Alabama Cogongrass Control Center

Each Monday (or thereabouts) Stephen Pecot, the Communications Director for the program, updates this blog and shares his thoughts on the project. The most recent entry is at the top.

August 2010

8.23.2010 - I just added the program guidelines onto a new page on the website called "Program Strategies". There you can view the specifics about each of the 6 strategies in the program. I also added a map showing the extent of these strategies across the state. Just an FYI, strategies 2 and 5 aren't on the map because they are relatively small. Strategy 2 (State Borders) only covers a 0.25-mile swath of land in the Control and Mitigate zone (below Hwy 82 on the western side, around Florida, and up to the Hwy 80 line on the eastern side of the state), and Strategy 5 (G1/G2) has only a small amount of money limited to few areas across the state. Hope you find that information useful as we've had some questions about that from landowners.

Just finished sending an article to the Alabama Forestry Commission for publication in Alabama's Treasured Forests. I believe it will be in the Fall 2010 edition, so be on the lookout! I also reviewed a technical report by John Schelhas of the US Forest Service who is writing about the economic impact of this program on the local economy. I am not sure of that publication date, but when I find out I'll pass it on.

Otherwise, we are adding some more scouts to the south Alabama area. Much of the scouting work we have been doing to this point have been in central Alabama (from Sumter/Pickens over to Lee/Russell) and northward. If you're reading this you know very well that the lion's share of cogongrass is in the southern portion (especially SW) of the state. In fact, most landowners that have enrolled are in the Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia, Washington, and Choctaw County region. These new scouts are being trained in the next few weeks and will be in touch with you before they come out to your property. At a minimum we will be collecting GPS points of where the cogongrass is found and some important information that helps us determine what needs to be done to treat the individual spots. They will mark the spots with pink flagging (click here to view a sample) to make it easy to spot next time we come around. Yes, we realize some of that flagging may be destroyed via mowing, but many won't. In any case, our scouts are continuing to work in the central portion of the state, and we'll be adding about 5 scouts in the coming month to the southwest Alabama area. Expect calls soon!

One more thing: if you have been contacted by the Alabama Forestry Commission at any point since 2007 we will be using their information to get in touch with you. Our scouts will be looking for many more cogongrass locations than that found by AFC, so expect our contractors to be there anywhere from 1/2 a day to several days. It just depends on the property. If you know of any spots please let our scouts know when they are there; this will speed up the process.

If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact us. Just click here to get the information.

8.13.2010 - We’ve been exceedingly busy since the last update. We started spraying in west-central Alabama using 2 companies but will ramp up soon. A total of 5 crews (one company has 4 crews) have been working near the state highway 82 line. They began applying herbicide to the cogongrass infestations that we’ve identified, mapped, and assigned to these crews. We will go back to these sites in September or early October to apply herbicide one more time prior to the plants going into dormancy. We have sprayed about 750 infestations out of a total of 2,500 that we have located. Incidentally, the total number of known spots (our grant plus the Alabama Forestry Commission database) now totals over 10,000.

There are now 6 scouts visiting properties and mapping cogongrass infestations. Five of them are stationed around the central swath of counties from Mississippi to Georgia. There is one scout actively working in the Baldwin-Escambia-Conecuh region. If you’ve read anything about cogongrass in this state you know that most of the cogongrass is in the southwestern corner. As a result we’re going to bring on a number of scouts just for Mobile-Washington-Choctaw counties.

I’ve heard multiple requests to explain how the field portion of this grant works. Let me take a few minutes to explain their process: when the landowner sends us their enrollment form and access agreement I enter their information into our database and designate a case number. In our GIS (mapping system) I draw in the property, link up the enrollment information, and assign that property to a particular scout. I place the property into the scout’s queue and let them know this property is ready to be visited. The scout then contacts the landowner to arrange a time for a site visit. When they arrive they will begin the long process of traversing the property and looking for cogongrass infestations. (We also use aerial imagery to speed this up; I’ll write later about that) Upon finding an infestation the scout records it in a GPS unit (which records the latitude and longitude coordinates so we can locate it on the map) and collects additional information about the single infestation. This includes proximity to water, the cover type (field, hardwood forest, pine plantation, etc.), overstory species if any (loblolly pine, mixed pine-hardwood, etc.), and about 15 more pieces of data. They also make a very important assessment of what the prescription should be for that single infestation. This prescription is one of 4 treatments: glyphosate (Roundup), imazapyr (Arsenal), aquatic glyphosate (Rodeo), or no treatment (as a default). This prescription is used by us to determine labor and equipment needs. Finally, they mark the spot with fluorescent pink flagging with our logo.

The spray company operates independent of the scout but is linked through our Mobile, AL office (and specifically me). Like the scout they are assigned a group of infestations to spray. They may be assigned one landowner (if there are many spots), a portion of a county, an entire county, or a region. It simply depends on the amount of data and the prescription. As I have said many times these spray companies are licensed by the state to apply herbicide (and have to pass an exam to be certified) and have liability insurance in the case of something going awry. In any case, they also use a GPS unit to navigate to the property and single infestation. Like the scout they record the GPS location of the infestation assigned to them, but they collect a slightly different set of data. This includes overstory species, the depth of the rhizome mat (using a shovel), the height of the cogongrass, weather conditions, etc.

Lastly, we have internal inspectors that review a small percentage of sprayed sites to ensure the applicators have followed safety guidelines and best management practices, have adequately sprayed the infestation, etc. These internal inspectors are Alabama Forestry Commission staff, so if your property is sprayed by us you may see an AFC vehicle after we finish spraying.

This process is followed again several months later: the scout revisits the site and confirms the prescription, the spray company applies herbicide to the infestation, and the inspector possibly visits the site. This entire process has been vetted by Larson & McGowin, the Alabama Forestry Commission, the US Forest Service, our Cogongrass Technical Committee (a consortium of experts), and the Office of the Inspector General.

Needless to say, I could write much more about this entire program but I’ll save that for another time! The bottom line is that we have started spraying, are actively scouting new locations, and are implementing the most efficient technology and business process to save everyone time. There are over 550 landowners in our database as of this week, and we hope to double that in the coming months. If you’ve applied, please be patient. There are 2 of us processing all the forms, 6 scouts, 5 spray crews, and a handful of inspectors. We’re building a long-term program, and we have to do this right.

Lastly, for those of you in south Alabama who applied but haven’t seen a scout come to your property please be patient. We are currently bringing on more scouts to these areas and will begin scouting this fall. We will not be spraying south Alabama (save for a few areas) this year but will begin in summer 2011. If you want to go ahead and spray, let me know and I’ll send you some herbicide recommendations. If you spray this will NOT negatively impact your status in this program; in fact, it may actually help especially people in south Alabama where we implemented the landowner select program. One of the factors we are using to determine placement in the landowner select program (where you would be selected out of a pool of other landowners) is whether you have sprayed before and how recently that occurred). We decided early on that we want to reward people that are able to spray; this is somewhat of a thank-you for that.

