Weed 'Em And Reap!

Day 195: "Weed 'em and reap!" For the third year running, I have been chosen as a recipient of the Sarah Reichard "Extra Mile" Award for my service with the Invasive Plant Council. On my way home from an invasives patrol yesterday (more on that in a subsequent post), I stopped to pick up my mail which included a $50 gift certificate to REI. Equal awards are given to the top three achievers, i.e., those who have devoted the most hours and have hiked the farthest in the interest of locating, removing and reporting invasive species. I haven't kept track of the number of miles or species I've logged, but since we went to on-line reporting in 2016, I've turned in 498 reports of invasives on western Washington's public lands. That said, I've noticed an astonishing lack of cooperation on the part of the agencies administrating these lands insofar as making an effort to eliminate noxious weeds even when the species are listed as Class A (mandatory control). In some cases, it's a matter of interpretation of jurisdiction: who owns the Knapweed-covered gravel bar in the middle of the river? Who is responsible for sending out a team to pull, spray, dig in an area below high-water mark? Especially in areas where weed seeds can be transported for miles on a waterway, this is an issue which is not being adequately addressed by the state weed control board. That said, even if my patrols do no more than raise the government's awareness of a rapidly expanding problem, it's a push in the right direction. I love what I do, even if it sometimes leaves me wanting to tear my hair out and scream.