Curt Deuser
Wednesday, October 15, 2008 - 4:30-5:00
Cooperation is a cornerstone for building sustainable exotic plant management programs allowing for expansion across land units and beyond political boundaries. Collaboration is the way to share resources and to capitalize from strengths of each partner. The National Park Service Exotic Plant Management Teams (EPMT) and other professional weed management entities can be the foundation of the bridge to cooperation and collaboration. Examples of this occur throughout many areas of the country and will be highlighted. It is important to build professional capacity of weed management programs of our land management agencies. Professional weed management teams are a relatively new concept and most have been in existence for less than 10 years. There is great demand to expand and develop this concept beyond its current levels. The Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act in combination with other funding sources has allowed the Lake Mead EPMT to apply this model on an interagency basis by providing exotic plant management support for more than 5 million acres of land. The presence of an EPMT with relatively small base funds can grow through cooperation, collaboration, and sheer demand which eventually can become a pivotal foundation on a regional scale. Weed control research partnering has been an unexpected benefit through collaboration with the USGS and other research entities which promotes best weed treatment methodology and ensures adaptive management practices. There are many funding sources and administrative vehicles in place to further develop professional weed entities.
Keywords: COOPERATION, COLLABORATION, WEED, PROFESSIONAL, EPMT