Land Plants - invasive

Scots Broom (Cytisus scoparius) on Jun 6, 2008

Submitter does not have a specimen

Description of specimen

Scotch broom, both sides of Hwy 6 near junction with Hwy 8.

Commentary

Dear Renee,

Thanks for your report of Scotch Broom! This terrible plant is a pioneer species known to displace native plant species and increase the costs of timber production. Unfortunately, those responsible for controlling invasive species on (Oregon Department of Agriculture and local land managers like Soil and Water Conservation Districts) don’t have enough resources to attack all the broom in the state – there is just too much! Private land owners are responsible for controlling weeds on their property, but sometimes people don’t do anything because the task seems too daunting or they are unaware of the problem. The silver lining to this gloomy picture is citizen stewardship. There are many dedicated volunteers who join forces to uncover and protect their favorite areas from Scotch broom and other aggressive invaders. In some cases, the SWCD can help coordinate the effort and provide resources. If you are interested in joining a local volunteer effort to combat invasive species, or starting your own, there are some excellent websites listed at the end of this email.

We hope you will keep on reporting! By looking for and reporting some of the less abundant, but equally as aggressive, invasive species, we can control them before they become tomorrow’s Scotch broom or English Ivy. Check out this website for a list of plants and animals that are priority for early detection and control in Western Oregon: http://www.westerninvasivesnetwork.org/pages/plants.php

Thanks again and keep on reporting!

Tania Siemens
OSU Sea Grant/The Nature Conservancy
tania.siemens@oregonstate.edu



Check out these websites:

Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (Click on your county)
http://www.oacd.org/districts.html

OPB Silent Invasion (scroll down to events)
http://www.opb.org/programs/invasives/

SOLV
http://www.solv.org/programs/invasives.asp

Invasives Watch Volunteers
http://www.westerninvasivesnetwork.org/pages/nature_conserv.html

The Nature Conservancy in Oregon
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/oregon/about/art24312.html

Tania Siemens
June 6, 2008, 11:53 p.m.