you to those that took the time to participate in this effort! |
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Don't Move Firewood: A Recent Study Finds 50% of Retail Firewood is Infested
Untreated firewood can harbor pathogens and destructive insects such as the emerald ash borer, the Asian longhorned beetle, bark beetles and other pests of regulatory concern. Many insects overwinter inside of trees; therefore, if wood is untreated, the risk for transporting insects is high. In fact, the Journal of Economic Entomology reported live insects in 47% of firewood bundles purchased from big box stores, gas stations and grocery stores across several western states. Currently no national regulations exist requiring the treatment of commercial firewood prior to sale. However, state and federal agencies are trying to reduce risk by restricting firewood movement as well as educate and engage the public about safe firewood practices. Read More. To learn more about invasive pests in the U.S. and how you can help control the spread visit dontmovefirewood.org. |
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More News Webinar on "Invasive Grasses as Biofuels" As part of the North American Invasive Plant Short Course (NAIPSC) Webinar Series, Chris Dionigi (U.S. Department of the Interior and Deputy Direct of NAIPSC) will talk about invasive plants and their use as biofuels. You can sign up for the NAIPSC Online Community at http://ipscourse.unl.edu. Center for Invasive Plant Management (CIPM) Expands Mission and Changes Name The CIPM is expanding their mission beyond invasive plant management to one that includes all invasive species impacting western North America. On October 22, 2012, CIPM officially became the Center for Invasive Species Management (CISM). Learn more about this organization at www.weedcenter.org. Look Out for the Red-streaked Leafhopper This October, the Baclutha rubrostria (red-streaked leafhopper) was sited at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and this was the first recorded 2012 Texas sighting. This species is known to carry the phytoplasma associated with sugarcane white leaf disease. Job Announcement: Weed and Pest Mapping, Reclamation, and Land Management Tech Fremont County Wyoming is looking for someone to record weed and pest infestations, create and maintain weed and pest coverages using ESRI GIS software products and GPS instruments, maintain computer hardware, and manage digital and paper based data. For additional information contact: Kim Johnson at 307-856-2192 or kim@wyoming.com. If you would like your invasive species event or news listed in the next iWire, please send the details to iwire@texasinvasives.org. |
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The Invaders of Texas Program a Success at SXSWEco We want to thank all the volunteers that participated in the "Green Army" event on October 4th. We mapped over 120 invasive species along Waller Creek. Additionally, 5,500 seed balls were made to aid the Bastrop fire recovery efforts, and over 1,300 pounds of trash and recyclables were collected! |
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Invaders of Texas Program at the Texas Master Naturalist Annual Meeting The Texas Master Naturalist Annual Meeting was held this October at Camp Allen in Navasota, Texas. The conference had approximately 300 attendees, and the Invaders of Texas Program conducted two advanced training sessions. We are excited about our new citizen scientists! Learn more about the Texas Master Naturalist Program, local chapters, and how you can volunteer throughout the state. |
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Citizen Science Workshops Invaders of Texas & Invasive Species Eradication Workshops The morning session of these workshops will cover the Invaders of Texas program, focusing on training citizen scientists to identify and report invasive plants. The afternoon will cover best management practices for control and eradication of selected species. We will also cover a new feature on Texasinvasives.org, the "Eradicator Calculator", which is designed to help organize and record volunteer-based eradication efforts. Saturday November 17th, 2012 Location: Jesse H. Jones Park and Nature Center (Humble, TX) Contact: Rose Belzung For more information or to request a workshop, please visit our Workshop Page. |
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