_BBC CPA Application 2016_Complete.pdf 1
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROJECT APPLICATION COVER SHEET
I: Project Information
Project Title:
Control of Invasive Plants in the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area
Project Summary:
Funding is requested to provide the Broad Brook Coalition (BBC) with the resources
to continue its efforts to control and eliminate certain invasive plant species from the
Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area (FLCA) that threaten to damage critical habitats
essential to the health of native wildlife and plants. The main targets of this project
are (1) spotted and brown knapweeds (Centaurea maculosa and Centaurea jacea)
on the dam and in Cooke’s Pasture, (2) glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) in
Cooke's Pasture, and (3) black swallow-wort (Cynanchum louiseae) in Cooke's
Pasture.
Estimated start date: _June 2016_ Estimated completion date: September 2018__
CPA Program Area (check all that apply):
X Open Space Historic Preservation
Community Housing Recreation
II: Applicant/Developer Information
Contact Person and or/primary applicant: Robert Zimmermann
Property Owner (if applicable): Northampton Conservation Commission
Organization (if applicable): Broad Brook Coalition
Mailing Address: 549 North Farms Road, Florence, MA 01062
Daytime phone #: (413) 585-0405 Fax #: N/A
E-mail address & Website: raz@umass.edu, www.broadbrookcoalition.org
III: Budget Summary
Total budget for project: $12,800
CPA funding request: $12,800
CPA request as percentage of total budget: 100%
Applicant’s Signature: ____________________________
Date Submitted: __February 8, 2016______________________ ____
2
CONTROL OF INVASIVE PLANTS IN
THE FITZGERALD LAKE CONSERVATION AREA
NARRATIVE
Project Summary
Broad Brook Coalition (BBC) requests funding to continue its efforts to control and eliminate
certain invasive plant species from the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area (FLCA) that threaten
to damage critical habitats essential to the health of native wildlife and plants. The main targets
of this project are (1) spotted and brown knapweeds (Centaurea maculosa and Centaurea
jacea) on the dam and in Cooke’s Pasture, (2) glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus) in Cooke's
Pasture, and (3) black swallow-wort (Cynanchum louiseae), also in Cooke's Pasture. Smaller
amounts of common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), exotic
honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.), autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) and multflora rose (Rosa
multiflora) will be treated along with the primary targets.
Background
The Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area is owned by the Northampton Conservation
Commission and managed by the Broad Brook Coalition, a 501(c)(3) organization of roughly
200 individuals and families, in collaboration with the Conservation Commission, for the purpose
of conservation, passive recreation, and watershed protection. The FLCA presently consists of
852 acres and contains forest, open meadow, and wetland habitats as well as a 40-acre artificial
lake. The responsibilities of the BBC include trail maintenance and improvement, invasive
species control, native shrub planting, pasture mowing and periodic water quality analysis, as
well as presentation of a series of educational Walks and Talks.
Community Preservation Criteria
The goal of work described in this application is to preserve the native habitat of specific areas
of the FLCA by controlling the proliferation of several species of invasive plants as well as to
discourage their resurgence in the future through periodic monitoring. All of the plant targets
described in this proposal are invasive and will cause significant injury to the health of native
plant and animal habitats within the FLCA if left unchecked. Progress on the control of invasive
plants in the FLCA, mainly funded by previous grants from the CPA, is summarized below.
It is important to note that the entire FLCA is listed as "Core Habitat" by the Massachusetts
Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program and the marsh below the dam is designated
as "Priority and Estimated Habitat" owing to the presence of at least five state-listed plant and
animal species. In addition, the marsh is regularly used by beavers, otters, deer, moose and a
variety of birds such as red-wing blackbirds, marsh wrens, kingfishers, rails and herons.
Realization of this project will help to improve and preserve the health of Northampton's premier
wildlife conservation area which may otherwise deteriorate due to the proliferation of invasive
plant species. The Allowable Use Category is Preservation of Open Space and the control and
removal of invasive plants from the FLCA is a goal incorporated into the current Northampton
Open Space and Recreation Plan. Community support for the project is documented in the
attached letters. Given the well-defined scope of this project, we believe that the invasive plants
discussed in this proposal can be suppressed to 2-5% of their original prevalence within the
time frame and budget described below.
