Decorah Park-Rec Board approves black locust management plan for Decorah Prairie

The Decorah Park-Rec Department will begin spraying herbicide on the Decorah Prairie in an attempt to control the invasive black locust trees that have begun to take over parts of the prairie.

Park-Rec consulted with the DNR's Terry Haindfeld to develop the plan, which also won the support of retired DNR employee Jim Ripple and longtime conservationist Dave Roslein.  The plan calls for applications of herbicide on a yearly basis in the fall.  The prairie burning will also continue, although the schedule will be stepped up to a yearly basis.

Park-Rec Director Rick Edwards says his department has already tried other measures to control the black walnut trees, but those measures weren't working.  Edwards says the west side of the prairie has especially been affected by the spread of black locusts, particularly along the Upper Iowa River.

Edwards says the Park-Rec Department is still considered other approaches, including plowing up the worst parts along the river and planting alfalfa.

For more information about control measures for black locust trees, visit http://dnr.wi.gov/invasives/fact/black_locust.htm