Natural Biodiversity

Natural Biodiversity has created a comprehensive management plan that was designed to prevent the spread of invasive plants and noxious weeds that are threatening the Raystown Watershed. The Raystown Riparian Vegetation Conservation Plan focuses on minimizing invasive plant impacts, conserving biodiversity, and restoring wildlife habitat within the watershed. By working together with 31 landowners on lands encompassing 2,866 acres and four state parks, we were able to identify problem areas and develop an overall plan of action for the entire watershed, as well as individualized management plans for each participating landowner. Within the plan recommendations for control efforts were focused on plants that posed the greatest threat to their ecosystems, to agriculture, and to native plant communities. The early control of invasive species populations is essential in the struggle against these invaders. The early detection and rapid response to control a potential threat reduces the cost and man-power necessary to eliminate it. The funding for the conservation plan was provided by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds.

The watershed-wide management plan documents:

· Where invasive species are located

· The extent of their invasion

· All invasive and noxious plants found within the watershed

· How to manage the problem through a prioritized plan of attack

The Complete Raystown Riparian Vegetation Conservation Plan can be viewed from the links provided below. Some sections of the plan are separated from the text (Bio-Bullies and GIS maps) to allow for easier viewing.

RRVCP - Table of Contents

RRVCP - Executive Summary

Raystown Riparian Vegetation Conservation Plan

Appendix: C