What do your invasive species specialists do during winter weather?

This time of year it is not uncommon to be asked questions like, “What do you do now that the plants are dormant/frozen/covered with snow?”

Understandably, it is assumed that once plants are no longer actively growing there aren’t many, if any, occupational demands or requirements. The truth is, much of the field season undertakings are reliant on efforts made during the “off” season.

In Powell County, for example, we have loaner equipment to winterize as well as evaluate in terms of current and future maintenance requirements. The Weed Board, its county coordinator and the board’s finance administrator have a substantial amount of “paperwork” to process. This work includes, for instance, the previous season’s final invoicing for local contractors as well as federal and state grants and agreements. Not only are we responsible for processing payments and applying for reimbursements, we are tasked with reporting expenditures. There are significant numbers to crunch in terms of plant species and acreages treated, mapping requirements and written descriptions qualifying the efficiency and efficacy of those efforts.

Securing grants and agreements to augment county government funds largely takes place during winter months in the form of researching potential sources and writing and submitting proposals. While county funds are available for use on county-owned and maintained properties such as road right-of-ways, grants and agreements help us manage vegetation on state road ROWs within the county, implement work on public lands within the county and provide cost-share opportunities for private and other non-governmental landowners and land managers.

Examples of current collaborative partnerships that are mutually beneficial in terms of invasive plant management within Powell County include three Montana Department of Transportation agreements, Montana Department of Agriculture Noxious Weed Trust Fund and County Enhancement grants, a Fish, Wildlife & Parks Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program grant, a Bureau of Land Management Invasive and Noxious Plant Management grant and agreements with the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and the Bonneville Power Administration.

Once funding is secured, the planning phase kicks in. This stage involves communicating with landowners, land managers, organizations and agency personnel as well as contractors to develop and establish plans of action that meet the intentions and objectives for each project. Contracts are set and awarded and project meeting and implementation dates and timelines are set.

During this time frame we also participate in and host conferences and seminars to help ourselves and each other maintain governmental, commercial and private applicator licenses. We provide opportunities for required continuing education credits and gather and disseminate current management strategies. Common topics include invasive plant and other non-native species awareness and advances in technology, biological control, conservation and restoration practices and herbicide chemistry.

This time of year, most of us that work in the invasive species arena look forward to those warmer days ahead when we can get out from in front of our computers, away from our desks and back in the field with our boots on the ground and a solid plan of action in place due to those off season efforts.