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Photo Credit: Matt Yaco
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page 3 President’s Message It has been a real pleasure to serve as your President! I was one of the original founders of the South Florida Aquatic Plant Management Society. Attendance at our General Meetings fills the room with industry applicators, engineering firms, local water control district technicians, students and educators. We have truly followed our mission during my venue. Our Board has provided the forum for the education, news and information about plants that grow in and around South Florida. Our Hydrophyte publication is one of the industry’s finest. Our growth, community service and exchange of ideas make me very proud to remain an active member of the Society. Sincerely, Mark Weinrub President South Florida Aquatic Plant Management Society
Cover Photo By Robert Lapadula
Board Members - 2014 Officers 2014 Mark Weinrub President …....…........................ T: 954.972.8126 Linda Wolonick Treasurer / Secretary….............. T: 954.370.0041 Board Members 2014 Andy Fuhrman ........................... Craig Smith ................................ James Boggs ............................. John Raymundo ......................... Lyn Gettys, PhD ......................... Michael Shaner .......................... Norma Cassinari ........................ Rose Bechard-Butman .............. Steven Weinsier .........................
T: 954.382.9766 T: 561.301.8326 T: 352.521.3538 T: 561.681.3861 T: 954.577.6331 T: 813. 267.5650 T: 334.741.9393 T: 954.382.9766 T: 954.382.9766
The Francis E. “Chil” Rossbach Scholarship Fund Funds from the scholarship are used to help defray costs for students taking classes related to the study of aquatic environmental sciences or related areas. The scholarship is open to anyone, and all are encouraged to apply. Applications will be accepted throughout the year and the scholarship awarded when a suitable candidate is found. Money raised by the Society during the year partially goes to fund this scholarship, the intent of which is to promote the study of aquatics. For an application, please go to www.sfapms.org.
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Tamarac’s Ecosystem in Balance How does the City maintain the beauty of its lakes and ponds? One way is to use fish to tame nuisance aquatic planta; specifically the triploid grass carp. Five thousand of the fish are being released over three years in Tamarac’s 600 acres of waterways. This approach is safer than chemicals and more economical than mechanical methods to tame unwanted plants. The genetically altered fish will never reproduce and, while not recommended for the dinner table, help keep the ecosystem in our waterways in balance. Credit: The Tamagram - City of Tamarac
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Understand Your Lake “The Lake Treatments Aren’t Working”
One of the most challenging aspects of lake maintenance is communicating the evolution of a management program to the clients. A homeowner that sees a lake from a purely esthetic point of view has vastly different understanding than an applicator that is actively managing it. Much like self-diagnosing health issues, understanding what a lake needs and how it will respond often requires more than basic knowledge and casual observation. Expectations need to be tempered with what is physically possible and environmentally safe. Frequently, what homeowners see as a failed treatment or inactivity is often one stage of an ongoing process. Lake applications need to be done in phases to avoid negatively impacting the dissolved oxygen and fish populations. Many of our E.P.A. approved herbicides require that we wait a period of time between treatments which can affect the timing visits. When cleaning up a submersed weed population, algae will often off the nutrients from the decomposing weeds. Treating the algae is the next step to overall recovery. The common misconception of lake management is that weed and algae problems can be instantly and permanently fixed with one treatment. In reality, the lake health is much like our own. When we have a health issue, a doctor prescribes us a course of action and treatment. Recovery is not instant, and treatment does not mean we will never have another issue in the future. SFAPMS members have the ability to educate homeowners about their lakes and what we do. When you have questions about how your lake is being cared for, our experienced applicator are available to provide you with the answers you need. Author: Stephen Montgomery. SFAPMS Past President
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“The Essentials” of Everglades Restoration FIXING THE EVERGLADES & ESTUARIES Fortunately, when Congress passed the original bill for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) in 2000, it recognized that the 30-year plan for this large-scale restoration would almost certainly call for scientists, engineers and policy leaders to employ “adaptive management” to meet their original goals. Because Adaptive Management allows us to revise strategies with new technologies—or, to rethink original objectives like rising land or construction costs. In other words, Adaptive Management provides an avenue to make changes without compromising the original intent of the restoration. And we must adapt. It’s a different world since 2000 when the state and federal governments agreed to the 50-50 partnership, and the Everglades Foundation has developed a “Road Map” to how and why a new strategy for Everglades Restoration must be developed. The first step is to agree, in broad concept, on what those needs are. Congress approved the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) six years ago; however, key elements of the plan have not been implemented. Wildlife habitat and the spatial extent of the Everglades continue to disappear as development, invasive species, and poor water management decisions further threaten the sustainability of the remaining ecosystem. Both the Everglades Foundation’s Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) and the Everglades Coalition have identified NINE restoration “essentials”-or benchmarks-- that must be achieved if CERP is going to deliver benefits as originally promised... Essential #1 Essential #2 Essential #3 Essential #4 Essential #5
Protect Water Quality Restore the Kissimmee River Provide Drought Storage Provide Additional Wet-Year Storage Reconnect Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades Essential #6 Restore Sheetflow in the Everglades Essential #7 Restore Florida Bay Essential #8 Impose Sustainable Development Essential #9 Improve the State and Federal Partnership Provided by the Everglades Foundation
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Calendar of Upcoming Events November 12-14, 2014 Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council (SE-EPPC) & Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council (GA-EPPC) – A Joint Annual Symposium Athens, Georgia www.se-eppc.org/2014 November 20 Board of Directors Meeting www.sfapms.org January 26-28, 2015 Southern Weed Science Society Savannah, GA www.swss.ws
February 9-12, 2015 Weed Science Society of America Lexington, KY www.wssa.net/meeting/ annual-meeting March 2-3, 2015 Florida Weed Science Society Haines City, FL sites.google.com/site/
“TrophyCatch” by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission TrophyCatch is a new angler recognition program hosted by FWC. This program is free and provides valuable rewards to anglers who document and release largemouth bass that weigh in at over eight pounds. As long as the bass is caught legally in the state of Florida it is eligible. Please remember that you must release these fish. The rewards range in value from $100-$1000. The program’s goals include identifying the best bass fish nurseries, decreasing mortality, and promoting ecological values. For information: TrophyCatchFlorida.com
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Africanized Honey Bees Be Aware‌ Look, Listen, RUN! Why are AHB dangerous? All honey bees sting, but AHB defend their nests more aggressively, in greater numbers, and for further distances. How can you avoid getting stung? Be attuned to buzzing, look for stinging insects and their potential nesting sites. Stay away from nests and contact a licensed pest control company to remove nests. What should you do if you are stung? Be prepared and have a plan. If allergic, purchase bee sting kits. If stung, remove the stinger by scraping it out with your fingernail or a credit card. Do not squeeze, it will release more venom. Are managed honey bee colonies dangerous? Managed colonies present minimal risk to the public and are vital to Florida Agriculture. They also may discourage the establishment of AHB.
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SunWet ANNOUNCING
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