County Board of Supervisors takes aim at harmful invasive plant species.

Hundreds of delicate, yellow flowers bloom, covering the lush hillsides of Carmel Valley. Genista, also called French broom, are beautiful plants – but they are one of 13 common invasive species in Monterey County.

“Bees, butterflies, birds and larger fauna are losing their host plants because of the spread of genista and other aggressive plants such as yellow star thistle, Italian thistle and cape ivy,” says Paola Berthoin, chair of Carmel Valley Association’s natural resource committee.

The plants spread fast – a mature genista can produce 100,000 seeds per season – and are also a high fire risk. Their high tissue flammability means they not only ignite faster than many natives, but also burn more intensely.

“It’s not a question of if there will be another wildfire, it’s a matter of when,” says Monterey County Supervisor Mary Adams, whose district includes Carmel Valley, where the genista invasion is considered the worst. “This has to be a call to action for neighborhoods to use their power.”

The call to action she’s referring to was CVA members urging the supervisors to pass an invasive species resolution; the supervisors voted 5-0 to do so on June 18, declaring an invasive species awareness week. The resolution, while non-binding, also calls on “Monterey County’s agricultural industry, citizens, nonprofits and public agencies actively defend against numerous invasive species.”

Adams and Berthoin are hopeful it will pave the way for further action against invasives. One new initiative is Weed Wranglers, a volunteer group launched by CVA, which plans to pull weeds starting in 2020.