Buffelgrass near the entrance to one of the nearby housing communities along the North side of Orange Grove Rd. Photo Credit: Rink Reinking

PCA SAR is currently responsible for roadside cleanup under the auspices of the Pima County, Department of Transportation, Adopt-A-Roadway project. We have been a part of that effort since April, 2003. In early 2009, we began exploring the possibility of expanding that program to include Buffelgrass remediation. We held a Bufflegrass identification and hands-on removal test on July 11, 2009 with a small group of members. On August 4, 2009 we had a very interesting and informative presentation at our regular monthly meeting. Marilyn Hanson, a volunteer coordinator with the Sonoran Desert Weedwackers, spoke about the problems and dangers of the ongoing Buffelgrass invasion in the Southwest. Following our early efforts and positive experiences we created and conducted an on-line Community Service Survey to ascertain the interest of our members in three important areas. They included Community Service in general, our ongoing Adopt-A-Roadway program and, the then-proposed Buffelgrass Removal project. The results of that survey indicated strong support for all three topics. As a result of that support, Our Second Work Session was scheduled for November 7th and, with an even larger group, we were able to clear a portion of our roadway of Buffelgrass. There is much more work to do, however.

SAR members bag a fresh uprooted Buffelgrass plant. Photo Credit: Rink Reinking

We held another Buffelgrass removal session on February 6, 2010. That date was chosen to coincide with a wider public effort - called the "Beat Back Buffelgrass" day. This County-wide effort was sponsored by the Southern Arizona Buffelgrass Coordination Center (SABCC) and the Pima Association of Governments (PAG) Environmental Planning Advisory Committee (EPAC). Our participation was permitted as part of our ongoing Adopt-A-Roadway project. But, this has not always been possible. However, due to our efforts and with the support of various Pima County agencies, PCA SAR, and soon other Adopt-A-Roadway volunteers will be allowed to participate in Buffelgrass removal as well as their roadside cleanup work. Apparently, before we started asking questions, no other Adopt-A-Roadway volunteers had asked about Buffelgrass remediation! That fact has recently been recognized by the volunteer coordinator of the Sonoran Desert Weedwackers. Marilyn Hanson has sent a letter to our regional president, Jim Kendler, praising the group for our efforts to encourage Pima County to change its long-standing Adopt-A-Roadway guidelines to accomodate other volunteers in the fight against Buffelgrass. PCA SAR has made and will continue to make a difference with this important community service project.

For additional information and external links about the Buffelgrass problem in the Southwest deserts, including the Tucson area, see this link.

Please consider joining us in these worthwhile community service projects.