Urban Pest Management Course February 6, 2013 Integrated Weed Management in Portland Parks Commissioner Nick Fish www.portlandparks.org Director Mike Abbaté Commissioner www.portlandparks.org Jim Francecsconi Director Zari Santner
Over 11,000 acres of parkland
Delta Sports Complex
International Rose Test Gardens
Heron Lakes Golf Course
Urban Forest
Forest Park
Waterfront Park
Washington Park
Carruthers Park
Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge
Waterfront Park
non-target effects worker safety energy use environmental effects cost efficacy air pollution carbon footprint persistence feasibility erosion public safety vehicle trips
Park Turf Management
Park Turf Management
Invasive Management
No Ivy League 1994-2011 Work Sites Visited - 109 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 - 98.40
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%
Ecological Health of PPR Natural Area Parks Vegetation Survey 2003-2004 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
Before After
Protect the Best Invasive Vegetation Management Program
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.
English Holly (Ilex aquifolium) In Forest Park PTB removes invasive species from remote locations
English Holly After Removal A potential invasive seed source has been removed Now there is space for the natives to re-establish
Protect the Best Work Sites (2007-2012 )
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
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)
Two holly treatments with triclopyr products Element 3a Cut Stump Garlon 4 Ultra Basal Bark Treatments Element 3a Garlon 4 ultra
Element 3a Cut-Stump Mix Herbicide Mix: 75% Element 3A, 0.5% Phase surfactant, & blue indicator dye Applied to the surface of cut stems
Element 3a Cut Stump Treatments Field Gear Hard Hat 2-way Radio 1 st Aid Kit Chainsaw Gas & Oil Chainsaw Chaps Steel toe boots
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
Garlon 4 Ultra It is important to ring the entire root collar
Lesions caused by Garlon 4 Ultra one month after application 1" diameter 6" diameter
After Treatment
Person Hours/Acre Garlon 4 treatments are efficient Garlon 4 Ultra more acres for equal work time Element 3A vs Garlon 4 Ultra 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 Element 3a Garlon 4 Ultra
English Holly Treatment Taking GPS Point
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
Prescribed burn Powell Butte
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.
Pesticide Free Parks Program
Number of Volunteer Hours Sewallcrest Volunteer Hours - October 2004 to August 2007 30 Mulching 25 20 Flame Weeding 15 Hand Weeding 10 5 0 2/21/2006 12/21/2005 10/21/2005 8/21/2005 6/21/2005 4/21/2005 2/21/2005 12/21/2004 10/21/2004 6/21/2007 4/21/2007 2/21/2007 12/21/2006 10/21/2006 8/21/2006 6/21/2006 4/21/2006 Date of Work Party
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 234 116 107 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.
John Reed IPM Coordinator 503-823-1991 John.Reed@portlandoregon.gov www.portlandparks.org http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/
Before Restoration