Toxic Waste Site!!

Invasive Exotic Plants need to be treated as a Toxic Waste! just like any chemical pollutant that may persist in the environment. Is there any difference?
At the onset of our volunteer work, in which we Adopted – A – Section of – Highway, we noticed a great deal of Oriental Bittersweet covering and smothering large areas of vegetation and open spaces. We applied for permission to apply the proper herbicide with the authorities, and then we began reducing this large “Cancerous Mass”. We do not like to use herbicidesas a First Defence, but in extreme cases such as these we find that anything else is not as effective and we spend a great deal more time and expence and we are in effect “shoveling – sand – against – the – tide”. Once that Bio-mass has been dehydrated the remaining woody materials then needs to be cut down and removed.
This is usually accomplished using tarps so as not to spread any seeds or any possible vegetated propagules. The disposal of this material also becomes a problemic situation as any remaing live material is liable to infect the “Dump” site as well and begin a new florishing of Oriental Bittersweet. We bring the materials to our own facility where we compost it and bring it to high temperatures over a period of time that kills all the seeds and live vegetated bio -mass. We must make sure that our vehicles are cleared of any remaining vegetation and then wash off the residue from our tires.

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