Invasive Plants in Alaska
Most non-native plants in Alaska, such as non-invasive garden ornamentals and staple crops, are beneficial to society. However, there is a small subset of non-native plants that are able to grow aggressively in Alaska, spreading outside of areas of cultivation, displacing native plants and wildlife, and having negative effects on human health, the economy, and the environment.
Alaska was long thought to be protected from invasive plants by geographic isolation and harsh climates. In recent years, however, it has become clear that we are no longer beyond the reach of the invasive species that cause economic losses and environmental degradation throughout the rest of North America. Well-established and expanding populations of highly invasive plants have been documented in Alaska. These species pose a serious threat to
- Agriculture - increasing agricultural production costs
- Tourism - reducing recreational opportunities, restricting access, and causing physical injury to people, pets, and wildlife
- Wildlife - out-competing the native vegetation that wildlife depends on
- Fisheries - reducing water quality, clogging streams, and degrading fish spawning habitat
- Ecosystems - altering the frequency and intensity of wildfire, increasing erosion, and decreasing biodiversity
- Subsistence Resources - crowding out native plants and wildlife
- Land Values - established infestations can be costly to control or eradicate
An Ounce of Prevention...
...is Worth a Pound of Cure. Prevention and early detection have repeatedly been shown to be far cheaper and more effective than large-scale control efforts once invasive and noxious weeds have gotten out of hand.
The UAF Cooperative Extension Service (CES) Invasive Plants Program collaborates with agencies and organizations at the local, state, and federal levels, in an effort to respond to the problem before invasive plants become costly to control and impossible to eradicate in Alaska. Our education and outreach efforts include workshops, presentations, community weed pulls, the production and distribution of informational materials, and a leadership role on a statewide committee called CNIPM (pronounced “Snip-em”).
CNIPM
The Alaska Committee for Noxious and Invasive Plants Managment
In 2000 a group of professionals and individuals from over 35 different State and local organizations, citizens groups, and federal agencies, who were concerned about invasive weeds in Alaska, came together to form CNIPM. The Committee’s goal is to heighten the awareness of the problems associated with non-native invasive plants and to bring about greater statewide coordination, cooperation and action to halt their introduction and spread.