USDA Update

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
Principles Core IPM Module
Pest Biology Entomology Plant Pathology Weed
Science Vertebrates
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/Backco
  untry.pdf (Presentation)
• http//www.fs.fed.us/t-d/php/library_card.php?p_nu
  m0371202811 (Document)

21
Resources on BMPs forInvasive Noxious Plant
Prevention

• The Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Council website
  http//www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/invasivetutor
  ial/Monitoring.htm contains specific information
  on prevention including bulleted items for
  checklists http//www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/i
  nvasivetutorial/Prevention.html 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/pathway
  s.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
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?docid11
  059page6

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 [phone],
  DSN 584-7073herb.bolton_at_aec.apgea.army.mil
• herbert.t.bolton_at_us.army.mil
• USDA, CSREES
• [phone]
• hbolton_at_csrees.usda.gov