Plant Management in Florida Waters

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Plant Management in Florida Waters
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Bureau of Invasive Plant Management
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Laws and Regulations

• Department Of Environmental Protection (DEP)
  designated by the FLORIDA LEGISLATURE to be the
  state s lead agency for controlling invasive
  aquatic plants (as well as invasive terrestrial
  plants).
• Authority carried out by the DEPs Bureau of
  Invasive Plant Management (BIPM) since1972.

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Statutory Authority

• 369.20, Florida Statutes
• Florida Aquatic Plant Control Act
• 369.22, Florida Statutes
• Nonindigenous aquatic plant control
• 369.25, Florida Statutes
• Powers of the Department penalties

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Administrative Codes / Rules

• 62C-52, FAC
• Aquatic Plant Importation, Transportation,
  Non-nursery Cultivation, Possession, Collection.
• 62C-20, FAC
• Aquatic Plant Control Permits
• 62C-54, FAC
• Funding for Aquatic Plant Management

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Administrative Codes / Rules

• Florida Statutes (F.S 369.20, 369.25, 369.251)
  require
• permits for any activities that involves the
  control,
• Removal, collection, sale or possession of
  aquatic
• plants for business purposes.
• These permits are made available by BIPM Field
• Operations Section, Regional Offices.

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Bureau of Invasive Plant Management

• Field Operations Section (regional offices)
• Aquatic Plant Management Program
• Uplands Program

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DEP Regional Offices

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DEP Regional Offices

• Regional Biologist
• Provides extension / education services
  concerning aquatic plant management
• Annually survey the aquatic plant communities in
  450 public water (1.25 millions acres)
• Direct, review and monitor the control of
  non-native aquatic plants by contractors of the
  Department
• Assist and coordinate with federal, state and
  local governments on issues related to aquatic
  plant management
• Regulate aquatic plant management activities
  through 2 permitting programs
• Perform compliance / enforcement activities
  related to aquatic plant management

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Aquatic Plant Management Permit

• Authorization from the State of Florida for a
  waterfront property owner to manage aquatic
  plants along the shoreline adjacent to their
  property.
• With a permit, a riparian property owner is
  typically allowed to maintain a cleared access
  area not to exceed 50 feet in width OR 50
  percent of the shoreline, WHICH EVER IS LESS
• Vegetation may be cleared from the Ordinary High
  Water Line out to open water.

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Aquatic Plant Management Permit

• The remainder of the shoreline MUST BE VEGETATED
• Permit must be obtained from the Department
  before any HERBICIDE can be used in a waterbody.
• The site is inspected annually and a permit
  issued by the Department is active for 3 years.
• Absolutely free of charge!

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Aquatic Plant Management PermitEXEMPTIONS

• Water body is owned by one person.
• Water body is not connected to another water body
  of special concern ( Class I waters, Class II
  waters, Outstanding Florida Waters and Fish
  management Areas).
• Water body is Class IV water (agricultural) or
  artificially created waters.
• Water body is an Electrical power plant cooling
  pond or reservoir, unless connected to manatee
  aggregation sites.
• Water body is 10 acres or less in size.
• In the specific area of a waterbody where dredge
  and fill activities are permitted by the
  Department or the water management districts.
• If the activity is in a freshwater body and
  limited to physical removal of vegetation to
  create an access corridor not to exceed 50 feet
  in width or 50 percent of the shoreline, which
  ever is less.

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Bureau of Invasive Plant Management

• Field Operations Section (regional offices)
• Aquatic Plant Management Program
• Uplands Program

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AQUATIC PLANT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

• Statutes / Rules
• Assessment
• Workplan
• Timeline
• Funding allocation
• Monitoring
• Annual report
• Management
• Priorities
• Options
• Maintenance control

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Statutory Authority

• 369.20, Florida Statutes
• Florida Aquatic Plant Control Act
• 369.22, FS
• Nonindigenous aquatic plant control

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AQUATIC PLANT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

• Statutes / Rules
• Assessment
• Workplan
• Timeline
• Funding allocation
• Monitoring
• Annual report
• Management
• Priorities
• Options
• Maintenance control

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Assessment
Detection Priorities - Evaluation
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Public Water Bodies

• Sovereignty lands
• Public ramp
• 450 lakes and rivers
• 1.25 million acres
• 350 active management programs

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Assessment

• BIPMs Regional Biologist (RBs) inspect at
  least once each year. Waters with extensive
  problems and management programs are inspected
  several times.
• Biologists from FFWCC, SJRWMD, ACOE and Local
  governments periodically inspect public waters as
  well and convey observations to BIPM.

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Assessment

• Inspections by RBs
• Results in early detection of new infestations
  along with rapid deployment of management crews
• Provide an assessment of exotic plant level and
  management impacts on waters
• Provide information essential in establishing
  management priorities

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Exotic Aquatic Plants

• 22 species
• 98 of public waters
• 11 invasive DEP EPPC
• 94 public waters
• Eradicate new colonies
• Maintenance control
• lowest feasible levels
• established populations

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Invasive Aquatic Plants

• Invade or disrupt native plant communities
• Characteristics
• rapid growth
• multiple reproductive methods
• wide dispersal and survival
• broad environmental tolerance
• resistance to management
• http//aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu

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Invasive Aquatic Plants

• Colocasia esculenta
• Eichhornia crassipes
• Hydrilla verticillata
• Hygrophila polysperma
• Hymenachne amplexicaulis
• Ipomoea aquatica
• Panicum repens
• Pistia stratiotes
• Solanum tampicense
• Salvinia molesta
• Urochloa mutica

