Lambton Shores, Ontario

Lambton Shores is located along the south-eastern coastline of Like Huron

Large monoculture stands of non-native Phragmites are present along the Lake Huron shoreline, interior wetlands, roadsides, agricultural ditches and drains, lagoons, golf courses and parks. As of 2015, over 323 acres of coastal shorelines and 167 km (105 miles) of roadsides were infested. Due to the extensive area, diverse land ownership, multiple jurisdictions, and differing stages of non-native Phragmites management, the MLS was divided into seven Phragmites Management Areas (PMAs). For some PMAs, restoration programs are already well underway while other have only just initiated management. Overall, the LSPCG initiated remediation work on over 300 acres by the end of 2014.

The LSPCG was recognized by the Province of Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change with an Honourable Mention for Environmental Achievement in 2013, and by Lambton Wildlife Inc., and the Lambton County Museum for its achievements. The group also received Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority’s 2016 Conservationist of the Year award.

Eleven components for successful projects within the MLS:

1. understand the scope of the problem,
2. establish of a Program Coordinator position,
3. acquire sufficient funds,
4. implement of an education program,
5. engage the local community,
6. use appropriate initial control techniques and follow up as necessary,
7. establish a long term control program,
8. track activities, efficacy, success, and challenges,
9. list non-native Phragmites as a noxious weed
10. expand the control program outside of the Municipal jurisdiction, and
11. obtain herbicides appropriate and legal for overwater use.

Partnerships and Administration

The LSPCG is a grass-roots organization led by eight volunteer board members, formalized under a Terms of Reference, and supported by a resource team that includes a wetland ecologist, a contractor well known in the area for specializing in sensitive habitats, and the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation. Initiative partners include landowners, homeowners associations, non-profit organizations, local and provincial agencies, First Nations, and private corporations. Local communities impacted by non-native Phragmites are engaged through LSPCG subcommittees that include local volunteers that help form neighbourhood connections, monitor treatment areas, and organize other volunteers.

The volunteer LSPCG board members currently coordinate the program for the MLS. To reduce volunteer burn-out and ensure the long-term performance of the program, LSPCG recommended that this position should be taken up by an employee of the MLS. Eventually, the goal is for the subcommittees to be able to function with more self-sufficiency, with background support, materials, and coordination maintained centrally.

Though landowners that are uninterested in participating in the program remain a challenge, this broad partner base facilitates cost-sharing for community events, resource and skill sharing through in-kind services, and assistance with broader outreach to the community. It also gives credibility to the larger organization, improves trust among members, and reduces red-tape when applying for permits.

In 2014, MLS adopted the Invasive Phragmites Management Plan, a formal, long-term plan to guide management in the region. The LSPCG has helped improve the coordination of management across boundaries despite jurisdictional issues and low provincial engagement. A meeting between county and municipal managers and roadside superintendents in 2012, led to significant improvements in coordination; the MLS and county began hiring the same contractor and committed money ($30,000  and $150,000 respectively between 2013 and 2015) to manage roadside populations.

Because the LSPCG is not a registered organization, partner organizations must serve as the applicants when applying for grant funding. Grants are typically sought individually for each project site, and applying for grants is an ongoing task. While grants provide significant resources, they come with several challenges. Some grants have inflexible dates and do not allow funds to be carried over into the next fiscal year, despite variable weather and site conditions that may not be conducive for the required activities in the given time period. Many of the grants LSPCG partners have received have been limited to one year, and some did not fund herbicide application.  Additional funding provided by donations from partners has been critical for the maintenance work needed in subsequent years.

Controlling a patch of non-native Phragmites within a sensitive coastal dune on Port Franks beach using a hand pump backpack sprayer. Photo courtesy of LSPCG

Prioritization

A Management Plan was prepared by a wetland ecologist and the chair of the LSPCG with significant input from landowners and partners. It was adopted by the MLS council and endorsed by the local Conservation Authority. It identifies separate priorities and suggests a progression for the management of non-native Phragmites within each PMA, so that work within individual PMAs can move forward as funding is available. This plan, adopted in year 5 of the partnership, provided the needed guidance to help move management forward, and continues to serve as a guide for local actions.

Landscape-scale management prioritization principles are central to the plan. They include managing outliers at the same time as treating large infestations, maintaining a follow-up regimen, reducing opportunities for spread, and protecting sensitive habitats. The plan also considers feasibility, such as the potential for partner involvement and coping with the lack of approved herbicide for over-water treatment.

Confusion regarding land ownership as well as large properties owned by developers or farmers who have no immediate interest in restoring the shoreline reduce the ability to follow through with all of the recommended prioritizations.