3
Control of invasive plants in the FLCA, 2009-2015
Since 2009, BBC has carried out a sustained effort to control a number of invasive plants in the
FLCA. Annual hand removal of garlic mustard, multiflora rose, Japanese knotweed and several
other exotics along the path from the North Farms Road entrance to the bridge-over-the-brook
has significantly reduced their prevalence, In addition, twice yearly forays onto Fitzgerald Lake
to harvest water chestnut by hand have kept this highly invasive aquatic plant at bay. For the
control of other invasves, it has been necessary to rely on herbicide treatment, largely carried
out by Polatin Ecological Services with funding from the Community Preservation Act.
• Four stands of common reed (Phragmites australis) comprising roughly one acre within a
one-mile stretch of the Broad Brook below the Fitzgerald Lake dam have been successfully
treated with Rodeo, a glyphosate-based herbicide specifically compounded for safe use in
aquatic environments. One stand has been eradicated, two others show a very small
amount of re-growth which has been suppressed by spot treatment each year, and a fourth
is currently undergoing treatment, with good results after two years of herbicide application.
Treated areas have been largely re-vegetated by native plants, especially cattails.
• Spotted and brown knapweeds (Centaurea maculosa and Centaurea jacea), which
heavily infested the dam and Cooke's Pasture, have been knocked back by over 95%
through targeted treatment with Milestone and Garlon 3A. Milkweed is now thriving in one
area of the dam that was virtually a monoculture of knapweed at the outset of our
campaign. Because knapweeds produce prolific amounts of seed, which are easily
dispersed and persist in the soil for many years, close monitoring and spot herbicide
treatment will be required in the future to keep these plants under good control.
• Ten years ago, glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus), and to a lesser extent common
buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), threatened to take over large portions of Cooke's Pasture.
Annual treatment of these plants with Garlon 3A and Escort XP reduced their prevalence by
roughly 90%, though new shoots reappear each year owing to their extensive and
persistent root system. Moreover, we discovered that a substantial number of mature
glossy buckthorn trees in the wooded buffer between Cooke's Pasture and the Broad Brook
marsh were serving as an abundant source of seeds. Accordingly, some of the mature
buckthorns were cut down In fall 2011 and their stumps treated with Garlon 4 (triclopyr) to
suppress further growth. Unfortunately, we have recently realized that there are many more
mature buckthorn trees in the buffer zone that must be eliminated before we can reach a
suppression level of 95% or greater.
• A small patch of black swallow-wort (Cynanchum louiseae) was discovered in Cooke's
Pasture a few years ago. While treating knapweed and buckthorn, PES crews also treated
black swallow-wort with herbicide in 2014 and 2015 and collected seeds from mature plants
for destruction. We are nonetheless concerned that sufficient seed has been dispersed to
maintain a swallow-wort infestation in this locale. A few black-swallow-wort plants have also
been removed by hand from a City right-of-way between Rick Drive and Mountain Street.
• A significant stand of Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) in a small portion of the
FLCA off Marian Street has been treated with Rodeo for three years. Dead plants and other
debris have been removed and two dozen native shrubs were planted in the lot in spring
2014 to improve its appearance. The shrubs are doing well and the knotweed that regrew in
summer 2015 was severely stunted. We anticipate that we will be able to control any
residual knotweed growth by hand in the future.
4
Proposal: Continuing Efforts to Control of Invasive Plants in the FLCA
Our plans for 2016-2018 focus on further suppression of glossy buckthorn in Cooke's Pasture
and its periphery, of black swallow-wort in Cooke's Pasture, and of spotted and brown
knapweeds in Cooke's Pasture and on the Fitzgerald Lake dam. Although a weed-free FLCA
would be ideal, we recognize that invasive plants will persist and that a more realistic goal is to
contain present infestations to the lowest level possible and to prevent their spread to currently
uninfested portions of the conservation area. Owing to work performed over the past 6-7 years,
we no longer have the dense concentrations of invasive plants in Cooke's Pasture and adjoining
areas that we noted at the outset. Rather, they are now dispersed, requiring the selective
targeting of individual invasive plants in a background of native plants. Polatin Ecological
Services (PES), which has carried out most of this work, has proved to be very adept at limiting
herbicide treatment to target plants without causing collateral damage to surrounding grasses,
flowers and native shrubs. We therefore propose to continue to our relationship with PES in
pursuing the proposed work.
