PARENT SESSION
Oral Session #108: Precautionary Principle and Restoration .
Presiding: M. O'Brien
Friday, August 9. 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM. Palo Verde Room, Radisson.

Evaluating invasive plant management proposals: a precautionary approach .

PARKER, VIVIAN^*,1, ¹ California Indian Basketweavers Association, Nevada City, CA

ABSTRACT- The current wave of interest in controlling the spread of non-native invasive plants has led to new national legislation and policies that have increased budgets for control measures that rely on the use of toxic chemical herbicides. Increased herbicide use creates uncertain health risks to indigenous and subsistence gatherers, who may not realize that chemicals have been applied in natural areas where they have traditionally gathered. The use of herbicides to control invasive species may also result in unforeseen and environmentally harmful outcomes, including weed shifting, herbicide resistance, and impacts to non-target organisms such as pollinators or aquatic species affected by herbicide run-off. A checklist of guidelines used to evaluate invasive plant management proposals is provided, one that emphasizes the need to place invasive plant management within a restoration and precautionary context.

KEY WORDS: invasive , indigenous , herbicides , precautionary