Date: November 4, 2016
Contact: Tawnya Schoewe, 218-283-6670
Contact: Bryce Olson, 218-283-6694
INTERNATIONAL FALLS, MN: Voyageurs National Park staff seeks public comments regarding an Environmental Assessment to Remove Hybrid Cattails and restore native marsh plant communities in Voyageurs National Park.
Typha x glauca is a hybrid type of cattail that is formed when the native broadleaf cattail naturally crosses with the non-native narrowleaf cattail. The resulting hybrid has traits that allow it to thrive in a wider range of environmental conditions and make it highly invasive. These hybrid cattails have become dominant throughout Voyageurs National Park and have crowded out entire bays, leading to habitat degradation. This degradation includes the reduction of muskrat and other wildlife habitat, weakened fish spawning areas, a reduction in vegetation biodiversity, and compromised visitor experiences. The Environmental Assessment explores various methods for treating invasive cattails and analyzes the impacts of those treatments.
The Environmental Assessment is now available for public review and comment at the National Park Service website at (https://parkplanning.nps.gov/VOYACattails). You may also call park headquarters at (218) 283-6600 to request a hard copy. You may submit comments online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/VOYACattails, email to bryce_olson@nps.gov, or you may mail or hand-deliver comments to the Superintendent, Voyageurs National Park, 360 Highway 11 East, International Falls, MN 56649.
Comments must be postmarked or submitted by December 19, 2016. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address or other personal identifying information, you must state this at the beginning of your comment.