1. Glossy buckthorn in Cooke's Pasture. Glossy buckthorn is an aggressive invasive shrub that
leafs out early in the growing season and shades out adjacent native plants. It can easily
become a monoculture that adversely alters the ecology of pastureland if not treated.
Suppression of glossy buckthorn is challenging not only because it establishes an extensive
root system which can give rise to new sprouts if not completely eliminated, but also because of
the dispersal of seed from nearby untreated plants by birds and other wildlife. Continued
suppression of glossy buckthorn in the pasture will be carried out by targeted application of the
herbicides Garlon 3A (triclopyr) and Milestone (aminopyralid) twice each summer for the next
three years. These herbicides are selective for woody vegetation but will not affect grasses.
2. Glossy buckthorn in the forested perimeter of Cooke's Pasture. Four years ago, it became
evident that mature glossy buckthorn trees growing in the ~9-acre forested buffer zone between
Cooke's Pasture and the Broad Brook marsh provide an abundant source of seeds that can
spread and give rise to new buckthorn growth in the pasture. In late 2011, a number of mature
glossy buckthorns in the forested periphery adjacent to one lobe of the pasture were cut down
and their stumps treated with Garlon 4 (triclopyr) to suppress further growth. This proved to be
only the tip of the iceberg, as many more mature buckthorns have been identified in the
periphery of all three pasture lobes (see map in the attached PES proposal). This winter, PES
will cut down some of the remaining large buckthorn trees in the buffer zone with funding from a
soon-to-expire CPA contract and from BBC. Thereafter, smaller buckthorns, along with other
invasives such as bittersweet, exotic honeysuckle, autumn olive and multiflora rose within the
buffer zone, will be suppressed by ultra-low-volume application of Garlon 3A and Milestone
twice in 2016 with a follow-up treatment in 2018.
3. Spotted and brown knapweeds. Knapweeds readily crowd out native grasses and thereby
reduce native plant biodiversity. Previous herbicide treatment has greatly reduced the
prevalence of knapweeds on the Fitzgerald Lake dam and in Cooke's Pasture. The challenge in
knapweed control stems mainly from their prolific seed production. In dense stands, the seed
yield has been estimated at close to 150,000 seeds per square meter and 30% of the seed has
been found to remain viable after eight years of soil burial. Knapweed infestations must
therefore be treated over a long period of time in such a way that any given year's plants are
eradicated prior to seed maturation and release. In the next three years, knapweeds will be
targeted for foliar spraying with Garlon 3A and Milestone twice each summer from 2016 to 2018.
5
4. Black swallow-wort. Black-swallow-wort is an invasive vine that can compete with native
vegetation, replacing grasses, goldenrod and milkweed by monotypic mats and negatively
impacting insects and animals such as turtles and birds that depend upon a healthy grassland
or shrubland habitat. A small patch of black swallow-wort was discovered in the central lobe of
Cooke's Pasture in 2012. Sporadic herbicide treatment has failed to prevent this plant from
going to seed and the infestation has expanded over the past four years. A systematic effort to
eradicate black swallow-wort will be made through twice-annual herbicide treatment, and if
feasible seed pod collection, over the next three years.
5. Phragmites. We believe that control of Phragmites in the Broad Brook marsh is approaching
a satisfactory level. Of the three original stands, one has been eradicated and the two others
exhibit very little re-growth. A fourth stand has responded well to two years of herbicide
treatment and will be treated again in 2016 under a separate CPA contract. Although all treated
areas must be monitored annually for the re-emergence of Phragmites, surveillance and spot
treatment in the Broad Brook marsh the will become the responsibility of BBC in the future
unless there is a major re-infestation.
6. Japanese knotweed. Japanese knotweed on the Marian Street lot has been knocked back
significantly but will need to be monitored closely in the coming years. Here again, annual
surveillance will be carried out by BBC and residual plants will be dug out and disposed of
appropriately. Should further herbicide treatment be required, BBC will hire a licensed applicator
using its own resources.
7. Invasive plants bordering Boggy Meadow Road. A survey carried out in summer 2015
revealed that the margins of Boggy Meadow Road harbored a number of invasive plants such
as bittersweet, multiflora rose and winged euonymous, BBC plans to organize at least one
volunteer workday this coming summer to get a start on removing them by hand.
