[APWG] purple loosestrife

[ForestRuss at aol.com]

APWG:

I just traveled back to central West Virginia after a couple of weeks 
visiting family and vacationing in New England.

In the past couple of years I have become more aware of the identity of 
multiple invasive plants that are causing serious ecological damage throughout the 
eastern US.

The Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) crosses the Berkshires of southwestern 
Massachusetts between Springfield, MA, and Albany, NY.  A 30 mile stretch of the 
highway passes over some higher elevations and through a lot of wetland areas 
and swamps that have ecological significance.

The road sides of I-90 are very well maintained.  Unfortunately, the roadside 
maintenance crews are thinning around, mowing around and generally promoting 
patches of purple loosestrife.  Although it does not appear that purple 
loosestrife is a general component of the wetlands along the I-90 corridor in the 
Berkshires, the way the plant is being promoted by highway maintenance crews 
will certainly allow it to thrive and spread.

Is there any program in place that would alert organizations such as the 
Massachusetts Turnpike Authority of the destructive or invasive plants that may 
spread along their right of way corridor?

Russ Richardson
Weston, WV  
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