<div dir="ltr"><div style>Hello All,</div><div style><br></div>To my thinking, this is an important initiative since host specific biocontrol may be our only hope for controlling some invasive species without harm to non-target species. However, if we truly are serious about the controls being <u>host specific</u> (and we should), then we <u>should not</u> be using rose-rosette as a success story. This agent impacts rose species other than multiflora (see <a href="http://web.extension.illinois.edu/cfiv/homeowners/120517.html">http://web.extension.illinois.edu/cfiv/homeowners/120517.html</a>). Please omit this part from any letters of support you may send out. I am not familiar with the Tree of Heaven biocontrol. Perhaps there is somebody within this email list that is knowledgeable about and can suggest success stories of biocontrol of invasive plants that are truly host specific.<div>
<br></div><div style>Best,</div><div style>Cynthia</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Feb 12, 2013 at 6:35 AM, Marc Imlay <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ialm@erols.com" target="_blank">ialm@erols.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><u></u>
<div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial"><span><strong><font color="#000000" size="4" face="Times New Roman">Here is an example of the need for research for
biocontrols; Let's do the same for our invasive Japanese Stiltgrass.: Cheatgrass
"has fuelled almost 80% of the largest fires in the west over the last ten
years. Researchers are looking at a range of solutions including using a fungus
to attack the grass seed. " </font></strong></span></font></div>
<div><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial"><span></span></font><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial"><span> </span></font></div>
<div><br><span><strong><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial">
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" size="3"><span><span><span><strong><span style="font-family:'Arial','sans-serif'">Marc Imlay,
PhD,</span></strong><b><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Arial','sans-serif';COLOR:blue"><br></span></b><strong><span style="font-family:'Arial','sans-serif'">Conservation biologist,
Park Ranger Office</span></strong></span></span></span></font></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" size="3"><span><span><span><strong><span style="font-family:'Arial','sans-serif'"></span></strong><b><span style="font-family:'Arial','sans-serif'"><span><font color="#0000ff"><strong><span>Non-native </span>I<span>nvasive Plant Control
coordinator. </span><br></strong></font></span><strong><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Arial','sans-serif'"><a title="blocked::blocked::blocked::blocked::blocked::tel:(301) 442-5657
blocked::blocked::blocked::blocked::tel:(301) 442-5657
blocked::blocked::blocked::tel:(301) 442-5657
blocked::blocked::tel:(301) 442-5657
blocked::tel:(301) 442-5657"><font title="blocked::blocked::blocked::blocked::blocked::tel:(301) 442-5657
blocked::blocked::blocked::blocked::tel:(301) 442-5657
blocked::blocked::blocked::tel:(301) 442-5657
blocked::blocked::tel:(301) 442-5657" color="#0000ff">(301) 442-5657</font></a> cell </span></strong><strong><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Arial','sans-serif'"> </span></strong></span></b><strong><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Arial','sans-serif';COLOR:blue;FONT-WEIGHT:normal"><a title="blocked::blocked::blocked::blocked::blocked::mailto:ialm@erols.com
blocked::blocked::blocked::blocked::mailto:ialm@erols.com
blocked::blocked::blocked::mailto:ialm@erols.com
blocked::blocked::mailto:ialm@erols.com
blocked::mailto:ialm@erols.com"><font title="blocked::blocked::blocked::blocked::blocked::mailto:ialm@erols.com
blocked::blocked::blocked::blocked::mailto:ialm@erols.com
blocked::blocked::blocked::mailto:ialm@erols.com
blocked::blocked::mailto:ialm@erols.com" color="#0000ff">ialm@erols.com</font></a></span></strong><b><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Arial','sans-serif';COLOR:blue"><br></span></b><strong><span style="font-family:'Arial','sans-serif'">Natural and Historical
Resources Division</span></strong><b><span style="font-family:'Arial','sans-serif'"><br><strong><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Arial','sans-serif'">The
Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning
