Exotic plant management in Acadia National Park, Maine: 2016 annual summary report
Wheeler J, Fetgatter A, Kelley J. 2017. Exotic plant management in Acadia National Park, Maine: 2016 annual summary report. ACAD NR Report #: 2017-8. National Park Service, Acadia National Park. Bar Harbor, ME
From the executive summary: "In 2016 the Acadia National Park Exotic Plant Management Team (EPMT) systematically surveyed 759 acres of forest, wetland, riparian and other habitats for the presence of Invasive Exotic Plant (IEP) species prioritized for management (Figure 1). Invasive plants were managed on 70 sites, with treatment area totaling 3.55 infested acres*. A total of 24 IEPs were managed in 2016 with manual and chemical control methods both at Acadia National Park and Saint Croix Island International Historic Site. Five of these species are managed at our target population goals of full suppression or reduced below management threshold - Amur maple (Acer ginnala), autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), burning bush (Euonymus spp.), foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) and spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe), whereas the remaining species have made progress toward their management goals during 2016. The four person crew logged over 1,695 hours (with volunteers contributing an additional 200 hours) toward managing IEPs and rehabilitating landscapes. 6.37 gallons of undiluted herbicide were applied over 759 acres of park land containing invasive plants. The EPMT also expanded monitoring efforts of infestations to assess treatment effectiveness and habitat restoration. Throughout 2016 the team continued to develop and maintain partnerships with local and state organizations, increased outreach efforts by presenting posters and participating in Acadia Centennial events, and maintained commercial pesticide applicator licenses. The EPMT continued to restore and maintain native plantings in cultural landscapes at Sieur de Monts, Schoodic Education and Research Center, and Thompson Island. The EPMT also helped restore natural vegetation communities along trailside areas of Acadia Mountain Trail and Bar Island Trail. Direct program costs for calendar year 2016 were $277,393. This program is funded primarily through four grants and other 'soft' funding sources, including a donation from the Federal Aviation Administration to mitigate wetland impacts from expanding the runway at the Hancock County Airport, NPS recreational fee revenues and a grant from Canon USA, Inc. procured by Friends of Acadia. This figure includes personal services for the crew and half of the park’s vegetation program manager’s salary, as well as supplies, equipment, and limited training and travel. This figure also includes $24,475 of mitigation funds used to purchase a replace work truck. Maintenance and administrative support, offices, storage, vehicle maintenance and fuel were funded through other NPS operational funds and are not included in the figure above."
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Wheeler, Jesse; Fetgatter, Alexander; Kelley, Joseph
- Date of Issue
- 2017-04
- Publisher
- National Park Service, Acadia National Park
- Units
- ACAD , SACR
- Keywords
- Exotic species, Invasive species, Native species, Natural resource management
See also
- 2011-2012 Bear Brook and Tarn Watersheds Invasive Exotic Plant Management Program summary
- 2013 Bear Brook and Tarn Watersheds Invasive Exotic Plant Management Program summary
- 8 Years of forest health monitoring in Acadia National Park
- Exotic Plant Management Team
- Invasive species trends in Northeast Temperate Network park forests
- Managing exotic plants on Bar Island, Acadia National Park, ME
- Managing glossy buckthorn in the Cromwell Brook Watershed of Acadia National Park
- Six years of intensive exotic plant management in Acadia National Park
- The Norway maple forest in Acadia National Park: Initial response to management