Department of Environmental Protection Division of State Lands Bureau of Invasive Plant Management Upland Invasive Exotic Plant Management

Upland Invasive Exotic Plants on Florida Public Lands 13 million acres of public conservation lands  13 million acres of public conservation lands  125 invasive species found on public lands  15% estimated infested  legislative mandate to keep invasive plants at lowest feasible level – “maintenance” ( , FS) lowest feasible level – “maintenance” ( , FS)  many 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 I n v a s i v e U p l a n d P l a n t Regional Working Groups

I n v a s i v e U p l a n d P l a n t 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+

I n v a s i v e U p l a n d P l a n t Regional Contractors Region VII Keys

LYGODIUM STRIKE TEAM 10 ACRES OR LESS ON PCL’S Mr. Andrew Leslie Bureau coordinator (850) or by at:

CLIMBING FERNS (Lygodium species)  Estimated 250,000 AC pre-04 hurricanes  Airborne spores spread statewide  ,615 AC controlled (5% of total)  BIPM started ‘Strike Team’ 2004

What unmanaged Lygodium is doing to 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!!!!

I n v a s i v e U p l a n d P l a n t 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 public  Conservation lands 2005  Dense thickets exclude wildlife, alter fire regimes  1998 – ,611 AC controlled (22.5% of total) BRAZILIAN PEPPER

BIPM Funding Everglades CISMA Area Projects $14.1M 207,000 acres (48% of SE & SW Funding) 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