WASHINGTON STATE IMPACTS REPORT

Washington State University -- Impact = 2006=20
Biological Weed Control Spreading Across=20 Washington

SUMMARY

Biological weed control, in the form of insects, is = replacing or supplementing the use of pesticides across = Washington=20 for invasive weed management. These weeds threaten valuable = native=20 grasslands and timberlands by reducing biological diversity, = lowering land values and uses, and increasing soil erosion. = A=20 biocontrol project was developed in Washington to provide an = organized approach for implementing biocontrol by educating = land=20 managers and providing biocontrol agents, expertise and = customized=20 field recommendations.

ISSUE

Washington State is facing an invasion of = non-native,=20 highly invasive noxious weeds, including diffuse, meadow and = spotted=20 knapweed, purple loosestrife, tansy ragwort, St. Johnswort,=20 houndstongue, orange hawkweed, meadow hawkweed, Scotch broom = and=20 Dalmatian toadflax. For example, about 60,000 acres have = been=20 infested so far in Ferry County alone and more than 400,000 = acres=20 are threatened. Non-native noxious weeds destroy biological=20 diversity, decrease forage, increase erosion potential, and = decrease=20 land values across the state and western USA. The health of = these=20 grasslands and timberlands is vital for wildlife, livestock, = and=20 people of Washington. Washington State land managers often = do not=20 have the time, funds or expertise to implement biocontrol as = part of=20 their own integrated weed management strategies. Our project = addresses this need by educating and engaging land managers = for=20 better understanding and use of biocontrol to solve their = own weed=20 problems.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE

More than 286,000 insects were released at 419 = sites in=20 Washington in 2005. GPS locations were taken and are being = used to=20 map these sites. Characteristics such as soil type, = precipitation,=20 slope, aspect, and size of weed infestation were recorded to = enable=20 future evaluation of the releases. Project staff worked with = USDA-APHIS to facilitate the distribution of over 77,000 = insects=20 from insectary sites in Washington to four other western = states to=20 control Dalmatian toadflax, a very aggressive, hard to = control weed.=20 Six new biocontrol agents were released in the project area = to help=20 control the following four weed species: meadow knapweed, = Scotch=20 broom, puncturevine, and bull thistle. Project staff worked = with the=20 Okanogan and Ferry County weed boards and officials in = British=20 Columbia to produce 29,000 pamphlets in order to alert the = public to=20 the new weed invader hoary alyssum. Pamphlets were = distributed to=20 private landowners, public land managers, and public = officials in=20 both countries. Staff also developed handouts and posters on = weed=20 identification and control, as well as posters to increase = public=20 awareness of biological weed control. The posters were = displayed at=20 functions in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. = During the=20 year, project staff made 58 presentations related to the = management=20 of non-native weed species. They addressed county = commissioners,=20 cattle producers and various other audiences. Presentations = were=20 also delivered at the first Dalmatian Toadflax Meeting in = Coeur=20 D'Alene, the Regional and National Intertribal Agriculture = Council=20 Conference, National Invasive Weed Awareness Week in = Washington=20 D.C., and the International Farm and Family Forestry = Conference in=20 Vilnius, Lithuania. Finally, a rapid response plan was = initiated to=20 control new invasive weeds including hoary alyssum on USFS = land,=20 yellow toadflax, and Balkan catchfly.

