The down and dirty battle against

What do the Norway maple, garlic mustard, English ivy, wild parsnip and burning bush all have in common?

They are invasive species, nonnative plants harmful to the environment, the economy and, in some cases, human health.

The estimated damage in the U.S. from invasive species is $120 billion annually, and a 2012 survey completed by 116 Indiana landowners found they spent over $5.7 million in one year managing invasive species.

These facts and many more were part of a presentation made by Mandi Glanz, regional specialist for State of Indiana Cooperative Invasives Management, at the 83rd annual meeting/banquet of the Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District Feb. 6 at the Geneva Center.

Not only did she enumerate the threats posed by these species, she also provided information on ways to identify and eradicate them, as well as efforts underway statewide and locally to create cooperative invasive species management areas, local working partnerships formed with the goal of managing these species across jurisdictional and landownership boundaries.

“One of our goals is to create CISMAs across all of Indiana in partnership with the Indiana Invasives Initiative,” said Glanz.

Cass and Fulton counties are in the process of creating a CISMA. A meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 18, at the Logansport-Cass County Public Library. This will be followed by a meeting at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 12, at Kewanna-Union Township Public Library.

Fulton County SWCD Director

Megan Malott hopes to see “likeminded people” come together to spread awareness of the problem and “get more native plants in the ground.”

“Invasive plants are negatively affecting everyone. They’re negatively impacting our water quality, our soil health; they’re out-competing native plants; they’re decreasing biodiversity, decreasing wildlife habitat and decreasing wildlife food sources,” said Glanz.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, invasive species have contributed to the decline of 42% of U.S. endangered and threatened species; for 18% of these species. invasives are the main cause of their decline.

Fulton County is no exception.

The Carter blue butterfly, for example, is endangered due to the depletion of the Carter blue caterpillar’s sole food source, wild blue lupine, which is losing habitat to invasives.

Another example is the Carolina chickadee, which depends on native plants to provide insects for their diet. These birds’ broods require 6,000-9,000 caterpillars in a single season, roughly 400 caterpillars per day. A native white oak tree supports over 500 species of moth and butterfly caterpillars. Locally, oak trees are being choked out by Oriental bittersweet, known as the “kudzu of the north,” among other plants.

“Our invasive species are not supporting native moths and but- terflies like our native trees and plants are, so it’s very important for us to have native plants in our yards and in our wild spaces,” stated Glanz.

She went on to emphasize the importance of being able to differentiate between invasive and non-invasive species, which can be tricky and requires some study. Also important is knowing how best to eradicate invasives: what pesticides or other techniques to use and when to use them. The cut stump herbicide method on an invasive tree, for example, should not be done in the spring because rising sap will push out the chemical.

Also, some trees, like the tree of

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