Abstract: Department of the Interior Efforts to Coordinate its Salt Cedar Control Efforts

The Department of the Interior believes it would be helpful to bring together the many interests in Tamarisk control to develop a roadmap for its removal, revegetation and habitat recovery in order to successfully limit Tamarisk's presence in the Southwest. We would like to link those interested in the water management and ecological issues associated with Tamarisk to develop and implement integrated strategies for addressing Tamarisk. A first step in creating this strategy could be holding a workshop to bring together local, state, tribal and federal land and resource managers, water users and water project operators, and scientists to review the tamarisk challenge. This group would identify best practices in tamarisk management by gathering lessons learned from other control and recovery efforts; propose criteria for selecting tamarisk management projects; propose goals for control, removal and recovery; identify and prioritize critical research gaps; and forge new partnerships for Tamarisk control. We would hope that a from the meeting we can develop a document that maps a way forward by proposing an integrated strategic management approach to developing long-term solutions. To do this we are discussing a two day workshop combining speakers and table discussions, and "reporting-out" sessions with attendance of 80-100 representatives from states, tribes, federal agencies, nonprofits, trade organizations, water districts and others with expertise and interest in the topic.

Talking Points: A Strategic Plan for Tamarisk

Covey: Start with the end in mind...Know where you are going in order to get there. First you need strategic thought - then you need strategic effort

Golf allegory - what your goal is effects how you play...is it getting it into the cup, its it socializations, is it the 19th hole?

Wildlife analogy: do you put it out by seemingly wetting - No. It takes coordinated, focused, planned effort with clear goals in mind.

It often takes an emergency to create high levels of cooperation, to reduce barriers, build teams...either we must learn for emergency and apply these frameworks and lessons elsewhere or we need to think of Tamarisk invasion as a slow motion emergency.

By building a strategic plan we'd like to create the same level of focus, shared vision, and cooperation to battle tamarisk.

- w/in DOI
- w/in federal family
- as a nation or regionally : public private partnerships
- internationally - border issues

Tamarisk problem is simply too great to tackle it in a traditionally solely public funding manner.

It is not an option for Fed's to simply hand over their funds to states or locals to battle Tamarisk. Fed agencies have land management mandates and trust responsibilities.

With or without Fed funding, there is a need for a plan, performance measures.

With Fed funding comes need for accountability - regardless of who spends.

Synergy: Need for the sum of actions to address Tamarisk to be greater than the parts. We need partnerships to create synergy necessary to achieve goals.

Need a strategic plan to create a shared vision. Shared vision is necessary to effective partnering.

Plan must work for all the partners

We need strategic plan to create accountability for all the partners

ID the contributions of each
Measure progress
Document success

Once we have the shared vision, we can create the sound business plan.

All of this enables all the partners to present information effectively to enhance and expand a support base.

All of which enables acquisition of public and non traditional sources of funding

-Non traditional: philanthropic sources, volunteer efforts
Imagine: a Girl / Boy Scout badge for Invasives Removal?

A strategic plan enables us to connect to communities

To involve and engage
To extend understanding
Deepen relationships
To create deepened support

So, how are we doing to do this?

04 budget -- $2.34 million added into request for invasives.

X-cut budget development. First DOI wide - then Fed wide.

Tease apart and ID all the effort on invasives for all agencies

Performance Measures

Comparison of effectiveness

Through engagement of stakeholders

Secy's 4Cs

To start:
USGS mtg on science needs/priorities for invasives
Water 2025 Science mtg - panel and breakout session on invasives
Tamarisk Coalition Survey

Goal: Create common vision of what to achieve and create a roadmap we can follow to get there - together.

Goal: to involve and build support among stakeholders --- even ones tha may not realize they are such.

Conclusion:
Back to golf: for me, its slow motion field hockey
Back to Wildlife: Tamarisk is slow motion Wildfire. Like battling fire, it will require an unprecedented, long-term, level of cooperation and a sustained focus on common goals.

Return to the Schedule and links to the 2003 Tamarisk Symposium