Hiawatha National Forest's 2011 Invasive Species Accomplishments

By jan schultz on May 5, 2012

Hiawatha NF removes invasive plants from high priority locations and popular tourist sites

The Hiawatha National Forest (HNF) non-native invasive plant (NNIP) program focused on garlic mustard, Eurasian watermilfoil, Scotch pine, spotted knapweed, and wild parsnip. Many projects continued in 2011, such as removing invasive plants from threatened and endangered sites, controlling NNIP in gravel pits, and releasing bio-control insects in spotted knapweed infestations. The Forest expanded the overall program by coordinating with two cooperative weed management areas, volunteers, and other HNF program areas.

Youth Conservation Corps removed NNIP that were impacting piping plover habitat along Lake Michigan. The Eastern Upper Peninsula Cooperative Weed Management Area (EUPCWMA) facilitated the project on the St. Ignace District by removing NNIP from 15 acres of habitat for piping plover (federally endangered), Pitcher's thistle, and Houghton's goldenrod (both federally threatened). Volunteers assisted with manual removal of NNIP from high priority locations, such as Grand Island National Recreation Area and garlic mustard sites. In addition to manually removing invasive plants, the EUPCWMA weed crew conducted mapping and monitoring of NNIP in Big Island Lake and Rock River Canyon wilderness areas. A complete invasive plant inventory of Round Island Wilderness Area (St. Ignace District) was also accomplished with the grant funding. The inventory detected four purple loosestrife infestations - a species which had not been previously recorded on the island.

NNIP in timber sale areas were treated with herbicide and manually removed prior to seeding with native seed. Through a program supported by various resource areas, Scotch pine was removed along several major travel corridors. Pre-harvest herbicide treatments in upcoming timber sale areas were used as a preemptive measure to prevent the spread of invasive plants from those areas. Invasive plants in gravel pits across the HNF were treated through herbicide contracts. Other projects highlighted the North Country Trail and Whitefish Bay Scenic Byway by removing invasive plants from trailheads, parking areas, campgrounds, and other popular visitor sites. The use of bio-control methods were used in wildlife openings impacted by spotted knapweed and to control Eurasian watermilfoil at Steuben Lake. The first boot cleaning station was installed on Grand Island NRA at William's Landing as part of a partnership with the Grand Island Marathon and the HNF Native Plant program.

For more information about the Hiawatha's non-native invasive plant program, contact Kirk Piehler at (906) 428-5874 or kpiehler@fs.fed.us.