Commission</span></strong><br></span></b><strong><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Arial','sans-serif';COLOR:blue;FONT-WEIGHT:normal"><a title="blocked::blocked::blocked::blocked::http://www.pgparks.com/
blocked::blocked::blocked::http://www.pgparks.com/
blocked::blocked::http://www.pgparks.com/
blocked::http://www.pgparks.com/"><font title="blocked::blocked::blocked::blocked::http://www.pgparks.com/
blocked::blocked::blocked::http://www.pgparks.com/
blocked::blocked::http://www.pgparks.com/
blocked::http://www.pgparks.com/" color="#0000ff">www.pgparks.com</font></a></span></strong></span></span></span></font></div></font></strong></span><br><br><br></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left">
<hr>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font face="Tahoma"><b>From:</b> Marc Imlay
[mailto:<a href="mailto:ialm@erols.com" target="_blank">ialm@erols.com</a>] <br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, February 11, 2013 10:32
PM<br><b>To:</b> '<a href="mailto:FriendsOfSligoCreek@yahoogroups.com" target="_blank">FriendsOfSligoCreek@yahoogroups.com</a>'<br><b>Subject:</b> host
specific biological controls of Japanese Stiltgrass and other non-native
invasive species.<br></font><br></div>
<div></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial"></font> </div>
<div dir="ltr" lang="en-us" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial"><span lang="EN">-----Original Message-----</span></font></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left">
<p>From: Sierra Club Maryland Chapter,Alien Invasive [<a href="mailto:MD-CONS-INVASIVES@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG" target="_blank"><u><font color="#0000ff"><font color="#0000ff"><span lang="EN">mailto:MD-CONS-INVASIVES@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG</span></font></font></u></a><font><span lang="EN">] On Behalf Of Alex Binck, Stewardship Outings Intern, Marc
Imlay</span></font></p>
<p>Sent: Monday, February 11, 2013 4:00 PM</p>
<p>To: <a href="mailto:MD-CONS-INVASIVES@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG" target="_blank">MD-CONS-INVASIVES@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG</a></p>
<p>Subject: [MD-CONS-INVASIVES] Japanese Stiltgrass Send Out To State Senators
and Representatives</p><br>
<hr>
</div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<blockquote style="BORDER-LEFT:#ccc 1px solid;MARGIN:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;PADDING-LEFT:1ex" class="gmail_quote">
<div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left">
<div></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font color="#ff0000" size="4"><b>Please send a
request to your Senators and Representatives to restore and expand research by
the Federal goverment, including the US Department of Agriculture, on host
specific biological controls of Japanese Stiltgrass and other non-native
invasive species. The following <span>sample letter, </span>legislative
contact information<span>
and</span> background <span>information </span>can be used to
prepare your request.</b><span><font color="#0000ff"> <b><font color="#ff0000" size="4"> </font></b> </font></span></font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font color="#0000ff"><span></span></font></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font color="#0000ff"><span>
<div dir="ltr" lang="en-us" align="left"><font color="#0000ff"></font> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font size="3"><font color="#ff0000"><span><span><span><span style="FONT-FAMILY:garamond,times,serif"><span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT:bold"><span style="FONT-FAMILY:Arial"><span style="FONT-FAMILY:Arial;COLOR:#0000ff;FONT-SIZE:small"><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Calibri','sans-serif';COLOR:#1f497d;FONT-SIZE:11pt"><span><span style="FONT-SIZE:medium"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT:bold"><span><span><span lang="EN"><span style="FONT-FAMILY:Arial;FONT-SIZE:medium"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT:bold"><span><span><font color="#0000ff" size="3">Dear sir. The
Maryland <span> Chapter of the Sierra Club </span>requests
restoration and expansion of research by the Federal goverment,
