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Southwestern Rivers > Invasive
Plants
Invasive Plants and Salt Cedar
Over the last decade there has been a growing concern about the
proliferation of non-native plants along Southwestern Rivers,
including primarily Salt Cedar, Russian Olive and Siberian Elm,
and their negative effects on the ecology of Southwestern
Rivers. Salt cedar is a particularly aggressive non-native plant
that chokes out native vegetation, sterilizes the soil and
creates a monoculture of habitat.
Though Forest Guardians is also concerned about the negative
environmental effects of these invasive plants we see their
presence along our waterways as a symptom of the ill-health of
rivers and our broader dysfunctional treatment of rivers. All
across the West, there is a growing social and political
consensus that these non-natives must be addressed.
Unfortunately many efforts currently underway that seek to
remove non-natives along waterways are politically driven and do
not focus on river restoration. Forest Guardians believes that
rather than scapegoating the plants and treating a symptom, we
should focus on the bigger problem of archaic river management
and outdated water policies and practices.
For specific questions about our Southwest river protection efforts,
contact John
Horning,
Executive Director.
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