2:00 pm, Dept. of Agriculture Conference Room G8-AHartford, CT
Council members present: Theodore Andreadis, Paul Larson, Richard McAvoy, Tom McGowan, Darryl Newman, John Silander, David Sutherland (via phone), Others present: Ellen Bender, Donna Ellis
1. R. McAvoy called the meeting to order at 2:05 p.m.
2. Approval of Meeting Minutes
The meeting minutes from July 12, 2016 were distributed and reviewed. An arrival time for a council member was added. D. Newman moved (second: P. Larson) to approve as amended. Motion Carried.
3. Updates from Council Members and Others
a. Legislative: Sutherland informed the group that there wasn’t much to add beyond the legislative update that he presented to the IPC in July. There may be a cumulative projected state deficit of $2.7B for the next two years. Council members discussed how some state agencies are handling the current and projected budget deficits, including a reduction in staffing via attrition, hiring freezes, and consolidation of programs.
b. DEEP updates: R. McAvoy shared B. Hyatt’s updates from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) (Please see attached).
i. Herbicide treatments for management of hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) on Coventry Lake were completed by a contractor in August, and no unintended consequences were observed during monitoring of water transparency and other limnological George Knoecklein with Northeast Aquatic Research will resurvey the lake in the fall.
ii. A new population of water chestnut (Trapa natans) was recently discovered in Lake Stibbs in Southbury by DEEP Inland Fisheries field staff. Management options are currently being discussed.
iii. DEEP Wetlands Restoration Biologist Paul Capotosto retired in August, and DEEP is unable to refill this Capotosto supervised the Wetlands Habitat and Mosquito Management Program and also worked many years on phragmites (Phragmites australis) control in Connecticut wetlands.
c. Summer Intern Report: Ellis reported that she worked with UConn senior Kelsey Brennan, who was a summer UConn Extension intern. Brennan assisted with several invasive plant projects, including contacting New England, New York, and New Jersey state agencies to gather and summarize information regarding the spread of invasive plants via fill, topsoil, and compost; researching resources for invasive plant alternatives; updating the statewide giant hogweed database; and tracking herbarium specimens for invasives included on Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) Early Detection and Research lists. Brennan also participated in several invasive plant management work days, obtaining hands-on experience with several terrestrial and aquatic species.
The group discussed creating a document with Best Management Practices (BMP) and other recommendations for invasive plants in Connecticut, which will include Japanese knotweed and other problematic invasives, but it was unclear who would enforce the recommendations and how these additional activities would be funded. The BMPs would serve as an educational document for state agencies and other property owners, with possible funding available from Federal Initiatives. The document could be included in a future IPC Annual Report.
4. Old Business:
Continued Discussion on the Future of the Invasive Plants Council – Operating Without Support: J. Silander discussed the possibility of creating a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which might provide some cash flow to grow for the future. T. McGowan commented that a number of environmental organizations, such as Rivers Alliance of Connecticut and the Connecticut County Conservation Districts are 501(c)(3) organizations. While these types of organizations are prohibited from having lobbyists, they can be very active. McGowan is setting up a meeting with Rivers Alliance to discuss their interest and involvement with a future invasive plant meeting.
R. McAvoy recently met with Mike O’Neill (Associate Dean and Associate Director, UConn Extension) to discuss the involvement of UConn Master Gardeners in invasive plant projects. Master Gardeners need to conduct 30 hours of community service and 30 hours working in the Master Gardener Inquiry Office to complete their certification, and they are looking for opportunities to volunteer. D. Ellis mentioned that she worked with a number of Master Gardener interns on invasive plant projects during the ten years she served as an invasive plant instructor for the program. The interns could attend a training workshop and then acquire the skills to conduct invasive plant educational outreach as well as organize and lead invasive plant work parties. With the recent retirement of the current Master Gardener Program Coordinator Leslie Alexander, McAvoy will contact O’Neill to invite the new Coordinator to the November or January IPC meeting.
D. Ellis, who serves as Chair for the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) Steering Committee will try to arrange a joint meeting with CIPWG and the IPC at The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES), Valley Laboratory in Windsor on March 7, 2017. The purpose of the joint meeting will be to share reports on invasive plant educational outreach and management activities and discuss producing a report on the status of invasive plant issues.
5. New Business
a. R. McAvoy informed the group that he will draft a sample letter for the 2016 IPC Annual Report for the November 15 meeting. The Annual Report will include the summary letter, 2016 meeting minutes, and other attachments. A suggestion was made that the report could include the total number of Connecticut invasive plant records submitted to the Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System (EDDMapS; www.eddmaps.org), although the records will be unverified.
b. T. Andreadis reported that CAES Associate Scientist Greg Bugbee conducted invasive plant surveys in lakes and ponds during 2016. Andreadis will invite Bugbee to attend the next IPC meeting and report on what was found during this year’s surveys.
6. Dates and Announcements
a. CIPWG Symposium: Ellis mentioned the 8th biennial Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) symposium, which will be held on October 11, 2016, at the UConn Storrs campus.
a. Remaining 2016 Meeting: The remaining meeting scheduled for 2016 will take place on Nov 15th.
7. Adjourn