If you have any other questions, please give us a call. If we don’t answer immediately, just leave a message. I can’t possibly answer everyone’s calls immediately, but I am making every effort to respond within a few days. If you email me I can respond much faster. I'll upload some pictures this week to this website.

July 2010

7.6.2010 - Our plan is to start herbicide application next week.  Much in this area will be focused along West Central Alabama in the first few weeks, and then we will begin moving eastward along Highway 82 towards Montgomery.  Our chemical and spray supervisor, Will Autrey, is finalizing the list of vendors we'll use for this spray season. Our plan is to start slow in July and scale up quickly as we move eastward.

I will be sending out status letters to all landowners in the coming days.  If you had not heard from me but have send in your application please do not worry.  We currently have a very large number of applications we are processing at this time.  All of these applications are being entered into a database along with a landowners property ownership map and parcel information.  This takes time, and I appreciate your patience in this.  If you live along Highway 82 from the Mississippi state line to Montgomery and along Highway 80 from Montgomery to the Georgia line we will be in touch with you very soon.  If you live North of these highways and qualified for this program we will be spraying your infestations this spray season and next.  All of the counties south of these highways will mostly fall into the category of being spray next year that scouted this summer and fall.  This is a huge undertaking with limited funds, and we want to do this right from the beginning.

If you have any questions, please contact us.  You will receive a faster response if you send us an e-mail or fax.  Go to the contact us page and find our e-mail information.

June 2010

6.7.2010 - Not to sound like a broken record...just a reminder to remember to send in both forms (enrollment and access agreement). Also, we are having some issues with emails being marked as spam and not getting to the recipient. If you were expecting something from us and haven't received it please give us a call at 334-240-9348 so we can get it to you. And please add our emails to your address book.

Otherwise, all is busy with the program. We have worked out the recipes that will be used for treating the cogongrass infestations; thanks to Jim Miller and Stephen Enloe for their insight and hard work on preparing these instructions. And for those of you who are interested in how we'll keep track of all these spray vendors and herbicide I will explain in general how it works. Each spray vendor will have a unique identification code that they will use when they 'check out' materials from our supply stations across the state. Each shipment, tank, and ounce is accounted for with a secure, bar code system. This means that when our staff visit a vendor that may be spraying on your property they can tell exactly when and where they acquired the materials. Also, the tanks are refillable and returnable so no tanks are left on the side of the road or in the trash. Lastly, these tanks are pre-filled and pre-sealed containers to prevent any chemical from being spilled or misapplied. This whole system is very secure, and we're confident in its implementation.

The initial field contractors that will begin spraying this month have been selected, and we are getting the initial sites together that will be sprayed. As we begin the field season you'll see us in just a few counties, mostly in western Alabama. By the end of July we'll fan out to almost all counties in central and north Alabama. We'll be in touch soon if your property is above the eradication line as you're being slated for spraying this year. For those of you below the line we'll be scouting most of these areas in the fall and winter and treating next year.

I'll be speaking at the Kiwanis Club in Montgomery the third week in June and at the Mobile County Landowner's Association in mid-July.

May 2010

5.31.2010 - We've been receiving a lot of forms; thank you very much! Please remember that you should send in your enrollment form (2 pages) and the access agreement (1 page). Both are necessary for enrolling in the program. Depending on where your property is located we may visit it sooner than later. For example, areas above the "line in the sand" will be treated this year, so we will need to examine those areas soon. This also includes areas by the state's borders below this line. For most people the treatment, if occurs, won't happen until next year. Thus, we may or may not visit the property soon--it may be late summer when we do.

We've hit some snags with my emails seemingly going to bulk, junk, or spam mail. The best way to fight this is to add my email address to your address book. This is usually pretty easy to do. Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL all allow quick additions to the address book. If you are expecting to receive an email from us and you haven't, please add This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to your address book. Then send me an email and let me know. I will make sure you receive it.

Otherwise, things are going well. We are gearing up for treatment in mid- to late June starting in west central Alabama.

5.17.2010 - We sent out enrollment forms Friday to all landowners who provided their email address. If you haven't received it, let us know. It may (hopefully not!) have gone to your SPAM or BULK MAIL folder; please check if you haven't received anything from us since Friday night (May 14th). Apparently this is happening with GMail but also can happen with AOL, Hotmail, or Yahoo--and maybe others. If you have any problems, you can go to the "For Landowners" page (look to the left) and open the files on that page. You can enroll online by opening the Enrollment Form link, typing in your information, and clicking the "Submit by Email" button at the top of page 1. Note: if you have to save the file called enrollment_form.xml, you will need to attach that in an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Let us know if there are any problems; if you find it's more difficult than you like just print it out and mail it to us. We tried to make the enrollment simple, and I hope there aren't too many problems.

A video was released of my presentation at the Alabama Forest Owners' Association meeting in Atmore, AL last month. Click here to view. It's about 25 minutes long, but I go through the program and how it's designed to work. One thing I neglected to mention is that there is a cap of acres of cogongrass we can treat in the non-eradication area (below Hwy 82 from the MS/AL line to Montgomery and Hwy 80 from Montgomery to the GA/AL line). This is 10 acres per landowner. Mind you, this is not an ownership requirement, only the amount of cogongrass we can treat. And it's only in the non-eradication zone.

Otherwise, we met with the Silvics Solutions developers last week to discuss the integration of our GPS and GIS. As a reminder: GPS is Global Positioning System and GIS is Geographic Information System. You probably use GPS all the time, whether it be in your vehicle (navigation system) or for hunting and camping. GIS is a system of applications that use several layers of information to view maps and extract data. GIS is similar to layers of transparencies, lined up exactly on top of one another. In this program's case, we can view aerial photographs, spots of cogongrass, ownership information, and areas treated. This helps us prioritize where we need to be working or where we need to go. The data can either be in a tabular form (such as information about a cogongrass spot, like when it was treated, how it was treated, and why) or spatial form (such as the actual shape of the infestation). These are all combined together, and a GIS allows you to view all information about a particular spot on the map. You probably know this one very well if you use Google Earth or even Google Maps.

Fact: It takes a tremendous amount of time to build a statewide invasive species program.

April 2010

Enrollment is now open!!!

To learn about the program and enroll you need to download the following documents:

1. Enrollment form (pdf) - gives us information about yourself and the property; an online application is coming soon!
2. Access and treatment agreement form (pdf) - so we can legally be on your property
3. General information about the program (pdf)

More to come soon. I apologize for being so late with these entries. We had a tremendous amount going on this past month with the program. But I will update soon. Thanks!

