***DRAFT***

**EXOTIC PLANT MANAGEMENT**

REDWOOD NATIONAL AND STATE PARKS

**PROGRESS REPORT**

**FY 1999**

(October 1998 to September 1999)

Diona Roja

**PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS**

Almost 9,000 hours were spent controlling exotic plants this year. The
attached spreadsheet file (Table 1) shows the amount of work
accomplished. Please note that all recorded hours do not include
reconnaissance and research or time spent traveling to work sites.

Redwood National Park was assigned one full-time inmate work crew from
California Department of Corrections, Alder Camp in 1998. When not
fighting wildland fires, they are available to work on pre-approved work
projects for the park. The fifteen to seventeen member crew primarily
works on vegetation management and prescribed fire work projects. They
spent a total of 6,490 hours in the field working on exotic plant
control projects.

A three to four year European beachgrass removal project was initiated
February 1999 at Freshwater Spit, using the effective eradication
technique developed by the Nature Conservancy, was prepared. At
Lanphere-Christensen Dunes Preserve in Humboldt County, the Nature
Conservancy successfully eradicated a ten-acre area of beachgrass with
repeated manual digging (Pickart 1997).

Beach Layia (*Layia carnosa*), a federally listed endangered plant was
found at Freshwater Spit.

Volunteers included Youth Conservation Corps, Saint Mary's Middle School
from Medford, Oregon, and VIP's Paul Grafton and Ricki Wiedner.

**References:**

Pickart, Andrea J. 1997. Control of European beachgrass
([Ammophila]{.underline} [arenaria]{.underline}) on the west coast of
the United States. Unpublished document. The Nature Conservancy, Arcata,
California.

**SPECIFIC CONTROL EFFORTS**

# HIGH PRIORITY SPECIES

**Scotch Broom**, *Cytisus scoparius*

We continued monitoring the effects of fire on first-year Scotch boom
through periodic visits to the 20 transects established in 1997. The
data suggests that use of prescribed grass fire with low surface
moisture, low to moderate humidity, warm air temperature, and long
duration (generally associated with a backing fire) is 100 percent
lethal to young Scotch broom.

The plan for FY99 was to burn locations of heavy Scotch broom seedling
infestation in conjunction with scheduled prescribed burns. We scheduled
burns for broom control in August or September when the vegetation,
thatch, and litter were most likely to be dry down to the ground
surface. We were not able to burn the prairies as planned due to the
number of wildland fires in northern California. The numerous wildland
fires resulted in poor air quality conditions and a lack of available
personnel.

**Cape Ivy,** *Delaireria odorata* formerly known as **German Ivy,**
*Senecio mikanioides*

Cape ivy has been identified at Davison, Requa, Nickel Creek, B-mill
deck, and along Rudisill Road (lease-back property near Wilson Creek).
Romona Robinson, a graduate student at UC Davis, is creating Cape ivy
distribution maps for California. The map will include known
distributions in Redwood National and State Parks. She will be providing
the park with a copy of her map when completed.

**English Ivy,** *Hedera helix*

There was major infestation of English ivy at Marshall Pond which
threatened old-growth and second-growth forests. An ivy removal project
was initiated at Marshall Pond FY97. Many native plants now flourish
around Marshall Pond in the areas cleared of ivy. The crew will returned
this year to pull ivy that was not accessible (along steep banks) during
the rainy season, and remove new plants.

An ivy removal project was begun around the Hiouchi visitor center this
year. Aproximately 15 stake-side truckloads of ivy, cotoneaster, and
Scotch broom were removed. The crew will continue removal this year, and
remove resprouts and new seedlings from areas already treated.

**Pampas Grass,** *Cortaderia jubata*

Most plants are pulled using a winch and choker. This has proven to be a
very effective and time saving method. A small choker cable is set
around the base of a large clump of pampas grass and hooked up to an
electric winch mounted on a pickup.

A project clearance for Pampas grass removal at Freshwater was prepared.

**Tansy Ragwort,** *Senecio jacobaea*

A small population of Tansy was found and removed along the road to Wolf
Creek outdoor school. Biological control agents continue to keep
populations in the Crescent Beach area under control. The Cinnabar moth
has been found on plants in the Williams Ridge area of the Bald Hills,
but the more effective flea beetle has not been seen. Approximately
eighty plants were pulled from Williams Ridge.

**Yellow Bush Lupine,** *Lupinus arboreus*

We are still finding an occasional plant around Freshwater spit.

**Star Thistle,** *Centaurea solstitialis*

A few plants were removed from the gravel pile along Bald Hills road,
but no plants were found on Ranch road this year.

**OTHER SPECIES**

**Spanish Heath,** *Erica lucitanica*

No new seedlings were found in spring 1999, however a few flowering
plants were pulled spring 2000.

**Bull Thistle,** *Cirsium arvense*

The thistle populations around South Operations Center (SOC) have been
expanding. This reduces available forage areas for the elk. With the
assistance of Roads and Trails, a mowing strategy to eradicate bull
thistle around SOC was implemented. The area was mowed again this year.

