Patrolling and controlling Pepperweed Successes and challenges in

Patrolling and controlling Pepperweed: Successes and challenges in the Great Marsh Region Liz Duff Education Coordinator III Mass Audubon’s Salt Marsh Science Project

What is Pepperweed? • Lepidium latifolium • Invasive species • Flowers form June to September • Inhibits biodiversity by “taking over” native plant areas.

The Threats of Pepperweed • • Grows into dense, monoculture stands Small root fragments can re-sprout Salt tolerant Invades range and pasture lands www. ipane. org; Leslie J. Mehrhoff

Lepidium latifolium • Native to Asia and North Africa • Introduced to California in 1930’s via sugar beet seed shipment • Spreads rapidly by rhizomes and seeds

2008 2006 Map • Began seeing pepperweed sites we monitored in 2001. • Scientists at UMASS Boston mapped sites in the region. March 2005 • We did an initial roadside survey in Ipswich in 2006.

Where to look: • Pepperweed seeds are transported by the tide, but the plant itself cannot tolerate a lot of flooding. • Start looking for it along road-sides that are near the edge of flooding tides. • When you find some along the road, look in the surrounding area, particularly where the upland meets the marsh. Waist-high dead stalks, alternate branching pattern. (Not Woody) Photos by Liz Duff

Great Marsh Pepperweed Control History • In 2002 NBPT students in MA SMS helped pull pepperweed on the PRNWR • In fall of 2004 members of the NBPT GOMI team selected pepperweed as their Newburyport Gulf of Maine Institute Team Members stewardship project. • They began educating others about this invasive. • In 2006 The PRNWR, MAS GOMI began recruiting volunteers to pull pepperweed 69 in NBPT at High School Volunteers Assemblies. in 2006!

Successful Teamwork! Permitting, Herbiciding, Grant writing: Sarah Janson Locating, Educating and Eradicating : NBPT GOMI & Liz Duff Boat Mapping: Peter Phippen & John Halloran Liz Duff NBPT GOMI Volunteers Mentoring NBPT GOMI: John Halloran Funding: Fish and Wildlife Service, GE Susan Adamowicz Mass Bays CZM Mapping, Planning, Coordinating: Liz Duff

Successful Outreach NBPT GOMI team educates others and attracted additional volunteers. – Ipswich High School – Essex Elementary – Sparhawk High School – Triton Regional Middle School

Roadside signs raise awareness. Ipswich Property owners are granting permission easily.

Methods of Removal: Hand Pulling • Recruited volunteers for work days • Focused on removing as much root as possible • Rendered “nonviable” – Dried pepperweed in sun for at least 7 days – Sent to an incinerater (making sure none excaped. ) Newburyport Gulf of Maine Institute Team Members

Pepperweed Control cont. • Spraying

Pre-Post Photos JNR Ipswich 6/11/2010 Pre-pull JNR Ipswich, Post 10/29/2010 No pepperweed! Pre and Post shots taken at many sites. We are making Progress!

Strong Volunteer Support

Control Methods: Pulling and Herbicide Mechanical treatment is labor intensive and we utilized a number of local volunteers and school groups. Lessons learned: This is a fun community service activity. Lots of schools are volunteering. Some local citizens are willing to “adopt a site”. Chemical treatment requires trained applicators and is weather dependent. Herbicide application, however, is very effective very quickly. Volunteers from the Clark School in Danvers Adopt-a-site volunteer Aldyth Innis Bob with backpack sprayer at Parker River NWR

Pepperweed Control Continues to Grow. With Additional Partners Involved. 130 sites sprayed, 101 sites pulled, 18 sites pull and spray, 10 sites CLEAR!

Treatment 264 sites treated in 2010. This is 2 x sites treated in 2009! Increased capacity through increased volunteers – both pulling and spraying. Further increases in 2011. Treatment multiple years is necessary. Large areas of the Great Marsh free of pepperweed!

