1. The Blue Ridge PRISM Introduction to the PRISM
Rod Walker , Landowner
Ashton Fisher, Program Director
July 22, 2017
PRISM = Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management

2. Plan for Today Plant ID for any plants brought in Introductions
Introduction to the Blue Ridge PRISM - Ashton
PRISM updates – Rod et al
PEC presentation
Creating a Rappahannock organization

3. Introductions and Background
Go around the room for introductions
Where is your land – county or town?
Why are you here?
What do you want to learn?

4. It All Started with Bittersweet

5. It All Started with Bittersweet

6. It All Started with Bittersweet

7. Background Many landowners struggle with invasive plants
Threats to forests – both trees and vines
Understory impacts – both shrubs and groundcovers
Farm fields – thistles, autumn olive, stiltgrass, …
Invasive plants present daunting challenges:
Many species are well established
New species show up regularly
They move faster than we do
There is never enough time, money and manpower
You clean them out in one place and they show up in another, and their seed banks persist for years
Issues on how to treat them
Chemicals, fire, hand pulling, cutting, mulching, goats, …

8. Background
Each landowner develops his own plan, does his own work and then finds he has to defend his borders
Better answer if contiguous landowners all do the same work
We can do more together than we can as separate efforts
A Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) looks like the best way to work together
Forming a CWMA allows us to:
Share best practices – get more done with less money
Obtain additional funds from third parties
Provide a vehicle for increasing public awareness and enlisting additional support and participation

9. So What is a CWMA?
Cooperative Weed Management Areas (CWMAs) are local, independent organizations that facilitate collaboration across jurisdictional boundaries for more effective invasive plant management.

10. National CWMA map

11. The Blue Ridge PRISM A CWMA formed here in Virginia in 2014
Another one is being formed in Northern VA
And others in VA are under consideration
The mission of the Blue Ridge PRISM is to reduce the impact of invasive species in our targeted geography.

12. Blue Ridge PRISM Geography

13. The People Involved are from:
Piedmont Environmental Council
The Nature Conservancy
Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park Trust
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
Virginia Master Naturalists
Virginia Master Gardeners
VA Native Plant Society
Albemarle Natural Heritage
Soil & Water Cons Dist
VA Dept of Forestry
VA Dept of Cons & Rec
VA Cooperative Ext
VDOT
US Forest Service
Rockfish Valley Foundation
Ivy Creek Foundation
500 Year Forest Foundation
NRCS
Tree Stewards
Forestry services firms
Private landowners
Other volunteers

14. Current Top-Priority Species
Tree
Ailanthus (tree-of-heaven) (biocontrol possible?)
Vines
Oriental bittersweet
Mile-a-minute vine (biocontrol available)
Kudzu
Porcelain berry
Japanese honeysuckle
Shrubs
Autumn olive
Multiflora rose (biocontrol possible?)
Chinese privet
Ground covers
Japanese stiltgrass
Wavyleaf grass
Garlic mustard

15. Working Groups Area stewardship program
Early detection and rapid response
Education and outreach
General management
Grants and fundraising
IT/Information systems
Marketing
Organizational membership
Prevention
Research

16. Resources on our Website
Go to and click ‘invasives’

19. Other Useful Information
Factsheets on the website
VA Dept of Forestry summary treatment chart
Contractor list
Equipment & herbicide sources lists are in process
Various books on native and invasive plants
VA Dept of Conservation and Recreation list of invasive plants
Come to our quarterly meetings
Learn about assistance available from our partners

20. How to get Involved? Quarterly meetings Working groups
Be part of an Area Stewardship
Volunteer field work – e.g. removing wavyleaf
Training programs
Speaking engagements
Table at events
Partner with us
Donate money or help with grant writing
Join our mailing list

21. Questions? Questions for here and now?
Anyone want to be added to our mailing list?
Ashton Fisher at

22. Other Resources
Midwest Invasive Plant Network, source of the CWMA overview slides
Center for Invasive Plant Management
Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council
VA DCR Natural Heritage
for native plant information
See list of PRISM resources