Currently, over 60% of known NNIP infestations in the BWCAW are quite small, less than 25 square feet. We expect to eradicate these under our proposed action and limit the spread of larger infestations. This will benefit native vegetation, fish and wildlife habitat, and the eco-logical integrity of the BWCAW.

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One of my nieces is recreation director of one of Kentucky's larger cities and as such is in charge of building a "greenway" (hiking/biking path) along the Licking River.

Being smart, she begged me into becoming one of her trail stewards in charge of a volunteer crew on periodic work days spent ridding the area of invasive, non-native plants.

Our current focus is Asian bush honeysuckle, which has run amok in this area for decades.

I have spent many hours shivering in the cold, sweating in the heat, cutting this invader with chain saws, bow saws and lopping shears, then dragging away the brush and spraying the stumps.

We work for three hours at a time, then try to feel good about having cleared an area not much bigger than a front lawn.  Nothing grows beneath its "canopy."

This stuff is tenacious, with trunks nearly as big as my thigh. 

We have miles to go.

My arms hurt.

This stuff is the enemy.

I see it in my sleep.

You must not let invasive species like this get a foothold in sensitive areas. I'm all for an aggressive, early response.

-- kypaddler

I dig and pull it out DB. Easy this time of year, but it will be the routine have no doubt. Yes the stumps can be sprayed, I believe the product is called Garlon.

Yeah, I'm a bad neighbor. I have bishops weed under the buckthorn under pines that need to be cut down. The buckthorns are volunteers and provide a decent screen where a fence is forbidden. Even the little ones are tough to simply pull out of clay. The bishops weed also volunteered and keeps the pine cones from washing into my neighbor's yard in a hard rain. It's an ecosystem that works - for me - if I keep an eye on it.