Get Bent!

Monsanto and Scotts are petitioning the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to deregulate a genetically engineered cultivar of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera). The grass has been engineered to be resistant to the herbicide glyphosate. While often used as a turfgrass and for erosion control, creeping bentgrass is a non-native species considered a weed in many areas, and known to hybridize with many native and non-native Agrostis species in the U.S. APHIS, which has already done a preliminary risk assessment (.pdf file), is approaching this request for deregulation cautiously, and asking people to comment on the proposal by March 5th. This is Docket # 03-101-1 in the Federal Register, with a citation of 69 FR 315-317. After the comment period is closed, APHIS will publish a summary document and decide whether or not to approve the petition.

Squirreled Away?

Officials in England are so concerned about dwindling populations of red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), they are considering euthanizing grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis). As reported by BBC News, Lake District National Park is the last stand of the endangered reds, who have been outcompeted and exposed to disease by the American greys. You can read about a previous unsuccessful attempt to control grey squirrel populations here.

Calling All Yachtsmen

The International Sailing Federation has posted an article on their website about proposed guidelines for ballast water exchange. Their hope is to get approval for these guidelines, which are designed for ships less than 50 meters in length, from the International Maritime Organization. They are currently seeking comments from yacht owners and builders, asking that they be submitted before an IMO meeting on February 9th. Links to the guidelines and associated documents can be found at the bottom of the page.

I don't buy that

From the Protect Your Waters website comes this blurb about a market, near Chicago, Illinois, that is selling live big head carp (Aristichthys nobilis), along with other less invasive items such as plantains. From that page you can click on a link to see the ad for yourself (.pdf file). Unfortunately, Chicago is not the only place in the Great Lakes neighborhood where you can buy live big heads - see this previous ISW post to read about a similar situation in Ottawa.

Beach Bummer

The Kihei Community Association, sick of dealing with huge mounds of algae covering the Waipuilani Beach Reserve in Maui, Hawaii, has just received a $250,000 EPA grant to develop an effective seaweed control. As reported in The Honolulu Advertiser, the beach is having a particular problem with Hypnea musciformis, a non-native seaweed that is thought to have been introduced in a failed attempt at cultivation back in the 1970s. The Maui County government has purchased a modified potato-digging machine, known as a "beach master," and will also use some of the grant money to pay for dump trucks to haul the seaweed away. The mechanical control has been successful, but scientists are also paying attention to elevated nutrient levels in the water, as the potential cause of the massive increase in seaweed growth.

Resilience

From The Straits Times comes this story about the primary forests of Singapore. Researchers have shown that the tiny tracts of land, all that remains of the old-growth, have remained surprisingly resilient to non-native plants, perhaps because of the limited light under the dense forest canopy. The only significant invader so far has been Koster's curse (Clidemia hirta), but scientists note that it is definitely not thriving.

Talks 'til you're blue in the face

Whether you are charged with caring for invasive-infested land, or preparing your invasive species thesis project, you'll want to check out the USDA's Invasive Species Conference Calendar. The list is long, with 3-4 conferences scheduled every month through 2004, and can be searched by year or by location. If you would like to publicize your own conference, there is an email link at the top of their page.