Transcript Wilderness Fire Resource Advisor Training

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Wilderness Fire Resource Advisor
Training
Invasive & Exotic Species Concerns
By Patti Fenner
Noxious Weed Program Manager
Tonto National Forest
SW Region
It’s our job to make sure the fire itself
is the worst thing that happens during
a Wilderness wildfire…
What is an invasive plant?
What is a noxious weed?
What is an exotic weed?
Do they all mean the same thing?
A weed is:
 A plant growing where it is not wanted. *
 An invasive species that comes from outside the
ecosystem, whose introduction does or is likely to
cause economic or environmental harm or harm to
human health. **
* Gardeners
** Executive Order 13112
Noxious Weed: A plant species that has been designated
by some governing agency as a regulated pest.
Most noxious weeds are alien species.
Field
sandbur
Bull thistle
Camelthorn
Field bindweed
Hydrilla
What’s the big deal?
It’s the law!
Invasive plants cause resource damage:
Reduction in biological diversity
Deteriorated wildlife habitat
Loss of scenic values
Recreation resource impacts
Increased erosion
Change in ecological processes, such as increased fire
frequency
Toxic to livestock
Is this a place you’d want to bring your pack string?
What authorities do you have?
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Federal Noxious Weed Act
Federal Land Policy and Management Act
Carson-Foley Act
Executive Order 13112
Wilderness Act of 1964
Federal Seed Act
Agency manual direction
Fire, setting the stage:
Creates a disturbance – weeds colonize
disturbed areas
Reduced competition from native species
Nutrient flush in soil
Increase in light, needed by some invasive
species to germinate
And if that’s not enough, look at what
happens during fire suppression……
Vehicles, equipment, people come in
from all parts of the country
We cause increased disturbance sites near the fire.
Camps in the wrong place
can cost the agency for years to come!
Most likely you won’t have dozers working in
the Wilderness.
But they can work right up to the Wilderness boundary.
Where did they originate?
Were they clean when they got to the fire?
What have they been driving through?
Some other vectors for weed invasions--
Use weed-free feed in the Wilderness
and 48 hours prior
Pack stock may be packing
weed seeds
Select sites free of
noxious weeds
for helicopter
operations
Helicopters can spread
a lot of weed seeds
very quickly
over long distances!
And invasive species aren’t only
plants….
Western inland
lobster
Quagga or Zebra
mussels
Contamination of uninfested waters
can occur if helicopters replenish
water sources used during the fire
with water from sites infested
with invasive species.
How to prepare yourself to effectively address
invasive species during a Wilderness fire incident
Learn how to identify the invasive species on your Forest
and understand their adverse effects
Ask your Invasive Species Program Manager where known
locations are
Carry photos of invasive species known to be in your area in
your R.A. kit
Carry list of sources for mobile vehicle washing stations, to
provide to the fire team
Ask your Forest Invasive Species Program Manager for
sources for weed-free seed, mulch, and packable stock feed
Thanks.