March 2010

 

3.29.2010 - Countdown to our audit: one week...We met up in Montgomery with the other ARRA grant leaders (that are administered through AFC) to go through our presentations and discuss our progress thus far. You may be interested to know that I received my 250th inquiry from a landowner last week. Well on our way! The rest of the week was really getting paperwork together and working on the GIS with the Silvics and Tri-Global guys. We've also received the GPS unit with the new version of the application we'll use (thanks Mike). Basically the GPS will be used by the field workers that are finding cogongrass, treating these infestations, and inspecting the sites. Yes, those are 3 different positions. Each person, depending on the position, will collect a certain suite of data. All this is tied back together to our GIS. What's more is that we can link all of the data for a particular cogongrass spot even though they are collected at different times, by different people, and with different objectives. Using GIS is really the only way to go with this type of work, and we have some of the best minds in the business working on it.

In a couple of weeks I'm going to post some information about a good conference call we had with the other state leaders of cogongrass work. It's great that we are all coordinating our efforts to really rid this pest from our region. Long, long overdue.

Don't forget, April 17th in Atmore: I will be speaking at the AFOA conference and signing up landowners for the program. Hope to see you there. And please check out our Facebook page...become a fan!

Fact: no one knows how much cogongrass is in Alabama. There are over 6,000 documented spots with estimates of the true number between 100,000-500,000.

3.22.2010 - Last week mostly was a prep week for the audit coming up soon. We did have a chance to sit down with a few vendors to discuss the upcoming work. It's interesting to see the technology that the contractors have, and how they are ready to go. In other news, I'm getting some more presentations together for the meetings in the coming month. If you're around Atmore in mid-April, make sure you stop by our booth at the Alabama Forest Owners' Association annual meeting. We'll be signing up landowners at that time. On that note: we will be opening official enrollment in mid-April. We're finalizing the forms and the program guidelines so that participants have a clear idea of how the program will work from start to finish.

A colleague sent some wild pictures of a recent cogongrass burn. I may put some of the pictures up here after I get his permission to do so. Like I've written about before, if you have never seen a cogongrass fire it is not something you forget easily. My background in longleaf pine ecosystems gave me lots of experience in prescribed burning, and I've seen a little bit of everything in southeastern forests. Most prescribed burns in pine forests in the southeast range from 1-4 feet; sometimes a little higher depending on the ground cover and fuel load. Cogongrass fires, however, will burn two, three, sometimes even four times that height. The pictures that he took show some flames from 15-20 feet high! Needless to say, you really have to be careful and take extreme caution if you are burning around cogongrass. You should always seek out a professional opinion--whether it be from a forestry consultant, county forester, ecological consultant--if you aren't sure about what to do. Cogongrass fires take more preparation and precaution than what a typical landowner may be used to.

Lastly, I will be speaking at the Capital Ideas Live! conference call on March 23, and it will be available online. I'll post it next week when I get the final link.

Fact: Cogongrass covers over 1.2 billion acres worldwide.

3.15.2010 - We had another article published, this time in the winter 2010 edition of the Alabama Forest Association's Alabama Forests. Sorry, I don't have a link to that one; it's subscription only. I also was interviewed for an article in the Sunday edition of the Montgomery Advertiser. Go here to read it. The Montgomery Advertiser usually moves things over to archive and charges to view after a while, so look at it while you can. This article was interesting because he covered the status of current efforts in Alabama to better understand and to fight cogongrass. Stephen Enloe, an Auburn University researcher, recently received a $494,000 grant to study cogongrass effects on pine forests in Alabama. Congratulations to Stephen Enloe, a gentlemen and a scholar!

In other news...we are preparing for an audit of the program to take place in a few weeks. For those of you that wonder where your tax money goes, this is a good opportunity to see how a program can be transparent and successful. So I've been getting data together and preparing for field tours of Greene County. Also, a couple of the people on our Technical Committee have been compiling information for treatment guidelines for the program, including herbicide treatment. And our Chemical Spray Supervisor, Will Autrey, has started to create a list of equipment necessary for vendors. I would be remiss not to mention that the landowner program guidelines are coming along, and the enrollment should be opening the second week of April (or around that time). For those of you that have already filled out contact information you don't need to do anything. I will be sending you this form along with the program information.

Just one last thing. The cogongrass program is open to every county in Alabama! I am still getting calls from landowners that think some counties are being left out. The only difference is that we have a maximum area (10 acres total) treated in many counties of south Alabama.

Fact: Every county is included in the Alabama cogongrass program.

3.8.2010 - Whew, what a week! The program's mention in the latest newsletter for the Alabama Forest Owners' Association really lit up the phone lines. There was about 5 times the normal call volume. I will be speaking at their monthly Capital Ideas Live! conference call on March 17, so if you are going to be available it's a worthwhile way to spend some time. I'll also be at their annual meeting in Atmore, AL at the Wind Creek Casino and Hotel April 16-17, 2010. Barrett McCall, President of Larson and McGowin, Inc. will also be speaking (along with many other presenters) so we hope to see you there. I believe Barrett is going to talk about the current status of the biomass industry, which is in a state of tremendous flux right now.

I also set up a Facebook page for the program, so if you are interested go there and become a fan. The more we get the better. For those of you that don't know much about Facebook, just think of it as a way to network online with friends, family, and professionals. There are lots of other networking sites out there, but Facebook is the standard. AFOA, American Tree Farm Association, Alabama Forestry Commission are just a few of the many companies and agencies that have Facebook pages. It's a handy way to stay connected with calendar events and links that people find that are important to the work we all do. With all the information (and non-information) out there on the internet, it's nice when one can find places that are well designed and have easily digestible nuggets of knowledge.

Aside from the busy week answering calls, I have been working on the official enrollment form that will be sent out to the landowners in early April. Be on the lookout at that time either in email or regular mail for a short form that you'll need to fill out in order to get signed up. This is different than the form you may have already filled out; that one was just for requesting information. The next one will be used for signing up for the program.

Fact: Alabama has some images of cogongrass taken by Alabama Forestry Commission employees. Go here.

3.1.2010 - First, I want to apologize to all the people who may be receiving their landowner forms late. We had a little mix-up with mail, but it has been completely rectified and won't happen again. Second, thank you to the Alabama Forest Owners' Association (AFOA) for mentioning us in their newsletter Capital Ideas. There is a slight error in that, however: ALL counties in Alabama are part of this program, not just south Alabama as mentioned. The AFOA is having their annual meeting in Atmore, AL April 16-17 at the Wind Creek Casino & Hotel. If you're a member, try to make it. These meetings are always informative, and I'll be at a table there signing landowners up for the program.

In other news: a good friend of mine did some prescribed burning last week and happened to burn some areas of cogongrass. Now, for those of you who are a little familiar with fire this may not be anything new. But for those who haven't seen it, a cogongrass fire is really something to behold. In most situations the flame heights don't get above 3-4 feet in the southeast. The fire snakes its way through the woods, renewing the site and the vegetation. Imagine that kind of fire; now imagine getting to a place where gasoline has been poured on the ground. That, in a lot of ways, is what happens with cogongrass. It takes off. It burns fast and very, very hot. And it burns high: it's not unheard of to see 20 foot flames. This is part of the danger of this grass; there is a higher property and human risk (not to mention the animals and other plants) where cogongrass is around. The bottom line is that one has to be very careful when doing any kind of burning, but especially around cogongrass.

