[APWG] Ecosystem Restoration Cost and Benefits and Marketing Re: MONEY to convert weeds back to 100% native, in the arid West

[Wayne Tyson]

Craig and APWG:

I always figured that a sustained (and entirely self-sufficient, in terms of 
water, fertilizer, and maintenance, concentrating on periodic surveys to 
demonstrate that a functioning ecosystem was in place, with no increase in 
alien species populations after the first three to five years) trend toward 
increasing diversity/richness was sufficient if the costs could be kept low 
enough to make ecosystem restoration popular. In any case, it was better 
than the "erosion control planting" that was going on at the time, with a 
few "native" species as tokens. Your claims sound wonderful, but I wonder 
how practical it is if the objective is to do widespread restoration over 
large acreages. I hope I can understand what's happening better when/if I 
can see one or more of your projects and get a chance to talk with you. 
Emails just don't do the job when it comes to nuances and full 
communication.

I tend to agree with much of what you say, but I'm having real trouble with 
high cost being an impediment to effectiveness and it being a tool for "the 
opposition" to claim that it is too costly. If the trend toward ecosystem 
degradation could be turned around and the populations of alien species put 
on a declining curve, if there could be a major and a widespread 
"reconversion" process set in motion, many--maybe even me--might see 
ecosystem restoration become a widely-embraced "alternative" to landscaping, 
"range mismanagement-management," "erosion control" and other failed and 
outdated approaches to land management.

While I agree with your objective of 100 percent philosophically, I am a bit 
dubious about any such restoration to remain completely free of aliens 
without perpetual maintenance. I have seen a lot of grand promises fail 
miserably, and have done post-failure analyses for government agencies on 
projects where cost was no object but the technical competence was crucially 
deficient. Of course, I think ecosystem restoration technology has a long 
way to go. I would be delighted to be convinced that all is well and a 
solution to the problems of alien domination over indigenous ecosystems is 
only a matter of buying our way to a weed-free, self-sufficient ecosystem in 
CA, the USA, and ze World.

WT

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Craig Dremann - Redwood City Seed Company" <Craig at astreet.com>
To: <apwg at lists.plantconservation.org>
Cc: <landrest at cox.net>; <craig at astreet.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 23, 2009 5:10 PM
Subject: MONEY to convert weeds back to 100% native, in the arid West


> Dear Wayne and All,
>
> You bring up the issue of money, what is the cost to convert California
> weed patches, back to local native species, 100%?
>
> Those details are at http://www.ecoseeds.com/standards.html with a 1/10th
> acre by 1/10th acre approach.
>
> There is a baseline estimated price for the first 1/10th acre within a 20
> inches of precip. per year area, with surcharges for additional problems
> about the site, like:
>
> 1.) Less than 20 inches annual precip.
> 2.) Unusual soil types, like serpentine, sand dunes, etc.
> 3.) If the site is above 3,000 feet (1,000 meters) elevation.
> 4.) Angle of site, adding a slope surcharge for every degree above level.
> 5.) Are you working within Endangered species habitat?
> 6.) Top soil disturbance surcharge
> 7.) Human-induced toxins surcharge, like salt brines, road salt, etc.
> 8.) Global warming/drought surcharge
>
> My suggestions have been, to use Licensed Restoration technologies that
> have high quality Performance Standards supporting them.
>
> Using public domain (meaning what you can find in journal articles, or you
> can get for free), unlicensed ecological restoration technologies, without
> any Performance Standards, you can see what $450,000 can do to convert the
> weeds in two plots,  in the Sacramento valley, west of Davis, at
> http://www.ecoseeds.com/road.test.html -- visited and photographed on 
> Friday.
>
> Sincerely,  Craig Dremann (650) 325-7333
>


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