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Oregon’s water, wildlife, and economy are threatened by invasive species. These plants and animals come from every corner of the planet but don’t have their natural predators here in Oregon. As a result, they spread quickly, pushing out natural vegetation. This creates large areas of land dominated by a single plant species,  known as a monoculture, which is poor habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife. Invasive plants deplete Oregon’s best rangeland and farmland and lower water quality in our region. Some well known invasives in Oregon are English ivy, Yellow starthistle, feral pigs, and snapper turtles.
More invasive plants arrive each day traveling in airplanes, on ballast water from ships, in luggage, on boots, and hitchhiking on other unsuspecting carriers. With each new arrival the great tapestry of plants and wildlife that make Oregon unique unravels. There are many other ways to get involved. A few of them are listed below.
- Volunteer for a current invasive project in your
area.
- Coordinate
your own project with support from SOLV.
Through Project
Oregon, you can apply for a grant and receive additional support for
your invasive removal project anywhere in Oregon at anytime of year.
- Keep invasive plants out of your yard - Use the Garden Smart Guide to find good alternatives to invasive plants such as English ivy and Butterfly bush that are commonly used for landscaping. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
- Plant native trees and shrubs - Invasive plants thrive in areas with no other vegetation. Areas planted with native trees and shrubs are less attractive to invasive plants and have a number of other environmental benefits as well!
- Spread the word about the threat of invasive plants, because together we can do more!
- Stay up-to-date
on SOLV events and projects throughout the year
Receive reminders about these and other special SOLV dates and information,
with e-updates now (fill out the last yellow box in left column of this
page).
Find out about the species, native
and invasive live in your area. Click on one of the links below
or mouse over the map to find out more information about a particular ecoregion
and its native species, invasive species and local watershed council contact
information. Provided by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
- Cooperative Weed Management Areas, or CWMAs, are a partnership between landowners, government agencies and local organizations working to manage and prevent the spread of invasive plants. Find your local CWMA here.
- King County, Washington has a great invasive species prevention program and much of the information is relevant here in Oregon as well!
- Let’s Pull Together: An organization that organizes annual invasive removal volunteer projects in Central and Southern Oregon.
- National Network of Invasive Plant Centers: Invasive plants are not a problem unique to Oregon. In fact, some species that are native to Oregon are considered invasive in other parts of the world!
- The No Ivy League started in Portland’s Forest Park, has good resources on how to remove invasive English ivy.
- Oregon Association of Conservation Districts: Local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, including the East Multnomah and West Multnomah districts in the Portland area, are on the front lines of the fight against invasive plants and have many great resources.
- The Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Noxious Weed Program has good information on invasive plants including profiles of the most common invaders.
- Oregon Invasive Species Council: Read up on Oregon's 100 most dangerous invasives and get the latest information on invasive plants and animals. You can also report an invasive species sighting by filling out the online report form or calling 1-866-INVADER
- Watch OPB’s award winning documentary, "The Silent Invasion".
- The Statesman Journal, Salem’s newspaper, put together some great resources on all kinds of invasive species, including this page on invasive plants.
- Western Invasive Network (WIN): focuses on promoting communication and cooperation in invasive species eradication and removal and provides resources and tools to identify and manage invasive plants. They also have good information about the Early Detection Rapid Response program.
 In 2008, SOLV partnered with the Oregon Invasive Species Council, Oregon Public Broadcasting, The Nature Conservancy, and other community organizations to create more awareness about the problem of invasive plants and animals. One product of this partnership was OPB’s award winning documentary"The Silent Invasion." Another was the GardenSmart Oregon guide. This booklet, developed in association with The Nature Conservancy, Portland BES, Oregon Sea Grant and the Oregon Association of Nurseries, highlights the plants that are most likely to cause problems in our yards along with several suggested alternative non-invasive plants that are unlikely to escape into the natural environment. This guide is being reprinted in 2010. You can download the 2008 version here or request a paper copy by contacting SOLV at 503-844-9571 or info@solv.org.
The following are a list of some of Oregon's invasive plants that SOLV volunteers commonly remove. For a more complete list and for profiles on these plants, visit the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s list of noxious weeds.
- Butterfly bush
| - Japanese knotweed
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- Clematis (Old Man’s Beard)
| - Purple loosestrife
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- Dalmatian toadflax
| - Reed canary grass
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- English holly
| - Scotch (Scots) broom
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- English ivy
| - Thistle (particularly Bull thistle)
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- Garlic mustard
| - White top
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- Himalayan (Armenian)
blackberry | - Yellow star thistle
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- Knapweed
| - Yellow flag iris
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