Cedar Lake Buckthorn Annual Report 2017

Cedar Lake Buckthorn Project

 Annual Report 2017

The ‘Buckthorn Season’ has pretty much come to an end though there are a few individual landowners who will continue to work at reducing the amount of buckthorn throughout the winter—especially on milder days. For landowners with large plots of dense buckthorn there are not enough days, time or energy to get it all. The project continues to be a resource for a number on landowners throughout Cedar Lake, Barron County and beyond. This is perhaps the only such local volunteer effort in the state. We have full support of local and state DNR.

Grant: Will be starting 2nd year of our 2nd grant with approximately $ 5,000 remaining of the $11,500 grant. Should be receiving in excess of $5,000 from a claim filed recently. Balance of the grant will be directed at training and outreach in cooperation with the 5 county Cooperative Weed Management Group. The primary focus of our project is helping landowners but also public education. More and more folks are slowly coming to the realization that buckthorn quickly overtakes a wooded area leaving the land of little value.

Outcomes: Production of training Video

Developing a Website

Connecting with national hunting groups—-articles with QDMA and Whitetails                Unlimited

Held spring and fall training workshops

Distributed over $3,000 of herbicides/oil to landowners.

Participated with Regional CWMA in presenting buckthorn issues to Regional            Master Gardeners Association

The threat of buckthorn overtaking our wooded lands is significant throughout much of the upper Midwest and far more of a threat to our woods than most ever imagined. In a few years it creates a wall of trees that chokes out all other growth. Unfortunately, many if not most landowners still remain unaware of the problem or for certain properties they appreciate the privacy the barrier provides. In the past few years our project has reached and helped some 200 landowners but that is merely a drop in the bucket.

Dick B

December 2017

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