2:00 pm, Tuesday September 11, 2018

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Valley Laboratory, Windsor, CT

Council members present: Theodore Andreadis, Paul Larson, Richard McAvoy, John Silander, David Sutherland (via phone), Connie Trolle

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

2. Approval of Meeting Minutes

The meeting notes from July 10, 2018, were distributed and reviewed. Notes were recorded rather than minutes from the July meeting due to lack of a quorum, and the meeting notes do not need to be approved. The corrected meeting minutes from February 13, 2018, were distributed and reviewed. C. Trolle moved (second: P. Larson) to approve as corrected. Motion Carried.

3. Updates

a. Legislative: Sutherland informed the group that the state budget situation continues to be very bleak. The elected legislative candidates will be dealing with very uncertain times.

b. CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Update: No report from IPC members.

c. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES): Andreadis told the committee members that the invasive aquatic weed program conducted by Greg Bugbee is in jeopardy. The program had been supported over the years by FirstLight Power, including an $80,000 contract to conduct surveys of Candlewood and other lakes in the state. FirstLight has now contracted with George Knoecklein at Northeast Aquatic Research, LLC to do the survey work. Andreadis will add a technician position into next year’s budget, and remaining funds are available to fund the technician for one year only. C. Trolle will look into this situation to find out whether funding can be restored.

d. UConn: Larson reported that the four Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) sterile cultivars developed and licensed by Dr. Mark Brand at UConn are now available for sale in New York. The sterile cultivars will be sold in CT during the spring of 2019.

4. Old Business

a. Discussion on Draft BMP’s on Handling Fill, Topsoil, and Mulch: McAvoy prepared a draft BMP document to reduce the spread of invasive plant species via fill, topsoil, and mulch. He asked council members to review and comment on the document. Photos and links to other resources can be added to the draft. Some states include stronger language in their documents. Questions arose regarding whether permits would be needed to move the materials and if CT DEEP or another state agency would enforce the permit regulations. Development of the BMP document and enforcement of new guidelines could involve construction and landscape companies. Members were asked to share the draft BMPs with other organizations for review and comment, such as the Connecticut Association of Conservation and Inland Wetlands Commissions (CACIWC). A suggestion was made to bring in CT Department of Transportation (DOT) staff to discuss the document. D. Ellis will contact a DOT staff member to invite them to the November 13 IPC meeting.

C. Trolle mentioned that a permit was required to remove the invasive aquatic plant fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana) from Bantam Lake, and the plants had to be covered during a 5-mile transport for disposal.

b. Department of Agriculture (DoAg) Invasive Plants Council Representative: McAvoy contacted the Commissioner of the CT Department of Agriculture in July to find out who the replacement would be for Katherine Winslow, who retired. He spoke with the Chief of Staff, who replied that the matter was to be McAvoy followed up in August and was told that there was a miscommunication of whether the DoAg needed to have a representative on the IPC. The Chief of Staff did respond back that Stephen Anderson will be the new representative, and he has been in touch with McAvoy. McAvoy shared a letter from Commissioner Reviczky appointing Anderson to the Council.

5. New Business

a. Invasive Plant Website: Ellis mentioned the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) webmaster Kristen Ponak, who posts IPC meeting minutes, meeting dates, Annual Reports, and other council-related business. The group asked who would be continuing to support the IPC after Ellis retires in 2019. Support for the webmaster (typically 4 hours per week) is provided from the biennial CIPWG symposia budget.

b. Coordination with CIPWG: The Connecticut Invasive Plant list is reviewed by council members each year. The current list shows a date of November 2014, which Ellis mentioned causes confusion by those who use the list and inquire about an updated list. Ellis asked the group if the date of the list could be changed to October 2018, as a copy of the list will be provided to attendees of the October 4, 2018 CIPWG Invasive Plant The group approved updating each year the date only on the Connecticut Invasive Plant list (motion by C. Trolle; seconded by P. Larson).

R. McAvoy discussed future goals working with CIPWG after Ellis retires. The CIPWG Steering Committee will meet during late fall or early winter, and McAvoy and J. Silander will be invited to speak about the possible formation of an invasive plant nonprofit [501(c)(3)] organization. Silander commented that it may be possible to maintain both CIPWG and a nonprofit if a UConn employee can oversee the CIPWG website and list serve as well as assist with CIPWG coordination.

c. Annual Report: McAvoy requested agencies and organizations to prepare summaries for the IPC annual report.

d. Other:

i. Ohio Prohibited Noxious Weeds: McAvoy distributed a list of Prohibited Noxious Weeds from Ohio for discussion. He pointed out that yellow groove bamboo (Phyllostachys aureasulcata) was on the list.

ii. Mugwort: The group will put an agenda item on the list for 2019 to discuss prohibiting mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), which would require a change in the Connecticut Statutes.

6. Announcements

a. J. Silander told the group that he spoke with Senator Chris Murphy, who was supportive of the bipartisan bill to establish the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, which would provide $1.3B per year for conservation programs, including state efforts to manage invasive species. An effort is underway to try to obtain funds for invasives in Connecticut. John will continue to communicate on this topic.

b. Trolle received a Proclamation for Lake Awareness from the Governor. State Senator Craig Miner, Co-Chair of the Environment Committee and another committee member participated in a boat trip on Candlewood Lake. The legislators were asked to support funding for invasive weeds, incorporate lower impact regulations, and have a CT DEEP staff member with which to discuss these issues. Trolle told the group that the proposed license plate was approved, but they want to make it a revenue source for DEEP.

7. Dates

a. Invasive Plant Symposium, Oct. 4: Ellis provided an update on the CIPWG symposium, which will be held on October 4, 2018, at the UConn Student Union in Storrs. Registration is underway, and a large group of attendees is anticipated at the all-day event.

b. Final IPC Meeting for November 13: McAvoy discussed the November 13 IPC meeting as well as the dates and format for future meetings. The meetings could be held in person or via Zoom video conferencing.

8. Adjourn

The meeting adjourned at 3:35 p.m.