[APWG] purple loosestrife
ForestRuss at aol.com
ForestRuss at aol.com
Wed Jul 14 06:57:58 CDT 2004
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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