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AQUATIC PLANT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

• Statutes / Rules
• Assessment
• Workplan
• Timeline
• Funding allocation
• Monitoring
• Annual report
• Management
• Priorities
• Options
• Maintenance control

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Workplan - Timeline

• Use to develop management plans for all eligible
  waters on which aquatic plants activities will be
  conducted by DEP cooperators (other public
  agencies, local governments or private
  contractors)
• Workplan request is submitted for each water
  body, comprised of a list of plants that need to
  be controlled, control methods and an estimated
  budget by mid-march.
• Workplan request reviewed by section staff and
  forwarded to appropriate reviewing agencies (RBs,
  FFWCC, USACE as well as other groups or
  individuals that have expressed interest in the
  workplan).
• Comments return to the Aquatic Plant Management
  Section by the first week of May.
• By the 2nd week of May, workplan review meetings
  take place with all the affected agencies.

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Workplan - Timeline

• Two primary purposes
• Opportunity to comment on, and help develop
  management programs well in advance of actual
  operations. Meetings obviate concerns and delays.
  
• Delays caused by agencies concerns during
  optimum control periods can be costly and
  environmentally damaging.
• Allow managers to establish statewide control
  priorities and contingency plans if priority
  projects are not conducted.

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Workplan - Allocations

• Legislative Spending Authority allocation into
  contracts by July 1, which is the beginning of
  the States Fiscal Year.
• HYDRILLA CONTROL ¾ of the States aquatic
  plant control Budget.

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Workplan - Monitoring

• Contractors keep weekly log of plants controlled,
  methods used and expenses incurred for each water
  body in which control was conducted.
• These forms are submitted to BIPM with an invoice
  (454s).
• Regional biologist Inspect DEP-funded management
• random inspections
• 2-4 weeks after control
• compliance with workplan
• cost-effectiveness
• non-target effects

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Annual report

• Compiled all the plant level and control records
• Allows policy makers
• To better evaluate the status of the aquatic
  plant management program
• To determine the level of funding for the ensuing
  fiscal year.

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AQUATIC PLANT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

• Statutes / Rules
• Assessment
• Workplan
• Timeline
• Funding allocation
• Monitoring
• Annual report
• Management
• Priorities
• Options
• Maintenance control

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Management Priorities

• Floating plants (hyacinth/lettuce)
• New hydrilla infestations
• Plants blocking access navigation
• Open areas in dense hydrilla mats
• Large-scale hydrilla control
• Control other noxious plants

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Water Hyacinth Water Lettuce

• Floating plants
• Invasive exotics
• South America
• Problems
• Flood control
• Navigation
• Recreation
• Environmental

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Floating Plant Problems
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Hydrilla

• Submersed - to 35 feet
• Invasive exotic
• SE Asia
• Problems
• Flood Control
• Navigation
• Recreation
• Environmental

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Hydrilla Invasive

• Grows 1-4 inches per day
• Multiple reproductive modes
• turions, stolons, fragments
• Broad environmental tolerance
• temp, light, flood, drought
• Grows laterally at surface
• 80 biomass in upper 2
• Easily spread to new areas by boaters, wildlife,
  wind and waves

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Management Options

• Biological
• Mechanical
• Cultural/Physical
• Chemical

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Biological

• Plant Biocontrols
• Alligatorweed 3
• Hydrilla 5
• Water hyacinth 3
• Water lettuce 2
• Melaleuca 2

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Mechanical

• Non-selective
• Slow (2-8 acres/day)
• Cost prohibitive
• Small areas

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Cultural / Physical

• Hand removal
• Diver dredge
• Prescribed fire
• Drawdown
• Flooding
• Barriers
• Dyes
• Rakes

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Chemical

• USEPA-FDACS Registered Herbicides
• carfentrazone imazamox
• copper imazapyr
• diquat penoxsulam
• endothall tryclopyr
• fluridone 2,4-D
• glyphosate

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Herbicide Registration

• USEPA registers for aquatic use
• FDACS registers for FL use
• envt. agencies comment to FDACS
• new compounds uses / sites
• FDEP permits / contracts use in water
• funds research
• rates, selectivity, timing, compatibility

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Maintenance Control

• Working Philosophy
• for the aquatic plant
• management in Florida.

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Maintenance Control

• Florida State Statute 369.22 defines Maintenance
  Control as
• A method of managing exotic plants in which
  control techniques are utilized in a coordinated
  manner on a continuous basis in order to maintain
  a plant population at the LOWEST FEASIBLE LEVEL

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Maintenance Control Goals

• Reduce the environmental damage caused by
  undesirable aquatic weeds
• Increase the use of our waters
• Enhance conditions for diverse and native plant
  growth
• Use less herbicide in plant management
• Lower management costs
• Tailor treatment according to each waterbody
• Integrate plant management methods
• Let the public know what to expect

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Maintenance Control
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Maintenance Control
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Management Strategies

• Prevention
• Early detection / rapid response
• Maintenance control
• Avoid crisis / complaint management
• Avoid environmental / economic problems
• Coordination

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Coordination

• USACE Local government
• USEPA Private businesses
• USDA Public associations
• USFWS
• USGS
• FDEP
• FWCC
• FDACS
• WMDs
• Universities

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Kelli.Gladding_at_dep.state.fl.uswww.dep.state.fl.u
s/lands/invaspechttp//plants.ifas.ufl.edu/guide
407-275-4004