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Conservation Awards recognize Illinois Leaders

The Nature Conservancy honors former Senator Woolard and State Representative Phelps

CHICAGO, IL — Recognizing the critical importance of stopping the influx of non-native, invasive plants into natural areas, The Nature Conservancy in Illinois will honor former Senator Larry Woolard (D-Carterville) and State Representative Brandon Phelps (D-Norris City) with Conservation Appreciation Awards for their sponsorship of HB 666, the Illinois Exotic Weed Act.  Through their efforts, the bill added the plants kudzu and buckthorn to the Exotic Weeds list, giving the state the authority to regulate the sale and planting of these weeds. Designating these plants as exotic weeds prevents their sale and planting in Illinois. Invasive plants are one of the major causes for native species decline. The awards will be presented during the Conservancy’s Board of Trustees meeting, Friday, September 12.  

“Prevention is the best answer to controlling invasive exotic plants such as kudzu and buckthorn. The Nature Conservancy is pleased to recognize the work of former Senator Woolard and State Representative Phelps for their leadership and support in recognizing the devastating effect these plants have on our natural areas ,” said Bruce Boyd, executive director of The Nature Conservancy in Illinois.  “They understand the environmental and economic importance of prevention of these exotic weeds.  Once these plants become dominant, the management of natural areas becomes much more intensive and costly,” he said.

Woolard was appointed this past spring by Governor Blagojevich as the assistant director for Southern Illinois Economic Development, Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.  In this role he is responsible for creating economic opportunities in downstate Illinois.  His office is located in Marion.

Phelps, with offices in Harrisburg and Metropolis, has long held an interest in wildlife issues and concerns related to agriculture and economic development.

“The high rates of invasion by invasive weeds occurring today have overwhelmed a number of native systems and threaten many more, especially those facing additional stresses such as habitat fragmentation,” said Boyd.  “Not only do these plants crowd out the native plants, completely altering the balance of the system, but they also harbor hitchhiking pests. For example, during 2000, heavy infestations of wintering soybean aphid were observed on buckthorn in northern Illinois, resulting in economic implications for soybean growers,” he said.

Kudzu is a fast growing vine, capable of growing 60 feet in all directions within one year. It can cover a building and all plants within its path within two to three years. If not controlled, kudzu blocks the sun to native plants, forcing them out of their native habitat. Kudzu invades and infests forests, wetlands and homesteads.  The plant, most prevalent south of Interstate 80, survives the Illinois winters and its roots may lay dormant in the ground for many years.

Buckthorn can take the form of a shrub or small tree. Found throughout Illinois, buckthorn is most prevalent in the northern half of Illinois, specifically the northeast section of the state. This plant will invade prairies, woodlands,  and wetlands, even roadsides. Buckthorn crowds or shades native shrubs and plants This invasive plant will easily resprout from damaged or cut stems.

Non-native species are a serious economic problem in Illinois and across the United States, causing farmers and ranchers to lose approximately $13 billion per year in associated costs.  The total annual cost of controlling invasive species is approximately $138 billion in the United States.

The Nature Conservancy is a science-based organization and works on many sites in Illinois. The organization works with partners in Illinois and around the world to develop the most effective strategies to achieve tangible, lasting results, thereby ensuring the survival of entire ecosystems.   The Nature Conservancy was established in Illinois during 1957, it maintains five offices across the state.

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The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, non-profit organization that preserves plants, animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 14 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit us on the Web at nature.org.  For more information about the work of The Nature Conservancy in Illinois visit us on the Web at nature.org/illinois.