Fact: Cogongrass, if left unchecked, can replace native ecosystems in Alabama through competition and fire effects.

February 2010

2.22.2010 - Another week of working on standard operating procedures (SOPs) that will be used for the program. I also started working on the official enrollment application. Incidentally, these will be sent out to all the landowners that have applied thus far, so if this applies to you expect something in the mail (or your inbox) late next month. Finally, I made some modifications of an earlier document written late last year. Thought I would put it on the site here as a white paper of sorts. You can read it here. This link requires you have Adobe Acrobat on your computer; a free version can be downloaded.

I was talking with Nancy Loewenstein of Auburn University last week, and she let me know of a conference coming up May 11-13 in Chattanooga, TN. It's a joint conference between the Southeast Exotic Pest Council and the Southeast Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration. I think I may submit an abstract, and I'll let everyone know. Just in case you'll be around that area at that time it may be a really interesting conference. If you're reading this then I would venture to say that you have an interest in exotic (non-native) plants and their effect on the native flora and fauna. You can look at their website here.

Fact: The use of chemicals is not the only way to treat cogongrass. Mechanical, cultural, and biological treatments are effective depending on the situation, level of infestation, and the geographic area.

2.15.2010 - This past week was spent doing some extended writing of the process that will be followed by the field contractors as well as our Administration. I wrote about this in last week's post, but let me expand on it. This program will be unlike many other programs that people have seen. We are starting from the beginning with a design that allows for quick, complete, and auditable delivery of data. All data, from the initial conversation with the landowner to the final eradication of cogongrass from the enrolled spot, is being documented in a master database. This includes geographic information of the landowner's property, specific locations of cogongrass, treatments applied (and reapplied), monitoring, and internal inspections. The equipment that will be used is critical for the field data collection, but of course we'll have a backup plan in case something bad happens.

Don't know if I mentioned this or not, but the software we are using is called Forester's Desktop by Silvics Solutions of Birmingham, AL. This is a great group that has been doing this work upwards of 15 years. If you're interested, go to their website and read more about all the products and services they provide. And tell them Stephen sent you...

Fact: The belowground component of cogongrass, i.e., the rhizomes, can make up as much as 80% of the entire plant!

ine;">2.8.2010 - Though our scout wasn't busy the last few weeks, we have been exceedingly busy on the Administration side of things. Much of what I have worked on, other than financial planning and policy matters, has centered around the technology that we will be using for the project. In essence, every piece of data that will be collected in the field are going to be tied to a Geographic Information System (GIS). For those that don't know what this is, think of it as the ability to have multiple people collecting information about a specific property where all the data is quickly and easily retrieved at any point. The Scout, who will collect some of the initial information about a cogongrass infestation, will determine what needs to be done to eradicate the weed from that area. They will collect information such as the site type, the cover type (such as pine plantation, pasture, water edge, right-of-way, etc.), the size of the infestation, and many other variables. The Applicator, in addition to treating the area, will record information such as when the site was treated, what it was treated with, the weather conditions, etc. The Inspector is more of an internal auditor and will ensure that the Applicator has done their job correctly. The last thing we want is for any damage to be done to an area that has been enrolled in the program.

All field data will be collected with a GPS unit. We are developing the system around the Juno, made by Trimble (see a picture here). Each contractor will provide their data to us, who will incorporate it into the GIS. The upshot of all this is simple: any data specific to a single infestation can be retrieved at any time by us for auditing and reporting services. In addition, GIS scalability also makes these systems so useful. We can go from a single infestation to a stand, tract, property, county, region, or state level--and any point in between!

Fact: The first historical evidence of any kind of GIS was from 15,500 years ago!

2.1.2010 - Had a very busy week around the state. It started with 2 meetings in Montgomery to discuss some of our efforts and how we are tracking all of our information. We are being examined to ensure the project is fulfilling all of its objectives to date. The next day I went to the Alabama Forestry Council meeting in Millbrook and presented an overview of the project to many landowners, consultants, and policy makers. I even had a chance to catch up with some colleagues I haven't seen in a while, and it was interesting to hear more about how cogongrass affects some of the national forest lands.

On Wednesday I trekked down to Ozark, AL to give a short presentation to the Wiregrass Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) organization. They do some pretty amazing work with limited funds and volunteers over 10 counties in the southeastern part of the state. You should check out their website to see how you can get involved and see some of their recent projects. This group had thorough questions, and it turned out to be a great event. I was sorry I had to leave so soon. Southeast Alabama is a beautiful part of the state, and it's definitely growing. I then went back to Montgomery for a presentation to the Alabama Forestry Commission Board to update them on our work, then back to Mobile. A full three days for sure. The rest of the week was spent catching up with landowners and potential contractors who want to participate in the program in addition to working on the GIS framework for the project.

Fact: Cogongrass can grow on almost any site in Alabama but tends to do best in low pH soils with low fertility and organic matter content.

January 2010

1.25.2010 - Because this project is funded by federal dollars--our tax money--we are going to great efforts to keep track of all that we do. In other words, our credo is to create a transparent program. I heard that CNN may be highlighting the stimulus program to examine the programs that have been funded. Whether they cover all 60,000 projects is anyone's guess, but one thing is for sure: the success of this project depends on the participation of the landowner. If you're a private, non-industrial Alabama landowner and haven't contacted us about your cogongrass, please do so.

Also, there again seems to be some misinformation about the extent of the project's reach. We are working in every county of Alabama. I cannot stress that enough! Perhaps the confusion is due to there being several subprograms, many of them overlapping. I will put a chart on the website this week that shows exactly which counties are covered by which program. For example, if you live in Mobile County you may be eligible for Subprograms 2, 5, and 6; which one of those depends on the specific location of the infestation and other details. I'll publish much of these details very soon.

Fact: One of the first herbicides used to control cogongrass was sodium arsenite, a highly toxic chemical and known carcinogen. Fortunately this was a long time ago.

1.18.2010 - I gave 3 talks last week. The first was in Auburn to the Alabama Natural Resources Council. They meet every 6 months and discuss some of the current issues and programs that are ongoing. They include members of the Alabama Forestry Commission, the US Forest Service, NRCS, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, SWCC, and several other groups. Thanks to them for the invitation. The second presentation was at Fairhope, AL at the City Hall. This was an opportunity to speak to members of the Fairhope Environmental Advisory Board and to some private environmental consultants. This group was hungry for information, and a 20-minute presentation turned into almost 2 hours. They were great.

