Invasive plants can cause significant ecological and economic harm and are changing the face of our landscape. They may impact wildlife by choking out natural habitats such as freshwater wetlands, causing loss of available food, or by altering habitat structure or function.
The importance of minimizing the spread of invasive plants across the landscape means they are a common focus of restoration projects. However, invasive plants know no boundaries and can easily reestablish from surrounding areas unless a landscape-scale strategic approach is taken to prioritizing management projects.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, NH Natural Heritage Bureau, and Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve teamed up with over 120 community members, natural resource managers and academics to develop Picking Our Battles: Planning Successful Invasive Plant Management Projects, a statewide strategic prioritization plan for the control of upland, wetland, and intertidal invasive plant species. Effective planning is necessary in order to protect our native plants and wildlife habitat in the long term.
More Information
- Visit wildlife.state.nh.us/invasives/ for more information and to access Invasive Plant Priority Maps and download the Picking Our Battles Handbook.
- Visit nhinvasives.org for information and resources related to invasive plants and pests in New Hampshire.
