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Release of biological control (knotweed psyllid) for Japanese knotweed management
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park » Release of biological control (knotweed psyllid) for Japanese knotweed management » Document List
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) prepared an environmental assessment (EA) to evaluate the impacts of releasing the biological control (biocontrol) insect knotweed psyllid (Aphalara itadori) to manage non-native invasive populations of Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), giant knotweed (F. sachalinensis), and the hybrid Bohemian knotweed (F. x bohemica) in the continental U.S. Both knotweed psyllid biotypes, Kyushu and Hokkaido, are native to Japan and both were evaluated for field release to control the three invasive knotweed species.
Japanese knotweed has adverse effects on native plant populations and species, native wildlife, soil erosion, and recreational infrastructure. Within the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (Park), Japanese knotweed grows in dense populations along the Potomac River and its tributaries. The current range of Japanese knotweed extends from the most western edge of the park in Cumberland, Maryland to Washington D.C, with more extensive populations in the western sections of the park. The Park currently houses nearly 190 State listed rare, threatened, and endangered plant species, many of which are found in the floodplain forest habitat wherein Japanese knotweed grows.
The Director, Region 1 - National Capital Area has signed a Finding of No Significant Impact based on the documentation and analysis provided in the EA, associated APHIS decision file, and NPS site-specific analysis and is tiered to the broader USDA APHIS EA. The NPS has reached this FONSI in accordance with the Department of the Interior NEPA regulations (43 CFR Part 46) and the NPS Director's Order 12: Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis, and Decision-making (2011) and its accompanying handbook (2015).
C&O Canal National Historical Park
142 W Potomac St
Williamsport, MD 21795
Japanese knotweed has adverse effects on native plant populations and species, native wildlife, soil erosion, and recreational infrastructure. Within the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (Park), Japanese knotweed grows in dense populations along the Potomac River and its tributaries. The current range of Japanese knotweed extends from the most western edge of the park in Cumberland, Maryland to Washington D.C, with more extensive populations in the western sections of the park. The Park currently houses nearly 190 State listed rare, threatened, and endangered plant species, many of which are found in the floodplain forest habitat wherein Japanese knotweed grows.
The Director, Region 1 - National Capital Area has signed a Finding of No Significant Impact based on the documentation and analysis provided in the EA, associated APHIS decision file, and NPS site-specific analysis and is tiered to the broader USDA APHIS EA. The NPS has reached this FONSI in accordance with the Department of the Interior NEPA regulations (43 CFR Part 46) and the NPS Director's Order 12: Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis, and Decision-making (2011) and its accompanying handbook (2015).
Contact Information
SuperintendentC&O Canal National Historical Park
142 W Potomac St
Williamsport, MD 21795