Invasive weeds collectively constitute a serious liability for the future of both the coastal ecology and the regional economy. Long-term weed-management strategies must be aligned with land management goals in order to gain the voluntary cooperation of stakeholders. The MCWMA Strategic Plan arises from the land management goals of its partners and stakeholders, and is based on the principles of trust, unified action, informed decisions, and adaptive, integrated pest management. The Strategic Plan contains four elements: Education, Information Management, Projects, and Administration.

This planning document consists of four sections and appendices. In the first section, the mission, geographic scope, problem, goals, principles and approach are introduced. In the second section, the MCWMA program structure and priorities are described. In the third section, the goals, principles and objectives of each program element are stated. Appendices to the plan include the information used in establishing species and site priorities.

The mission of the Mendocino Coast Cooperative Weed Management Area partnership is to prevent and minimize harm from invasive plants cooperatively through integrated pest management.

The geographic area adopted for this weed management area consists of lands and waters between and exclusive of the Russian and Eel River watersheds, west to the Pacific Ocean, as shown on the attached map. This geographic region will be referred to as the Mendocino Coast Cooperative Weed Management Area (MCWMA).

A number of non-native plant species have been introduced along the Sonoma and Mendocino County coast. Some of these non-native species have altered plant community composition and vegetation structure, and disrupted ecosystem processes and functions. Many of these invasive plants continue to spread throughout this region, outcompeting native plants. Invasive plants also represent a burden to the human economy, impairing agriculture, forestry, transportation, and aesthetics. These invasive species collectively constitute a serious liability for the future of both the coastal ecology and the regional economy.

Long-term weed-management strategies must be aligned with land management goals in order to gain the voluntary cooperation of stakeholders. The land management goals that are held by stakeholders within the MCWMA, and are relevant to invasive plant management, are:

• Protection and enhancement of functional ecosystems of all lands and waters;
• Minimization of the costs of effective property management;
• Minimization of fire hazards and fire control costs;
• Maximization of the sustainable productivity of fisheries, farms and timber lands;
• Protection and enhancement of the quality of managed landscapes;
• Maximization of the utility of transportation corridors, on land and waters;
• Protection and enhancement of biodiversity in wildlands and waters;
• Protection of human health and safety, and enhancement of the quality of life.

(Note: The goals are not listed in any order of priority.) We recognize that some of these goals are competing, but affirm that they are not mutually exclusive and may be optimally attained through long-term management.

The following concepts constitute the fundamental philosophy for implementing this plan:

• [Trust]: The MCWMA seeks to build trust and cooperation by recognizing differences and common interests in public and landowner goals.
• [Unified Action]: Unified action, through pooled resources, area-wide priorities, cooperative strategies, and collaborative efforts, is the best method for reducing the extensive ecological, economic, and social impacts of invasive plants upon the resources and residents of the MCWMA.
• [Informed Decisions]: Successful invasive plant management is based on the best available knowledge of invasive plants- their physiology, life history, environmental requirements, distribution, and control methods- as well as resources at risk.
• [Adaptive Management]: Invasive plant management requires an ecologically-based adaptive management approach.
• [Integrated Pest Management]: In the application of Integrated Pest Management to invasive plants we will:
  • use monitoring and inspection to stay fully informed about invasive plant populations and conditions that can lead to invasive plant problems.
  • supplement our experience with monitoring and inspection to determine when to act against invasive plants.
  • record monitoring and inspection results. We document the performance of treatments and justify herbicide applications.
  • use non-chemical approaches as the first line of defense against invasive plants. We evaluate all invasive plant management options for risks to health, the environment and beneficial organisms.
  • solve invasive plant problems with effective, long-term strategies. Structural design and maintenance issues that contribute to invasive plant problems are addressed, where appropriate.
  • prepare for changes in invasive plants and IPM techniques, recognizing that improvement involves staying abreast of new technologies and concepts. 
  communicate the IPM approach to others.
  • abide by posting and notification requirements for herbicide applications.
  • identify and target high priority risks for reduction.
  (the above was adapted from [6]).

This plan addresses four major elements critical to building a strong and successful, regionally-coordinated management program for invasive plants, as follows:

• A)Education: Raising Awareness and Prevention The Education Element will be implemented by the Education Workgroup, whose role is to increase awareness of invasive plants and the reasons for managing them.
• B)Information Management : Early Detection, Survey, Mapping and Monitoring The Information Management Element will be implemented by the Information Management Workgroup, whose role is to provide the information needed to make effective planning decisions and carry out weed control projects.
• C)Projects: Treatment, Restoration and Research The Projects Element will be implemented by the Projects Workgroup, whose role is to develop and implement invasive weed control strategies following the principles of integrated pest management.
• D)Administration: Governance, Planning, Funding, Membership and Staffing The Administration Element will be implemented by the Planning Committee, Financial Committee and Coordinator.
  • The role of the Planning Committee is to review, coordinate and guide the overall operations of the MCWMA.
  • The role of the Financial Committee is to procure and manage the funds of the MCWMA.
  • The role of the Coordinator is to facilitate communication among the workgroups and committees, to ensure that the workgroups and committees have the resources they need to perform their roles, and to perform outreach to the community to encourage participation in invasive plant management.