IMPACT

Biocontrol has resulted in a substantial reduction = of=20 diffuse knapweed in large tracks of land in eastern = Washington and=20 is already reducing the health and rate of spread of = Dalmatian=20 toadflax infestations. Grass density appears to be higher = than it=20 has been in over 24 years. This has been quantitatively = measured at=20 a diffuse knapweed site in northern Ferry County. Diffuse = knapweed=20 biomass has declined from 1860 lbs/acre in 1984 to less than = 10=20 lbs/acre in 2004 with grasses returning. In Ferry County = alone,=20 diffuse knapweed has been suppressed over an estimated = 20,000+ acres=20 with similar results in Okanogan County and on the Colville=20 Reservation. There has also been a corresponding reduction = in the=20 amount of pesticides used to control knapweed. Pesticide = reductions=20 are expected to continue to increase over the long-term as = the=20 invasive species is further reduced by biocontrol agents. = This has=20 and will result in a substantial decrease in expenditures = for weed=20 control in Washington counties and improve environmental = quality=20 because biocontrol agents are self-perpetuating and reduce = the need=20 for repeated applications of pesticides. In addition to = quantitative=20 impacts, the project has had significant success in less = direct=20 ways. Interest in biocontrol is growing, and weed managers = such as=20 Tom Bertram in Pierce County appreciate the expertise and = regional=20 approach offered by this project, =93We have always felt = that an=20 organized effort was needed to bring more attention to the = use of=20 biocontrol agents in our fight against Washington state = noxious=20 weeds=94. As the project has expanded into central and = western=20 Washington, the number of collaborating counties, agencies, = and=20 individuals has grown rapidly. In 2005, the number of = western=20 Washington counties participating in the project increased = more than=20 two-fold, as did the number of insect releases. In addition = to=20 county weed boards and private landowners, new project = participants=20 include private industry, municipal utilities, state parks, = and=20 military bases. While the number of collaborators = implementing=20 biocontrol is growing, their reliance on chemicals is=20 lessening.

PRIMARY AREA OF IMPACT

Extension

FUNDING:

Ferry County
U.S. Forest Service
Colville and = Okanogan national forests
Confederated Tribes of the = Colville=20 Reservation
Smith-Lever 3(b) &( c)
Douglas = County
Pend=20 Oreille County
Stevens County
Okanogan County
King=20 County
Stevens County Weed Board
Okanogan County Weed=20 Board
Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
Pierce = County Weed=20 Board

COUNTIES:

The principal counties served are Chelan, Clallam, = Clark,=20 Douglas, Ferry, Island, Jefferson, King, Kittitas, = Klickitat, Lewis,=20 Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Pierce, San Juan, Skamania, = Snohomish,=20 Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Whatcom, Yakima =

CONTACT:

Dan Fagerlie, Chair, WSU Ferry County=20 Extension
Washington State University
509-775-5235=20 (Phone)
509-775-5218 (FAX)
fagerlie@wsu.edu