Small Window of Opportunity for Treatment Week # Pepperweed growing Greenheads Flowers developing Seeds dropping Pepperweed Pulling/weed whacking Pulling Recheck Herbicide Use: Non Rainy Days needed. Extended Herbicide use May 1 2 3 4 x x June 1 2 3 x x x x • 4 x 1 x July 2 3 x x x x 4 1 August 2 3 4 x x x x x x x Must treat on dry days x x x

Where is it? • Invades riparian areas, marshes, pastures, agricultural fields, and roadsides • Only two sites found in NH. None yet in Maine. http: //plants. usda. gov

Regional View New Hampshire 8 Highway sites treated in 2010 Along Mass Highways Pulled in 2010 Great Marsh 39% of sites treated in 2010 Sprayed in 2008 Salem Sound Boston Harbor Many sites pulled over past 4 years. Reduction in coverage noted! 11 stands treated in 2010

Mass Highways Mapping and treatment 2010

Methods of Mapping: On Foot Boy Scouts Essex, MA (2007) Carry GPS units or paper maps to mark sites. Starting from roadside points we walked the upland edge and recorded presence of data on data sheets. Challenges: Method is thorough, but slow! Franz Inglefinger, Trustees of Reservations, mapping road crossings (2006)

Where is pepperweed now? Is it threatening agricultural land?

Successful Mapping By Boat: • Easiest after plants have blossomed/gone to seed. • Bring Binoculars. • Covered a lot of territory. • Fun! • Near complete mapping of Great Marsh in 2009 -2010 • Large areas of the Great Marsh free of pepperweed! • Only one site found on Cape Ann (Hodgkins Cove) • Merrimack River clear in East Haverhill, Merrimac, Groveland, West Newbury. • Few spots found in Amesbury. • North Salisbury still clear.

Challenges of Mapping By Boat – Some areas are not visible/accessible by boat. Need to go back on foot or kayak to check these areas. – Some infested areas were not spotted. – Some areas were false positives: need to double check “maybes” on foot. – Tide dependant. • Look not only on the upland edge but also along creek-banks. • We found pepperweed along Salisbury creek-banks (low salinity) and in Ipswich in areas where there is a tidal restriction.

Challenges Phragmites may block pepperweed and slow its spread. Phragmites control may open the door to pepperweed spread. Phragmites Need to observed interaction of these species and coordinate treatment. Pepperweed

Challenges Pepperweed Spread • Assume spread rate of 200 m/year in most salt marshes • 1 mile/year along fast moving waterways 200 m/Year Rate 1 Mile/Year Rate (4 miles in 4 yrs)

Concern: Citizens may inadvertently spread pepperweed to new areas. Town Farm Road 5/19/2008 Pulling Pepperweed on Town Farm Road in Ipswich Citizens collecting salt marsh hay for mulch in pepperweed infested area.

Plan • Prevent the spread of pepperweed to clear marsh. • Reduce pepperweed in top priority sites. • Map pepperweed more thoroughly and in neighboring regions. • Pull pepperweed at sites where landowners do not want herbicide used

Organize mapping and treatment by creating subregions, and prioritizing by subregion.

Thanks to our Funders… Partners for Wildlife Land Management Research & Demonstration, USFWS General Electric

Acknowledgements Thanks to agencies, organizations and individuals who battled pepperweed in 2010 • Mass Audubon Liz Duff & Lou Wagner, Corey Lynch, Kaileigh Thompson, Laura Hallowell • NH Coastal Program Kevin Lucey & Morgan Eastman • Salem Sound Coastwatch & Barbara Warren • Mass Highways & Tara Mitchell • Eight Towns and the Bay & Peter Phippen • Ipswich High School • Sparhawk High School • Triton Regional High School • FWS & Sarah Janson • General Electric & Volunteer Staff • Lanette Leka • Dept. of Conservation & Recreation & Heather Warchalowski • Gulf of Maine Institute, NBPT Team & John Halloran • Boston Harbor Islands, NPS, Marc Albert & Island Ambassadors • Beth O’Conner & Ipswich volunteers • Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito Control and Wetland Management District & Emily Sullivan • Mike Basso • Sandra Hamilton • Sherri Malto • Erin Loughlin