• 1.Partners of the MCWMA are organizations and individuals who have signed the MCWMA Memorandum of Agreement.
• 2.Associates of the MCWMA are organizations and individuals that further progress towards achieving the goals of the MCWMA, but have chosen not to sign the Memorandum of Agreement.
• 3.Stakeholders are all residents, land-owners and local organizations of the MCWMA.
• 4.Workgroup participation is open to all Partners, Associates and like-minded Stakeholders.
• 5.Committee participation is restricted to Partners of the MCWMA; however, committee meetings are in general open to the public. Closed door sessions of the committees will be held when confidential information must be discussed.
• 6.Each workgroup and committee will choose a chairperson, whose role is to lead the workgroup or committee and to represent that workgroup or committee on the Planning Committee. The chairperson must be a Partner or representative of a Partner organization.

A thorough assessment of priority invasive plant species and management sites will be conducted after the initial survey and mapping of invasive plant distributions is completed. Until that assessment is completed, a working prioritization will be used to guide short-term planning. The Planning committee will oversee the implementation of the working prioritization.

• A.An intial list of invasive weed species of potential concern to the MCWMA was created by merging the Califormia Invasive Plant Council 2005 Invasive Plant Inventory (weeds rated H, M or L), California State Noxious Weeds (rated A, B, C or Q) that are not native to the MCWMA, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia Noxious and Invasive Weeds that inhabit the coastal zone, and additional weed species of local concern nominated by MCWMA Partners.
• B.Prioritization of Invasive Plant Species
  • I.Categorization based on Invasive Plant Management Goals: the management goals of prevention, eradication, containment and establishment of refugia are selected for each species based primarily on its distribution within the MCWMA. Figure 1 contains a decision tree depicting the categorization process described in this section. Figure 2 shows a schematic of the geometric configuration of infestations associated with each of the weed Management goals .
    • a.Information from the MCWMA partners and other reliable sources was used to determine which species are currently known to be present in the MCWMA.
    • b.If a species is known to be present in the MCWMA, expert judgement of the MCWMA partners was used to assess the extent of occupation of each species' potential distribution. State Noxious Weed Ratings are one of several factors contributing to this categorization. If most of a species' potential distribution is occupied, the management goal is establishment of refugia where this species, as well as other invasive weeds, has been locally extirpated. C-rated California noxious weeds are included in this category. This species will be addressed on a site-specific basis. For further information, refer to the section on Prioritization of Sites. If some of a species' potential distribution is occupied, the management goal is containment. To most effectively use MCWMA resources to implement containment, species in this category will be prioritized based on impacts. For further information, refer to the section on Prioritization Based on Impacts. If little of a species' potential distribution is occupied: the management goal is eradication. A-rated California noxious weeds are included in this category. To most effectively use MCWMA resources to implement containment, species in this category will be prioritized based on impacts. For further information, refer to the section on Prioritization Based on Impacts.
    • c.For those species not known to be present in the MCWMA, expert judgement was used to assess the probability of invasiveness in the MCWMA. If a species is determined to be likely to invade,the management goal is early detection. To most effectively use MCWMA resources, species in this category will be prioritized based on impacts. For further information, refer to the section on Prioritization Based on Impacts. If a species is not determined to be likely to invade, the management goal is to periodically review the literature for updated information about the species, and reassess as necessary.
  • II.Prioritization based on Impacts: priority is based on the maximum rating from the assessment of ecological, economic and socio-cultural impacts.
    • a.Assessment of Ecological Impact i)Ecological impact may include impact on abiotic ecosystem processes, impacts on plant community composition, structure and interactions, impacts on higher trophic levels and impacts on genetic integrity. ii)Results of Cal-IPC Invasive Plant Inventory, 2005 Revision Ecological Impact” rating, are contained in column XX of the Screening Spreadsheet. iii)Based on partner input, the Cal-IPC ratings were modified as appropriate for local conditions. These results appear in column YY of the Screening Spreadsheet.
    • b.Assessment of Economic Impact (protocol TBD) i)Definition of Economic Impact Outline of Economic Resources at Risk based on Partner Input ii)Rating based on Expert Judgement
    • c.Assessment of Socio-Cultural Impact (protocol TBD) i)Definition of Socio-Cultural Impact Outline of Socio-Cultural Resources at Risk based on Partner Input ii)Rating based on Expert Judgement
• C.Management Site Prioritization: Management of invasive plants at a particular site may have one or more of the following weed management goals: demonstration, prevention, eradication, containment, establishment of refugia, or research. Site priority will be based on the sum of ratings for the characteristics, listed below, associated with the chosen management goals. The ratings will be determined by expert judgement.
  • I.Demonstration
    • a.Visibility;
    • b.Generality;
    • c.Multiple Ownership and/or Management;
    • d.Probability of Success.
  • II.Prevention
    • a.Invasibility
    • b.Preservation Value
  • III.Eradication
    • a.Probability of establishment
    • b.Feasibility: accessibility, resources, regulatory issues
  • IV.Containment
    • a.Proximity to Leading Edge
    • b.Feasibility: accessibility, resources, regulatory issues
  • V.Refugia Sites
    • a.Value: to fulfilllment of land management goals, based on the maximum of economic, ecological and/or socio-cultural value ratings
    • b.Threat: sites currently with a low density of non-native plants, but with nearby spreading infestations of invasive plants;
    • c.Feasibility: accessibility, resources, regulatory issues