If BBC has learned anything from its invasive plant program over the past several years, it is
that we can never completely eliminate invasive plants from the FLCA. Rather than speaking of
eradication, we must generally settle for "control," "suppression" or "removal." Beyond the three-
year perspective of this proposal, visual monitoring and hand removal of re-emergent invasive
plants by BBC volunteers, or herbicide treatment by a licensed applicator, will be required to
minimize renewed infestation by these plants.
6
PROJECT BUDGET
Full funding of the proposed project is requested from the Community Preservation Act.
Alternative sources of funding that the BBC has previously called upon are no longer available.
Year 1 (2016)
Initial treatment of invasive plants in pasture buffer zone and of $ 2,500
swallow-wort in pasture
First treatment of buckthorn and knapweeds in pasture and dam 1,500
Second treatment of buckthorn, knapweeds & swallow-wort in pasture 600
Follow-up treatment of invasive plants in pasture buffer zone 1,500
Total: $ 6,100
Year 2 (2017)
Treatment of swallow-wort in pasture $ 250
First treatment of buckthorn and knapweeds in pasture and dam 2,500
Second treatment of buckthorn, knapweeds & swallow-wort in pasture 600
Total $ 3,350
Year 3 (2018)
Treatment of swallow-wort in pasture $ 250
First treatment of buckthorn and knapweeds in pasture, pasture buffer 2,500
zone and dam
Second treatment of buckthorn, knapweeds & swallow-wort in pasture 600
Total $ 3,350
Request for CPA Funds $12,800
MULTI-YEAR FUNDING
Scope of project is three years, with 48% of expenditures in first year, 26% of expenditures in
second year and 26% of expenditures in third year.
PROJECT TIMELINE
Control of invasive plants in Cooke's Pasture buffer zone
Year 1: Plants will be individually sprayed with appropriate herbicide in June and August
Year 3: Follow-up herbicide treatment in July
Control of glossy buckthorn in Cooke's Pasture
Year 1: Plants will be individually sprayed with appropriate herbicide in July and August
Year 2: Follow-up herbicide treatment in July and August
Year 3: Follow-up herbicide treatment in July and August
7
Control of spotted and brown knapweeds in Cooke's Pasture and on Fitzgerald Lake dam
Year 1: Plants will be individually sprayed with appropriate herbicide in July and August
Year 2: Follow-up herbicide treatment in July and August
Year 3: Follow-up herbicide treatment in July and August
Control of black swallow-wort in Cooke's Pasture
Year 1: Plants will be individually treated with appropriate herbicide in June and August
Year 2: Follow-up herbicide treatment in June and August
Year 3: Follow-up herbicide treatment in June and August
FEASIBILITY
Permits required for the application of herbicides in wetland areas will be obtained with the
assistance of the Northampton Office of Planning and Sustainability.
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
The contractor for this work is required to be licensed to offer invasive plant control services in
Massachusetts, including herbicide applicateion, and to be fully insured for liability and
Worker's Compensation.
ATTACHMENTS
Proposal from Polatin Ecological Services, LLC
Letters of Support (attached or to follow)
Sarah LaValley, Conservation, Preservation and Land Use Planner, City of Northampton
Kevin Lake, Chairman, Northampton Conservation Commission
Laurie Sanders, Naturalist
Tom Bassett, Northampton resident and frequent FLCA visitor
Polatin Ecological Services, LLC
Habitat Restoration & Management of Natural Areas
Polatin Ecological Services, LLC 413-367-5292
P.O. Box 511 732-474-9757 fax
Turners Falls, Massachusetts 01376
January 30th, 2016
Robert Zimmermann
Broad Brook Coalition
549 North Farms Road
Florence, MA 01062
RE: Proposal for Phase 2 Invasive Plant Management within Cooke’s Pasture at
Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area, Northampton, MA.
Listed below is an estimated budget for services associated with conducting invasive
plant management activities within the Cooke’s Pasture area (7-acres). I conducted a site
visit on 1/8/2016 to assess the site conditions that inform this proposal. A map has been
prepared to represent my observations and accompany this proposal (Figure 1).
In this proposal we seek to continue work begun in 2012 within Cooke’s Pasture to foliar
spot spray spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa), brown knapweed (Centaurea jacea)
and glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus). We also suggest enlarging the management area
to include an 8.7-acre forested buffer zone between Cooke’s Pasture and the wetland
marsh which provides refuge for glossy buckthorn, honeysuckle, multiflora rose and
bittersweet. Our goal in treating the buffer zone is to prevent invasive plant seeds from
becoming established and spreading back into the meadow habitat which I suspect has
been happening to some extent.
