<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Adobe Garamond Pro Bold Italic";}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoAcetate, li.MsoAcetate, div.MsoAcetate
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
p.msochpdefault, li.msochpdefault, div.msochpdefault
{mso-style-name:msochpdefault;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
span.emailstyle17
{mso-style-name:emailstyle17;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.BalloonTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Balloon Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text";
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
span.EmailStyle21
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Bring the issue to the local’s attention.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I’ve gleaned some websites of interest:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Costa Rica has a Ministry of Agriculture. Their pest concerns list is rather short and kudzu does not appear on what I found:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> <a href="http://www.sfe.go.cr/Plagas%20y%20Enfermedades/ACCION.html">http://www.sfe.go.cr/Plagas%20y%20Enfermedades/ACCION.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Costa Rica National Parks<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> <a href="http://www.costarica-nationalparks.com/">http://www.costarica-nationalparks.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Ministry of Environment and Energy<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> <a href="http://www.minae.go.cr/">http://www.minae.go.cr/</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Here is a paper from someone who is concerned about invasive plants in Costa Rica:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> <a href="http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/academics/biology/faculty/niesenbaum/Research%20Projects%202007/Jillian%20Carnrick%20Research%20Project.pdf">http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/academics/biology//faculty/niesenbaum/Research%20Projects%202007/Jillian%20Carnrick%20Research%20Project.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Another paper of interest:<br> <a href="http://www.cbd.int/invasive/doc/legislation/Costa-Rica.pdf">http://www.cbd.int/invasive/doc/legislation/Costa-Rica.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>ProNativas<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> <a href="http://pronativas.com/pronativas/index.php/en/advantages-a-benefits-of-costa-rica-native-plants.html">http://pronativas.com/pronativas/index.php/en/advantages-a-benefits-of-costa-rica-native-plants.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> apwg-bounces@lists.plantconservation.org [mailto:apwg-bounces@lists.plantconservation.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Tasker, Alan V - APHIS<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, June 15, 2012 6:54 AM<br><b>To:</b> Joe Franke; apwg@lists.plantconservation.org<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [APWG] Kudzu in Costa Rica<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>It is not a Federal Noxious Weed, so APHIS is not empowered to take action. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> <a href="mailto:apwg-bounces@lists.plantconservation.org">apwg-bounces@lists.plantconservation.org</a> <a href="mailto:[mailto:apwg-bounces@lists.plantconservation.org]">[mailto:apwg-bounces@lists.plantconservation.org]</a> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Joe Franke<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, June 07, 2012 12:39 AM<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:apwg@lists.plantconservation.org">apwg@lists.plantconservation.org</a><br><b>Subject:</b> [APWG] Kudzu in Costa Rica</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><br>Estimado CATIE Staff: <br><br>I have an immediate concern with which I’m hoping you or others might be able to provide some guidance and/or suggestions. <br><br>Some years ago I did an ecological restoration and ecotourism planning assessment for a well known ecolodge operator on the Atlantic versant in Costa Rica. I was horrified to find several acres of Kudzu (<i>Pueraria lobata)</i> growing on his property right by a tributary of one of the largest river systems in the country. Apparently his father planted it as an experimental cattle feed and then abandoned the project. I suggested in the strongest terms that he make a concerted effort to get rid of it, as this was a ticking time bomb for the entire country. <br><br>I just heard that as of several years later, all they’d been doing is cutting it back and occasionally spraying it with herbicide, but that they still had not done anything else to properly address the problem as I had suggested, i.e. consistently over at least a couple of years cut, compost and “paint” a concentrated herbicide on the stumps and other suggested means of control/eradication that I had strongly suggested they get on immediately. He refuses to do anything about it at this point, and I’m starting to wonder if it’s my duty to alert the authorities, whoever that would be, to force him to get rid of the plant. It’s already completely choked all other life out of several hectares of land, and the fact that the patch is on a flood-prone river spells potential disaster. <br><br>I think that he would like to sell the property at some point, in which case the new owner might do even less to control the Kudzu. <br><br>What should be done? <br><br>Saludos, <br><br>Joe Franke<br><br><br><img border=0 width=148 height=147 id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.jpg@01CD4D2C.2C41EC30"><br></span><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Adobe Garamond Pro Bold Italic";color:green'>Joe Franke<br>Sapo Gordo Ecological Restoration Services<br>1228 Lafayette Dr. NE<br>Albuquerque, NM 87106 USA<br>ph: 505-515-8736<br><a href="mailto:Sapogordoeco@comcast.net">Sapogordoeco@comcast.net</a></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><br><br><br><br>This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately. <o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>