(By Zelerie Rose of The Graham Star)
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the United States Forest Service, Vocational Opportunities of Cherokee, Inc., and Western North Carolina Alliance, tribal members from Cherokee and Snowbird have been put to work to stop the growth of non-native invasive plants. In addition to crew members pictured, Tommy Cabe, forest resource specialist for Cherokee Environmental Natural Resource, left, back row, Bob Gale, ecologist for Western North Carolina Alliance, right, back row, Chris Davis, crew leader, front row, left, Gary Kauffman, botanist for North Carolina National Forest, center, and Lauren Reker, crew leader, right, are also pictured. Photo by Zelerie Rose Approximately $2.25 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), an economic stimulus package meant to improve the U.S. economy, is being used to support national forests in North Carolina.
Around $120,000 of that funding has made its way to Graham County to help control invasive species, and enhance the habitat of two federally listed species on the Cheoah River.
The three-year project started this fall, involves nine miles of river and will protect the Virginia Spiraea, a federally-threatened shrub, and the Appalachian Elktoe, a federally-endangered mussel.
The treatment of the non-native species such as mimosa, Oriental bittersweet, yam, privet, Japanese honeysuckle, princess tree, kudzu, and multiflora rose, is the collaborative effort of Western North Carolina Alliance, the Cherokee Environmental Natural Resource Office, and North Carolina National Forests.
“Our job is to work with the various organizations involved in the project and educate them about non-native invasive plants,” said Bob Gale, ecologist for WNC Alliance. “These plants were introduced both intentionally and accidentally and have no natural controls limiting their spread. Left untreated they can threaten or endanger native habitats and native wildlife species.”
Tommy Cabe is a forest resource specialist for the Cherokee Environment and Natural Resource Office.
His office is being trained in the recognition and treatment of invasive plant species.
“Non-native plant control is becoming more and more of a problem for this area,” Cabe said. “We are working closely with the forest service and WNC Alliance to learn how to treat and combat species such as kudzu, and other invasive plant life.”
With many of the communities most affected by the economic downturn located near national forests, the ARRA funding is helping put people back to work.
Most of the 12 workers employed in treating the invasive plants along the Cheoah River have been coordinated through the Vocational Opportunities of Cherokee, Inc. They are from the Cherokee and Snowbird communities and are being trained by two crew leaders in the treatment of the non-native plants.
“We have seven species on our list that have been targeted for treatment,” said Lauren Reker, one of the crew leaders for the project. “We have more than 70 acres to treat and we hope to be at least 80 percent effective in our treatment.”
The treatment may seem a little like a drop in the bucket when you consider the number of acres infected by non-native plants like the kudzu-encrusted Nantahala Gorge. However, crew leader Chris Davis said it was important to keep things in perspective.
“If we don’t get a handle on this now we will have the same kinds of problems with other non-native plants as those associated with kudzu,” Davis said.
“Endangered species can be wiped out if we don’t take steps now to protect them. Continued treatment over a three-year period will give native plants time to establish control of an area and reduce the impact of invasive plants.”
