For Landowners
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Enrollment is now open. Click on the 2 links below to get started. You can submit the enrollment form online which will save time; see online submission instructions below.
To enroll in the program or to get more information you need to download the following documents:
1. Enrollment form (pdf) - includes an access agreement which must be signed (instructions for online submission)
2. General information about the program (pdf)
For You, The Landowner
If you're a landowner who is concerned about cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica), you may have already been working on your property to fight this highly invasive weed. You may have met with great success and wish to share your story, or you may have thrown up your hands and stopped spending money on treatment. We hear these stories--and more. Depending on the location in the state cogongrass elicits different landowner responses. In north Alabama, landowners may know little to nothing about the plant; subsequently, some may not see it as a problem or even necessary to maintain their property. In south Alabama, however, it's an entirely different story. Cogongrass has been south of US Highway 80 for many years, decades even. It is everywhere in that region, permeating every type of cover type or land ownership: forests, pastures...agricultural, residential...the weed is everywhere.
If you're a landowner who doesn't have it on your property, count yourself lucky! If you know a landowner in south Alabama, ask them sometime about cogongrass. Then you'll know why it's important to prevent it from ever getting on your property.
Some Background
Cogongrass (CO'-gahn-grass) originates from southeast Asia and is found on every continent except Antarctica. It was accidentally introduced through the Mobile area in 1912 as packing material for oranges from Japan. That is why some refer to it as "Japanese Grass". Around the world it is called "congograss", "alang-alang", "kunai grass", "speargrass", and many other names. In the US, cogongrass is not limited to one state; rather, it is found in at least 9 states. Most are in the Southeast (with some in Oregon). It is typically in these non-native environments that ecologists, foresters, and nature-lovers see the greatest negative effect on native plant and animal communities. Alabama is just one of these places.
But now we are doing something about it, thanks to the Alabama Forestry Commission's (AFC) leadership. In 2007, AFC received a US Forest Service grant whose success ultimately led to this program. In 2009 the Alabama Forestry Commission received a $6.2 million grant through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) to fight cogongrass. Larson & McGowin was selected to coordinate the state's efforts on this grant. The project will be funded for 3 years though we hope to continue this work far beyond this time frame. We are now accepting enrollment forms and will begin treating the northern half of Alabama and along the state's borders in the south in June 2010.
The Cogongrass Program
This program will use several strategies to control, mitigate, and even eradicate cogongrass from the state. Depending on the location, type, and size of your property--along with several other factors--you may be eligible for one of these strategies.
You may be wondering how the program will work. Unlike cost-share government programs where you are either reimbursed upon treating an area or are allocated funds, our program will pay for the treatment, retreatment (if necessary), and monitoring of the area enrolled. There is no cost to you for the areas we agree to treat. For the areas that we can't treat, you are encouraged to enter into a separate agreement with the spray vendor that is conducting the work on your property. The program will select and work with well-qualified, licensed and insured vendors and subcontractors to perform the targeted treatment of cogongrass infestations. It is worth noting that we will have size restrictions on how much acreage can be treated per landowner in some of the strategic zones. For example, in much of south Alabama for properties that are selected for treatment we have a cap of 10 acres worth of cogongrass treated per landowner. Note: there is no ownership restriction (we've had landowners that own a quarter of an acre to those with 50,000 acres), just a treatment restriction for some counties. See the General Information document for more details.
Upon advisement by our Cogongrass Technical Committee we have divided Alabama into several strategic zones to best fight cogongrass with limited funding. There is a line of demarcation that separates the two zones, comprised of US Highway 80 (from the AL/GA line to Montgomery) and US Highway 82 (from Montgomery to the AL/MS line). This "line in the sand" is subject to change slightly over time as the program builds momentum. North of this line we are trying to eradicate (fully remove) all cogongrass on private, non-industrial lands. By doing so we hope to halt the spread of the plant into other states. This approach is similar to the way one treats wildfires--work on the spot fires to keep them from becoming larger fires. South of this demarcation line we will attempt to lessen cogongrass infestations, but there is simply not enough money allocated to this program to fully eradicate it from south Alabama.
Fortunately, we are building a program that will set the stage for treating all lands in Alabama with additional funding and more education. Stay tuned to see how it develops. In all, we will attempt to assist as many landowners as possible, but understand that enrolling won't guarantee that your property will be treated. Submitting these forms do not guarantee treatment, only that we will review the form, map as much cogongrass as we can on your property, and make every effort to assist you.
Enrolling
Download and complete the enrollment form above. Please don't forget to sign the access agreement. We cannot legally be on your property without the signed agreement. You can scan and email the completed forms to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , fax it to us at 251.650.1600, or mail to ACCC c/o Larson & McGowin, P.O. Box 2143, Mobile, AL 36652.
NOTE: If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader (the free version of Adobe Acrobat which most people have on their computer) the forms will only print; you may not be able to save it. Just print a copy for your records and fax or mail to us. If you have trouble viewing the forms, try downloading the most recent version of Adobe Acrobat here. If you still have trouble, contact us and we will send you a copy in the mail.
If you have any questions, contact us.
