Forest Service battles invasive weeds in Boundary Waters

Superior National Forest officials on Monday asked for public comments on a new plan to battle invasive species on land in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The plan is to attack the invading plants at critical spots using herbicides, people power and education.

While its remote location has helped keep the relative abundance of invasive plant species down in the BWCAW, the Forest Service has identified about 1,000 known sites totaling 13 acres for treatment in St. Louis, Lake and Cook counties within the 1.1 million-acre wilderness.

Most of the problem spots are near campsites and portages, indicating the plants probably moved in as seeds by hitchhiking with unsuspecting campers.

Invading species can choke out native plants and can affect entire ecosystems, including wildlife that is dependent on native species.

For more information on the plan, or to comment, go to www.fs.usda.gov/superior, and select Land and Resource Management” then “Projects.” Look for “BWCAW Non-native Invasive Plan Management Project.”

Meanwhile, the National Park Service also plans to attack invasive species on land in the Upper Midwest and is forming a plan likely to be released later this year or in 2012. A regional plan would affect Voyageurs National Park, Apostles Islands National Lakeshore and Isle Royale National Park.



From the http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/