USDA Update & Range Sustainability

1. USDA Update & Range Sustainability Army Installation Support Session DoD Pest Management Workshop February 15, 2007

2. USDA Resources & Programs • U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides national leadership in pest management, invasive species, and related areas such as conservation and natural resources.  • Through an interagency agreement between the U.S. Army Environmental Command and the USDA, Cooperative State, Research, Education and Extension Service, subject matter experts & technical resources of USDA and its Land Grant Universities partners are supporting the U.S. Army pest management program and Army range sustainability.  • This presentation will review sources of technical information, training opportunities and ongoing research on integrated pest management of pests, wildlife, and invasive species of interest to the U.S. Army and Department of Defense.

3. Selected Topics • USDA Update – • IPM Training & New Extension Opportunities • Airport Wildlife Management Workshop • Invasive Species Research • Noxious & Invasive National & State Lists • Invasive Species Pathways • Alternative Herbicides • Africanized Honey Bees • Range Sustainability - • Sustainable Range Tick Management • Invasive Species • Yellow Starthistle • Red Imported Fire Ants • SRP Website

4. eXtension • Cooperative Extension System eXtension Initiative • Land Grant University & CSREES, USDA funded • University-based, peer reviewed information from web-based Communities of Practice (CoPs) • Basic information, news & calendars, FAQs, distance diagnostics, discussion & chat, conference /streaming videos, individual & multiple learning modules, certificate/course credit, & help desk

5. eXtension • 22 Communities of Practice Selected - CoPs • Wildlife Damage Management • Currently launched online • Imported Fire Ant Management • Will launch in April • Urban Integrated Pest Management • Just begun in 2007 • Pesticide Environmental Stewardship • Just begun in 2007 • http://www.extension.org

6. IPM3 Certificate Training • Instruction developed by Land Grant Universities to Answer Federal Agency Needs • Core IPM Training: 18 hours instruction prerequisite • Pest Biology Modules: 6 hours instruction/topic; at least 1 module required per certificate • Specialty Modules: 12-24 hours instruction per module; certificate awarded for each specialty module • Fees for modules – to be announced • Benefits • Current expert course content • New modules to meet agency needs • Cost-effective asynchronous online delivery • Consistent IPM message across agencies

7. IPM3 Certificate Training • Federal Partners: CSREES, ARS, GSA, NPS, & FWS • University Partners: Univ. of Minnesota, Purdue, Univ. of Arkansas • Beta version Spring 2007 • Core IPM Module • Pest Biology Modules • Structural IPM Specialty Module • Structural IPM for Managers Specialty Module • Under development • Landscape and Turf Specialty Module • Invasive Species Specialty Module • IPM for Seasonal Workers Specialty Module

8. Example: Weed Management Certificate Program Specialty Modules Landscape and Turf Structural Public Health Invasive Species Rangeland Weeds Weeds of Natural Areas Pest Biology Entomology Plant Pathology Weed Science Vertebrates Principles Core IPM Module

9. Example: Structural Pest Certificate Program Specialty Modules Landscape and Turf Structural Public Health Invasive Species Rangeland Weeds Weeds of Natural Areas Pest Biology Entomology Plant Pathology Weed Science Vertebrates Principles Core IPM Module

10. Example: Landscape and Turf Certificate Program Pest Biology Entomology Plant Pathology Weed Science Vertebrates Specialty Modules Landscape and Turf Structural Public Health Invasive Species Rangeland Weeds Weeds of Natural Areas Principles Core IPM Module

11. Airport Wildlife Management Workshop • Taught by David Allaben and Ryan Stewart, USDA, APHIS, WS who handle wildlife management for Dulles and Washington National Airports • Wildlife strikes • 530,000 hours of aircraft downtime & $500 million every year • Birds cause 97% of strikes • 1990 to 2005 - 67,887 strikes – 80% not reported • DoD impacted; 1995 Elmendorf AFB crash • 4 geese in AWACS 70, 24 deaths • Wildlife hazard mitigation training FAA regulation (Title 14, CFR Part 139.337) wildlife certification training – annual training for trainers. • Next Course 7-9 October 2007 in Washington, DC

