Milfoil

What is the RLA doing about milfoil?

Ben Bowditch has offered to set up a committee to research the best way and location to set up a boat washing facility in the Rangeley area to offer an opportunity for visiting boaters to thoroughly clean their boats before putting into any Rangeley Lakes.  Working with Ben will be Frenchie Guevremont, Gordon Haley, Allen Wicken, Rebecca Kurtz.  If you would like to work with this group, call Ben at 864-5823.

Eurasian Watermilfoil, or “milfoil” as it is called, is an invasive aquatic plant.  These are plants that are not native to a given water body, but which, once they are introduced, grow rapidly and alter the native ecosystems.  They are capable of growing rapidly because they were not part of the historical struggle that created a balanced ecosystem.  In the United States, milfoil has no natural checks to its growth.  Milfoil is in fact one of the most invasive of invasive aquatic plants.

How did Eurasian Milfoil enter the United States?

It is believed that milfoil was initially transported into this county as an aquarium plant, and it infested lakes when people disposed of their aquaria into lakes.  Milfoil was first noticed in the 1970s, when it was identified in the Great Lakes.  Since then it has spread steadily over the rest of North America, lake by lake.  Maine is now the only state in which Eurasian Milfoil has not been found.  Milfoil has become an ecological and financial problem in all the states and provinces that surround Maine.

How does milfoil spread?

Milfoil is spread by humans.  When people transport their boats, fishing equipment, or trailers from lake to lake they can accidentally transport milfoil.  It takes only a small fragment of milfoil to rapidly overtake a lake.

What happens to a lake after milfoil is introduced?

Once it is present in a lake, milfoil quickly forms large, dense mats of vegetation that inhibit the growth of native plants and can destroy native fish habitats.  These mats also interfere with swimming, boating and other lake recreation.  Milfoil infestations can also cause a decline in lakefront property values and revenues from tourism.

Is there any way to get rid of milfoil?

Once milfoil becomes established in a water body, it is difficult to control and impossible to eradicate.  The Methods that have been employed to attempt to control milfoil include herbicides, mechanical harvesters, and biological controls.  These methods provide only limited relief, can cost thousands of dollars per acre, and often destroy the very ecosystems they were intended to preserve.

In the past 15 years, the State of Vermont has spent more than $3 million in attempts to control watermilfoil, and a lake association in New York has been applying herbicides to a watermilfoil infestation every year for 20 years and has not succeeded in eradicating it.

How could milfoil affect Maine?

Maine has nearly 6,000 lakes, covering almost a million acres.  They help define the character of the state and form the economic backbone for many Maine communities. They are a priceless and fragile natural resource, providing habitat for wildlife and fisheries, and they also represent an important recreational asset.

What is the Maine State Legislature doing about milfoil?

In the spring of 2000, the Maine State Legislature responded to concerns voiced by various environmental organizations and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) by passing emergency legislation making the intentional transport of any aquatic plant illegal and imposing a fine on those who do so.  The law also mandated that the DEP undertake public education efforts, conduct research on control methods, and institute control measures if they became necessary.

In June of 2001, the Maine Legislature passed an invasive aquatic plant law that will give the state’s lakes a fighting chance.  Here’s what the law does:

· Establishes a system of border and  launch inspections to check boats and gear for plant fragments
· Surveys Maine lakes for existing invasive plants and determine which lakes are most vulnerable
· Launches an extensive education and publicity campaign
· Establishes a rapid response protocol to attempt eradication when an infestation is discovered
· Trains volunteers to help with plant monitoring and courtesy inspections
· Regulates surface use to keep boats out of infested areas
· Develops a state invasive plant plan
· Hires three staff people at the Maine DEP to manage the program
· Hires six new Game Wardens to assist with education and enforcement.
· Hires a seasonal biologist to concentrate on invasive plants.
· Establishes a statewide Task Force to oversee and fine-tune the program
· Makes the program more cost-effective by supporting local volunteer projects
· Increases fines for transporting plants and operating within quarantined areas

STARTING IN JANUARY OF 2002, BOATERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO DISPLAY AN INVASIVE PLANT STICKER ON MOTORIZED WATERCRAFT USING MAINE’S LAKES AND INLAND RIVERS

Stickers cost $10 for boats registered in Maine and $20 for boats registered elsewhere.  They are valid for one year.
 
 

What can you do about the threat of milfoil?

If you are concerned about the threat of milfoil, there is something you can do.  Start by taking the following steps:
 

• Educate yourself.  Read our milfoil web page or visit some of the links below.

• Educate others.  Tell everyone you know about the threat, especially if they are a boater who might inadvertently spread the plant.

• Volunteer to work in LEA’s milfoil prevention program.  We are looking for people who can volunteer at boat launches during the summer educating boaters and checking their boats for milfoil.  We are also looking for volunteers “weed-watchers” to survey local lakes for milfoil.  Hours are very flexible.  Call the LEA office for more information.

Click here for more information on milfoil.

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