Tools and Equipment for the Management of Invasive Species in Natural Areas

Steven Manning will open the toolbox and outline examples of many effective treatments for integrated management of invasive plants. Steve will highlight the good the bad and the ugly learned from more than 20 years of on the ground experience controlling invasive plants in the United States.   This includes equipment highlights, effective and ineffective selective and non-selective control methods, the consequences of proper hiring practices, and associated costs and will cover herbicide application methods, manual, mechanical and cultural control.

Steven Manning has spent the past 24 years working on invasive species. He is founder and President of Invasive Plant Control, Inc. (IPC). IPC was created to extend internationally its dedication to the control of invasive species utilizing a revised Integrated Pest Management approach and has successfully controlled hundreds of invasive species for a wide variety of land managers including federal, state, municipal and private landowners throughout the world. Mr. Manning also designs and implements multiple training courses and workshops worldwide with topics ranging from “Invasive Species in Ports of Entry” to “On the Ground Control Techniques.” IPC invests heavily in educational and awareness activities annually. Mr. Manning’s knowledge of environmentally and economically sound control techniques offers a unique perspective not readily found in this field. Mr. Manning is also heavily involved with local, state and international industry development projects including Volunteer Based Early Detection Networks. In 2012 IPC introduced a suite of software and web based tools dedicated to environmental needs. His 2010 publication, Miller, J.H.: Manning, S.; Enloe, S.F. 2010 “A field guide for the management of invasive plants in southern forests” was recently published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. (http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/36915http://wiki.bugwood.org/Invplantmgmt).  He is the acting President of the Pacific Northwest Invasive Plant Council current Vice President of the Mid Atlantic Invasive Plant Council, co-chair of the National Military Fish and Wildlife Association’s Invasive Species Working Group and serves on the board of the North Carolina Invasive Plant Council.