Policy and Regulations

Different management activities conducted within the MLS have different requirements and permits:

Delays for required letters or permissions have caused delays of a year in initiating some projects, resulting in larger infested areas and higher project costs. Because of unpredictable weather conditions, burn permit requirements are burdensome, often resulting in multiple permit application submissions for a single project.

Non-native Phragmites is not on the MLS’s noxious weed list, so property owners are not legally compelled to remove it.

This fact sheet describes non-native Phragmites and how the LSPCG is working to combat it.

In the first few years of the project, the LSPCG offered four community information sessions. They were advertised with press releases and received media coverage, further spreading their educational reach. LSPCG members also presented at local community group meetings such as Rotary and interest-based clubs, garden and horticultural societies, and beach or cottage associations. The group assisted in the preparation of educational pieces including Smart Practices for Controlling Phragmites along Ontario Roadsides, and prepared the fact sheet Controlling Phragmites australis in Agricultural and Rural Areas.

LSPCG members identified over 125 privately owned parcels along waterways which contained non-native Phragmites. They then visited property owners to provide information about the project and obtain permission for herbicide application and controlled burns. Additionally, an educational piece was mailed to all MLS residents with their tax notices.

To help train field staff, such as those from municipalities, non-profits, and private businesses, the LSPCG partnered with the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation and the Ontario Phragmites Working Group to develop and deliver training opportunities that focus on identification and appropriate management techniques. Additionally, one partner developed monitoring sheets, which are widely used throughout the MLS.

Finally, a highly visible demonstration project was initiated on Mosquito Island at the mouth of the Ausable River to showcase successful management and increase awareness of the issue.

Strong communication efforts have made a significant contribution to the success of the program. It has ensured area residents have accurate information from the beginning and has allowed them to have their concerns addressed

Grand Bend community members participated in a) a Phragmites identification workshop, b) backpack control training for Phragmites in sensitive areas, c) control of dense Phragmites cell, and d) assessing controlled patch for signs of re-growth. Photos courtesy of J. McDonald

Management

Management techniques used throughout the MLS are site specific and take a landscape scale approach. The Management Plan for the MLS describes recommended methods of control, outlines a management schedule and associated costs, and specifies long-term management strategies for each of seven Phragmites Management Areas. Contingency plans are included in the recommendations, allowing quick adjustments to control activities when site conditions change, without having to go back and seek partner approval. The Management Plan follows the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Best Management Practices, which helps build confidence in the approaches. For large sites, a contractor specializing in restoring sensitive habitats, and a burn specialist were hired.

Handwicking invasive Phragmites along the Lake Huron shoreline. Photo courtesy of D. Jacobs

Prior to using herbicide for management, manual methods of removal were used and found to be both unsuccessful and labour intensive. After the first year of herbicide treatment, most sites have had 85-95% reductions in non-native Phragmites cover and significant returns of native vegetation.

In Canada, non-native Phragmites in standing water cannot be controlled using herbicide due to the lack of a legally available products, so these areas are cut or rolled to stress the plants and dampen further establishment, spread, and seed head development. However, high lake levels in 2013 and 2014 hampered efforts to restore large sections of Lake Huron meadow marsh, and during the 2014-2015 winter, large iced-over Lake Huron sites were unable to be rolled or burned due to greater than usual snow depths and unsuitable burn conditions. The lack of available herbicides for managing non-native Phragmites in standing water means that some stands that should be high priorities are not managed.

Monitoring

Site conditions are measured before and after management activities to ensure outcomes are quantified and the response to restoration efforts can be measured. A wetland ecologist conducts the majority of monitoring activities, sampling several one-square-meter plots at each site for non-native Phragmites density, vegetation richness, plant diversity, wildlife observations, floristic quality index values, water depth, and soil composition. Specific measures of non-native Phragmites are also taken, including number of live and dead stalks, height, and number of seed-heads. Community volunteers assist in monitoring by using standard monitoring sheets to track plant and animal biodiversity, measure the percent change in non-native Phragmites cover, and maintain site photos. Monitoring provides information to support future grant applications and assist in adapting management practices (see Data and Information Integration), and tracking results helps maintain motivation among community members.

New shoots of invasive Phragmites plants growing out of the rhizome from one parent plant. Photo courtesy of Janice Gilbert

References

Tools and Resources
Volunteer Monitoring Form
Neighbor Letter and Permission Form
Open Air Burn Permit
Invasive Phragmites Management Plan for the Municipality of Lambton Shores, Ontario

Outreach Materials
Management Report
Tax Notice Insert
Controlling Phragmites australis in Agricultural and Rural Areas
Smart Practices for Controlling Invasive Phragmites in Ontario’s Roadside Ditches
Community Group Meeting Presentation
Event Press Release
Sample Community Information Session Agenda
Information Session Flyer
Fact Sheet