[APWG] NEWS: N.C. bans cogongrass, which can take over

[George R Kish]

The North Carolina action is more like banning the use of arsenic to 
reduce cancer. There is plenty of arsenic in the environment, but banning 
arsenic's use will slow it's accumulation in the environment and decrease 
exposure to arsenic, ultimately reducing the cancer rates associated with 
arsenic. It might be a slow process to see results, but doing nothing 
might cause a spiraling increase in cancer rates.

Did cogongrass originate as a horticultural plant or a pasture grass? If 
cogongrass was of horticultural or agricultural value, banning it from 
these business sectors will slow it's spread. Brazilian pepper and 
melaleuca are still huge issues in Florida, but if they were still in 
horticultural production, the problem would be much, much worse. So 
banning the propagation, nursery cultivation, sale, and distribution of 
cogongrass is a smart action.

Birds seem to be very effective seed dispersal agents for the propagation 
of Brazilian pepper. Making birds illegal would not be a good control. 


George R. Kish
Hydrologist
U.S. Geological Survey
The University Center for Business
10500 University Center Drive, Suite 215
Tampa, Florida 33612

Telephone:     813-975-8620, extension 134
Fax:                    813-975-0839
Email:                gkish at usgs.gov

"Always look on the bright side of life."

  -  -  Monty Python from "Life of Brian"



Bob Beyfuss <rlb14 at cornell.edu> 
Sent by: apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org
07/08/2008 02:41 PM

To
"McCully Heritage Project" <info at mccullyheritage.org>, 
<apwg at lists.plantconservation.org>
cc

Subject
Re: [APWG] NEWS: N.C. bans cogongrass, which can take over






People can make laws to try to ban planting, possessing and distributing 
plants but plants don't pay attention to laws. Maybe we should have laws 
to 
ban diseases? Lets make cancer illegal.

At 01:28 PM 7/8/2008, McCully Heritage Project wrote:
>I don't mean to sound ignorant, but what are the other 9 of the "world's 
10
>worst weeds?" And how is that determined? Is anyone working on banning 
them?
>Just curious.
>
>Michelle Berg Vogel
>McCully Heritage Project
>Kampsville, Illinois
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org
>[mailto:apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org]On Behalf Of Olivia
>Kwong
>Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2008 11:20 AM
>To: apwg at lists.plantconservation.org
>Subject: [APWG] NEWS: N.C. bans cogongrass, which can take over
>
>
>http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2008/jul/08/nc-bans-cogongrass-which-can-
>take-over/
>
>N.C. bans cogongrass, which can take over
>Sold as Red Baron, Japanese blood grass, it is held to be one of world's
>10 worst weeds
>By Janice Gaston | Journal Reporter
>Published: July 8, 2008
>
>Is cogongrass North Carolina's next kudzu?
>
>Not if the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services can help
>it.
>
>The department announced yesterday that propagation, nursery cultivation,
>sale and distribution of cogongrass, an invasive perennial grass
>considered one of the world's 10 worst weeds, will be prohibited in North
>Carolina. Nurseries and garden centers must stop selling all cultivars of
>cogongrass, including Red Baron, also known as Japanese blood grass, by
>Oct. 31. Permits for the interstate movement of the grass will be denied.
>
>See the link above for the full article text.
>
>
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>opinion of the individual posting the message.



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