06-26-01 PTRC - Laserfiche WebLink

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i ORGANIZING & IMPLEMENTING A BUCKTHORN* ROUNDUP • Consider including other woody invasives besides buckthorn in your'roundup" . In the 2001 fall Roundup in St. Anthony Park we will be including Tartarian honeysuckle and mulberry in our pickups. Once you work through an infested area,you might as well remove all of the problem invasive plants,even those that are not as severe a pest as buckthorn. To organize and implement a buckthorn roundup, there are many components. Most important is: PUBLIC EDUCATION and AWARENESS Media First, it is important to make citizens aware of the hazards of this plant in advance of any roundup. In my neighborhood-Saint Anthony Park (SAP) in St. Paul, I began by writing an article for our neighborhood paper that was printed one year before our actual roundup. It is enclosed in this packet- entitled Alien Allelopath. I am giving permission to any community or individual that wishes to use it in their efforts to control buckthorn. Simply change the information underlined as it relates to your community. The article details the problem with buckthorn destroying native woodlands and the public safety issues associated with buckthorn (Le. lack of visibility, "nesting"). Also enclosed is a research report documenting the connection between songbird predation and population reduction due to invasive buckthorn and honeysuckle. The enclosed MDA report that was released in August 2000 provides information about the Soybean Aphid's arrival in Rochester. This pest overwinters on • buckthorn buds and has already overr intcrcd in,, nearby Wisconsin and Illinois. In the area near Rochester where the soybean aphid was found in the summer of 2000, it caused a yield reduction of 8 bushels per acre. Not only is buckthorn destroying Minnesota woodlands, it is also threatening a major farm crop since it is the cohost for the soybean aphid. You need to focus on the many negative issues associated with buckthorn to give people a number of reasons to realize why buckthorn should be removed from public and private property. Then continue to saturate them with information. s- In September or May insert a photo article in the paper that shows the greenish/black stains on sidewalks, patios. cars. Notation: Buckthorn berries gives birds diarrhea and they leave a mess in your yard and on your car. *-In October write an article on fall landscape cleanup. Include buckthorn removal on the list that includes cleaning gutters, covering roses and raking. Since buckthorn is most visible in the fall as other trees and shrubs drop their leaves, it is easier for homeowners to spot and remove. w-When the opportunity arises, use the media. If you schedule a large meeting or event on buckthorn, notify them. s-Assemble a list of your local daily, monthly, bi-weekly and neighborhood papers; radio stations . and tv stations. Get their mailing and e-mail address, phone and fax. The list will then be ready for you on short notice for quick contact.