[PCA] Forested parts of North America, perspectives on exotic plants?

[Craig Dremann]

Dear Steve, Bob and All,

I really enjoy these discussions about exotic plants, and it is always
refreshing to see points being made from the native-forested parts of
North America, that still have a few remnants of their native ecosystems
to argue about!  

Whenever you visit California, you can see the final chapter already
written, regarding any exotic plant questions or discussions in North
America.  

We are the unfortunate poster-child for the "after" picture, where
everything between 10 feet elevation and about 2500 feet, totalling at
least 50 million acres, is solid 99.99% exotic plants, comprising over
1,000 different species.  

Plus it only took us 150 years, or five human generations, to get this
way.  As far as I know, we have the largest contiguous
native-to-exotic-plant converted area on the planet, and we've been able
to do it very thoroughly.

If the rest of North America doesn't get started in investing in the
hundreds of millions and billions of dollars annually, to taking care of
the already known bad exotic plants infesting their local native
ecosystems, then figure in a few more hundred years, your State might
look like my poor, ruined state of California?

Please---the rest of North America---please don't end up like
California?  Take a look at the worst example on the planet, and don't
become like us, and get started on rounding up your local known bad
exotic plants!

Sincerely,  Craig Dremann, Redwood City, CA (650) 325-7333