Partnership For Healthy Forests

The Coles County SWCD, in conjunction with its partners, has launched the Partnership for Healthy Forests Program that is designed to address the health of our county forests.

What is an invasive plant?

An invasive plant is defined as a plant that is not native to the area and has negative effects on the economy, environment, or human health. Not all non-native plants are harmful. The term “invasive” is reserved for the most aggressive plant species that grow and reproduce rapidly, causing major changes to the areas where they become established. Here is an example of a site at Lincoln Log Cabin before invasive removal and after.

Why Should I Care if there are invasive plants in my woodlands?

• If left unchecked, invasive plants will limit many uses on land now and for future generations.
• Invasive Plants can harm the natural heritage of wetlands, prairies, forests, lakes and rivers
• Inavasive plants will decrease your ability to enjoy outdoor activities including hunting, fishing, mushroom hunting, bird watching, hiking and many other outdoor activities.
• The longer that invasive plants are allowed to grow and develop, the more expensive and longer it takes to control invasive plants.
• They change the structure of a forest
• They take over and form monocultures that are less suitable for wildlife habitat
• Outcompete native plants
• Slow growth of native plants
• Have no biological controls to slow growth and development
• Very adaptable to many conditions

What are the most Common Invasive plants in Coles County and what do they look like?

There many invasive plants across the United States that are becoming a major concern to all ecosytems. Woodland invasive plants that are found within Coles County include: Bush Honeysuckle, Autumn Olive, Multiflora Rose, Garlic Mustard, Burning Bush, Black Locust,  Tree of Heaven, Common Privet, Siberian Elm, Osage Orange, and  Japanese Honeysuckle.How do I control invasive plants? Is there a certain time of year that works better than others?

Where can I find additional information on invasive plants?

There is many different sites and books available on invasive plants and how determinetal they are to ecosystems.  Here are some useful website.

National Invasive Species Information Center
Invasive Plant Association of Wisconsin
Chemical Management of Invasive Plants
Weeds of the Week
River to River Cooperative Weed Managment Area
Invasive Plants of Eastern Central Illinois
Thousand Chanker Disease  

How do invasive plants tie into the Parternship for Healthy Forests?

The Coles County Soil & Water Conservation District has been a local leader in promoting wildlife habitat by working with local habitat groups, county agencies, and landowners to achieve quality woodland habitat restoration in a predominately agricultural based county. Invasive species are the number two reason worldwide for loss of habitat and biodiversity.  Many woodland dependant wildlife are losing habitat due to the increase in invasive plants. In just five to ten years, invasive plants can transform woodlands, habitats normally bursting with color and species diversity into ecological deserts composed of only a few species. Invasive plants can cause a 30% decrease in the growth and development of native trees such as, Oaks and Hickories, which are a beneficial food source and shelter for woodland dependent wildlife. When the variety of native plants decline the effect ripple throughout the food chain, small animals, such as mice, squirrels, birds and insects, lose native wildflowers, grasses, trees and shrubs needed for food and shelter. This loss is reflected in the decline of predators like hawks, owls, snakes and foxes that feed on small animals. Invasive plants are a threat to the integrity of the whole ecological community. Many landowners are not aware of the problem invasive plants, do not understand basic woodland management, and do not know how to properly identify and remove invasive plant species. Coles County has approximately 32,000 acres of woodlands. The majority of the woodlands are of low to poor quality due to invasive plant species and poor resource management. It is for these reasons, the Coles County SWCD in conjunction with its partners, has developed and launched the Partnership for Healthy Forests Program. There are 3 education components to the Partnership For Healthy Forests which include: One-on-one Landowner Interactions, Seminars and Classroom involvement.

One-on-One Landowner Interaction

The Partnership for Healthy Forests is an educational and demonstrative one on one program where landowners from Coles County can apply for our Woodland Invasive Specialist (WIS) to visit their woodland sites and work with them to increase the quality of these woodlands through the removal of invasive plants. We require that the landowner be present for some of the removal. This allows our WIS to educate the landowner on the types of invasive plants in their woods and to inform them about how detrimental they can be to an ecosystem. We feel that the one on one interaction between our WIS and the landowners provides a better learning environment because he modifies the curriculum to accommodate the landowners’ knowledge and needs. Our WIS also shows landowners beneficial native woodland plants and their role in the ecosystem. After identification, our WIS shows the landowner control techniques, chemical mixing methods, and what chemicals work best for controlling each invasive plant. After a few days with the landowner, our WIS returns to the office to create a detailed evaluation of the woodlands that highlights the best methods of control and what attributes are within the woodlands. This landowner packet provides landowners with a resource they can refer to when managing their woodlands after our WIS has left their site. This entire process is free of charge to participating landowners in Coles County.

Seminars

In addition to meeting with individual landowners, we are providing public workshops with detailed information on invasive plants and demonstrations on removal methods. Our WIS has also spoken to several organizations in the area, including Eastern Illinois University’s Botany Club, Illinois Walnut Council, and Eastern Illinois University student volunteers. Additionally, through our local newspaper we are providing monthly informative articles on invasive plants that are a primary concern within Coles County.

Classroom Involvement

During the winter months, when our WIS cannot control invasive plants in the field, he visits schools and delivers age-appropriate presentations that explain that benefits of a healthy forest. The topics will include Illinois Birds, Illinois Mammals, Trees, Woodland quality and ecosystems, butterflies, and invasive plants. Each presentation is accompanied by relevant activities and crafts.

The main focus of the Partnership for Healthy Forests program is education. We want the landowner to gain the knowledge and skills to manage their woodlands.  We feel that invasive plants are a serious problem within not only our county but the entire state that people need to be made aware of. We hope that through education and hands on training, we can help landowners realize the importance of invasive removal within their woodlands.

Impact in Coles County

Since May of 2010, our Woodland Invasive Specialist has worked with 42 landowners to clear over 600 acres of invasive plants in woodlands in Coles County. He has also evaluated over 1,400 acres of woodlands for landowners which included recommendations on treatment methods.

Our Sponsors

The Lumpkin Family Foundation with added financial or technical support from the Coles County SWCD, Lincoln Heritage Pheasants Forever, National Wild Turkey Federation, National Resource Conversation Service, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Woodyard Farm, Fritts Fertilizer, Embarras Valley Quail, Embarras Volunteer Stewards, Illinois Forestry Association, Journal Gazette, US Fish and Wildlife, River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area and Eastern Illinois University.