A small patch of black swallowwort was observed in 2012 which has received some
limited treatment over the years in tandem with our annual site visits to treat other
invasive plants. This time frame has been too late to prevent swallowwort seed
production and therefore we have not been successful at eradicating swallowwort from
the meadow. My observation is that the swallowwort has spread a bit outside of its
obfhgserved location in 2012 (Figure 1), but is definitely controllable with the effort and
timing proposed in this proposal (June and August foliar treatments). Please note that
swallowwort eradication can take 5 years so may need additional work after the proposed
contract period.
Methods Summary
Foliar spray application
Within forested field buffer zone: For invasive shrubs <5’ tall and/or with stems < 1”
diameter and low-growing bittersweet vines within upland, wetland, sensitive and non-
sensitive areas, we will conduct a foliar spray herbicide application using the ultra-low-
volume Thinvert application system. For more information on this system, visit
http://www.arborchem.com/library/THINVERT_Nov-Dec2014_UAN.pdf.
Broad Brook Coalition
Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area: Cooke’s Pasture
Proposal for Invasive Plant Control
2
Within meadow habitat: We will use a solution of Garlon 3A (triclopyr—EPA Reg. No.
62719- 37) and Milestone at the labeled 5-7 ounces per acre rate for knapweeds
(aminopyralid—EPA Reg. No. 62719-519) to foliar spray the target invasive species with
hand pumped backpack sprayers.
We will carefully observe weather and wind conditions to assure a successful treatment.
Wind speeds shall be calm (less than 10 mph) and there will be no rain forecast for the
day of application.
Figure 1. Proposed invasive plant management project areas in and around Cooke’s
Pasture within Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Land.
Broad Brook Coalition
Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area: Cooke’s Pasture
Proposal for Invasive Plant Control
3
Proposed Services
2016
Task 1. June 2016. Crew of 4 will use backpack sprayers to foliar treat invasive
plants within the 8.7-acre field buffer zone. Black swallowwort will also be
treated at this time. $2,500.00
Task 2. July 2016. Crew of 4 will use backpack sprayers to foliar treat knapweeds
and buckthorn within the three lobes of Cooke’s Pasture. $1,500.00
Task 3. August 2016. Crew of 2 will use backpack sprayers to foliar treat missed
knapweeds and buckthorn and to target black swallowwort. $600.00
Task 4. Late August 2016. Crew of 3 will use backpack sprayers to foliar treat
invasive plants within the 8.7-acre field buffer zone. $1,500.00
2016 Total = $6,100.00
2017
Task 5. June 2017. One crew member will target black swallowwort for a foliar
application. $250.00
Task 6. July 2017. Crew of 4 will use backpack sprayers to foliar treat knapweeds
and buckthorn. $2,500.00
Task 7. August 2017. Crew of 2 will use backpack sprayers to foliar treat missed
knapweeds and buckthorn and to target black swallowwort. $600.00
2017 Total = $3,350.00
2018
Task 8. June 2018. One crew member will target black swallowwort for a foliar
application. $250.00
Task 9. July 2018. Crew of 4 will use backpack sprayers to foliar treat fields and
forested buffer. $2,500.00
Task 10. July 2018 Crew of 2 will use backpack sprayers to foliar treat missed
knapweeds and buckthorn and to treat black swallowwort. $600.00
2017 Total = $3,350.00
Total estimated budget for the entire scope of work is $12,800.00
Broad Brook Coalition
Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area: Cooke’s Pasture
Proposal for Invasive Plant Control
4
Success Criteria
Forested Buffer Zone
Objective: 95% invasive plant control resulting from 2016 & 2017 series of treatments;
and 99% control resulting from 2018 follow-up treatment. We will establish baseline
vegetation monitoring plots prior to management work and will monitor the results of the
project after the final follow-up application in 2017 to make sure the project has been
completed to our standards. Our work is guaranteed to meet the stated success criteria.
Stewardship & Maintenance
Successful invasive plant management requires a serious ongoing commitment to protect
your investment in this project. Invasive plant seeds can be reintroduced by to the project
area by way of wind, birds, and other animals. To keep invasive plants out of the area for
the long-term it will be necessary to monitor the area by scouting for new patches and
individual plants even after the three years of treatment. Particular source areas will need
to be visited and maintained regularly. Source areas may include roadsides, abutters,
disturbed areas and openings, field or stream edges and trails.