</font></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span style="FONT-FAMILY:garamond,times,serif"><span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT:bold"><span style="FONT-FAMILY:Arial"><span style="FONT-FAMILY:Arial;COLOR:#0000ff;FONT-SIZE:small"><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Calibri','sans-serif';COLOR:#1f497d;FONT-SIZE:11pt"><span><span style="FONT-SIZE:medium"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT:bold"><span><span><span lang="EN"><span style="FONT-FAMILY:Arial;FONT-SIZE:medium"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT:bold"><span><span><font color="#0000ff" size="3">including the
US Department of Agriculture, on host specific biological controls of Japanese
Stiltgrass and other non-native invasive species. The field
trip hikers of the <span>Sierra Club </span>remember how bad it
was this year on our outings events.</font> <font color="#0000ff"><span><font size="+0"> <font size="3">We </font></font></span><font size="3">request that the Budget
Control Act</font><font size="3"><span>s </span>of <span> 2012
and </span>201<span>3</span> not reduce the annual federal funding of
Federal R & D for biological Control research. (<a href="http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd" target="_blank">www.aaas.org/spp/rd</a>
) </font></font><font size="4"><span><font color="#0000ff"><font color="#000000" size="4"><font color="#0000ff"><font size="3"><span>Please</span>
include research for Lyme Disease <span>and Deer Tick
</span>control.</font></font> <span><font color="#0000ff"> </font></span></font></font></span></font></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></font></font></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font size="3"><font color="#ff0000"><span><span><span><span style="FONT-FAMILY:garamond,times,serif"><span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT:bold"><span style="FONT-FAMILY:Arial"><span style="FONT-FAMILY:Arial;COLOR:#0000ff;FONT-SIZE:small"><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Calibri','sans-serif';COLOR:#1f497d;FONT-SIZE:11pt"><span><span style="FONT-SIZE:medium"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT:bold"><span><span><span lang="EN"><span style="FONT-FAMILY:Arial;FONT-SIZE:medium"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT:bold"><span><span><font size="4"><span><font color="#0000ff"><font color="#000000" size="4"><span> </span></font> </font></span><br>
</font></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></font></font></div></span></font></span>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font size="3"><font color="#ff0000"><span><span><span><span style="FONT-FAMILY:garamond,times,serif"><span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT:bold"><span style="FONT-FAMILY:Arial"><span style="FONT-FAMILY:Arial;COLOR:#0000ff;FONT-SIZE:small"><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Calibri','sans-serif';COLOR:#1f497d;FONT-SIZE:11pt"><span><span style="FONT-SIZE:medium"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT:bold"><span><span><span lang="EN"><span style="FONT-FAMILY:Arial;FONT-SIZE:medium"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT:bold"><span><span><font size="4"><font color="#ff0000"><font size="3">BENJAMIN L. CARDIN (Democrat), <i>U.S. Senator from Maryland</i>
</font>
<p><i>Capitol Hill:</i><br>509 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC
20510<br><a href="tel:%28202%29%20224-4524" value="+12022244524" target="_blank">(202) 224-4524</a>; fax: <a href="tel:%28202%29%20224-1651" value="+12022241651" target="_blank">(202)
224-1651</a><br>web: <a href="http://www.cardin.senate.gov/" target="_blank">www.cardin.senate.gov</a> </p>
<p></p>BARBARA A. MIKULSKI (Democrat), <i>U.S. Senator from Maryland</i>
<p><i>Capitol Hill:</i><br>Hart Senate Office Building, Suite 503, Washington,
DC 20510 - 2003<br>(202) 224-4654; fax: (202) 224-8858; tdd: (202)
224-5223<br>web: <a href="http://www.mikulski.senate.gov/" target="_blank">www.mikulski.senate.gov</a> </p>ANDREW P. HARRIS, M.D.
(Republican), <i>U.S. Representative, 1st Congressional District</i> (Cecil,
Kent, Queen Anne's, Caroline, Talbot, Dorchester, Wicomico, Worcester &
Somerset counties; & parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore & Harford
counties), Maryland
<p><i>Capitol Hill:</i><br>506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC
20515<br>(202) 225-5311; fax: (202) 225-0254<br>web: <a href="http://harris.house.gov/" target="_blank">http://harris.house.gov</a>
</p>C. A. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER III (Democrat), <i>U.S. Representative, 2nd
Congressional District</i> (parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore & Harford
counties, & Baltimore City), Maryland.