12. Airport Wildlife Management Workshop • FAA & WS Roles and Responsibilities • Airport Wildlife Hazards Overview • Factors that Influence Wildlife Hazards • Wildlife Mitigation Measures • Wildlife Permits • When Should Mitigation Measures be Used • Habitat Management & Safe & Effective Use of Pyrotechnics & Firearms • Basic Bird Identification • Bird Strike Reporting • To review presentations from the workshop, see: • http://www.aaae.org/products/200_On-Site_Training/WildlifeWorkshop.html

13. Invasive Species ResearchCalifornia Special Grant • California gets a new invasive species every 60 days • Exotic Pests & Diseases Research Program (EPDRP) begun in 2001 with funding from USDA, CSREES • Integrated Management of Medusahead (DiTomaso) • Impacts of Roof Rats on Migratory Songbirds (Whisson) • Control of Argentine Ants (Greenberg & Klotz) • Control of German Yellowjacket (Visscher) • Impacts of Wild Pigs (Sweitzer) • Tumbleweed Species and Hybrids (Strong) • Annual Grasses in the Mojave Desert (Allen) • Invasiveness of Sahara Mustard (Holt) • New Biological Control Agents for Yellow Starthistle (Smith) • More information on individual projects: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/exotic

14. Invasive Species ResearchSERDP • SERDP (Strategic Environmental Research & Development Program) • Partners in Environmental Technology 2006 Technical Symposium & Workshop presentations now available at http://www.serdp-estcp.org/Symposium • Technical Session (Thursday AM): Invasive Species on Military Lands: Susceptibility & Resistance

15. Invasive Species Research SERDP Presentations • National Invasive Species Council and the Coordination of Complex Activities – Ms. Lori Williams, National Invasive Species Council • Trying to Manage Ecosystems to Reduce Invasibility: Challenges and Prospects – Dr. Mark Davis, Macalester College • Interactions of Native and Introduced Species May Facilitate Plant Invasions – Dr. Bernd Blossey,Cornell University • Changes in Ecosystem Function Resulting from Exotic Invasions: Ecological Theory and Practical Implications – Dr. Joan Ehrenfeld,Rutgers University • Restoration from the Ground Up: Understanding and Managing Below-Ground Processes for Invasive Weed Control – Dr. Mark Paschke,Colorado State Unversity • Invasive Species on Military Lands: Susceptibility and Resistance – Dr. Antonio Palazzo, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ERDC

16. Invasive Species Research SERDP • Integrated Control & Assessment of Knapweed & Cheatgrass on DoD Installations – Dr. Mark Paschke,Colorado State Unversity • A Novel Approach to Managing Invasive Species Using Genetically Engineered Bacteria – Dr. Claudia Husseneder,Louisiana State University • Bioavailability of Allelochemcials in Soil – Dr. Paul Grossi,Utah State University • Application of Hyperspectral Techniques to Monitoring & Management of Invasive Weeds – Dr. Susan Ustin,University of California, Davis • Developing Biological Control of Garlic Mustard – Dr. Bernd Blossey,Cornell University • Allelochemical Control of Non-Indigenous Invasive Plant Species Affecting Military Testing & Training Activities – Dr. George Vivanco,Colorado State University • Developing Functional Parameters to Develop a Science-Based Vehicle Cleaning Program to Reduce Transport of Non-Native Invasive Plant Species - Under Development (SI – 1545)

17. Noxious & Invasive National & State Lists • No single list of invasive species for the U.S., but web resources can assist in determining what are species listed as noxious weeds by the Federal government or States. • For noxious weed lists, go to: http://plants.usda.gov/java/noxiousDriver • Federal Noxious Weed List – Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974 • State Noxious Weed Reports • State & Federal Composite List of All U.S. Noxious Weeds • Invasive Plants of the U.S. • Introduced Plants of the U.S.

18. Measures to Prevent the Spread of Noxious and Invasive Weeds • Army installations are taking steps to prevent the spread of noxious and invasive plant species on their installations during projects, construction, and other activities such as maintenance of motor pool areas on bare soil • There are references & lists of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for noxious and invasive plant control that could be incorporated in contracts and in-house projects on the installations including practices such as cleaning equipment, removal of invasives prior to initiating work, consideration of pathways, etc.

