[APWG] Ecosystem restoration projects Dremann Location request Re: Cheatgrass--never fight it, just convert back to natives

[Wayne Tyson]

Pretty impressive. Please provide the exact location so I can field-check.

WT


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Craig Dremann - Redwood City Seed Company" <Craig at astreet.com>
To: <apwg at lists.plantconservation.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2011 9:21 AM
Subject: [APWG] Cheatgrass--never fight it, just convert back to natives


> Dear All,
>
> Cheatgrass in the Great Basin, is only a default-weed, only growing
> wherever the native grasslands have been damaged by grazing or eliminated.
> It is not an invasive exotic, only a place-saver, waiting for us to sow
> back the original native plant cover.
>
> You can see where we successfully replanted the natives in cheatgrass
> county in the mid-1990s on 600 acres, at
> http://www.ecoseeds.com/greatbasin.html
>
> Some weeds like cheatgrass are only default species, so fighting will
> never work, because if you are successful in eliminating it by other means
> like herbicides, then another, perhaps worse exotic, will come to fill the
> vacancy that you have created.
>
> Or you may make the mistake like BLM has been for years, and start sowing
> millions of pounds a year of perennial exotics like crested wheatgrass, to
> take the place of the cheatgrass, like you can read at
> http://www.ecoseeds.com/juicy.gossip.six.html
>
> But when you intentionally sow in perennial exotics, it is a million times
> more difficult to convert those areas back to natives, than if you only
> had solid annual cheatgrass to contend with.
>
> That goes for any of the perennial exotics sown by the highway departments
> or the other land managers, like perennial ryegrass, smooth brome, etc.
>
> It is going to cost tens of billions of dollars to bale out and convert
> back to local native cover, the cheatgrass infested acres that we have on
> our public lands, but it will a most excellent investment for the future
> of North American ecosystems.
>
> Sincerely,  Craig Dremann (650) 325-7333
>
>
>
>
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>
> Disclaimer
> Any requests, advice or opinions posted to this list reflect ONLY the 
> opinion of the individual posting the message.


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