SEWISC Team delivers data to our local roadway managers

John Lewis, Jennifer Rothstein and Alex Rothstein meet with Ozaukee County Highway Department Staff to discuss long-term management of invasive species along roadsides.A team of three committed representatives is meeting with southeastern Wisconsin roadside maintenance crews to deliver location and population size data for five invasive species which were recently mapped through the efforts of more than 150 volunteers. Wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) was mapped by citizen scientists in 2012 while common and cut-leaved teasel (Dipsacus sylvestris and D. laciniatus), common reed grass (Phragmites australis) and Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) populations were the target of 2011 efforts.

With the aid of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding through the Environmental Protection Agency, the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust (OWLT) has partnered with SEWISC to schedule meetings with key representatives in more than 100 cities, towns and villages in Washington, Sheboygan, Ozaukee, Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha Counties.

The SEWISC Board of Directors is pleased to announce the recruitment of three highly-qualified representatives, John Lewis, Jennifer Rothstein and Alex Rothstein, who are dedicated to the task before them. In addition to the mapped data, this team will deliver basic invasive species educational presentations along with draft long-term management plans. Each local government will be asked to adopt a final version of the plan and develop an annual budget for managing roadside invasive plants. The budgets will be used to help secure funding assistance if needed.

Volunteer surveyors will be notified of the meetings scheduled in their mapping areas and we hope that many will attend to support our efforts and encourage the control of these problematic species by their local roadway managers.

As part of this project, OWLT will also prioritize and begin contacting private landowners concerning populations which were mapped by our volunteers on those properties, beyond the road right-of-way. Management assistance will be offered to those landowners.

OWLT funding is also available for controlling populations of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and lyme grass (Leymus arenarius). Please report locations of lyme grass and purple loosestrife to: Mike Hoffer at: .