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Saturday, September 12, 2015

Fighting phragmites: Collaborative Effort Aimed At Eradicating Invasive Plant


The Herald Journal

By Katie Peikes Staff Writer, Herald Journal
Reprinted with permission

Rapidly growing on the grounds of Bear Lake is an invasive species that is not easily eradicated.

Fortunately, a multi-year effort to treat and reduce the species in the hopes of preserving the freshwater body and its surrounding area is gaining momentum.

The invasive plant known as phragmites affects the recreational access, activities and the scenic value along the beaches, which is why it needs to be diminished, said Matt Coombs, Bear River Area Sovereign Lands Coordinator for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.

“Fifty thousand people go to the Bear Lake area on a busy weekend in the summer,” Coombs said. “Just for landowners who want access to the lake, it’s tough to get through (the phragmites).”

The tall, dense thickets of phragmites also crowd out native vegetation and wildlife, and alter the hydrology of water systems by by trapping sediments, inhibiting water movement, and blocking sunlight from reaching the water.

Five years ago, the counties surrounding Bear Lake met to discuss the issue and possible solutions for eradicating phragmites, a tall, widespread weed that thrives in wetland areas.

“When we started seeing phragmites up here at the lake, we got really concerned,” David Cottle from Bear Lake Watch said. “I’d seen what it was doing around the Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake.”

Utah decided something needed to be done, and five years ago, the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands partnered with the Division of Wildlife Resources, Rich County, Garden City, Bear Lake Regional Commission, Bear Lake Watch and local volunteers to reduce the phragmites’ growth.

“It’s a pretty widespread problem,” Coombs said. “We lose habitat value.”

For the last five years, the group has treated phragmites from the end of August through the beginning of September. They spray aquatic label chemicals in areas where phragmites show high, persistent growth. They then remove the phragmites from the area by burning them off, or by cutting or mowing them.

The following spring, the group monitors the plant to see how effective treatment has been, and to estimate how much treatment they will need to apply at the end of summer.

So far, treatment has been effective, minimizing the amount of days the group has to work. Treatment, which used to take the group a week, only took them three days this year. Coombs estimates that they spent 10 hours per day spraying chemicals and cutting the weeds at the lake.

“I don’t know that we can claim that we’re ever going to eradicate the phragmites,” Coombs said, as the group has only taken care of the Utah side of Bear Lake and there are still phragmites to treat in Idaho.

Regardless, the effort has significantly diminished the height of the continuously growing weed.

“People have been surprised that ‘wow they’ve really knocked it back’, especially in some areas where it was 10 to 12 feet high,” Coombs said. “We were able to move a lot more quickly than we expected this year because we’re finding less of it.”

Cottle, from Idaho, said that Idaho has been aware of the growing problem, but has not put any rigorous endeavors into addressing the issue. He was very impressed with the initiative Utah was taking and the cooperative effort to diminish the phragmites’ effects, and wanted to contribute.

“The two states see things really different,” Cottle said. “I love the way Utah does the phragmites up at Bear Lake. It’s neat to see three to four agencies working together to protect it.”

The Idaho Department of Agriculture gave Idaho departments working on their own phragmites treatment $53,000 to go towards chemicals and equipment to knock down the weeds, but as Cottle said, not much has been done on the Idaho side of Bear Lake.

Cottle and his wife then committed Bear Lake Watch to joining in the Utah effort because “phragmites can spread,” he said. “They get in the water in Utah and go up to Idaho and will start spreading. The more we can eradicate any place on the lake, the better off the lake is.”

His ultimate goal is to continue the process throughout the year, rather than waiting to check on the phragmites annually. He said he would like to see a designated work day with equipment and manpower from Idaho and Utah to assist in the effort.“We’d have a small army and that’s what we need.”

Friday, September 11, 2015

JJ Dinner September 18

The Cache County Democrats are having their biggest event of the year, the JJ Dinner and Fund Raiser, on Friday, September 18, 2015.

It will be held at the Logan Golf and Country Club (LGCC), with a social hour beginning at 6:00 pm and dinner at 7:00 pm.  (The LGCC is at 710 N 1500 E, Logan.)

We have two wonderful political speakers: Senator Luz Robles Escamilla and Congressional candidate Doug Owens.  

Peter Corroon, Chair of the State Democratic Party and former mayor of Salt Lake County, will introduce them.

Luz Robles Escamilla was first elected to the Utah State Senate 1st District in 2008 and re-elected in 2012.  She earned both a BS in Business Marketing and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Utah.  She is a business consultant, health policy analyst, and a Director of a major bank’s Business Resource Center.  She is on several boards, mostly dealing with health issues.  In the Senate, she is the Democratic assistant whip and serves on many important Senate Committees, including the Executive Appropriations Committee, Health and Human Services Committee, and the Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee.

Doug Owens ran for US Congress in the 4th Congressional District a year ago.   He is running again.  He graduated from the University of Utah, earned a law degree from Yale Law School, and is a business attorney in Salt Lake City.  His congressional race attracted considerable national attention because he was running against Mia Love, the darling of the Republican Party, and did very well.  Despite being outspent 7-to-1, he garnered 47% of the vote.  Although he lost by 7,511 votes, 15,000 Democrats, who had voted 2 years earlier, stayed home!  We all need to learn from that and improve voter turn out.  Coupling that with his opponent’s poor performance in Congress this year gives Doug an even better chance this time.

It is time to put the JJ Dinner on your calendars and make your reservations now.  (The deadline is this Tuesday, September 15.)  The JJ Dinner will be on Friday, September 18, 2015, at the LGCC starting at 6:00 pm.  Go to our website, CacheDems.org, or to our CacheDems Facebook page and make your reservations.  (If you have difficulties, let me know.)  The basic price is $65.  However, there are several discounts.  

