Department of Environmental Protection

Division of State Lands

Bureau of Invasive Plant Management

Upland Invasive Exotic Plant Management

Upland Invasive Exotic Plants on Upland Invasive Exotic Plants on Florida Public LandsFlorida Public Lands

13 million acres of public conservation lands13 million acres of public conservation lands 125 invasive species found on public lands 125 invasive species found on public lands

15% estimated infested15% estimated infested

legislative mandate to keep invasive plants atlegislative mandate to keep invasive plants at lowest feasible level – “maintenance” (369.252, FS)lowest feasible level – “maintenance” (369.252, FS)

many impossible to eradicatemany impossible to eradicate

Regional Working Groups

• PLACE- BASED MANAGEMENT

• Cooperation

• Collaboration

• Communication

• 11 regions

• 540 participants 27 federal 71 local

87 state 44 NGO

DEP PROJECT FUNDING CRITERIA

• Publicly owned conservation lands only

• Cost-share/matching funds available ($28million in cost share to date)

• Target species with high invasiveness

• Current control technologies available

• Benefit listed (T&E) species

• Perpetual site management

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Regional Working Groups

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Regional Contractors

• DEP has established service contracts with regional invasive plant control contractors (11), as well as 16 Local Gov’t contracts to further expand workforce.• The contractors are supervised by the land manager and paid directly by DEP• All ground crew supervisors to be FDACS certified in Natural Areas category•Yields a labor force of 300+

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Regional Contractors

Region VII Keys

LYGODIUM STRIKE TEAM

10 ACRES OR LESS ON PCL’S

Mr. Andrew Leslie Bureau coordinator (850)-245-2822 or by e-mail at:

Drew.Leslie@dep.state.fl.us

CLIMBING FERNS(Lygodium species)

Estimated 250,000 AC pre-04 hurricanes

Airborne spores spread statewide

1998-2005 11,615 AC controlled (5% of total)

BIPM started ‘Strike Team’ 2004

What unmanaged Lygodium is doingto Everglades tree islands

HERBICIDE BANK

• Management Unit Name• Delivery Address• Description of Project Site• List herbicide/adjuvants and quantities you

need• Complete DPR to document how & when

material was utilized.• $750,000 & 170+ land management units

served!!!!

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Management Strategies

206.1(a) Florida Statute

“… the department shall allocate at least $1 million

… to the eradication of melaleuca

Melaleuca Program

MELALEUCA

1993 – 50% of melaleuca on public lands

2007 – 15% of melaleuca on public lands

Lake O – 20,000 acres infestation 1997 WCA ‘S – 690,000 total acres Big Cypress NP- 80,000 acres Everglades NP, Pennsucco, Estero Bay, Charlotte Harbor, Fakahatchee….Over 1 MILLION acres under Maintenance

PROJECT EX-LOX

• Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge (120,000 ac)• 90,000 acres Melaleuca- largest contiguous

stand remaining in the northern hemisphere• Extensive Lygodium infestation• Aerial Melaleuca completed; lygodium

underway.• Ground crew ops will resume upon water

levels restored.

1 Million + acres on publicConservation lands 2005

Dense thickets exclude wildlife, alter fire regimes

1998 – 2007 277,611 AC controlled (22.5% of total)

BRAZILIAN PEPPER

1997-2007

• 1,000+ projects on 400 PCL units

• 702,000 acres initial & maint control

• 100 invasive species targeted

• $65 million DEP funds

• $29 million agency matching funds

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10-Y ear Program Results

BIPM Funding

Everglades CISMA Area

1997-2007 28 Projects

$14.1M 207,000 acres

(48% of SE & SW Funding)

2006-2007 4 Projects

$5.2M 45,319 acres

Public/Private Partnerships

• USFWS- Partners for Wildlife- funding for adjacent private lands: 78 agreements

• N.P.S.- Florida/ Caribbean Exotics Team• T.A.M.E. Melaleuca• USDA- biocontrol dissemination• NRCS- Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program

(WHIP)• ISWG- Private/Public Funding Matrix