Written by Paul Heimowitz, Ian Pearse, and Michala Phillips – U.S. Geological Survey
It’s a beautiful day for a hike. You arrive at the trailhead ready for adventure and ponder the boot brush cleaning station that lies ahead. What happens when you scrape your shoes across those bristles? Are you truly keeping invasive plants out of the natural area that you’re eager to enter?
Boot brush stations are popular invasive species prevention tactics used across federal, state, tribal and other lands around the United States. With funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), NAISMA and Department of Interior (DOI) bureaus like the National Park Service are deploying even more on the landscape this year. Yet despite the prevalence and promise of these tools, we don’t know much about their extent, their effectiveness, or their use. A handful of studies provide site-specific evaluations, but what’s the big picture?
To fill that knowledge gap, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers will be compiling and evaluating existing information about the efficacy of boot brush stations. The team also will conduct limited on-the-ground studies, such as examining what invasive plants are removed from footwear. One key outcome will be a manuscript that gives the most up-to-date state of knowledge on performance and distribution of these stations and summarizes best management practices. The project also will identify where more information is needed to improve prevention of invasive species from hikers and others recreating on public lands.
USGS scientists at the Pacific Islands Ecosystems Research Center and Fort Collins Science Center are leading this effort and currently are hiring a post-doctoral researcher to conduct the work. The project is supported by DOI BIL funding and USGS Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program funds. NAISMA and other partners are providing valuable information and guidance to ensure outcomes are valuable to land managers.
Ultimately, this project represents an important step toward the larger goal of reducing terrestrial invasive plant and animal introductions from recreational activity. Just as research into watercraft decontamination methods over the last few decades has greatly enhanced capacity to stop the spread of aquatic invasive species, science can help us make similar gains on land.
For more information, please contact Michala Phillips, co-Principal Investigator (); Ian Pearse, co-Principal Investigator (); or Paul Heimowitz, Terrestrial Invasive Species Program Manager ().
