Media Advisory: Tamarisk Subject of First Â?? and Biggest Â?? Research Conference at Colorado State University

Colorado State University, in cooperation with the Tamarisk Coalition and the Center for Invasive Plant Management, will hold the first biennial tamarisk research meeting to be held Tuesday and Wednesday this week at the Hilton Hotel in Fort Collins. It will be the largest conference on tamarisk ever held with more than 250 researchers attending.

The meeting, titled "The 2006 Tamarisk Research Conference: Current Status and Future Directions," is designed to bring tamarisk researchers together at a single venue to present and discuss research on this invasive species.

The non-native tamarisk, or salt cedar, occupies hundreds of thousands of acres in arid and semi-arid western North America. Millions of dollars have been spent in recent years to manage this species for water salvage, fire hazard mitigation, wildlife habitat improvement, recreational access and native vegetation restoration. Scientists across the West have been conducting research on tamarisk, the habitats it occupies, its effects on ecosystems, control methodologies and restoration approaches.

"Over the last several years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of scientists studying tamarisk, and we thought that it was time to bring them together in one place to discuss the state-of-the-science for this problem species. Tamarisk science covers such a broad range of disciplines, from fluvial geomorphology to evolutionary ecology. We are really excited to be able bring such a diverse range of scientists together in one place," said Andrew Norton, assistant professor in the Department of Bioagricultural Sciences one of the conference organizers.

In addition to promoting interactions between scientists, the conference will also provide opportunities for resource managers to share ideas and research needs with the research community.

Information and registration information can be found on the conference Web site at www.tamarisk.colostate.edu. Any media outlets interested in covering the conference can call Nik Olsen at (970) 491-7766 for more information.

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