Invasives and the Corps World: Movement, Methods, and Mayhem
Dan McLendon1*, Dave Bastian2*
1American Conservation Experience, Judith Gap, MT
2American Conservation Experience, Grand Junction, CO
It’s said that a weed is simply a plant out of place. But as the climate changes, land managers are forced to explore alternative management tools for the explosion of existing and new invasive plant populations. Invasive plants that were once the sole problem of southern climates are moving north and west while limiting geographical and climatological boundaries dissipate. Conservation Corps sit in a unique and advantageous place for land managers; we have teams working everywhere. Programs like American Conservation Experience (ACE), and other large, regional and local programs, have provided decades of invasive weed management and riparian restoration. In this presentation we will dive into the history of Corps Programs, where in the region we are located, and how Corps can help public lands managers tackle restoration (and other) projects. From crews running chainsaws and applying herbicide to interns tackling weed mapping and monitoring; Conservation Corps programs have become an essential resource in the invasive plant management and riparian restoration world for public land management agencies.