The third presentation was all the way in Orlando, FL for the Legislative Ag Chairs Summit. This is put on by the State Ag and Rural Leaders. Look for some of the posts from December for a discussion of that organization. There were over 200 legislators, interest groups, and organizations from around the US and Canada. The presentations given over the 3 days were insightful, and the debate spirited. Thanks again to Carolyn Orr for inviting me.

I'm receiving many more landowner calls, emails, and letters about the project. Keep up the good work! And I say this every week, but if you would like me to speak to your group just contact me by clicking on the "Contact Us" link. I have only 5 more meetings in the next 2 weeks; if you're going to be around Ozark, AL next Wednesday (1/27/2010) come to my talk. Contact me for information.

Fact: There are almost 6,000 documented cogongrass infestations in Alabama (from the Alabama Forestry Commission website).

1.11.2010 - In thinking more about the biofuels issue from last week, I came across an interesting article by Jacob Barney and Joseph DiTomaso in Bioscience (Nonnative species and bioenergy: are we cultivating the next invader?, Bioscience 58:64-70) which discusses the potential for biofuel feedstocks to become invasive. They show how a weed risk-assessment protocol can be used to assess three biofuel crops (switchgrass, giant reed, and miscanthus) and their threat to become the classic invasive plant. As the biofuels discussion evolves, we should be thinking about how we can use these grading systems to proactively work with non-native plants and incorporate them into an area using the best science available. I'll get permission to put this article online, and I'll post it in a few weeks.

Usually I talk about cogongrass; however, I want to share something that I found recently. We all know the effect of invasive species on local ecosystems can vary greatly. There are thousands of invasive species, both plant and animal, found in our nation's waterways, forests, wetlands, deserts, and more. Most cause little damage and fly under the radar. For some, like cogongrass, the effect is profound and requires tens of millions of dollars just to treat one state. There is an invasive plant in California that appears to be creating nothing short of a watershed event with respect to invasive plants. An introduced grass called cordgrass (Spartina spp.) has impacted the mudflats and tidal marshes along the central California coast. It harms endangered species through habitat loss, changes tidal flats to meadows, alters shoreline and water channel habitats, and is replacing the native cordgrass. It has taken herculean efforts by the San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project there to balance the need to control this invasive, receive public support, and to adequately protect the native ecosystems in the process. The extremely delicate issue of spraying herbicides in an estuary has resulted in many delays and legal issues. Meanwhile, the invasive form of Spartina continues to grow there and replace the native ecosystem. Why should we worry about California, you ask? The issue with the invasive Spartina in California is exactly the same as cogongrass, just in a different location. I believe we can learn from each other--as well as all the invasive programs across the world. I encourage you to go to their website and read about their approach to controlling that plant.

This week I'll present the project to the Alabama Natural Resources Council, the Fairhope City Council, and then to the Legislative Ag Chairs Summit. If you want me to speak to your group just click on the Contact Us page.

Fact: Cogongrass is the worst agricultural weed in several African nations, including Nigeria, Benin, and southern Guinea.

1.4.2010 - Happy New Year to everyone. I've been getting more calls from landowners and vendors at the beginning of the year. Perhaps this is due to the SAF newsletter. In any case, we're slowly getting the word out to several groups with diverse backgrounds. As I mentioned before, that is exceedingly important for success. This month I am giving 5 talks about the project, most in Alabama. If you're in the Baldwin County area, I'll be speaking to the Fairhope City Council on the 13th of January. The day before that I'll be in Auburn speaking to the Alabama Natural Resources Council. On the 26th I'll present an overview of the project to the Alabama Forestry Council and the 27th to the Wiregrass RC&D in Ozark, AL.

The question has arisen from many people who read our articles about using cogongrass in a biofuels program. I'll answer this in full in a later post, but suffice it to say with cogongrass there is such a high prevalence of dispersal along main transportation routes that the danger of spreading it even further would exponentially increase if we attempted to use it in a biofuels scenario. In addition, the transportation costs of moving this plant in trucks that would prevent any leaf blades, propagules, rhizomes, etc. from escaping would be astronomical.  To put that in perspective, small pieces of this plant can infect an entire area. You can therefore imagine what the impact would be of multitudes of 18-wheelers traveling along roads where even the hardiest of trucks and careful of workers can't contain all the cogongrass.  Finally, the legality of moving a federally listed noxious weed along intrastate or interstate routes is an inherent risk that may be too much to bear. For a white paper that discusses this further, go here.

Fact: Cogongrass rhizome formation can occur from vegetative fragments within 3 weeks (Tominaga 2003, Weed Biol. Manage. 3:193-195).

December 2009

12.28.2009 - For those of you that are interested there are some really good papers coming out of the research community on invasive management. I find them exceedingly interesting (thank my research background), and many have ties to the work we are doing. I had a chance to peruse a book chapter by a colleague who writes specifically on something called "Adaptive Collaborative Restoration". Essentially it outlines some of the approaches that can be taken to marry science and management while dealing with nonnative invasive species. When it comes out it should provide a lot of insight to the community. Among the other papers I read: an article by Gregory MacDonald ("Cogongrass [Imperata cylindrica] - Biology, Ecology and Management", Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences, 23(5):367-380) gives a very thorough overview of cogongrass. For people that don't read scientific papers a lot, don't be too worried about all the citations. But it should be mandatory reading for anyone looking at invasive species. In many respects the effects of a nonnative invasive plant on the new community is profound, whether it be cogongrass, kudzu, alligator weed, or Japanese climbing fern. And yes, I did read these over the Christmas break.

Our scout worked in the Hale County area the last couple of weeks and sent us a GPS file containing all the new cogongrass infestations found. We're coordinating with the Alabama Forestry Commission to ensure that these locations haven't already been reported (of course, checking beforehand). And like in other counties, we continue to get information from local consultants and landowners. Thank you to everyone that has helped thus far. Next month will be busy for the core members of the program with 5 presentations, meetings, finalizing program guidelines, incorporating more landowners and spray vendors, and more publications. If you'd like me to speak to your group or organization about the project or if you just want to talk to me, give me a call.

Next week will be the beginning of a new year. In 2010 we'll begin tackling the cogongrass problem across the state, not just in a particular area. We're very excited to be on board, and look forward to working with you. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Fact: Cogongrass is also called speargrass, japgrass, alang-alang, congograss, and bladygrass.

12.21.2009 - Last week was quite busy. We met with the State Forester (Linda Casey) and Assistant State Forester (Patrick Glass) of the Alabama Forestry Commission to provide some updates. They were pleased at the results so far. We also had a meeting with a couple of the members our Technical Committee (Jim Miller and Stephen Enloe) to discuss the work done to date. It is worth reiterating that decisions made with respect to treatment and approaches are being guided by the Technical Committee. This is a consortium of experts across the state, from public agencies and private companies that know a tremendous amount about cogongrass. After the meeting I had the opportunity to see some study sites near Mobile with Jim Miller. Without giving anything away, I can te ll you that there is some pretty amazing research going on with cogongrass in pine plantations. This research being conducted is going to change some minds of how cogongrass can be managed...pretty stark differences.

