[MAIPC] FW: Marilandica

Tue Jun 19 04:18:32 PDT 2018

One more comment. 

Regarding ”We can pull and dig and spray, and we might “save” some acres of native habitat” 

The accumulative impact of increasing the places we have monthly removal programs by at least 10 fold would be another effective tool.

Marc Imlay,

From: Marc Imlay [mailto:ialm at erols.com] 
Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2018 8:52 AM
To: 'MNPS Board' <board at mdflora.org <mailto:board at mdflora.org> >
Subject: Marilandica

Following is an excellent letter from the President of the Maryland Native Plant society in the current issue of Marilandica.

Letter from the President 

Dear Friends, 

Sad to say, this is a very common scenario. A good proportion of the species in the herbaceous and shrub layers may be native but the vast bulk of the green biomass is non-native—the stuff we pick through, hoping to find a native plant somehow hanging on. Next time you’re in the ‑eld with your camera, try for a photo showing three or more plant species, but not showing any non-natives. It isn’t easy. There’s bound to be a ground ivy or a multifora rose lurking in there somewhere. But you already know this.

    The non-native species are not going away. We can pull and dig and spray, and we might “save” some acres of native habitat. But as long as the native plants continue to lose the competitive battle, it’s a hopeless cause. e non-natives have a major helper on their side, namely the white-tailed deer, an animal that, like many non-native invasive species, has no predators (other than humans) to curb its population. It is interesting to note that many of our non-native invasive plants, such as garlic mustard, have existed here for centuries, yet their numbers didn’t explode until the late 20th century – along with the exploding deer population.    

     The Department of Natural Resources is working on a 15-year revision of the agency’s Deer Management Plan. This is the agency that manages and licenses hunting and fishing in Maryland. On behalf of MNPS, I recently attended a stakeholder meeting at which DNR solicited input from hunters, conservationists, state and federal government agencies and others. I was pleased to hear that reduction of Maryland’s deer herd remains a priority. DNR plans to hold public meetings during the summer. I hope our members and friends will participate to support effective deer management in Maryland. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               ~ Kirsten Johnson, President

Deer control is, indeed, our most important tool. One urgent research question is to determine if reduction of deer to the natural level of 20/square mile works as well as deer exclosures.

Our second most important tool is research into effective, host specific, biological controls. Mile-a-minute vine is, in my experience, much less than half as bad as it used to be and it has changed from a class 1 to a class 2 invasive species. 

Another critical tool is to work with our partners concerned about health, safety and economics. This is how the clean water act was passed. A team writing a bill for safe drinking water sat down with a team preparing a bill for fish and wildlife. Congress had to pass it.  So we should work with our partners concerned about Lyme disease, deer car collisions, trees costing millions to remove when they fall on highways and power lines because of invasive vines such as English Ivy Oriental bittersweet and Japanese Honeysuckle. And

Ailanthus as the preferred host for Lycorma delicatula, commonly known as the Spotted Lanternfly (SLF), is a new invasive insect that has spread throughout southeastern Pennsylvania since its discovery in Berks County in 2014. SLF presents a significant threat to Pennsylvania agriculture, including the grape, tree-fruit, hardwood and nursery industries, which collectively are worth nearly $18 billion to the state's economy. https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly

Marc Imlay, PhD, Chair, MAIPC Biological control working Group,  MD Chapter Sierra Club Natural Places Chair. 

Conservation biologist, Park Ranger Office, Non-native Invasive Plant Control coordinator. 
(301) 442-5657 cell   <mailto:ialm at erols.com> ialm at erols.com
Natural and Historical Resources Division
The  Maryland-National   Capital   Park  and Planning Commission
 <http://www.pgparks.com/> www.pgparks.com  

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