2017 Aquatic Invasive Species Program FOCA A.G.M. & Spring - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

FOCA A.G.M. & Spring Seminar – March 3, 2018

2017 Aquatic Invasive Species Program

FOCA A.G.M. & Spring Seminar – March 3, 2018

2017 Aquatic Invasive Species Program

A presentation of Association successes, featuring: Barbara Karthein – President, Scugog Lake Stewards Mike Mitchell – President, Eagle Lake Conservation Assoc. Heather Sargeant - Communications Director of Georgian Bay Forever, reporting for the Honey Harbour Association

Introduced by: Deanna Panitz FOCA Membership & Programs Coordinator

Barbara Karthein - President Scugog Lake Stewards https://scugoglakestewards.com/ FOCA A.G.M.

2017 Aquatic Invasive Species Program

LAKE SCUGOG - 68 sq. km., 172 km. shoreline, average depth 1.4 m.

Scugog Lake Stewards Inc.

84 Water Street, Port Perry, ON.

Port Perry Lindsay

Hybrid Eurasian watermilfoil Curly leaf pondweed Starry stonewort

Mike Mitchell - President Eagle Lake Conservation Association www.eaglelakeconservationassociation.com FOCA A.G.M.

2017 Aquatic Invasive Species Program

EAGLE LAKE CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

INVASIVE PHRAGMITES

IN INVASIV IVE PHRAGMITES

• EUROPEAN COMMON REED – PERENNIAL GRASS
• “WORST” INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES IN CANADA
• ROADSIDES, DITCHES, SHORELINES & WETLANDS
• HAS INUNDATED LARGE TRACTS OF SOURTHERN

ONTARIO

• NO NATURAL CONTROLS

METHODS OF SPREADING

• REPRODUCTION
• ROOTS VIA RHIZOMES
• SEEDS (2,000 PER POD)
• STOLON FRAGMENT
• NATURAL DISPERSAL – WATER, AIR, ANIMALS

HUMAN ACTIVITIES

• HORTICULTURAL TRADE
• EQUIPMENT- VEHICLES, BOATS, TRAILERS, OTHER

WATERCRAFT

• IMPROPER CONTROL ACTIVITIES

PHRAGMITES ON EAGLE LAKE

• WELL ESTABLISHED FOR YEARS
• NOT RECOGNIZED UNTIL 2017
• ESTABLISHED AT OVER 20 SITES
• EXTREMELY DENSE AT MANY LOCATIONS BLOCKING

ACCESS TO THE LAKE

• UNLESS CONTROLLED, WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND

AND SPREAD

IN INITIAL PROBLEM

• IDENTIFIED BY LOCAL RESIDENT
• SITE OF PUBLIC BOAT LAUNCH
• MUNICIPAL PROPERTY
• MISCATEGORIZED AS NATIVE SPECIES BY MNR
• ELCA OBTAINED THREE PROFESSIONAL OPINIONS
• MUNICIPALITY UNWILLING TO ACCEPT THAT THEY

ARE INVASIVE

• STALEMATE

FIRST STEPS TO RESOLUTION

• FOCA PROVIDES FUNDING FOR AN ON SITE STUDY
• ACQUATIC ECOLOGIST VISITS THE LAKE
• SEVEN SITES EXAMINED
• FORMAL REPORT ISSUED
• PHRAGMITES IDENTIFIED AS INVASIVE
• MANAGEMENT METHODS DESCRIBED
• NEXT STEPS OUTLINED

CURRENT SIT ITUATION

• ELCA & MACHAR TWP PARTNERING
• FIRST STEP – PUBLIC EDUCATION
• CO-HOSTING A SEMINAR ON APRIL 28TH
• INVITE ATTENDANCE FROM THROUGHOUT AREA
• INFORMATION ON WEBSITES
• ARTICLES IN NEWSLETTERS
• LOCAL MEDIA

DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT CONTROL PROGRAM

• FOCUS ON SUPERVISED CUTTING & DISPOSAL

MAIN REFERENCE

• INVASIVE PHRAGMITES – BEST MANAGEMENT

PRACTICES

• ONTARIO MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES
• FOCA – PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO
• Ontario.ca/invasive species

Heather Sargeant – Communications Director Georgian Bay Forever/Honey Harbour Association http://www.honeyharbour.on.ca/ https://georgianbayforever.org/ FOCA A.G.M.

2017 Aquatic Invasive Species Program

Honey Harbour Takes On Invasive Phragmites

Damages infrastructure and costs taxpayers. Threatens biodiversity and habitat. Wetland becomes one invasive plant wall.

Phragmites: High impact to Honey Harbour shorelines

Photo Credits: Kristin Koetsier, Kathryn Davis, Heather Sargeant,

What can be learned from Honey Harbour’s successes with phragbusting?

It’s hard work, but it works

BEFORE AFTER

This one stand took 8 volunteers 6+ hours, mostly in the water to cut, haul, and take away, organize

DURING

BUT # of stands

• utmatched

volunteer efforts…..

Benefits of the Program

 Determine scope of the problem

• Mapping

HH&GBF hired students with residents

Result: Exponential increase in stands managed and cut!  Increased training and education

• Door to door (dock-to-dock),

 Plan development and prioritization

• Identify large stands which need extra

help  Community cut help

• Help set up group cuts
• Bring power cutters

North Side After

Gas powered cutters

154 sites identified 4 treated in 2015 40 treated in 2016

 71 sites treated in 2017

North Bay/ South Bay

Empowered Community Increased Connection

• 49 families and friends from Honey Harbour cut Phrag on their

shorelines

• 32 families and friends volunteered EXTRA efforts to remove

Phragmites from neighbours’ shorelines.

• Local businesses - White Contracting & Barging and Big Red Works

Inc., A&A Services and Marine Contracting Ltd donated barges.

• Student ambassadors Kristin Koetsier and Conor Sweetnam

worked to reach and engage more than 73% of property owners

• Partnerships - Honey Harbour Association, Georgian Bay Forever,

The Township of Georgian Bay, and FOCA provided financial and resource support.

• Leadership – Honey Harbour Association Director Kathryn Davis

and Georgian Bay Forever trained and supervised the 2017 Honey Harbour Phragmites program.

Kathryn Davis – take leadership

Summary

 Be vigilant about Phragmites  Early Detection and Rapid Response is much easier and less costly. Identification tips at gbf.org  “Selective” cut technique for

• coastlines. Find it at gbf.org (No

approved herbicide for over water use)  Determine the scope in your community so you can make a plan, with partners, to resource for success

Questions?

Photo Credit: David Sweetnam

Heather Sargeant

heather.sargeant@gbf.org www.gbf.org Kathryn Davis kathrdavis@gmail.com www.honeyharbour.on.ca

FOCA A.G.M.

2017 Aquatic Invasive Species Program

Thank You!