I also wrote another article for the talk I will be giving next month in Orlando. If you are interested, you can read it here. It's 4 pages and provides some basic information about cogongrass and our program. One thing that is going to be interesting about the talk next month is that representatives and senators from many states will be there (see last week's notes). It's a great opportunity to share some ideas and approaches to invasive species management from a policy perspective. The reason I mention this is because many commonalities exist among states with respect to invasive species. In addition to gaining and sharing knowledge among groups, some very big questions come out when discussing how invasive species should be addressed. One question is the extent to which governments should be participating in detection and, more importantly, treatment and restoration. Should governments have legal access to properties in order to protect a state land from invasive species? Or even private lands? If governments can break down a fence to fight a wildfire, should they have the same kind of access to fight an invasive species? I am not suggesting we destroy fences, but I am suggesting that some of these very issues are being confronted by various circles as we try to hold invasive species at bay. That's why landowner participation in this program is so important. The more we control cogongrass now and gain better knowledge on where it is (and how best to fight it) the more areas we can protect outside of our purview.

Over 100 landowners have contacted us about the program. I'd like to see 10 times that amount, so if you know any landowners in Alabama that might be interested just let me know and I'll send them some information. If you are one of the landowners that have contacted us, thank you! We'll be opening up the official enrollment in early spring and will assign you to a subprogram at that time. If you already submitted your information I may contact you for some more information. We'll start treating cogongrass infestations sometime around June-July, depending upon location. For vendors who have contacted us, also a big thank you! We'll contact you in early spring 2010 and let you know who we are going to utilize. It should be a very busy 2010.

Before I go, I should address an article that was recently published ("Cogongrass said 'worse than kudzu'", 12.14.2009) in the News-Courier in Athens, AL (read it here). It's an interesting article but there are some facts that aren't quite correct. One of the biggest issues I have is on page 2 of the article where they state "You have to treat the infestation with nasty chemicals that leave everything dead for three years". This is simply not true. With very few exceptions, sites treated with herbicide come back quickly with a tremendous successional recovery. What this means is that early successional plants (such as grasses and forbs) are the first plants to come back within weeks of an herbicide application. To suggest there is a moonscape after an herbicide treatment is incorrect. We select herbicides that target particular species, have the narrowest window of efficacy to minimize environmental effects, and have the least effect on other species.

Another statement made in the article alludes to a high allelopathic ability of cogongrass to outcompete other plants. While it's true that some plants exude chemicals to gain an edge over other plants, that capability is far from absolute with cogongrass. A great example of this is black walnut (Juglans nigra), which exudes the chemical juglone to affect many (but not all) other forest plants. Read more about allelopathy here. And cogongrass rhizomes can pierce roots, but they don't exactly "slice through roots of competing plants" as the author stated in that article. Cogongrass can outcompete other plants, but most of that effect appears to be directly related to the high density of rhizomes and stems that inhibit water and nutrient uptake as well as lessen light absorption.

Lastly--and this one hits close to home--the author states that "The Alabama Cogongrass Task Force is trying to fight it, particularly in areas like Mobile where infestations are prevalent". Actually, we are fighting cogongrass on several fronts. Though money for the grant has been allocated to southern Alabama, much of our effort is actually taking place in northern Alabama where cogongrass is in danger of spreading. Picture an exponential growth curve: instead of a straight line it curves up into an almost vertical form. We are fighting cogongrass along many parts of that curve. Cogongrass infestations in central and north Alabama are relatively few, small, and young (compared to south Alabama). We're approaching it the same way firefighters deal with spot fires: deal with the small, sparse areas before they become large, uncontrolled blazes.

Fact: Cogongrass can sometimes have a slightly reddish cast in the fall and winter, or it can simply brown up after a frost or freeze. But cogongrass will usually stay erect unlike many other grasses in Alabama.

12.14.2009 - In addition to the ways in which we are directly affecting management through helping with control of the highly invasive weed cogongrass, we are also taking every opportunity to reach out to policy makers. This is such an important group to touch that we are accepting any invitations to discuss our project, and eagerly talking with all kinds of decision makers at the local to national level. One example is presenting our project to a group of legislators from around the US and Canada. I'm really excited about going to the 2010 Ag Chairs Summit in Orlando, FL next month. This is an invitation-only event hosted by the State Agriculture and Rural Leaders, a group started in 2006 that is geared towards agriculture and rural communities and their particular issues.

I also took the opportunity to meet with Dr. Nancy Loewenstein, who along with a handful of experts such as Drs. Stephen Enloe and Jim Miller, have done more for information transfer regarding cogongrass around the state than anyone. I'm leaving out several people, especially those that have been sounding the trumpet for decades but to little or no avail. These should also be acknowledged: Ray Dickens and Art Miller both contributed many thousands of hours getting the word out that cogongrass was something to be dealt with now, not later. Though it has taken upwards of 40 years for us to obtain the public backing necessary for a large-scale, statewide effort, the point is that it is now here. And we aim to do something about it.

Fact: a researcher recently found that a cogongrass rhizome fragment 4 inches long established a rhizome ma t 10 inches deep--in 2 years!

12.7.2009 - We have been implementing ways to get the word out. Since there's only a handful of us, we have to be careful with our time. Lately I have been giving presentations to various interest groups regarding the program. The upshot of this is that we now have several groups who know how to identify cogongrass, know where to look, and how the program works. Since the beginning of the project, I've given 7 presentations to biologists, county government, legislature working groups, and smaller organizations that are interested in what we're doing. The response has been great, and like I said much of the impact of these talks are to inform people of how cogongrass negatively affects our lands in addition to what they can do.

Earlier this month I spoke to a group of wildlife and fisheries biologists as well as law enforcement personnel in Tuscaloosa today. These people are working on the front lines of management and enforcement with the Alabama Department of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. Some of them had never heard of cogongrass, and one had been dealing with it for 20 years. In this area of the state, cogongrass is sparser relative to south Alabama. However, everyone was interested and eager to help. Fortunately, they are working deep in the woods and on our state's waterways--and have access to GPS units. We are hopeful that they will be able to collect new infestation data so that we can incorporate it into our own GIS database. I'll have more on how our GIS applications will make this program like no other later.

Our scout is busy again collecting data in western Alabama. Through connections with local consultants we've expanded the Alabama Forestry Commission GIS database; thanks to Bill Christie, GIS Manager at AFC, for working with us on tight deadlines and providing some assistance. He even took a picture last week of a flowering cogongrass patch! This is uncommon but not impossible. This can occur if areas are bush-hogged (mowed) at certain times of the year, among other reasons. And since cogongrass has asynchronous flowering--with the earliest flowering by the coast in early spring and gradually moving northward through time--it makes sense that it could happen. Around the world this happens more often than one might expect.

