To the editor:
Thanks to you, Randy Purinton, and Rick Dyer for the informative article on Monhegan’s Japanese barberry infestation [WWF Nov. 04]. Unfortunately, the barberry is not the only problem — for other interested readers, Maine’s Dept. of Conservation is starting to address the issue with the public. Their website [see www.maine.gov/doc/mfs/woodswise/invasive.html] outlines their efforts and includes useful (and printable) fact sheets for the top 10 of non-native, invasive plants. For those readers interested in getting rid of Japanese knotweed, a.k.a. Mexican bamboo, I say “good luck” — it’s almost impossible to kill this aggressive and obnoxious plant — which, of course, is why it appears on Maine’s top 10.
Great paper.
Tom Cole
Eastport