Asheville, N.C. (May 12, 2009)—The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) will be leading volunteers into federally designated wilderness areas in North Carolina and Virginia to monitor invasive-exotic plant species. Thanks to a generous grant from the National Forest Foundation, ATC will support the U.S. Forest Service in the Nantahala National Forest and the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in efforts to protect the ecological balance in some of the more than two dozen wilderness areas that the A.T. traverses.
ATC is kicking off its efforts with a National Trails Day event in the Southern Nantahala Wilderness on June 6. The Nantahala Hiking Club and ATC will lead volunteers on the A.T. for a monitoring hike. Volunteers will learn about the impacts invasive-exotic plants have on native ecosystems and learn a protocol developed for early detection of and rapid response to incursions, as well as learn to identify the top species of concern on the Forest Service’s list.
A hike on the A.T. will provide the perfect platform for learning, as well as allow citizens to protect their local national forest and Appalachian National Scenic Trail lands from species that significantly damage ecosystems and the habitats and native species within them, frequently alter soil composition, and emit toxic substances that repel native species.
Invasive-exotic plants contribute to forest degradation and damage migratory corridors. Their annual economic toll numbers in the millions; total losses attributed to only 15 noxious species were estimated at $603 million between 1901 and 1991 by the congressional Office of Technology Assessment. Invasive exotics clog waterways and decrease diversity, which in turn degrades the visual and other inherent values of natural areas. Early detection and eradication of those harmful plants are the most cost-effective ways to enable ecosystems to recover their natural diversity, supporting pollinators and animal populations. Through monitoring, baseline surveys provide the early detection necessary to prioritize the control of invasive-exotics and restoration of healthy plant communities.
ATC is hiring a seasonal coordinator (June through December) to manage ATC’s invasive-exotic programs. That job announcement can be found on line at www.appalachiantrail.org/resourcemgmt. Deadline for applications is June 1.
Volunteer registration information for the invasive-exotic projects can be obtained by contacting Julie Judkins at (828) 254-3708 or by e-mail at jjudkins@appalachiantrail.org.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is a volunteer-based, private, nonprofit organization dedicated for more than 80 years to the conservation of the 2,178-mile Appalachian Trail, so that it will forever remain a simple footpath, within a protected greenway, along the Appalachian Mountains from Georgia to Maine.
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