If you would like me to speak to a group about cogongrass or the program itself just  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and I'll contact you.  You can also call me; see the Contact page.

Fact: each cogongrass plant can produce up to 3,000 seeds per season

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November 2009

11.30.2009 - As of the end of November we have over 100 landowners in our database!!! Thank you to all of the people that have inquired about this program. We hope that we can help as many landowners as possible. Reality and finances dictate that we won't be able to help everyone, but we are developing a system that will have the greatest effect on cogongrass infestations in the state. I should mention too that we've received contact from over 50 businesses regarding the program. This includes only the businesses that want to conduct the treatment on properties, not the many others that want to assist in purchase and storage of chemicals and equipment.

In November we had 3 articles released regarding our grant.  First, the Montgomery Advertiser published a ogram - 11.2.2009 article">front-page article on November 2. The next day USA Today published another one.  Both of these were by Marty Roney. Finally, Alabama's Treasured Forests published an article I wrote for their Fall 2009 issue. This magazine is published by the Alabama Forestry Commission.

Fact: Cogongrass is found on over 1.2 billion acres worldwide and is a pest in 73 countries.

11.23.2009 - I spoke to a group of wildlife and fisheries biologists and wildlife law enforcement personnel.  This group was in north Alabama (Decatur, AL), and almost all of them had never heard of cogongrass. Thus, the supposition made by me that cogongrass is worse than kudzu certainly makes people sit up and listen.  In a future post I'll discuss exactly how and why this seems to be the case. The group has GPS units and will be able to collect point and shape data in the future. By doing so we'll expand our GIS database of known cogongrass locations. Very exciting!

Fact: The 'Red Baron' cultivar of cogongrass is still sold in landscape businesses and nurseries in the US.

11.16.2009 - I've received many calls and emails about the use of herbicides in treating invasive species. There seems to be a lot of misinformation about which herbicides to use, how to apply them, or whether to use herbicides at all. For those that are against herbicide use, let me first say that I understand where you are coming from. Herbicides misused or applied in the wrong place can have negative impacts on the environment. We all have a part to play in our environment, and each of us has a responsibility to take care of what we are given. However, we are dealing with a highly invasive pest; one that can replace a native ecosystem entirely with a biological desert.

Endangered, threatened, and rare species as well as natural ecosystems are all in danger of being decimated by cogongrass. In addition, cogongrass can create very dangerous situations for the general public where fast-moving, intense fires can threaten animals, plants, humans, property, etc. If it could be controlled by simply extracting it from the ground without breaking the bank it would have been tried. In addition, cogongrass cannot be used in a biofuels program. The chemical characteristics of the plant, the probability of it spreading even further (and faster) along transportation routes, and the inability to prevent it from escaping are just a few of the reasons cogongrass is not suitable for this type of program. There are many rese arch programs that are specifically investigating the potential role of invasive species in biofuels programs. The jury is still out for some invasive plants (as my friend Stephen Enloe puts it, "The issue is currently polarized between two prevailing camps (biological conservation versus economic development)..." You can read more about that in Bioscience, Nature, or on The Nature Conservancy's website. I'll write more about this later.

This grant is not limited to using only chemical measures to mitigate cogongrass. In some cases we'll use mechanical means such as tilling to control cogongrass infestations. In fact, in some cases (such as new infestations) you can meet with success through repeated tilling over time. The key is to go several inches below the rhizome mat and to repeat it over time. Read about that here.

Fact: Cogongrass flowers in Alabama between March and June, but can flower at any time of the year depending on unique conditions.

11.9.2009 - For those of you that may be interested in what to spray in order to control cogongrass, it depends on many factors. The site, what is growing there, how old the infestation is, and the time of year all impact the choice of herbicides and the amounts and rates in your prescription. We will be using the official guidelines presented by our Technical Committee, which is a consortium of cogongrass experts across the state. There are currently 2 guidelines we're using. For longleaf pine sites, we'll use these guidelines. For all other locations we'll utilize this.

We presented an overview of our program to County Commissioners in southwest Alabama. Because of the inherent limitations of this grant--namely the amount of funding--we had to make critical decisions from the beginning. Some of those included where we would be able to have the greatest effect. If you can imagine for a minute what an exponential curve looks like, with a relatively flat line proceeding along until a point where it begins to rise. Over a short period of time the line goes up dramatically and then essentially becomes a vertical line. Cogongrass is doing this very thing in the US right now, though the location on the line depends on where you are. In south Alabama, they are far along the curve due to the length of time that cogongrass has become part of the landscape. In any case, we're limited with how many infestations we'll be able to control in south Alabama.

The bottom line is that, with our current funding, cogongrass will not be eradic ated in south Alabama. However, in central and north Alabama (essentially above Montgomery) we are planning to eradicate cogongrass. By doing so we can lessen or prevent the chance that cogongrass will spread northward. I would personally love to see it gone everywhere (and as I live in south Alabama, I have a vested interest in that) but that isn't reality. Fortunately, the design of this project is such that we will develop a system whereby infestations can be quickly detected and treated as time goes on. The development of a comprehensive GIS database is what will outlive the life of the grant. Through Larson & McGowin's subsidiary Silvics Solutions we are doing just that. I'll write more about it in future posts.

I should also mention that last week we had 2 articles published. The first was in the Montgomery Advertiser (which you have to buy), and the second in USA Today (same article, free). Thanks to Marty Roney for taking us on. Finally, I have the numbers from our October spraying. We sprayed a little over 31 acres in Greene and Sumter counties on 10 separate properties. We found an additional 120 infestations with one scout making contacts with local consultants.

Fact: Repeated tilling several inches below the rhizome mat can control new cogongrass infestations.

11.2.2009 - We finished spraying last week. We are done treating sites until next year (June/July 2010 we'll start in earnest). Last week was spent processing the geographic data that was collected during the October treatments in Greene and Sumter counties. Ernest and I also gave a short presentation at the Alabama Forestry Association meeting in Montgomery. This is a critical constituent to work with as they are doing "dirt forestry" as well as making management decisions that will affect Alabama in the future. We'll have a workup of the data very soon, probably next week.

In an extreme example from our spraying last month, one infestation was found that was approximately 200 acres in size. I'm not going to say the exact location for privacy purposes. But the significance of this is that we were expecting infestations about 0.1-0.5 acres in that region. An infestation of that size is almost unheard of. The manager said it had been there at least 10 years. Most likely it was a conglomeration of many infestations from logging or farming equipment. Just as significant is that (and I've said this before) it exemplifies our statement that the "line" marking our eradication zone may change through time based on refinements in the data.