If you have any questions, please call me at 413-367-5292 or email me at
chris@polatineco.com.
Thank you,
Chris Polatin
Habitat Restoration Specialist
We maintain the following insurance policies:
• General liability
• Workers compensation
• Auto
We have a crew of six licensed herbicide applicators who are experienced in using
herbicides safely and judiciously in a targeted manner, and who are thoroughly trained in
invasive and native plant identification.
A
Natural
Focus
LLC
56
Montague
Road
Westhampton,
MA
01027
February
6,
2016
Community
Preservation
Committee
c/o
Sarah
LaValley
City
Hall
Main
Street
Northampton,
MA
01060
Dear
Ms.
LaValley
and
Members
of
the
CPC,
I
am
writing
in
support
of
the
Broad
Brook
Coalition’s
application
for
$12,800
to
begin
a
3-‐year
control
effort
to
suppress
the
growth
and
spread
of
half
a
dozen
of
the
most
invasive,
introduced
plants
known
to
occur
within
the
Fitzgerald
Lake
Conservation
Area
(FLCA).
The
unchecked
spread
of
these
invasive,
introduced
plant
species
in
Cooke’s
Pasture
threatens
to
reduce
the
area’s
biological
diversity,
degrade
wildlife
habitat,
impair
recreational
opportunities,
and
negatively
impact
the
known
habitat
of
at
least
one
state
endangered
species.
In
the
absence
of
control,
no
crystal
ball
is
needed.
Based
on
other
sites
in
the
Commonwealth
and
in
Northampton,
we
know
that
the
targeted
species
will
spread
and
proliferate.
But
here’s
why
investing
in
this
area
makes
even
more
sense.
Based
on
my
survey
of
all
of
the
city’s
conservation
lands
in
2014-‐2015,
one
of
the
things
that
distinguishes
the
FLCA
from
most
of
the
city’s
other
conservation
areas
is
that
the
vast
majority
of
FLCA’s
forested
uplands
are—so
far-‐-‐
free
of
non-‐native
plants.
When
non-‐
native,
introduced
plants
are
present,
they
are
found
in
wetland
areas
(particularly
along
the
margins),
in
formerly
disturbed
sites
(old
fields
and
pastures,
e.g.
Cooke’s
Pasture),
and
along
roadside
edges
and
trails.
As
the
application
reveals,
controlling
invasive
plant
species
is
not
new
to
BBC’s
leadership.
They
have
been
at
it
for
years,
not
only
as
volunteers,
but
also
working
with
Chris
Polatin
and
his
staff
on
other
problematic
invasives.
Chris’s
firm,
meanwhile,
earns
high
marks
with
conservation
groups
throughout
western
Massachusetts,
not
only
for
its
environmentally-‐conscious
approach
to
the
use
of
herbicides,
but
also
for
its
commitment
to
selecting
the
best
method
of
control,
i.e.
the
most
effective
herbicide,
at
the
most
appropriate
concentration,
at
the
best
time
of
the
season,
under
the
right
weather
conditions,
with
the
best
methods
(cut
&
paint,
foliar
application,
etc).
In
my
estimation,
another
strength
of
this
application
is
that
the
plan
makes
sense.
It
is
not
pie-‐in-‐the-‐sky,
but
a
clear-‐eyed
view
of
the
amount
of
effort
that
will
be
required
to
seriously
knock
back
the
selected
invaders
in
Cooke’s
Pasture
(glossy
buckthorn,
black
swallowwort,
spotted
knapweed
and
brown
knapweed,
as
well
as
autumn
olive,
multiflora
rose
and
Asiatic
bittersweet).
Finally,
another
important
component
is
that
the
professional
treatment
will
be
supplemented—and
continued
into
the
future-‐-‐by
the
efforts
of
trained
BBC
volunteers.
It
is
just
the
kind
of
public-‐private
partnership
model
that
the
City
needs
to
help
with
the
short-‐
and
long-‐term
management
and
stewardship
needs
of
its
conservation
areas-‐-‐and
in
this
case,
it
is
also
the
largest
and
most
significant
conservation
area
in
the
City.
With
all
of
these
aspects
in
mind,
I
urge
you
to
support
this
project.
Sincerely,
Laurie
Sanders,
M.S