Invasive plant management in Kenai Fjords National Park: 2021 summary report

Gage, Hannah; Kriedeman, Christina

This report is an overview of Kenai Fjords National Park’s (KEFJ) Invasive Plant Management Team’s (IPMT) 2021 season. The KEFJ IPMT was made up of the biologist, two biological science technicians, and an SCA intern. We surveyed and treated a portion of known invasive plant populations in the park, focusing primarily on the Exit Glacier Area. We surveyed a total of 60.86 acres, chemically treated 0.65 acres with herbicide, and manually treated 0.06 acres (2,600 square feet). This season we spot sprayed 10.21 gallons of Milestone herbicide mix at a rate of 6 ounces per acre and 12.01 gallons of Roundup Custom herbicide mix at a rate of 48 ounces per acre on invasive plant populations in the Exit Glacier Area, at the Maintenance Facility, and coastal areas. While surveying we documented a total of 13 invasive plant species, and no new invasive plant species were documented in the park and on park properties outside the park boundary this season. We coordinated the Seward Community Weed Pull with Kenai Peninsula Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (KP-CISMA) and worked with partners to install two boot brushes at the Seward Harbor. In addition to invasive plant work, the KEFJ IPMT completed two revegetation projects in the Exit Glacier Area. We also deployed five defoliating moth (Lymantria dispar asiatica) pheromone traps around the Exit Glacier Developed Area as part of the Alaska Division of Agriculture monitoring program. No invasive moths were detected in these traps.