The setting is great, the meal will be wonderful, and the company will be superb.  There are many great silent and live auction items.  The speakers will be amazing.  Don’t wait, make your reservations now!

We look forward to seeing you on the 18th,
Vince Wickwar
Cache Democrats, Chair

Rich Sheriff's Report - August

Anita Weston, Reporter
Rich Civic Times 

TOTAL INCIDENT REPORT BY INCIDENT
Nature of Incident
Total Incidents
Agency Assistance
5
Alarm
5
Alcohol Offense
2
Animal Problem
10
Assault
1
Attempt to Locate
3
Child Abuse or Neglect
1
Citizen Assist
24
Cicizen Dispute
3
Civil Process
3
Criminal History
33
Disorderly Conduct
1
Domestic Disturbance
3
DUI Alcohol or drugs
4
Fire
5
Found Property
2
Harassment
2
Lockout
3
Lost Property
1
Medical Emergency
14
Miscellaneous CAD Call Record
1
Traffic Accident with Damage
19
Traffic Accident with Injuries
2
Property Damage, Not Vandalism
1
Sovereign Lands
19
Suspicious Person, Circumstance
4
Theft
3
Traffic Hazard
7
Traffic Violation
4
Transportation of Person/Property
1
Trespassing
1
Vandalism
5
VIN Serial Number Inspection
5
Welfare Check
1
     TOTAL
198

TOTAL INCIDENT REPORT BY LOCATION
Location
Total Incidents
Garden City
93
Laketown
33
Out of County
2
Randolph
55
Woodruff
15
Total
198
  
NATURE OF INCIDENTS IN GARDEN CITY
Incident
Total Incidents
Agency Assistance
3
Alarm
5
Alcohol Offense
2
Animal Problem
5
Assault
1
Attempt to Locate
3
Citizen Assist
17
Disorderly Conduct
1
Domestic Disturbance
2
DUI Alcohol or rugs
1
Fire
3
Found Property
1
Harassment
2
Lost Property
1
Medical Emergency
10
Miscellaneous CAD Call Record
1
Traffic Accident with Damage
10
Property Damage, Not Vandalism
1
Sovereign Lands
10
Suspiciious Person, Circumstance
1
Theft
2
Traffic Hazard
4
Traffic Violation
1
Vandalism
1
VIIN Serial Number Inspection
4
Welfare Check
1
     Total
93
  
NATURE OF INCIDENTS IN LAKETOWN
Nature of Incident
Total Incidents
Animal Problem
3
Citizen Assist
4
Citizen Dispute
3
Domestic Disturbance
1
DUI Alcohol or Drugs
1
Found Property
1
Medical Emergency
2
Traffic Accident with Damage
5
Sovereign Lands
9
Suspicious Person, Circumstance
1
Traffic Violation
1
Vandalism
1
VIN Serial Number Inspection
1
     TOTAL
33
  
NATURE OF INCIDENTS OUT OF COUNTY
Nature of Incident
Total Incidents
Not Given
2
     Total
2
  
NATURE OF INCIDENTS IN RANDOLPH
Nature of Incident
Total Incidents
Agency Assistance
1
Animal Problem
1
Child Abuse or Neglect
1
Citizen Assist
2
Criminal History
33
DUI Alcohol or Drugs
2
Lockout
2
Medical Emergency
2
Traffic Accident with Damage
1
Traffic Accident with Injuries
2
Suspicious Person, Circumstance
1
Theft
1
Traffic Hazard
2
Traffic Violation
2
Transportation of Person/Property
1
Trespassing
1
     Total
55
  
NATURE OF INCIDENTS IN WOODRUFF
Nature of Incident
Total Incidents
Agency Assistance
1
Citizen Assist
1
Civil Process
3
Fire
2
Lockout
1
Traffic Accident with Damage
2
Suspiciious Person, Circumstance
1
Traffic Hazard
1
Vandalism
3
     Total
15
  
TOTAL TRAFFIC CITATION REPORT BY AREA
Area
Citations
Violations
Garden City
38
47
Laketown
4
5
Randolph
7
7
Woodruff
12
12
     Total
61
71
  
TOTAL TRAFFIC CITATIONS BY VIOLATION
Description
Total
Minor Possession of Alcohol
1
Unlawful Possession or Consumption
1
Expired Registration
1
Failure to Register or Expired
5
Change of address
1
No Valid License in Possession
2
Driver’s License Not in Possession
1
Yield to Vehicles and Pedestrians
1
No Motorcycle Ednorsement
2
Muffler Visible/Noise Exhaust
1
Open Container/Drinking Alcohol
1
Speeding
44
Driving on Wrong Side or Roadway
1
No Helmet under 18
1
No Valid License Never Obtained
1
Expired Driver’s License
2
Driving on Denied License
1
Motor Vehicle on Beach
1
Allow Vicious Animal to Go Free
1
Expired Registration
1
Failed to Obtain Motorcycle Endorsement
1
     Total
71
  
TOTAL TRAFFIC WARNING REPORT BY LOCATION
Location
Warnings
Violations
Garden City
25
30
Laketown
5
6
Woodruff
5
5
     Total
35
41
  
TOTAL TRAFFIC WARNING REPORT BY VIOLATION
Description
Total
Valid Launch Permit Required
3
Expired Registration
1
OHV Restrictions/Private Land
1
Drive w/Passenger in Wrong Place
1
Speeding
17
Motor Vehicle Parked at Water’s Edge
6
OHV 100 Feet to Water
6
Fire Restruction Violation
1
Trespassing
2
Parking below high water mark
1
Fail Sign Disp. Decontamination Certificate
2
     Total
41