Nearly $1 million in federal landowner assistance funds are available to landowners in Athens and 21 other counties in central and southeastern Ohio to control invasive species of plants, according to an Ohio Division of Forestry news release.
Under this new program, anyone owning five or more wooded acres can work with a state or consulting forester to develop a plan to remove invasive plants from his or her property, said invasive species forester, Annemarie Smith.
We have two objectives with this plan
she said. The first is to raise awareness about
how destructive these invasive species are and then to get people to remove them from their property.
The federal funds provide $300,000 for the next three years, paid out on a per-acre basis to any property owner that applies for a reimbursement for removal of any invasive plants, Smith said.
This program is really an incentive for people to start monitoring their woodland property and control these plants that have taken over she said.
Invasive plants are ones that are not native to Ohio or even North America. Many of the species originate in Europe or Asia, and were introduced by settlers for a specific purpose like food for livestock, Smith said.
Unfortunately
a lot of these species were introduced before it was known that they could become so weedy
she said.
Some of the more common invasive species include bush honeysuckle, the rosa multiflora and kudzu, Smith said.
The kudzu vine is especially aggressive
she said. It's known as 'the vine that ate the south.'
Some problems with these invasive species are the rate at which they grow, they cut off sunlight and take up space for native species, like oak trees, to grow, Smith said.
Although no estimates exist of how much woodland is taken over by invasive plants, Smith said she has seen some type of non-native plant at every residence she has visited.
These plants change the woodland environment
affecting other plants
animals and even the timber industry in Ohio
she said.
Yet as landowners participate in the program to remove invasive plants, Smith said she hopes more native species will increase around southeastern Ohio.
Controlling invasive species is a top priority for landowners around here
she said. My number one recommendation is to work with a professional to control and maintain your woodland.
For more information about how to work with a professional forester, contact Annemarie Smith at 589-9914.
