New User-friendly Invasive Species Manual Available

Invasive species can kill trees, reduce the benefits provided by our forests, decrease overall biodiversity and burden property owners with exorbitant control costs. Managing existing invasive species infestations is difficult, expensive and often requires years of effort, but thanks to urban forestry stakeholders across the state, Wisconsin now has a set of voluntary Urban Forestry Best Management Practices (UF BMPs) for preventing the introduction and limiting the spread of invasive species.

These BMPs identify effective and realistic practices that can be integrated into routine activities to limit the impact of invasives. A manual was written for arborists, urban foresters, nursery growers and retailers, landscape architects, grounds managers, landscape contractors and other urban forestry professionals; however, homeowners and other members of the public are encouraged to utilize the manual.

Wisconsin’s Urban Forestry Best Management Practices for Preventing the Introduction and Spread of Invasive Species is available at http://council.wisconsinforestry.org/invasives/urban/. For more information contact Olivia Witthun at [email protected] or 920.303.5421.