The Great Lakes Slender False Brome Working Group (Working Group) represents a collaborative effort to improve the understanding and management of slender false brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum) within New York State and the Great Lakes Basin. The Working Group consists of federal and state agencies, business, universities and private organizations who strive to address the ecological threat posed by slender false brome.

Slender false brome is a highly invasive bunch grass that has demonstrated the ability to invade a wide-range of habitats and dominate these areas to the near complete exclusion of native vegetation. A prolific seed producer, slender false brome is easily and effectively spread through many human-aided pathways of invasion as well as natural pathways. This species has negatively impacted ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest since 1939, but was first reported in NYS in 2009.Upon discovery of slender false brome at Bergen Swamp in Genesee County and Taughannock Falls State Park in Tompkins County, stakeholders across the region proactively joined together to share information on this species.

The Working Group developed core functions that provide the framework for efforts. Core functions include Survey and Monitoring, Partner/Network Coordination and Communication, Education and Outreach, Spread Prevention and Management. Western New York Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (WNY PRISM) took the lead on this collaboration and was awarded funding through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in September 2017, to fulfill the Working Group's mission. Significant progress was made this year and WNY PRISM, along with help from many partners, was able to accomplish many important project tasks.

WNY PRISM would like to thank all of the dedicated Working Group members and additional partners and stakeholders involved with this project. WNY PRISM would like to further thank partners that helped install the boot brush stations and mechanically remove slender false brome in research areas, specifically the Town of Bergen Highway Department, Byron Town Parks Committee, Whirlpool State Park staff, Genesee County Park and Forest staff, Letchworth State Park staff and the NYS Parks Strike Team.

For more information on the Working Group, or to report a slender false brome infestation, contact Brittany Hernon, Project Manager, at 716-878-5422 or hernonba@buffalostate.edu, or visit wnyprism.org/projects/slenderfalsebrome. For more information on WNY PRISM visit,www.wnyprism.org.

Great Lakes Slender False Brome Working Group Annual Report

September 2017- August 2018

Slender false brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum).

The Great Lakes Slender False Brome Working Group is part of WNY PRISM, a sponsored program of the Research Foundation for SUNY Buffalo State and the Great Lakes Center. Funding for this Working Group is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

• Seasonal Staff: 1 GIS Technicianand 3 Survey Technicians.

• Melissa Boglioli created habitatsuitability maps for slender falsebrome, which will be used toguide future survey efforts.

• Rachel Bonafilia surveyed 33 sitesin the Syracuse area. Newpopulations of slender falsebrome were found at Heath Parkand Rand Tract Park.

• Emily Doores and KathleenMcCormick surveyed 53 sites inthe WNY PRISM region. Newpopulations of slender falsebrome were found along the WestShore Trail and Genesee ValleyGreenway Trail.

117 distinct populationswere found along theWest Shore Trailthroughout the towns ofElba, Byron, Bergen andChurchville.

Rachel Bonafilia, Survey Technician, collecting data in the field.

2018 Slender False Brome staff (from left to right) Kathleen McCormick, Emily Doores, Brittany Hernon, Rachel Bonafilia, and Melissa Boglioli.

Kathleen McCormick, Survey Technician, collecting soildata.

Survey and Monitoring

Partner/Network Coordination and Communication

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• Held 3 Working Group meetings. The Working Group offered suggestions for survey locations. Discussions led to the creation and finalization of outreach materials. The Working Group provided contact information for town officials, leading

to the approval and installation of boot brush stations.• Created a Working Group webpage located within the WNY PRISM site,

http://www.wnyprism.org/projects/slenderfalsebrome/.

WNY PRISM and Partners installing a boot brush station at Byron TrestlePark.

• Created a slender false brome Identification Fact Sheetand Survey Summary Sheet.

• Articles describing slender false brome and the WorkingGroup were printed in the Great Lakes Center Spring2018 Newsletter, Bergen Town Newsletter and GeneseeCounty Parks Seedlings Newsletter.

• Conducted an experiential learning activity withstudents at the Genesee County Park EnvironmentalScience Career Exploration Camp. Introduced campersto field guides, invasive species, spread prevention andconducted a slender false brome field observationsurvey.

• Held an Identification and Survey Workshop atLetchworth State Park on Wednesday, August 29, 2018.Participants practiced identifying this species andcollected survey data in the field.

Campers collected slender false brome data during the Genesee County Park Environmental Science Career Exploration Camp.

Campers removed plant material, dirt and seeds from footwear with boot brushes.

• Installed 7 boot brush stations acrossthe region to educate hikers on spreadprevention and provide invasive speciesinformation.

NYS Parks installed 2 atLetchworth State Park and 1 atWhirlpool State Park.

Genesee County Park & Forest staff installed 2 at the park.

WNY PRISM installed 1 atDrew’s Nature Center and 1 atTrestle Park.Boot brush stations werepreviously installed at BergenSwamp.

Boot brush station at Letchworth State Park, near the slender false brome infestation.

Education and Outreach

Spread Prevention

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• Implemented manual removal,mechanical removal, herbicideonly treatment and a combinationof mechanical and herbicide treatment onslender false brome infestations atGenesee County Park and Forest andLetchworth State Park.

• Genesee County Park and Forest: Implemented

management in the6-acre infestation. Thearea is very dense withfew other understory speciespresent.

• Letchworth State Park: Implemented management in

the 42-acre infestation. Thisarea is very patchy, with largestands of ferns and Japanesebarberry throughout theinfestation.

• Bergen Swamp: Management carried out in

Bergen Swamp by researchersfrom The College at Brockport.

Research plots were used to determine density and percent cover in the management areas.

Emily Doores, SurveyTechnician, manually removing plants.

The 2018 WNY PRISM Crew applied herbicide in management areas.

Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) ∙ Bergen Swamp Preservation Society ∙ Byron-Bergen Central School District∙Capital/Mohawk PRISM ∙ The College at Brockport ∙ Finger Lakes PRISM ∙ Genesee County Park and Forest ∙ Lower HudsonPRISM ∙ New York Invasive Species Research Institute ∙ New York Natural Heritage Program ∙ NYS Department ofEnvironmental Conservation ∙ NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation ∙ St. Lawrence - Eastern Lake Ontario(SLELO) ∙ SUNY Albany ∙ SUNY Buffalo State ∙ SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry.

Management

Working Group Member Organizations

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