The Lake Huron Centre For Coastal Conservation
Advocating Wise Stewardship of Lake Huron's Coastal Ecosystems

09.04.03 - One day workshop on the invasive Common Reed (Phragmites australis)

Invasive Phragmites australis (Common Reed Grass) Workshop

was hosted by:

The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation

Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre

33 Victoria St. N., Southampton, ON


on April 3rd, 2009 / 9:00 - 4:00

The workshop included:

Phragmites background information, Species at Risk issues, Wasaga Beach Provincial Park Action Plan details, research on control options, pilot project results, pesticide regulations and policies, prescribed burn regulations, training and planning tools, and Phragmites control training options.

 

Why the workshop was held:

The Coastal Centre hosted this workshop to respond to the overwhelming interest for information on management options regarding Phragmites. The workshop attracted 120 delegates from all over Ontario including staff from municipalities, provincial parks, conservation authorities, provincial ministries and cottager associations. The Coastal Centre takes an ecological perspective to the issue and has been involved in studying Phragmities control along the Lake Huron shoreline since 2005.

The Centre conducted an inventory from Point Clark to Sauble Beach (southern Bruce County) in 2006 / 2007 by Holly Bickerton. Her work included prioritizing areas for control based on ecological sensitivity of the coastal area, and determining the extent of infestation using GPS technology.

The Centre worked closely with local municipalities of Huron-Kinloss and Saugeen Shores to help them take a science-based approach to dealing with the issue.

Our office focused on mechanical control initially; cutting, geotextile blankets (Huron-Kinloss Municipality experimented with burning), and eventually used limited and controlled herbicides.

We contracted Dr. Janice Gilbert to undertake a trial at Sauble Beach injecting root stems with herbicide. This was targeted at Sauble as the infestation was still considered minor.

The Centre worked with Municipality of Saugeen Shores last year (Bill Jones) to undertake a chemical control trial on their beach. Given the proximity of the lake, special environmental monitoring was done by the Coastal Centre. We assisted with public communications to ensure the community was aware of what was going on. The existence of wildlife during the trial suggested fall spraying rather than spring was more ecologically sound.

Public concern required targeted communications and the Board of Directors prepared a position statement on herbicide use that was specific, targeted for ecological improvements with strict conditions regarding oversight.

 



Thanks to our Sponsors:


Environment Canada
Invasive Alien Species Partnership Program (IASPP)

 


Government of Ontario - Ministry of Natural Resources


Environmental Defence
(funding assistance by the Ontario Trillium Foundation)


 

Introductory Notes:

WELCOME

Doug Freiburger - Lake Huron Coastal Centre, Board of Directors

Welcome on behalf of our Board of Directors of which today we have the following Members at the workshop: Doug Frieburger, Anne Eadie, Dianne Sutter, Gord Boyd

We would also like to acknowledge the sponsorship of Environment Canada (Invasive Alien Species Partnership Program), Province of Ontario (Ministry of Natural Resources) and Environmental Defence (assisted by the Ontario Trillium Foundation) who are well known to the area sponsoring the popular Blue Flag Beach program found along many of our municipal beaches.

We would also like to acknowledge and thank the work and assistance of Dr. Janice Gilbert and Tina Werner who helped coordinate the workshop today.

If you are not familiar with the Lake Huron Coastal Centre, please ask one of our Board Members for details or go to our website (www.lakehuron.on.ca) where we provide many of our resources, opportunities to get involved and workshop notices including the presentations given here today.

Our agenda today has one change; Melody Cairns, Species at Risk Biologist with the Ministry of Natural Resources is unable to join us and therefore her presentation is unavailable.

Enjoy the day!