Washington State University -- Impact = 2006=20 Biological Weed Control Spreading Across=20 Washington SUMMARY Biological weed control, in the form of insects, is = replacing or supplementing the use of pesticides across = Washington=20 for invasive weed management. These weeds threaten valuable = native=20 grasslands and timberlands by reducing biological diversity, = lowering land values and uses, and increasing soil erosion. = A=20 biocontrol project was developed in Washington to provide an = organized approach for implementing biocontrol by educating = land=20 managers and providing biocontrol agents, expertise and = customized=20 field recommendations. ISSUE Washington State is facing an invasion of = non-native,=20 highly invasive noxious weeds, including diffuse, meadow and = spotted=20 knapweed, purple loosestrife, tansy ragwort, St. Johnswort,=20 houndstongue, orange hawkweed, meadow hawkweed, Scotch broom = and=20 Dalmatian toadflax. For example, about 60,000 acres have = been=20 infested so far in Ferry County alone and more than 400,000 = acres=20 are threatened. Non-native noxious weeds destroy biological=20 diversity, decrease forage, increase erosion potential, and = decrease=20 land values across the state and western USA. The health of = these=20 grasslands and timberlands is vital for wildlife, livestock, = and=20 people of Washington. Washington State land managers often = do not=20 have the time, funds or expertise to implement biocontrol as = part of=20 their own integrated weed management strategies. Our project = addresses this need by educating and engaging land managers = for=20 better understanding and use of biocontrol to solve their = own weed=20 problems. WHAT HAS BEEN DONE More than 286,000 insects were released at 419 = sites in=20 Washington in 2005. GPS locations were taken and are being = used to=20 map these sites. Characteristics such as soil type, = precipitation,=20 slope, aspect, and size of weed infestation were recorded to = enable=20 future evaluation of the releases. Project staff worked with = USDA-APHIS to facilitate the distribution of over 77,000 = insects=20 from insectary sites in Washington to four other western = states to=20 control Dalmatian toadflax, a very aggressive, hard to = control weed.=20 Six new biocontrol agents were released in the project area = to help=20 control the following four weed species: meadow knapweed, = Scotch=20 broom, puncturevine, and bull thistle. Project staff worked = with the=20 Okanogan and Ferry County weed boards and officials in = British=20 Columbia to produce 29,000 pamphlets in order to alert the = public to=20 the new weed invader hoary alyssum. Pamphlets were = distributed to=20 private landowners, public land managers, and public = officials in=20 both countries. Staff also developed handouts and posters on = weed=20 identification and control, as well as posters to increase = public=20 awareness of biological weed control. The posters were = displayed at=20 functions in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. = During the=20 year, project staff made 58 presentations related to the = management=20 of non-native weed species. They addressed county = commissioners,=20 cattle producers and various other audiences. Presentations = were=20 also delivered at the first Dalmatian Toadflax Meeting in = Coeur=20 D'Alene, the Regional and National Intertribal Agriculture = Council=20 Conference, National Invasive Weed Awareness Week in = Washington=20 D.C., and the International Farm and Family Forestry = Conference in=20 Vilnius, Lithuania. Finally, a rapid response plan was = initiated to=20 control new invasive weeds including hoary alyssum on USFS = land,=20 yellow toadflax, and Balkan catchfly. IMPACT Biocontrol has resulted in a substantial reduction = of=20 diffuse knapweed in large tracks of land in eastern = Washington and=20 is already reducing the health and rate of spread of = Dalmatian=20 toadflax infestations. Grass density appears to be higher = than it=20 has been in over 24 years. This has been quantitatively = measured at=20 a diffuse knapweed site in northern Ferry County. Diffuse = knapweed=20 biomass has declined from 1860 lbs/acre in 1984 to less than = 10=20 lbs/acre in 2004 with grasses returning. In Ferry County = alone,=20 diffuse knapweed has been suppressed over an estimated = 20,000+ acres=20 with similar results in Okanogan County and on the Colville=20 Reservation. There has also been a corresponding reduction = in the=20 amount of pesticides used to control knapweed. Pesticide = reductions=20 are expected to continue to increase over the long-term as = the=20 invasive species is further reduced by biocontrol agents. = This has=20 and will result in a substantial decrease in expenditures = for weed=20 control in Washington counties and improve environmental = quality=20 because biocontrol agents are self-perpetuating and reduce = the need=20 for repeated applications of pesticides. In addition to = quantitative=20 impacts, the project has had significant success in less = direct=20 ways. Interest in biocontrol is growing, and weed managers = such as=20 Tom Bertram in Pierce County appreciate the expertise and = regional=20 approach offered by this project, =93We have always felt = that an=20 organized effort was needed to bring more attention to the = use of=20 biocontrol agents in our fight against Washington state = noxious=20 weeds=94. As the project has expanded into central and = western=20 Washington, the number of collaborating counties, agencies, = and=20 individuals has grown rapidly. In 2005, the number of = western=20 Washington counties participating in the project increased = more than=20 two-fold, as did the number of insect releases. In addition = to=20 county weed boards and private landowners, new project = participants=20 include private industry, municipal utilities, state parks, = and=20 military bases. While the number of collaborators = implementing=20 biocontrol is growing, their reliance on chemicals is=20 lessening. PRIMARY AREA OF IMPACT Extension FUNDING: Ferry County U.S. Forest Service Colville and = Okanogan national forests Confederated Tribes of the = Colville=20 Reservation Smith-Lever 3(b) &( c) Douglas = County Pend=20 Oreille County Stevens County Okanogan County King=20 County Stevens County Weed Board Okanogan County Weed=20 Board Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Pierce = County Weed=20 Board COUNTIES: The principal counties served are Chelan, Clallam, = Clark,=20 Douglas, Ferry, Island, Jefferson, King, Kittitas, = Klickitat, Lewis,=20 Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Pierce, San Juan, Skamania, = Snohomish,=20 Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Whatcom, Yakima = CONTACT: Dan Fagerlie, Chair, WSU Ferry County=20 Extension Washington State University 509-775-5235=20 (Phone) 509-775-5218 (FAX) fagerlie@wsu.edu


	Washington State Impacts was created by the Information Dept.of the College of Agricultural, Human, and = Natural=20 Resource Sciences. Contact Dennis=20 Brown for questions about content and Kathleen Duncan for technical = questions.=20 The site was designed by Miro = Vejzovic. WSU Pullman, Copyright =A9 Washington State = University Pullman, WA, 99164-0000 = USA