[APWG] purple loosestrife

[Cynthia_Boettner at fws.gov]

Dear Russ,
Thanks for the heads-up on the MA highway maintenance issue.  The message
spurred me to email the landscape architects for MA state highways who have
acted on the findings of the Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group by
eliminating invasive plants from their planting plans.   I've asked them
for ideas as to how the maintenance crews can also be brought on board.  If
anyone in other states have some words of wisdom, I would be happy hear
them.  This could help us with targeted outreach to all state departments
of transportation New England.

Best,
Cynthia

Cynthia Boettner
Coordinator, New England Invasive Plant Group (NIPGro)  and MA Invasive
Plant Advisory Group (MAIPAG)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge
52 Avenue A
Turners Falls, MA  01376

Phone:  413-863-0209  ext. 6
Fax: 413-863-3070
Email:  Cynthia_Boettner at fws.gov



                                                                                                                       
                      ForestRuss at aol.com                                                                               
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                      rvation.org                           Subject: [APWG] purple loosestrife                         
                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                       
                      07/14/2004 07:57 AM                                                                              
                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                       




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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