Protecting the Sierra Nevada from Invasive Plants: Incorporating Climate Adaptation into Wildland Weed Management

 

 

Speakers:

Doug Johnson, Executive Director, and Elizabeth Brusati, Sr. Scientist (California Invasive Plant Council), LeeAnne Mila, Deputy Agricultural Commissioner (El Dorado County Agriculture Dept.), Ed King, Deputy Agricultural Commissioner (Placer County Agriculture Dept.), Joel Trumbo, Sr. Environmental Scientist (California Dept. of Fish & Wildlife)

Presentation Summary:

California's Sierra Nevada mountain range is valued for its wildlife habitat and natural beauty as well as its timber resources and role in the state’s water supply. Due to its remoteness and climatic extremes, the Sierra has been less affected by invasive plants than most other areas of the state. With increasing development and recreational pressures as well as a warming climate, this is changing. Local organizations across the region teamed with the nonprofit California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) to develop strategic priorities for addressing the spread of invasive plants at the landscape level with targeted management projects. Supporting ecological resiliency to climate change is a fundamental objective of this effort, and was integrated into project design. We present the invasive plant management work in the Sierra, and draw lessons about how practitioners can integrate climate resiliency into their projects.