• 1.Goals Elevated awareness of the community’s need for healthy ecosystems Increased understanding of the ecological, economic, and social impacts of invasive plants in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties Availability of knowledge, expertise, and other resources about invasive plants and alternatives to invasive plants Development of educational materials and programs
• 2.Principles The MCWMA will foster education through collaboration and cooperation. The focus of the Education Workgroup will be community-based exchange of information
• 3.Objectives
  • Within 1 year: Develop and publish introductory MCWMA website Develop 2 educational materials Hold 5 public meetings to distribute educational materials, gather information on weed distribution, get public input on priorities and recruit volunteers for weed surveys and control Contact community organizations and institutions to recruit volunteers for weed surveys and control Conduct 7 presentations on invasive plants at public events and distribute educational materials to nurseries Present 3 educational programs in schools
  Within 2-3 years: establish a sustainable education and outreach program for invasive weed management including: 1.maintain the MCWMA website; 2.develop additional educational materials at a rate of 1 per year, including a poster; 3.hold public outreach meetings at a rate of 2 per year; 4.hold public educational workshops in schools and other venues at a rate of 5 per year; 5.conduct directed outreach to recruit volunteers; 6.distribute educational materials to nurseries; 7.conduct outreach to county and municipal agencies (1 per year); work with partners to encourage easements for invasive weed management;
  Within 3-5 years: maintain the education and outreach program above; develop age-appropriate, multi-media educational curricula for invasive weed management collaboratively develop a weed management handbook

• 1.Goals provision of strategic, accurate and up-to-date information about weed distribution that can be used to support education, control and basic understanding of ecology of invasive plants;establishment of standards for data collection, management and distribution;provision of technical assistance to other organizations regarding information management for invasive plants.
• 2.Principles The MCWMA will utilize and adapt accepted techniques, standards and methods to ensure data quality as well as regional and interagency value. The Information Management Workgroup will ensure that the uses of the data drive the collection of data –including scale, resolution, presence/absence versus abundance, associated characteristics. Responsible information management includes protection of private information and respect for confidentiality concerns. Data that the MCWMA makes publicly available should be accessible to a broad audience.
• 3.Objectives
  • within 1 year: integrate existing data from our Partners to start a baseline assessment of weed distribution;recommend an approach to information management for weeds; complete an update to the weed information database with data from the public meetings;develop strategies for weed surveys, and monitoring of treatment sites;compleweed surveys on 200 miles of roadside;complete an update to the weed information database with management action information and site-specific survey data.
  within 2-3 years: finish the baseline assessment of weed distribution; establish a sustainable information management program including: 1.support site-specific surveys and monitoring as needed; 2.support species-specific early-detection and eradication projects; 3.suppport containment decisions.
  within 3-5 years: maintain the information management program described above; establish the capability for analysis of potential range, probability of occurrence and predictive spatial modelling

• 1.Goals management of weeds; provision of technical expertise on a project-specific basis; maintainenance of records concerning weed-control activities in the MCWMA.
• 2.Principles The MCWMA will develop a long-term strategy for implementing weeds management projects. The Projects Workgroup will consider a variety of weed management goals: eradication, containment, and establishment of refugia. The long-term weed management strategy will be two-pronged, having both species-specific and site or ecosystem-specific management perspectives.
• 3.Objectives
  • Within 1 year: develop protocols for sensitive species surveys, treatment, monitoring of treatment sites; complete surveys of sensitive species at priority treatment sites; complete pilot treatment at priority sites, including 5-10 miles of roadside and 20-50 acres, with 10 volunteer workdays.
  Within 2-3 years: develop additional demonstration sites at a rate of 1 per year begin implementation of the Noyo/Big River Integrated Coastal Watershed Management Plan, Invasive Weed Element
  Within 3-5 years: develop additional demonstration sites as needed continue implementation of the Noyo/Big River Integrated Coastal Watershed Management Plan, Invasive Weed Element expand implementation of weed control beyond the Noyo/Big River Area