**STATE PARKS**

**Spotted Knapweed,** *Centaurea maculosa*

California Department of Agriculture (CDA) has been actively controlling
spotted knapweed on adjacent lands and are assisting with monitoring
Jedediah Smith State Park. They did not find any plants this year and we
located and removed less than a dozen. Regularly monitoring throughout
the summer is essential to insure that plants are pulled before they set
seed.

**Fennel,** *Foeniculum vulgare*

There are extensive populations of fennel along Hwy 101 near Klamath.
With this seed source, it is likely that we will see small populations
of fennel popping up along the roadways throughout the parks.

Presently, fennel is being controlled along Newton P. Drury Scenic
Parkway between the South entrance and mile post 126.88. Most of the
plants are concentrated around the bridge area. The best time to attack
these plants is early spring when the soil is moist and many of the
plants can be pulled by hand. A pulaski works well digging out plants
that cannot be pulled by hand.

Isolated populations of fennel have also been found along the Bypass.

**Canada Thistle,** *Cirsium arvense*

There is approximately ½ acre of Canada thistle along Davison Coastal
Rd. approximately ¼ mile south of the second day use area of Gold Bluffs
Beach. NPS Exotic Plant Manager provided CDPR staff on-site training in
identification of bull thistle, Canada thistle, and pampas grass.
Control and removal techniques were also discussed. Personnel have been
cutting flower heads and bagging before cutting plants. The perimeter of
the Canada thistle patch was staked with ½ inch rebar to monitor spread
of thistle. Staff will continue cutting back plants to control spread
until an approved eradication method is implemented. Work hours and cost
analysis is recorded (see attached control records for Gold Bluffs
Beach).

**Pampas Grass,** *Cortederia jubata*

Most of the accessible pampas grass has been removed from the Gold
Bluffs beach area under the direction of trained CDPR staff.

**European Beachgrass,** *Ammophila arenaria*

European beachgrass, pampas grass, and thistle populations were
digitized for the Gold Bluffs Beach area in 1998. There was no removal
of beachgrass. If funding permits, we will look into the feasibility
using a combination of manual and mechanical treatments to eradicate
beachgrass.

**Butterfly bush**, *Buddleja davidii*

There is still an infestation of butterfly bush along the Smith River at
Jedediah Smith Campground.

**Table 1. Exotic Plant Control Activities**

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

**National Park Service**

Staff who participated in control activities:

> [Research and Resources Management]{.underline} - Jim Popenoe, Terry
> Hofstra, Diona Roja, Tony LaBanca, Leonel Arguello, Stephen Underwood,
> Labor Crew
>
> [Interpretation]{.underline} - Jim Wheeler

Costs are estimated at \$17 per hour, except for the labor crew, which
is estimated at \$20 per hour. Costs do not include reconnaissance and
research or time spent traveling to work sites, so estimates are *very*
conservative.

**California Department of Forestry**

California Department of Forestry Alder Camp (CDF) crews were also
utilized with little cost to Vegetation Management. Reimbursement costs
to CDF are estimated at \$50 per day.

**Youth Conservation Corps**

Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) assisted with thistle removal in the Bald
Hills, and spotted knapweed removal along the river at Jedediah Smith
Campground at no expense to Vegetation Management.

**Volunteers-In-Park**

VIP who participated in control activities:

Daniella Scalice, Nicole Spencer, and Rachel Silverman

**Plant abbreviations**

ACLA *Actium lappa,* Burdock

AMAR *Ammophila arenaria,* European Beachgrass

ALsp *Alstroemeria sp.,* Peruvian Lily

BAPI *Baccharispilularis*, Coyote Brush

BUDA *Buddleja davidii,* Butterfly bush

CACH *Carpobrotus chilensis,* Ice Plant

CEMA *Centaurea maculosa,* Spotted Knapweed

CESO *Centaurea solstitialis,* Star Thistle

CIAR *Cirsium arvense,* Canada Thistle

CIVU *Cirsium vulgare,* Bull thistle

COFR *Cotoneaster franchetti,* Cotoneaster

COJU *Cortaderia jubata,* Pampas Grass

CYSC *Cytisus scoparius,* Scotch Broom

DEOD *Delaireria odorata* Cape Ivy, formerly German Ivy

DIFU *Dipsacus fullonum,* Wild Teasel

DIPU *Digitalis purpurea,* Foxglove

ERLU *Erica lucitanica,* Spanish Heath

FOVU *Foeniculum vulgare,* Fennel

GEMO *Genista monspessulana*

HEHE *Hedera helix,* English Ivy

HYPE *Hypericum perforatum,* Klamath Weed

ILAQ *Ilex aquifolium,* English Holly

LUAR *Lupinus arboreus,* Yellow Bush Lupine

OEGL *Oenothera glazioviana,* Cultivated Evening Primrose

PIRA *Pinus radiata,* Monterey Pine

RUDI *Rubus discolor,* Himalayan Blackberry

SEJA *Senecio jacobaea,* Tansy Ragwort

SIMA *Silybum marianum,* Milk Thistle