Local man appointed to invasive species board
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PABLO — Virgil Dupuis has spent the last 30 years fighting with invasive species so he’s a good fit for Governor Steve Bullock’s Montana Invasive Species Advisory Council.
The governor appointed Dupuis and seven other Montanans to the council on Feb. 20.
Although the board hasn’t met yet, Dupuis, the Salish Kootenai College extension director, said the board will provide input to the governor and to the state programs on invasive species as well as policy and guidance.
“I believe I’m in a position where I’m a tribal representative on the council,” he said. “The council will be looking at terrestrial weeds, plants, animals, fish, macroinvertebrates, all species, all taxa.”
Invasive species that receive a lot of attention are the zebra and quagga mussels, according to Dupuis.
The state of Montana is running a prevention program and has funded boat wash stations, like the one south of Ronan on U.S. Highway 93, to catch boats coming from out of state.
The tiny mussels aren’t the only invaders;
Eurasian watermilfoil, curley leaf pondweed and flowering rush are all invasive plants. Flowering rush has established a foothold in Flathead Lake and in the Flathead River, Dupuis said. The plants can turn an open water area into a dense mat of vegetation but control and restoration efforts are underway.
On the board, Dupuis will support the work the state has done with the noxious weed trust fund and focus on more public engagement and education.
“It would be nice to get more public participation,” Dupuis said, “to get the general public involved in controlling the invasive species on their land.”