• 1.Goals establishment of a sustainable and effective MCWMA Partnership;development and implementation of a governance structure for the MCWMA;facilitation of internal and external MCWMA communications;procurement and management of resources, both monetary and in-kind, at a level sufficient to optimally manage invasive plant populations within the MCWMA; inclusion in MCWMA activities of all stakeholders who can further attainment of the MCWMA goals and objectives; employment of staff at a level appropriate to MCWMA needs.
• 2.Principles The MCWMA administration will operate consistently with the overarching principles of the MCWMA.
• 3.Objectives
  • within 1 year: complete the Memorandum of Agreement;complete the MCWMA Strategic Plan;develop and implement the MCWMA bylaws;complete the 2006 Annual Operating Plan;complete a Long-Term Management Plan for Prevention, Early Detection and Rapid Response;secure funding for the coordinator position for 2007; create and fill student intern positions; complete a review of public input and prioritization of species and sites;prepare the 2006 WMA Annual Report;prepare the NFWF Project Final Report. Begin development of the Noyo/Big River Integrated Coastal Watershed management Plan, Invasive Weed Element
  within 3 years: complete the 2007-9 Annual Operating Plans;complete a Long-Term Weed Management Plan for MCWMA DemonstrationSites; procure funding for an expanded demonstration site program; create, funde and staff a Volunteer Coordinator position. Complete the Noyo/Big River Integrated Coastal Watershed management Plan, Invasive Weed Element
  within 5 years: complete the 2010-11 Annual Operating Plans; revise the Strategic Plan; complete of a Long-Term Weed Management Plan for a species targeted for containment (e.g. cape ivy).

• 1.Cal-IPC Invasive Plant Inventory (2005 revision), obtained 1/14/06 from http://www.cal-ipc.org/list_revision/completed_pafs.html
• 2.Sholars, T. (2002). PRELIMINARY JUGHANDLE STATE RESERVE PLANT LIST.
• 3.Gaffney, K. (2005). Invasive non-native plants of the Big River Unit.
• 4.“About UC IPM”, obtained 1/16/06 from http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/IPMPROJECT/about.html
• 5.“Understanding and Assessing Plant Invasions: A Framework for Prioritizing Management Strategies”, obtained 1/16/06 from http://webct.montana.edu.
• 6.“Verified IPM Performance”, obtained form http://www.ipminstitute.org/IPM_Star/ipmstar_guiding_principles.htm

• a)An “ecosystem" is comprised of all the biological and physical elements in a physically defined area, including all processes and interactions among those elements.
• b)A "native plant species" is constituted by a population of potentially interbreeding plants that have evolved within a given ecosystem over many generations in popular terms. For ecosystems in California, this generally includes all plants present prior to European contact.
• c)"Non-native plant species" means, with respect to a particular ecosystem, any species, including its seeds, spores, or other plant material capable of propagating that species, that is not a native species of that ecosystem.
• d)"Introduction" means the deliberate or unintentional escape, release, dissemination, or placement of a species into an ecosystem in which that species has not evolved. Such introductions are generally, either directly or indirectly, a result of human activities.
• e)An "invasive plant species" is a non-native plant whose introduction has the potential to cause deleterious economic or environmental impacts.
• f)For the purpose of this document, a “weed” is equivalent to an invasive plant species.
• g)“Control” refers to any of a variety of species-specific weed management goals applicable to species that have already been introduced into an area, ranging from complete eradication to containment.
• h)“Treatment” refers to any of a variety of direct weed control measures, including biological, manual, mechanical, cultural and chemical treatments. It also refers to measures whose goal is to reduce the invasibility of an ecosystem.
• i)“Integrated Pest Management” (IPM) is a strategy that focuses on long-term prevention or suppression of pest problems with minimum impact on human health, the environment, and nontarget organisms. With regard to invasive plants, IPM emphasizes preventative measures, biological control, adoption of cultural practices that reduce plant invasion, and cost-effective manual, mechanical, or cultural treatments. Herbicides are used only after monitoring indicates they are needed to achieve management objectives, and treatments are made with the goal of removing only the target organism(s). Control measures are selected and implemented in a manner that minimizes risks to human health, beneficial and nontarget organisms, and the environment (adapted from [4]).
• j)“Ecologically-based adaptive management is conducted with the understanding that prediction of management outcomes in ecosystems is imprecise. Therefore, the focus is on gathering information and adjusting management over time and space for the particular area of interest, and adjusting management practices according to assessment of new information” [5].
• k)A “refugium” is a spatially-defined area managed to be free of invasive weeds that negatively impact the land management goals of that area.

Screening data contained in [Screening Spreadsheet].