HOW TO HELP YOUR HOA TACKLE INVASIVE GRASSES

By Karen Howe

Buffelgrass surrounding Sonoran Desert plants, Desert LCC

At a recent Home Owners Association (HOA) meeting, one of my neighbors asked, “what are we going to do about the buffelgrass problem here? I’m really worried about fire.” The room erupted, “we’ve tried before and couldn’t get people onboard”, “one neighbor spent $3500 but the grass came back in 6 months.” I innocently offered to gather information and propose some options to our HOA Board. Now, a few months later, we have an invasive grass plan with more than 60% of property owners engaged! Here are tips for an invasive grass “campaign”.

Find a champion
You need a champion to get the ball rolling, and keep it rolling, because managing invasive grasses is not a one-time event. The champion should get educated and share what they learn with other homeowners and then, with their input, make an HOA plan. Although some science is involved, this is fundamentally a people project.

• The champion should clarify objectives for the HOA
• Prevent fire. If left unchecked, invasive grasses can spread into large infestations that provide fuel for fires. Grass-fed fires burn hot and fast and put nearby houses at risk. They also burn native plants and can wipe out stands of saguaro and other cacti that have no protection against fire.
• Protect native habitat. Invasive grasses crowd out native plants that are good for wildlife. Healthy native habitats are one of the best defenses against grass infestations and fire.

The champion needs both knowledge and probably some help. Here are some great resources:

• Quite simply, my HOA wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without Tucson Audubon. The Habitat at Home program, of which I’m a member, suggested that I call Tony Figueroa, Tucson Audubon’s Invasive Plant Program Manager, to help me with my HOA. His immediate response was, “working with your HOA would be a good learning opportunity for us because we’re trying to expand our services to HOAs. Let’s see what we can do together.” Tucson Audubon can help with a whole host of habitat and invasive plant services, see tucsonaudubon.org/hire-us.
  
• The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. A trusted source of reference material.
• Neighbors. You likely have some neighbors who are knowledgeable and interested in helping. Get them onboard to help design and promote your campaign.

Get the HOA board involved
My HOA board told me about previous attempts at eradicating buffelgrass, all of which fizzled out, leaving many homeowners frustrated and discouraged. Surprisingly, most of my neighbors didn’t realize that fountain grass was also a big problem. The HOA board gave me the go-ahead to communicate with homeowners.

Assess the problems
Tony cruised through five properties, cell phone in hand, entering every problem grass clump into a database that they’d use later when treating these grasses. I learned so much from Tony during the assessment. In the worst problem areas, he warned, “if this grass caught on fire the flames could reach 20 feet and burn at 1500 degrees.”

Aftermath of a buffelgrass-fueled fire in the desert, Kim Franklin

Educate property owners–with kindness
Getting rid of invasive grasses–completely and permanently–is a complex task, yet it is possible. Tony shared an overview of the problems in our HOA with my neighbors and from that session I made a short document to share with everyone. I followed up with brief, weekly emails, sharing plans, progress, and a bit of education in each one. I offered to talk with anyone about questions and concerns and, to my surprise, many people called me. It was great to hear their concerns and input as I developed a plan.

I found out that most of my neighbors didn’t know some of the basics, such as:

• There are two big problem grasses around Tucson: buffelgrass and fountain grass. They both were imported from Africa, thrive in desert conditions, and are fire-adapted, surviving fires and spreading rapidly afterwards.
• These grasses have run rampant all over the southwest covering millions of acres. Given the scale of the problem, chemical treatment (glyphosate, the ingredient in RoundUp) is the de facto method for large-scale infestations. Even the most environmentally sensitive organizations use this approach, with highly trained staff using strict protocols to minimize chemical use and maximize effectiveness. The grasses must be treated when they are green and growing, during small windows after winter or summer rains.
• Small grasses and individual clumps can be successfully removed by hand, so many homeowners keep grasses at bay by assiduously digging them. Digging grasses can happen at any time of the year, but it can be a slow and difficult process, best done when the soil is moist. Watch our videos to see this method in action!

Removing buffelgrass by hand, Desert LCC

Make a plan and communicate it frequently
Being a former project manager, I made a project plan. It’s a spreadsheet with information for every lot including contact information, lot size and issues, what are they doing (managing the grasses themselves or getting help), and notes or considerations. I’ve shared the project plan because transparency seems to help. Most neighbors want to know who else is on board and whether anything is planned for the “problem” properties nearby.

It’s a daunting task, but progress is possible
Some mornings I walk our neighborhood discouraged at the acres of waving buffelgrass and the enormous clumps of blooming fountain grass generously broadcasting their seeds over the hills. And then I’m reminded of Tony’s words, “Karen, this is all manageable, I’m used to working on these problems in places like the Grand Canyon National Park.” Perhaps I see Brown-crested Flycatchers noisily going in and out of nests in the giant saguaro cacti. Cacti that have been here long before me, and I hope will be alive long after I’m gone. A neighbor smiles and thanks me for my efforts and I’m grateful to be a positive influence in this amazing desert oasis that I call home.

After a rewarding career in information technology, Karen Howe spent several years as a consultant to non-profits in energy efficiency and habitat protection in the Pacific NW before retiring to Tucson.