BY LINDA MORRIS | Northstar
Fifty Weed Warrior volunteers from Northstar filled over 40 bags with five targeted non-native invasive plants growing along roadsides throughout Northstar in May. The volunteers made a positive impact with their removal, allowing native species to thrive without their competition. Invasive species, whether introduced intentionally or not, change the environment by increasing fire hazard, increasing erosion, and destroying animal habitat. The targeted species included white and yellow sweetclover, bull thistle, tumbleweed, cheatgrass, and poison hemlock.
Bags were disposed of properly using the bag and bake method described in the “Invasive Weeds of the Tahoe National Forest,” available from the Truckee River Watershed Council.
Sites will be monitored throughout the growing season and results reported to Placer County and Truckee River Watershed Council to provide information on the efficacy of the methods used.
The planning committee members were Jeann Green, Judy Howes, Nancy Ives, Carol Kurland, Linda Morris, Jo Ann Polverari, and Kathy Welch.
A big thanks to JoAnn and Joe Polverari, Northstar at California, Northstar Community Services District, and Northstar Property Owners Association, which supplied equipment and food.
To become a Weed Warrior on your property within the Truckee River watershed, contact Truckee River Watershed Council at (530) 550-8760. If you live outside the watershed, contact the Nevada County Agriculture Department at (530) 273-2648, Placer County Agriculture Department (530) 889-7372, or Plumas-Sierra County Agriculture Service (530) 283-6365.
