Council members present: Theodore Andreadis, William Hyatt, Paul Larson, Darryl Newman, John Silander, David Sutherland

Others present: Ellen Bender, Donna Ellis

1. Hyatt called the meeting to order at 2:10 p.m.

2. Review and Approval of the July 11, 2017, Minutes

The meeting minutes from July 11, 2017, were distributed and reviewed. T. Andreadis moved (second: P. Larson) to approve with minor editorial corrections to be made. Motion Carried.

3. Updates

a. Legislative (David Sutherland)

b. DEEP (Bill Hyatt)

c. Summary of June Invasive Species Risk Assessment Workshop (Silander)

d. Others?

4. Annual Report Letter: Gathering information and timeline

5. Old business:

a. Council replacement for T McGowan

b. Policy on Spread of Invasive Species via Fill, Topsoil, Mulch, etc.: Council members discussed the development of a Best Management Practices (BMP) guide to reduce the spread of invasives via fill, topsoil, and mulch. Absent of a policy, the document could include basic guidelines to minimize impacts of invasive plants. Newman commented that there was a focus during the legislative session on quality of packaged topsoil. W. Hyatt asked if former Invasive Plant Coordinator Logan Senack addressed BMPs during training sessions he conducted for CT Department of Transportation (DOT) staff. D. Ellis commented that Senack may have included information in PowerPoint presentations, but she was not aware of a BMP document produced. Ellis mentioned that other northeastern states were contacted in 2016 to find out if BMPs or policies were developed, and a summary was provided to council members in September 2016. Discussion on this topic will be ongoing. J. Silander suggested that the 2017 IPC Annual Report should include language that there is clearly a need to address this issue in Connecticut.

c. Subcommittee for Policy on Cultivars of Invasive Species (Donna Ellis & the Case of Artemisia vulgaris): Ellis discussed a communication with a UConn graduate student regarding variegated mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) encountered in a garden during the 2017 summer. The student inquired whether this plant is sold in the state and if it is a concern. Larson commented that he was not familiar with a variegated form and that it is not carried in Connecticut. Mugwort is listed as Invasive on the CT Invasive Plant List but is not a prohibited species. Further discussion could take place if future observations of the variegated form of mugwort are reported.

(D. Sutherland [2:17 p.m.) arrived.)

6. New business:

a. Meeting schedule for 2018

7. Announcements:

8. Adjourn