I will mention again that the reason we stopped was two-fold. The first (and really the last) is that after first frost the efficacy of herbicide treatments in cogongrass drops off tremendously. Some people claim that they can get success treating cogongrass during any time of the year, but these are few and far between. For our program we are guided by what the Technical Committee says. Current research supports a bell-shaped treatment window, with the majority of the "bell" during the months of June and October. This is not to say that one can't or shouldn't spray during spring months. In fact, in some cases that can dampen the seed populations. However, there is a high danger of spreading cogongrass if you work in an actively flowering cogongrass patch.

You may not know this, but other states and federal agencies also received funding from the ARRA to tackle cogongrass. Last week Ernest and I met with the Mississippi Cogongrass Coordinator, Jim Hancock while we were working in Greene County. The importance of this is that we can coordinate work between the states. They have much the same problem as Alabama, with hundreds of thousands of acres infested with cogongrass. While they received much less funding than us, they are just as eager to create a program that will work across their entire state and have the greatest long-term effect. From what I understand they are developing a program that will start in the northern reaches of the state and work southward, thus creating a band of eradication. Our program is similar in that regard; however, we are also trying to tackle cogongrass from many different angles. You can read more about that here.

Fact: Cogongrass is used as roofs in Asian homes, especially in New Guinea. Don't smoke!

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October 2009

10.26.2009 - We should be finishing up the spraying treatments in Greene and Sumter counties this week. The spray vendors have been really busy. While we aren't working with many, our intention is to do no harm. In other words, this treatment season is simply to work out the kinks of the treatment program so that when we do start full bore in 2010 we'll encounter only small bumps. For those of you that may be interested in where we've been spraying, you'll have to wait a little while until we get the map viewer set up on the website. Be patient. Also, we have 70 landowners in the program database and a little over 40 spray vendors. I should mention that all the spray vendors that we use must have a valid certificate from the state of Alabama to spray herbicide and have a current certificate of liability. If you're thinking of applying as a vendor, please make sure you have these first--we won't use you if you don't have these.

Because cogongrass is found on many sites in our state, including forests, agriculture, wetlands, rights-of way (ROWs), county/municipal lands, and residential areas some measure of coordination among programs and departments must be attempted. Today I met in Montgomery with government agencies that are attempting to tackle the cogongrass problem as well. By doing so we hope to coordinate our efforts so that 1) we don't step on toes and 2) we can have the greatest effect on infestations. As an example, agencies responsible for transportation routes may be treating for invasive species across a state. Another group gets funding to treat landowners adjacent to these routes. If they work together, then the entire infestation can be treated at one time. By making all these business connections early on we hope to treat more acreage in the end--whether it be with herbicide or tilling.

Fact: Cogongrass, like kudzu, was used in forage and erosion studies in the US during the 1920's.

10.19.2009 - We're hot into the treatment in Greene and Sumter counties now. Unfortunately, the weather may dictate that we finish sooner than we'd like. Rain and cold weather threaten our efforts as of late. We're hopeful that we'll be able to finish all of Greene County and treat some of Sumter County.

I presented a short overview of the project to the Alabama Forestry Study Committee in Montgomery on the 15th. Some state legislators were part of the group as well as the State Forester, Linda Casey. We were invited back next fall to discuss the accomplishments of the upcoming year.

Fact: In Asia there are plants that control cogongrass. One of these is the legume velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens).

10.12.2009 - Busy week, my friends. We met with State Forester Linda Casey, Assistant State Forester Bill Baisden and Patrick Glass, and ARRA Grant Accountant Cissy McBrayer regarding progress of the grant over the first month as well as talking about the upcoming spray event this month. After that Ernest and I were interviewed by Marty Roney with USA Today and the Montgomery Advertiser. This is a local journalist who knows cogongrass well. So there wasn't a lot of sidebar educating going on about just how bad news it is. We went to Selma again, and with help of Tom Lang (AFC) and Jamie Thomas (local forester) we toured cogongrass infestations and talked about the project.

I also created the various data sheets that we would need during the spraying as well as some initial audit forms that our internal auditor would be using. I should mention too that, being a federal grant, the project will be audited during its life. Thus, it's critical that we keep good records. That's where our accounting and GIS applications come in. Interested in the GIS application? You can read a little about it here.

Fact: The amount received for the cogongrass ARRA grant in Alabama is $6.28 million.

10.5.2009 - Ernest spent time with the scout looking at sites up in western Alabama. I drove to Orlando for the Society of American Foresters annual meeting. This is a huge meeting and is a great place to network. I was invited by Jim Miller, one of the members of the Cogongrass Technical Committee. I should mention that this committee is guiding all of our efforts, including how we are going to treat infestations with a particular herbicide. At the SAF meeting I was able to talk with industry representatives regarding herbicide storage and transport. I also had the opportunity to view some of the internet tracking systems that are available. This will be of utmost importance in 2010 as we s tart to implement the full program across the state. There will be upwards of 20 spray vendors deployed across the state, and we are going to need to track them as well as the chemicals that have been bought. Fortunately, we have technology on our side these days.

At the SAF conference there was a whole day put aside for invasive issues, and I heard many presentations from people that are doing some pretty amazing work. It is easy to focus on one thing, e.g., cogongrass, and lose sight of the fact that there are thousands of invasive plant species across the US that affect economies, lifestyles, and management decisions. I got the impression that getting the word out to various groups is going to be extremely important. Over the next several months I will try to speak to diverse groups such as government agencies, roads departments, hunter groups, environmental organizations, etc. By canvassing as many as possible I'll be able to have the most positive effect.

On another positive note I was invited by the State Agricultural and Rural Leaders to attend their conference in January 2010 in Orlando. This is an invitation-only event that brings together state lawmakers from across the US and Canada that sit on agricultural and rural committees. You can read a little about them here.

Fact: Cogongrass spreads through seed and rhizome dispersal. This makes the chance of spread along roads exponentially increase.

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September 2009

9.28.2009 - This will be my first weekly post. In the future, I'll try to post on or about every Monday, covering the previous week as well as some current thoughts and links you might find useful. Anyway, this week was doing more of bringing landowners into our database. The first month has been extremely busy, with meetings, phone calls, emails, and more meetings. Fortunately, we received what would be considered the gold mine of press: a New York Times article! You can read it here. That was a very fun experience, and Dan Barry asked some insightful questions. We had a full-day interview that took us from Montgomery westward to south of Selma. As a result we had a large spike in interest about the program from people all over the country. I hope that's a sign of good things to come.

Since this is the first post, I'll at least mention that we also had a front-page article in the Mobile Press-Register on September 14th. You can read it here. This was a phone interview done by George Altman. Finally, I sent an article in for publishing in a local farmer's newsletter in western Alabama. Sorry, I don't have a link to that one.

We're all very excited here about being awarded the grant and taking on this project. We intend this project to have a positive effect on the state and its economy. Thanks for reading, and feel free to contact me.

Fact: Cogongrass burns 400F degrees hotter than other native plants in the southeastern US.