California land managers,

 

As you probably know, USDA ARS develops biocontrol agents for invasive plants, such as the tamarisk beetle and newly release Cape-ivy gall fly.  They are undertaking a survey of stakeholders in western states to help prioritize which plants to focus their biocontrol research on.

 

Their survey is at http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3328953/Prioritizing-Weeds-for-Biological-Control-California, with responses requested by Feb. 22. The survey asks for your assessment of the level of environmental and economic impact of ~50 weeds, based on your own experience and expertise. The list is a subset of weeds listed by Cal-IPC and CDFA. Feel free to forward the link to others who may be interested in responding.

 

If you want to suggest additional plant species that are a top priority for you, please send your input to Raghu.Sathyamurthy@csiro.au, an ARS partner who is organizing the survey.

 

Thanks, Doug