19. Resources on BMPs forInvasive & Noxious Plant Prevention • University of Nevada, Reno, Cooperative Extension (Fact Sheet FS-03-59) – ‘Measures to Prevent the Spread of Noxious and Invasive Weeds During Construction Activities’ • http://www.weedcenter.org/prevention/nv_prev_fact_sheet1.pdf

20. Resources on BMPs forInvasive & Noxious Plant Prevention • Backcountry Road Maintenance and Weed Management – USDA, Forest Service • http://www.nbc.gov/facilities/presentations/Backcountry.pdf (Presentation) • http://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/php/library_card.php?p_num+0371%202811 (Document)

21. Resources on BMPs forInvasive & Noxious Plant Prevention • The Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Council website:http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/invasivetutorial/Monitoring.htm contains specific information on prevention including bulleted items for checklists http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/invasivetutorial/Prevention.htm#l including suggested construction contract wording for weed prevention

22. National Invasive Species Council Pathways Work Team Focus Group Conference Report And Pathways Ranking Guide June 21 – 22, 2005 Penny Kriesch NISC Prevention Committee Pathways Team Chair and Herbert Bolton National Program Leader Army Environmental Programs Plant and Animal Systems 7/26/06

23. Pathways Tasker • National Invasive Species Council Management Plan No. 20 : • By January 2003, the Council will implement a system for evaluating invasive species pathways and will issue a report identifying, describing in reasonable detail, and ranking those pathways that it believes are the most significant. The report will discuss the most useful tools, methods, and monitoring systems for identifying pathways, including emerging or changing pathways, and for intervening and stopping introductions most efficiently. • Products & reports available at: http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/toolkit/pathways.shtml

24. Alternative Herbicides –Considerations for Selection & Use • U.S. Army Environmental Center • Reviewed alternative herbicides in response to installation requests for pesticide approvals in sensitive environments • Considered these products as alternatives to traditional synthetic herbicides • Reviewed labels & University California & Minnesota research on post-emergent acetic acid herbicides and pre-emergent corn gluten

25. UNTREATED 0 0 ROUNDUP 98.5 98.5 ECOEXEMPT 30.0 30.0 MATRAN 13.8 15.0 CIMONEX 6.3 6.3 ALL DOWN 28.8 38.8 BURNOUT II 36.3 51.3 WEEDZAP 5.0 5.0 Results (% control)45DAT 1st app, 35DAT 2nd app 1X 2X 1X 2X

26. Costs

27. Conclusions • Pre-emergent corn gluten can give effective weed control on established turf • Post-emergent alternative herbicides • Acetic acid products have safety concerns • Require more applications; contact herbicides • More costly • Work best on small seedlings/weeds as spot applications • On established weeds, rapid recovery

28. Africanized Honey Bees • Updated 2007 map of spread of Africanized honey bee: http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=11059&page=6

29. Africanized Honey Bees

30. Sustainable Range Tick Management • ‘4-Poster’ technology developed by USDA, ARS – control of ticks over large areas • Now available commercially • Several Army installations have ‘4-posters • USACHPPM-N & Main, USAEC working together to support demonstration of this technology for effectiveness & operational requirements • See K. Neidhardt presentation Feb 13 AM

31. Invasive Species • Yellow starthistle demonstration project update • Yellow Starthistle Management Guide now published • www.cal-ipc.org download & hard copies for sale • Integrated weed management techniques from demonstration project enabled Fort Hunter Liggett to recover 4800 acres of primary training areas

32. Invasive Species • Red Imported Fire Ants Update • Fort Jackson/McEntire Joint National Air Station demonstration project paper submitted for publication • S. invicta populations were suppressed by ≥95 % for 3 years at the integrated site • In the fipronil treated site, S. invicta control was ≤85 % after 1.4 years • Ants other than S. invicta collected in pitfall traps in the fipronil treated area of the integrated site increased from 13% before treatment to 70%

33. Sustainable Range Program • First Annual Sustainable Range Program (SRP) 14-17 May 2007 Hampton Convention Center, Hampton, VA • Merges former Integrated Training Area Management (ITAM) Workshop & Range & Training Land Program (RTLP) Symposium • Scientific exchange on sustainable management of military testing & training land • SRP Web Portal https://srp.army.mil

34. Contact Information • For additional information contact Herb Bolton at: • U.S Army Environmental Command (410) 436-7073, DSN 584-7073herb.bolton@aec.apgea.army.mil herbert.t.bolton@us.army.mil • USDA, CSREES (202) 401-4201 hbolton@csrees.usda.gov