Invasive Blackberry Control in Rancheria - Beginning 9/27

Himalayan blackberry control operations will be taking place beginning Monday Sept. 27th west of El Portal Road to Foresta Bridge including Rancheria and the trailer village. Crews will be gridding and mapping all blackberry encountered. If blackberry occurs in the yards of residences a poster will be hung up at the residence giving notice of our intention to treat the blackberry in the week beginning 4 October. Away from residences the treatments will be concurrent with the survey and mapping operations.

Himalayan blackberry is an introduced exotic pest that infests our creeks and displaces our native vegetation. More than 100 acres of valuable native plant habitat in Yosemite have already been impacted. The berries also attract bears, and bring them closer to human habitat. The removal of Himalayan blackberry is a HIGH priority in Yosemite.

Crews will treat plants with a dilute concentration of glyphosate (Round-Up) that will be noticeable with blue dye. Sprayed areas will be noted by a CAUTION sign. The blue dye will be visible for a few days. The plants will take a few weeks to die back and should not be cut or clipped until completely dead. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the invasive plant crew leader Heather Smith 209 742-3825, and/or invasive plant program lead Martin Hutten at 209 379-2006.