Exotic plant management in Acadia National Park, Maine: 2018 Annual report

Fetgatter, Alexander; Wheeler, Jesse; Stevenson, Nicholas

From the executive summary: "In 2018 the Acadia National Park (ANP) Exotic Plant Management Team (hereafter EPMT) systematically surveyed 1,112 acres of forest, wetland, riparian and other habitats for the presence of Invasive Exotic Plant (IEP) species prioritized for management (see Figure 1 below). This is an increase over 2017, in which 936 acres were surveyed. Invasive plants were managed at 91 sites in 2018, with treatment area totaling 3.92 infested acres.* 73 sites were managed in 2017, with treatment area totaling 4.01 infested acres. The higher number of sites visited in 2018 reflects increased efforts toward surveying new areas, some of which had been historically treated by the EPMT within the last decade, but had gone unvisited in recent years. A total of 26 IEPs were managed in 2018 with manual and chemical control methods at ANP. 21 of these are species of greatest management concern. Five species from our target list are managed at our population goals of either full suppression or reduced below management threshold - Amur maple (Acer ginnala), autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), burning bush (Euonymus spp.), foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), and giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) - whereas most of the remaining species have made progress toward their management goals during 2018. The four-person crew logged over 1,656 hours (with volunteers contributing an additional 54 hours) toward managing IEPs and rehabilitating landscapes. In total, 7.2 gallons of undiluted herbicide were applied in addition to mechanical treatments. In 2018 the team continued to develop and maintain partnerships with local and state organizations, increased outreach efforts by presenting posters at events, educated interested visitors and local landowners, and maintained commercial pesticide applicator licenses. We continued to collaborate with the Lake Stewards of Maine (LSM; formerly known as the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program, or VLMP), helping reach the goal of completed surveys for all lakes and ponds on MDI, in which no invasive aquatic plants (IAPs) were found. A joint training on herbicide use and handling was held in collaboration with staff from the Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) and the Maine Natural Areas Program (MNAP). The EPMT also coordinated a workshop for park employees on tree risk assessment led by U.S. Forest Service staff. The EPMT continued to maintain native plantings in cultural landscapes at Sieur de Monts, and assisted with a revegetation research project on the Cadillac Mountain summit. The EPMT monitored research transects or plots for glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula, syn. Frangula alnus), purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), and Norway maple (Acer platanoides), and assisted visiting scientists in setting up and collecting data for their own experimental vegetation plots. Norway maple management began in earnest with a first round of treatments in January 2018, followed by a larger second round in November, focusing on larger specimens using both cut-stump and hack-and-squirt methods. Direct program costs for fiscal year 2018 were $295,948. This program is funded primarily through four grants and other 'soft' funding sources, including NPS recreational fee revenues, Centennial matching funds (NPS & Donation), and a grant from Canon USA, Inc. procured by Friends of Acadia. This figure includes personal services for the crew and a portion of the park’s Vegetation Program Manager’s salary, as well as supplies, equipment, and limited training and travel. 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."

Exotic plant management in Acadia National Park, Maine: 2018 Annual report

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