J-School Project: Pepperweed Invades Town Wetlands

Perennial pepperweed is a "ticking time bomb" at the West Meadow Wetlands Reserve, according to Brookhaven Invasive, the project of Stony Brook University reporter David Morris.

The invasive Eurasian weed, discovered five years ago on the shores of the Long Island Sound in both Connecticut and the Town of Brookhaven, has taken over entire hillsides and valleys in states like Utah, Idaho and Wisconsin.

In June, Brookhaven allocated $38,000 for a perennial pepperweed removal project slated to begin in May of 2012 – an amount which one town analyst says is insufficient to cope with the depth of the problem. Click here to read the full report from Brookhaven Invasive.