Galt, California
The Nature Conservancy owns and operates 1300-1500 preserves of various sizes. Their mission is to preserve and protect species of life, and the land, air and water they need to survive. They carry out this mission by buying or legally protecting land. John Randall's job is to look at the most impacted parts of the preserves and focus on weed control questions: what to attack first, how to do it, and if it should be done at all.
A variety of weed invasion problems exist on their preserves, including leafy spurge on the east face of the Rocky Mountains in Montana. They are unable to control it with any herbicides, even the worst, most water soluble, persistent chemicals that could leach easily to groundwater.
In general, the Nature Conservancy is nervous about releasing biocontrol agents because they can be more permanent in the environment than chemicals.
One question that has arisen in this work is, do weeds do so well because we brought their "friends" (as well as because we left behind their "enemies")?
The California Exotic Pest Plant Council is an advocacy group that promotes solutions to these problems.
John Randall thinks it would help to produce lists for the public and the news agencies of what the problem plants are.