Day 299: I went out for a very short walk yesterday in our little county park, and was distressed to find that the Spurge Laurel (Daphne laureola) was alive and well. It's been several years since I found it and turned in a report to the Invasive Plant Council, and I would have thought the county would have taken care of it by now. However, this brought up another issue which has been bothering me for some time. In my personal contacts with various land managers in the area, I've been told several times that "we've never gotten any reports from the IPC." They've gone on to ask that I report directly to them instead, which I began doing with much better results. The land managers are grateful for the information and generally act swiftly when told about invasives in their domains. As I walked, these factors were brewing in my head, and as I came back into the parking area, I noticed a county worker spraying for blackberry on a hillside. I hailed him over and told him about the Spurge Laurel. He then took me to his supervisor, and the three of us went together so that I could show them where the plants were located. Once again, I was told that the county had never received a report of this noxious weed. It makes me wonder if any of my reports have ever been sent to the agencies involved. That said, the crew working in our little park assured me that there would be a Spurge Laurel purge as soon as they've done the research on how best to eradicate it.
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