CEC’s experienced botanists and ecologists assess plant communities and conduct targeted herbicide applications to control terrestrial and aquatic invasive alien plants in natural areas, along utility corridors, and at restoration and industrial sites.
CEC’s invasive plant control group includes senior botanists, ecologists, and licensed pesticide applicators. These professionals have extensive knowledge of native flora, noxious weeds, alien invasive plants, and integrated pest control management techniques that they draw on to aid clients in maintaining compliance with regulatory and permitting requirements.
Careful planning and execution of invasive plant control methods is essential to achieving desired project goals. Integrated invasive plant management services may be required for projects associated with:
- Natural gas transmission right-of-ways and well pads in state or national forest lands
- Wetland and stream mitigation
- Rare plant mitigation and monitoring
Pre- and Post-Construction Surveys
Surveys for invasive alien plant species are required for projects on or crossing federal lands and may be required on some state or municipal lands. CEC performs this service to document species presence and identify cost effective solutions to prevent the spread of undesirable species.
Compensatory Stream and Wetland Mitigation
These projects often have permit conditions that include performance standards that limit areal coverage by alien invasive plant species and noxious weeds. CEC develops integrated strategies to reduce or eliminate invasive plant species in the early stages of the monitoring period in order to control or eliminate these plants before they become established, which aids clients in maintaining compliance with the monitoring schedule.
Mitigation Bank Planning and Maintenance
Third party off-site mitigation banks that offer watershed-scale benefits are now the preferred form of compensatory mitigation for aquatic resource impacts. The release of mitigation credits is contingent on maintaining the ecological functions and habitat quality of the restored aquatic resources. CEC assists project sponsors by performing invasive alien plant species surveys, quantifying resource functions, and developing and implementing management plans to maintain the quality of the aquatic resources within the mitigation bank.
Right-of-Way Projects
These projects often require a thorough examination of the project area and adjacent invasion pathways, along with aggressive management techniques to control or eradicate invasive alien species. CEC evaluates site conditions and coordinates with the appropriate agencies to develop integrated management strategies that utilize a combination of herbicide, mechanical, biological, and ecological control methods to meet project objectives while working within cost or environmental constraints.
