Buckthorn Treatment Project Continues on Forest Allegheny National Forest Continues to Fight the Invasive Plant

Release Date: May 19, 2022

Contact(s): Christopher Leeser, Public Affairs Officer

Marienville, PA, May 19, 2022-Weather permitting, the US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service will treat glossy and common buckthorn from mid-May to mid-June to reduce the density of the infestations in the Marienville Ranger District near the Laurel Mill Cross-Country Ski and Hiking Trail. This is the sixth year of a planned 10-year project in the Allegheny National Forest. The upcoming treatment area is located north of Spring Creek Road near the trailhead parking lot and the Elk and Scout Loops.

Treatments will include manual cutting and herbicide application to selected plants. Allegheny National Forest staff will also treat other non-native invasive plant species within or near buckthorn treatment areas if they encounter any during the project.

Temporary closures may be in place on the days the project is implemented. Check for area closure signs at the site or call the Marienville Ranger District office at 814-927-5700 for updated information.

Glossy and common buckthorns are native to Eurasia and were imported, cultivated, and sold for use as wildlife habitat, hedges, and windbreaks. However, these shrubs proved to be highly invasive, fast-growing, and have since invaded watersheds and forests. They now threaten forest health and native plant communities by out-competing native plants for nutrients, light, and moisture. Buckthorn thickets can grow up to 25 feet tall and impede hunters, hikers, and wildlife moving through the forest.

The US Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Plants Database contains photos and information on the distribution of Glossy Buckthorn. The PA Department of Natural and Conservation Resources provides additional information on how to control the glossy buckthorn plant, found in the Glossy Buckthorn Fact Sheet.