 

 

Speaker Biography (in order of appearance):

  • Janice M. Gilbert, Ph.D. - Wetland Ecologist, Lake Erie Management Unit MNR - Mr. Gilbert has 15 years experience studying wetland ecosystems with the past five years as project lead on ecological assessments of Lake Erie Coastal wetlands. She is the lead scientist investigating Phragmites control options for high value, sensitive, coastal wetland habitats. Her laboratory is Rondeau Bay however has conducted trial plots all over the Great Lakes basin including Sauble Beach.

  • Bill Jones - Director of Public Works Town of Saugeen Shores - Mr. Jones has 19 years experience in municipal public works, the past nine as a director of public works in South Bruce Peninsula and Saugeen Shores. He has worked with Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation on beach related issues such as Beach Management Plans, Dune Preservation, Blue Flag Implementation and now on Common Reed pilot projects. Over the past two years Bill has been involved in several trials involving the control of the common reed such as covering or trapping, rotor tilling and the application of herbicides. Bill finds his role representing the municipality both challenging and exciting as there is a constant need to find a balance between the recreational demands and the long term environmental sustainability of our beachfront areas.

  • Keith Johnston is the Acting Natural Heritage Education Coordinator and formerly the Assistant Park Planner for Wasaga Beach Provincial Park. This past winter he researched control and reduction methods, met with experts and MNR personnel to create the Wasaga Beach Provincial Park Action Plan for the non-native genetic strain of Common Reed (Phragmites australis).

  • Trevor Robak is a Pesticide Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment working out of the Southwestern Regional Office in London. He has a Master of Science Degree from the University of Western Ontario and has been with the Ministry of the Environment in a number of roles for the past six years. He has become involved in the control of Phragmites through the rules and regulations related to the proper and safe use of pesticides in Ontario. Trevor lives in London with his wife and three year old daughter.

  • Bill Droog - Prescribed Fire/Behaviour Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources AFFM - Sudbury - Mr Droog works for the Ministry of Natural Resources - Aviation and Forest Fire Management Program and is the regional Prescribed Fire/ Behaviour Specialist for the east half of the province. He has been in the wildland fire business for over 28 years and dealing with prescribed burning for the last 11 years.

  • Frank Letourneau - Licenced Pesticide Applicator with Dover Agri Serve. He has over 18 years experience with phragmities control. He is a strong advocate for the proper use of pesticides in environmentally sensitive areas and for ensuring safety precautions are taken before, during and after pesticide use.

 

 

Presentations:


6.29 MB

Phragmites australis: A major invasive threat to Great Lakes coastal habitats

J.M. Gilbert, Ph.D., Wetland Ecologist, Ministry of Natural Resources, Lake Erie Management Unit


1.93 MB

Common Reed - A Municipal Perspective

Bill Jones, Director of Public Works, Town Of Saugeen Shores


3.67 MB

ACTION PLAN for The non-native genetic strain of Common Reed Common Reed
(Phragmites australis Phragmites australis)

Keith Johnston
Acting NHE Coordinator
April 3,2009


913 KB

Phragmites Australis Control, Regulatory and Environmental, Requirements for Pesticide Use
Invasive Phragmites australis (Common Reed Grass) Workshop

Trevor Robak - Pesticide Specialist
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
April 3, 2009


2.34 MB

Prescribed Burning, Legislation & Policy

Bill Droog


3.50 MB

Coastlines

April 3, 2009
Phragmities Workshop

www.lakehuron.on.ca

 

 

Related links:

 



Invasive Phragmites australis (Common Reed Grass) Workshop

 

Was hosted by:

The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation

Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre

33 Victoria St. N., Southampton, ON


on April 3rd, 2009 / 9:00 - 4:00

 

The Workshop included:
Phragmites background information, Species at Risk issues, Wasaga Beach Provincial Park Action Plan details, research on control options, pilot project results, pesticide regulations and policies, prescribed burn regulations, training and planning tools, and Phragmites control training options



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The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation
P.O. Box 178,
Blyth, Ontario, Canada
N0M 1H0
Phone: (519) 523-4478
Email: coastalcentre@lakehuron.on.ca