<p><i>Capitol Hill:</i><br>2453 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC
20515 - 2002<br>(202) 225-3061, toll free: 1-800-877-8339 (voice/tty); fax:
(202) 225-3094<br>web: <a href="http://dutch.house.gov/" target="_blank">http://dutch.house.gov</a> <br></p>
<p>JOHN P. SARBANES (Democrat), <i>U.S. Representative, 3rd Congressional
District</i> (parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore & Howard counties, &
Baltimore City), Maryland </p>
<p><i>Capitol Hill:</i><br>2444 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC
20515<br>(202) 225-4016; fax: (202) 225-9219<br>web: <a href="http://sarbanes.house.gov/" target="_blank">http://sarbanes.house.gov</a></p>
<p><br>DONNA F. EDWARDS (Democrat)<br><i>U.S. Representative, 4th
Congressional District</i> (parts of Prince George's & Montgomery
counties), Maryland </p>
<p><i>Capitol Hill:</i><br>318 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC
20515<br>(202) 225-8699; fax: (202) 225-8714<br>web: <a href="http://donnaedwards.house.gov/" target="_blank">http://donnaedwards.house.gov/</a></p>
<p><br>STENY H. HOYER (Democrat), <i>U.S. Representative, 5th Congressional
District</i> (Calvert, Charles & St. Mary's counties, & parts of Anne
Arundel & Prince George's counties), Maryland. </p>
<p><i>Capitol Hill:</i><br>1705 Longworth House Office Building, Washington,
DC 20515<br>(202) 225-4131; fax: (202) 225-4300<br>web: <a href="http://hoyer.house.gov/" target="_blank">http://hoyer.house.gov</a></p>
<p><br>JOHN K. DELANEY (Democrat), <i>U.S. Representative, 6th Congressional
District</i> (Allegany, Garrett & Washington counties, & parts of
Frederick & Montgomery counties), Maryland. </p>
<p><i>Capitol Hill:</i><br></p>
<p>1632 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 - 2006<br></p>
<p>(202) 225-2721; fax: (202) 225-2193<br></p>
<p>web: <a href="http://delaney.house.gov/" target="_blank">http://delaney.house.gov</a></p>
<p>ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS (Democrat), <i>U.S. Representative, 7th Congressional
District</i> (parts of Baltimore City, & Baltimore & Howard counties),
Maryland </p>
<p><i>Capitol Hill:</i><br>2235 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC
20515<br>(202) 225-4741; fax: (202) 225-3178<br>web: <a href="http://www.house.gov/cummings/" target="_blank">www.house.gov/cummings/</a></p>
<p><br>CHRISTOPHER VAN HOLLEN, JR. (Democrat), <i>U.S. Representative, 8th
Congressional District</i> (parts of Montgomery & Prince George's
counties), Maryland. </p>
<p><i>Capitol Hill:</i><br>1707 Longworth House Office Building, Washington,
DC 20515<br>(202) 225-5341; fax: (202) 225-0375<br>web: <a href="http://vanhollen.house.gov/" target="_blank">http://vanhollen.house.gov</a>
</p></font></font></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></font></font><b><font color="#0000ff"></font></b><b><font color="#0000ff"></font></b><b><font color="#0000ff"></font></b><b><font color="#0000ff"></font></b><br>
<font size="4"><b>Let's facilitate restoration and expansion of research by the
Federal goverment, including US Department of Agriculture, on host specific
biological controls of Japanese Stiltgrass and other non-native invasive
species. </b><font color="#1f497d"><b>The field trip hikers of
the </b><span><font color="#0000ff"><b><font color="#1f497d" size="4">Sierra
Club</font></b> </font></span><b>remember how bad it was this year
on our outings events. </b></font></font><font size="4"><b>Now is a good
time to request that the Budget Control Act</b><span><font color="#0000ff"><font color="#000000" size="4"><b>s</b></font> </font></span><b>of </b><span><font color="#0000ff"> <b><font color="#000000" size="4">2012 and
</font></b></font></span><b>201<span><font color="#0000ff"><font color="#000000" size="4">3</font></font></span> not reduce the annual federal funding of
Federal R & D for biological Control research. (<a href="http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd" target="_blank">www.aaas.org/spp/rd</a>
) </b></font><font size="4"><span><font color="#0000ff"> <b><font color="#000000" size="4"> </font></b> </font></span><br><br><br><b>Japanese Stiltgrass
has destroyed 10% of our natural environment in our region according to the
surveys done by the National Park Service several years ago. We have been
removing it at many of our preservation sites so that native plants, and the
animals that depend on them, can recolonize in infested areas once a native or
host specific non-native biological control arrives. Unfortunately, climate
change has made routine control of Japanese Stiltgrass several times more
difficult this year. Normally we remove it in late July and come back in late
August for late emergents and it takes 10-20% of the effort for the second
treatment by hand pulling or spraying of monocultures. Now an equal
amount of stiltgrass comes back to treat because of the long hot
Summers. Stiltgrass has been observed to cover much</b><span><font color="#0000ff"><b><font color="#000000" size="4">,</font></b> </font></span><b> much more than 10% of our habitats
in our region. <br><br><br> Our tool kit for successful
