Important Message from JPA Board

Joes Pond Eurasian Watermilfoil Management Plan 

 The establishment of an invasive aquatic plant known as Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) was discovered and confirmed in Joes Pond in August, 2024.

In response to this discovery, the Joes Pond Association (JPA) Board of Directors has committed to containing and limiting the spread of EWM and, if possible, accomplish eradication,

This document shall constitute the JPA Eurasian Watermilfoil Management Plan to assist in guiding the JPA response to this serious threat to the lake.

Plan Objective 

 The EWM Management Plan shall serve to guide JPA actions and decisions regarding efforts to contain, control and possibly eradicate EWM from the lake and to help the JPA enact and implement such actions as deemed necessary to achieve containment and/or eradication in the most efficient, timely, and effective manner.

 EWM Management Priorities

 1.      Reduce EWM plant population in known established areas by hand pulling, diver assisted suction harvesting (DASH), and placement of benthic barriers as authorized under the Rapid Response Control Permit issued to the JPA and within the 3 year period of its authorization expiring on 09/23/27.

a.      Selection of treatment option(s) will be dependent upon extent of EWM propagation, density and maturity of plants, and availability of contractor services.

b.     In particularly dense areas of EWM establishment, benthic, or bottom barriers, may be placed following hand harvesting or DASH treatment

c.      Closely monitor treated infestation areas for regeneration of EWM and re-establishment of native aquatic species

d.     Follow up on any reported re-establishment of EWM in treated areas immediately, if possible, with hand harvesting by JPA resources

e.      Document and report all treatment activities to the JPA Mapping Specialist for entry on the JPA EWM Management Map

2.      Perform comprehensive on-going surveys of the entire littoral zone to identify any new areas of EWM propagation.

a.      Establish a JPA Stewardship Program focused on member-conducted monitoring and patrolling of the littoral zone.

b.     Provide training to JPA members in EWM identification, marker buoy placement, and geolocation techniques so that location data can be transmitted to the JPA EWM Management Map

c.      Designate volunteer Lakeshore Section Coordinators to recruit surveyors, confirm EWM identification, provide marker buoys, ensure the assigned lakeshore and littoral zone is surveyed thoroughly and regularly, and transmit geolocation data of EWM found and spatial monitoring coverage to the Mapping Specialist

d.     Engage professional consultant services to conduct a full survey of the littoral zone on a yearly basis to determine all locations of EWM establishment.  This level of survey and monitoring should continue until 5 continuous years are achieved with no EWM found.

e.      The full survey addressed in 2(d) above may include a native aquatic plant inventory to provide baseline data and in support of future Aquatic Nuisance Control permit applications.

3.      Form and equip a JPA dive team (SCUBA, SNUBA, and snorkelers) that can perform hand harvesting operations, benthic barrier placement and provide support for contracted hand harvesting, benthic barrier placement and DASH projects.

a.      Dive team will also be tasked with responding to reported discovery of new EWM infestations and hand harvesting such areas as quickly as possible.

b.     Dive team may also perform focused littoral zone surveys in support of the Stewardship Program monitoring activities

c.      JPA shall invest in equipment that will most efficiently and effectively support EWM monitoring and harvesting by JPA resources

4.     Implement actions to reduce the possibility of EWM spread.

a.      Place marker buoys wherever new patches of EWM are found.

b.     Place signage at the fishing access alerting boaters of presence of EWM and to avoid buoyed areas.

c.      Communicate to and engage the JPA membership via website, email, newsletter, Joes Pond Blog or other available means to educate, alert, mobilize, recruit or otherwise keep the members informed of planned or on-going EWM management activities and volunteer needs.

d.     Keep the JPA EWM Management Map up to date with depiction of all new established EWM locations

5.      Develop a digital mapping platform upon which layers of information can be entered and viewed that will assist in temporally and spatially tracking all EWM management actions.  JPA EWM Management Map data entry will be performed by the JPA Mapping Specialist

6.     Pursue all financial assistance for EWM management activities from state, municipal, and other available funding sources

7.     Work with the Federation of VT Lakes & Ponds and VT Agency of Natural Resources to ensure all effective EWM management and treatment options are available to the JPA during the Rapid Response phase (3 years from date of first discovery)

a.      Consider all EWM management options during both the Rapid Response phase and long term; to potentially include herbicide treatment

b.     A decision to pursue approval by VT ANR, and implementation of herbicide treatment, if approved, shall be made only following full engagement of the JPA membership and participation in such decision

8.      Form a JPA EWM Management Committee to implement the elements of this JPA EWM Management Plan.  Areas of focus by the Committee shall include:

a.      EWM Plan

b.     Education

c.      Grants/Funding

d.     Regulatory

e.      Mapping

f.       EWM Surveys

g.     EWM Treatments and Management Options

h.     Materials & Equipment Acquisition and Inventory

9.      Support and sustain the JPA Greeter Program.

a.      Investigate opportunities to enhance Greeter Program capabilities including a boat wash station.

b.     Broaden the recruiting effort to enable more comprehensive temporal coverage.

10.  Maintain lines of communication with the wider Joes Pond Community to include but be not limited to the Towns of Danville, Cabot, and Walden, the Danville and Cabot Conservation Commissions, the LVRT, and the West Danville Community Club.

 

Adopted ______________________

 

For the Joes Pond Board of Directors

 

______________________________

Joe Hebert, President