Building Bridges between Research & People in the Management of Invasive Species.

Building Bridges works to bring together a research community that is divided into a number of diverse agencies and expertise to improve dialog and support for organizing groups and/or mini-conferences around management-based research needs.  Possible areas of interest include:

Prevention/EDRR Grazing systems Herbicides Plant community ecology/multi-trophic effects Revegetation/restoration   Revegetating Spotted Knapweed-Cheatgrass Infested Rangeland        - Jane Mangold, Montana State University   Revegetating Roadsides - Ravalli Hill Site        - Phil Johnson, Montana Department of Transportation   Revegetating Whitetop Infested Rangeland        - Monica Pokorny, Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes   Restoration of the Jocko River Riparian Area        - Rusty Sydnor, Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes - Fisheries  Biological control Mapping & inventory    Mapping for Plant Management Prioritization               - Fred Pollnac, LRES Montana State University, Bozeman Aquatic Invasive Species New Invader Species  Monitoring      Monitoring Herbicide Efficacy                               - Cara Nelson, CFC University of Montana, Missoula       Monitoring Biological Control                - Carol Randall, Entomologist, USFS-Coeur d'Alene      Monitoring the Efficacy of Sheep Grazing/Revegetation                - Morgan Valliant, City Open Space Manager, Missoula Integrated management strategies for individual species management      Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum)         - Krista Ehlert, LRES Montana State University, Bozeman       Medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae)         - Jane Mangold, LRES Montana State University, Bozeman       Ventenata (Ventenata dubia)         - Timothy Prather, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID       Bulbous bluegrass (Poa bulbosa)         - Dean Pearson, USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula

After identifying an area of interest, an organizing committee is established to invite all interested parties together to discuss the need for additional research and identify potential sources of financial support.  Local land managers play a crucial role in this process by collaborating with the weed district and the research community for research and demonstration sites.  If you are interested in participating, contact Bryce Christiaens at bryce @missoulaeduplace.org.