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Attachment C A [ENING Invasive Species and Noxious Plant Management Protocols — Great River Greening, 2022 Complete eradication of some invasive species from a site is often not an attainable goal once they have become well established. A more realistic goal is to achieve a reduction of cover and ongoing management over time. In general, any given invasive species should not dominate and compromise the integrity of the ecosystem. For invasive populations that are reasonable to manage, inputs in the short- term are required, as well as a long-term commitment. However, even this goal is not practical for some populations of invasive species. Establishment and maintenance of a diverse native plant community can help prevent further invasion. Short-term plans Plans are necessary to diminish existing and seedling populations of undesirable species. When undesirable vegetation dominates a patch, ecosystem attributes such as nutrient flow, hydrology, and microclimates are determined by the dominate vegetation. The vegetation ensures dominance through regulating the ecosystem attributes in ways that reinforce their dominance. Tactical procedures should target the species in attempts to reduce their influence over ecosystem attributes; however, solutions don't target the altered ecosystem attributes, such as eutrophic soils, and the site will remain highly invasible until those attributes are changed in ways that facilitate a more desirable vegetation. Long-term Commitment Over the long term the site needs to be continually monitored for invasive species while managing for native species habitat. This would include some form or combination of biomass harvest procedures may include grazing, haying (cutting and removing biomass), prescribed fire, and mowing. The primary benefits of biomass harvest to plant community configuration is control over nutrient flow and secondarily over light competition. Without some form of biomass harvest, many desirable plant species drop out of the community configuration. All restoration projects require long—term commitment in order to ensure long-term success. Overview of Management Strategies There are a range of effective treatment options for invasive species management. The trade-offs in terms of cost, effectiveness, and collateral impacts should all be factored in when making management decisions. Some treatment options may not be practical for any number of reasons including lack of equipment access, disruption to visitor access, etc. Prescribed burns, biological control, and various chemical or mechanical treatments can be considered as management options. Combinations of treatment methods often offer better control. Mechanical: Mechanical control can include girdling, mowing, haying, cutting, and physical removal by hand -pulling or digging. Properly timed mowing can achieve some management objectives, particularly for managing annual weeds or in lieu of a prescribed burn when prescribed burn objectives cannot be met due to the lack of appropriate burn conditions. Forestry mowing in winter that shatters the base of woody stems can lead to the death of an invasive tree by desiccation under the right winter conditions. Hand removal can be effective for small populations or when groups of volunteers can be organized to work through an area. Prescribed Burns: Fire can serve a few of functions in the maintenance and management of native ecosystems. It is an effective tool for maintaining fire dependent grassland and woodland ecosystems which require periodic fires to remove thatch or leaf litter, return nutrients to the soil, and set back invasive species. The timing of fire in various ecosystems can be used to impact woody or herbaceous