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Re: [RC] Wildlife encounters - Karen Sullivan----- Original Message ----- From: <bobmorris@xxxxxxxx> Stop and think about all the invasive species now present in the North American Continent. Cows, horses, sheep, pigs, pheasants, potatoes, many other types of vegetables, many of our grains, your lawn grass, a multitude of garden plants as well as our basic lifestyle. *Not all introduced species are invasive, or displace native species. It is difficult to winnow the good from the bad. *This is due to no studies being done before the release of exotics. Some were deliberately and mistakenly introduced by agencies ( Caltrans, Fish and Game) , some promoted by the nursery industry, and some introduced by nature....It certainly doesn't help to have an on-native species brought in and introduced all over the state (Rio Grande turkeys planted all over Calif by Fish and Game; they were still doing that until stopped by lawsuit by Calif Native plant Soc. as no studies had been done. and the damage from the turkeys to both crops and natives is tremendous. . Purple loose strife is a garden plant still sold to home owners while we are trying to eradicate it. *In Calif. county ag commissioner is allowed to ban certain plants from being sold in the county...there was once a very good, inclusive list that made it to the Calif. legislature that would ban the propagation and sale of invasive ornamental landscape plants such as scotch broom, pampas grass, certain types of iceplant, tamarish, etc. This was lobbied against by the Calif. Nurseymans Association......which is a crying shame. So now we are back to a county by couny list,which is not inclusive at all. It's really sad to drive down the Calif coast and see it overun by pampas grass and scotch broom.... This problem of invasive plants and animals is not new. It has been recognized for several centuries. But with the world wide instant media coverage now in place it has become a popular rallying call. The fight against weeds is not new. Just a current popular cause. *Thank goodness it's a popular cause....and what is different now is that there is a better understanding of the damages due to advances in science and better understanding of fragile ecosystems. Just becuase exotics were introduced several hundred years ago, it's no reason turn our backs on it now... Bob Morris Bob Morris Morris Endurance Enterprises Boise, ID -----Original Message----- From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Karen Sullivan Sent: Friday, May 13, 2005 10:08 PM To: ALYCIN HAYES; ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [RC] Wildlife encounters Sighting wildlife is one of the more wonderful aspects of horseback/endurance riding. Let's keep it wild, Alycin Alycin, I totally agree.....and what goes along with preserving wildlife is preserving the native plants....so I strongly urge people who move into rural areas NOT to plant invasive exotics (scotch broom comes to mind in Calif, or Pampas grass, or does Arundo ring a bell for your So.Cal folks?)....these plants will take over and invade and destroy and entire healthy ecosystem....next the insects, birds, reptiles and wildlife will leave....Scotch Broom is also extremely flammable. It;s a huge threat very vew people are aware of.....according to my recent U.C.Davis alumii magazine, "invasive species are second only to habitat loss (development) as a cause of species extinction....and cost the U.S more than $138 billion a year.....invasive plants and animal constitute one of the greatest threats to Earths natural web of life or ecosystems......ecologists studying invasive species have come to fear the interactions between invaders may disrupt ecosystems so extensively that human health and well being will be affected." I prefer also to ride where the plants and wildlife are native... Karen =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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