[APWG] Swann Park Maryland, qualify for 99% club?+Mustard in desert

[Marc Imlay]

 Swann Park is 200 acres. It is better than 95% weed free.

-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Dremann - Redwood City Seed Company [mailto:Craig at astreet.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2011 11:41 AM
To: ialm at erols.com; apwg at lists.plantconservation.org
Cc: craig at astreet.com; rwg at lists.plantconservation.org
Subject: Swann Park Maryland, qualify for 99% club?+Mustard in desert

Dear Marc and All,

How many acres in the park have been weeded to 99% weed-free conditions so
far.  Sounds like a candidate for the 99% weed-free club?

There is a group in San Diego County is starting to talk about the Brassica
tournefortii invasion that has happened to our California deserts and in our
largest State Park at Anza Borrego, that you can read about at
http://www.ecoseeds.com/mustards.html where solid square miles of the stuff
has appeared as if by magic, and is killing the desert wildflowers and
shrubs.

I am suggesting replanting the local native colonizers, to suppress the
mustard seeds from ever germinating, and if possible to set up some small
scale test plots (called microplots by other researchers) with some of the
146 potential native species that we have in the area that might do the job.

The military in Arizona, on bases where they stockpile ammo, are getting
pretty nervous about a fire spreading weed like the mustards getting
established on their bases, but so far, have not seen any contact with the
restoration professional to fund some work on getting the
mustard-to-native conversion process started yet.   Just funding some
university researchers so far, to map the spread towards their bases.

Sincerely,  Craig Dremann (650) 325-7333


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