control of non-native invasive plants includes preventing new invasive species
from coming in from Europe, Asia, and other continents, manual removal, the
use of carefully targeted herbicides, and host specific biological
controls. <br><br>Non-native invasive plants are covering all our natural
areas in the region. The quantity of native plants and animals replaced
by competition with non-native species is greater than that lost from all
other causes except direct development in our terrestrial habitats and water
pollution in our aquatic habitats.<br><br>Non-native invasive species of
plants such as English Ivy, Japanese Stiltgrass and Kudzu are covering the
natural areas that we in the conservation movement have worked so hard to
protect from habitat destruction, erosion and water pollution. Just as
we are making progress on wetlands, stream bank stabilization, and endangered
species, these plants from other parts of the world have typically covered
20-90% of the surface area of our forests, streams and meadows. Many of us
feel demoralized and powerless to combat these invaders that have few natural
herbivores or other controls. A typical park is 50-500 acres and has over a
hundred species of native plants let alone the hundreds of native species of
insects, mushrooms, snails, reptiles, mammals and birds that depend upon the
plants prior to being covered by monocultures of 5-10 alien
species.<br><br><br>One of our most productive</b><span><font color="#0000ff"> </font></span><b>activities to save our natural areas is
to facilitate research that will make host specific biological controls
available. Insects that consume the non-native invasive plant species can
substitute for the controls where the species came from in the world. Of the
15 top non-native invasive plant species in the mid-Atlantic region three
(Purple Loosestrife, Mile-a-minute and Garlic Mustard) now have one or two
non-native insects or fungi that feed on them although the permit request for
garlic mustard has not been approved yet. They were brought over after being
tested for host specificity in Eurasia and then tested in quarantine
conditions in the United States. Typically, about 50 such bio-control agents
control these species in their native countries so if one or two can control
them here that is amazing. In actuality, bio-controls work about half the time
reducing the invasive species to about 10% of its former abundance. The
problem of bio-controls harming non-target organisms is only about 3% as
frequent as before the new rules of proving host specificity went into affect
about 20 years ago. Native and indigenous biocontrols are also searched for in
the range of the non-native invasive species in America. <br><br>Success
stories include a native viral pathogen (rose-rosette disease), which is
spread by a tiny native mite, Rose-rosette disease, native to the western
U.S.,</b><span><font color="#0000ff"> <font color="#000000" size="4"><b>that
</b></font></font></span><b>has been spreading eastwardly at a slow pace and
is thought to hold the potential for eliminating multiflora rose in areas
where it grows in dense patches. Tree of Heaven is an invasive non-native
plant and is considered one of the top ten weeds in North America for about
200 years. A law passed in the 19th centuary makes it illegal to plant it in
Washington</b><span><font color="#0000ff"><b><font color="#000000" size="4">,</font></b></font></span><b> DC. A mixture of field and laboratory
research shows that native and indigenous biocontrols from the new Southern
part of the range are available. The insects consist of Aculops
ailanthii and Atteva punctella with various fusarium fungi
co-hosts. </b></font><br><br clear="all"><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br>--
<br></font></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div>
<br><br>
_______________________________________________<br>
PCA's Alien Plant Working Group mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:APWG@lists.plantconservation.org">APWG@lists.plantconservation.org</a><br>
<a href="http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/apwg_lists.plantconservation.org" target="_blank">http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/apwg_lists.plantconservation.org</a><br>
<br>
Disclaimer<br>
Any requests, advice or opinions posted to this list reflect ONLY the opinion of the individual posting the message.<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div><font size="1">Cynthia Boettner, Coordinator</font></div>
<div><font size="1">Invasive Plant Control Initiative</font></div><div><font size="1">Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge</font></div><div><font size="1">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</font></div><div><font size="1">103 E. Plumtree Rd.</font></div>
<div><font size="1">Sunderland, MA 01375</font></div><div><font size="1">Phone: 413-548-8002 ext. 115</font></div><div><font size="1">FAX: 413-548-9725</font></div><div><font size="1">Email: <a href="mailto:Cynthia_Boettner@fws.gov" target="_blank">Cynthia_Boettner@fws.gov</a></font></div>
</div>