Integrated Weed Management in Portland Parks

Transcription

1 Urban Pest Management Course February 6, 2013 Integrated Weed Management in Portland Parks Commissioner Nick Fish Director Mike Abbaté Commissioner Jim Francecsconi Director Zari Santner

2 Over 11,000 acres of parkland

3 Delta Sports Complex

4 International Rose Test Gardens

5 Heron Lakes Golf Course

6 Urban Forest

7 Forest Park

8 Waterfront Park

9 Washington Park

10 Carruthers Park

11 Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge

12 Waterfront Park

13 non-target effects worker safety energy use environmental effects cost efficacy air pollution carbon footprint persistence feasibility erosion public safety vehicle trips

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17 Park Turf Management

18 Park Turf Management

19 Invasive Management

20 No Ivy League Work Sites Visited Total Site Visits Across All Sites - 1,687 Workers and Volunteers Involved - 23,886 Ivy Removal Work Hours Logged - 83,918 Full Lifesavers Performed - 16,221 trees Lifesavers and Girdles Performed - 10,962 trees Square Feet of Ground Ivy Removed - 4,286,452 Acres of Ground Ivy Removed

21 Deciduous Forest Overstory Dominant: Red Alder Size Class: 5 10 inches Understory Dominant: Oregon Ash Ground Cover Dominants: slough sedge; creeping buttercup Ecosystem Health: 2 (good) Management recommendations: Native tree/shrub planting; RUDI, HEHE mgmt. wetland Total Canopy Cover: 75%

22 Ecological Health of PPR Natural Area Parks Vegetation Survey Defining Ecological Health Healthy (Dark Green) to Severely Degraded (Red) Native Vegetation Canopy, sub-canopy, shrubs, forbs, snags, downed wood Non-Native, Invasive Vegetation Other Impacts Erosion, road grades, compacted soil, refuse Total of 8100 acres of Natural Area Acre Ratings: 100 Healthy 2600 Good 3100 Fair

23 Before After

24 Protect the Best Invasive Vegetation Management Program

25 Protect the Best Invasive Management Program PTB is a Portland Parks and Recreation Program started in 2007 Majority of funding from BES Grey to Green Program Four-person crew uses chainsaws, applies herbicides to remove invasive trees and forbs Strategy: Remove invasive species in PP&R s healthiest natural areas. We focus on removing invasives before they have a chance to become a large problem.

26 English Holly (Ilex aquifolium) In Forest Park PTB removes invasive species from remote locations

27 English Holly After Removal A potential invasive seed source has been removed Now there is space for the natives to re-establish

28 Protect the Best Work Sites ( )

29 Criteria for Choosing Work Sites 1. Ecohealth Rating 2. Dispersed Throughout Portland 3. Unique Habitat -e.g., oak-madrone forest at Elk Rock Island 4. Previous Restoration Work - Including the work of PP&R staff, volunteers, BES Re-Veg., and other groups Oak-Madrone Habitat at Elk Rock Island

30 PTB uses triclopyr to treat a variety of species Triclopyr used to treat woody species: cherry, laurel, holly, hawthorn Himalayan blackberry And ivy (in combination with glyphosate)

31 Two holly treatments with triclopyr products Element 3a Cut Stump Garlon 4 Ultra Basal Bark Treatments Element 3a Garlon 4 ultra

32 Element 3a Cut-Stump Mix Herbicide Mix: 75% Element 3A, 0.5% Phase surfactant, & blue indicator dye Applied to the surface of cut stems

33 Element 3a Cut Stump Treatments Field Gear Hard Hat 2-way Radio 1 st Aid Kit Chainsaw Gas & Oil Chainsaw Chaps Steel toe boots

34 Garlon 4 Ultra Basal Bark Applications Ester formulation of triclopyr Oil-based product that penetrates thin-barked trees Tank Mix: 25% Garlon 4 Ultra in methylated seed oil (MSO-Loveland) + blue oil-based dye Applied around entire root collar of stems as large as 6 (label) Acts as a chemical girdle

35 Garlon 4 Ultra It is important to ring the entire root collar

36 Lesions caused by Garlon 4 Ultra one month after application 1" diameter 6" diameter

37 After Treatment

38 Person Hours/Acre Garlon 4 treatments are efficient Garlon 4 Ultra more acres for equal work time Element 3A vs Garlon 4 Ultra Element 3a Garlon 4 Ultra

39 English Holly Treatment Taking GPS Point

40 Holly Re-treatment Points taken for initial treatments are used to locate stumps Any shoots that have re-sprouted are cut and sprayed using 75% Element 3A herbicide mixture Any trees that were missed during initial treatment are treated at this time and GPS data is recorded

41 Prescribed burn Powell Butte

42 Early Detection Rapid Response Portland's Early Detection/Rapid Response (EDRR) Program focuses on controlling invasive plant infestations when they are very small. This approach increases the possibility of eradication and is much less expensive than trying to control well-established invasive species.

43 Pesticide Free Parks Program

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46 Number of Volunteer Hours Sewallcrest Volunteer Hours - October 2004 to August Mulching Flame Weeding 15 Hand Weeding /21/ /21/ /21/2005 8/21/2005 6/21/2005 4/21/2005 2/21/ /21/ /21/2004 6/21/2007 4/21/2007 2/21/ /21/ /21/2006 8/21/2006 6/21/2006 4/21/2006 Date of Work Party

47 Annual Inputs Arbor Lodge Park Sewallcrest Park Lair Hill Park Cost Pre PFP $600 $225 $305 Cost PFP $3887 $3121 $3855 Herbicide Used Average of 2 years Prior to PFP status 48 oz Roundup Pro 23oz Roundup Pro 31oz Roundup Pro 61 oz Surflan 20lb XL 2G Volunteer Hours 3 year average There were no insecticides or fungicides used in the reviewed years prior to the Pesticide free designation. This is typical of the vast majority of Portland parks There were 144 hours of volunteer coordination time provided by our community partner organization each year. Start up cost not included in PFP annual input cost.

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50 John Reed IPM Coordinator

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53 Before Restoration