Hand-pull invasive Chinese tallow and privet from the trail edge at Bouton Lake, site 2, Bouton Lake Recreation Area, Angelina National Forest, near Zavalla, TX (public national-forest trailhead) (2026-07-24)

Invasive Chinese tallow and Chinese privet have spread along the accessible trail edge at this public national-forest recreation area, crowding out the native piney-woods understory around the lake. Standard: Urban-creek riparian restoration INSTALL (USDA NRCS CPS 391 riparian forest buffer + EPA nonpoint-source BMP practice) -- native buffer planting, bank stabilization, invasive/litter removal along a public creek or drainage reach in the Neches River basin. The hands-on DOING sibling of stream_bioassessment / watershed_health surveys. SDG 6.6 & 15.1. Proof: USFS-coordinated siting confirm + before/after photos + species/area-treated record + GPS Method (Urban-creek riparian restoration INSTALL (USDA NRCS CPS 391 riparian forest buffer + EPA nonpoint-source BMP practice) -- native buffer planting, bank stabilization, invasive/litter removal along a public creek or drainage reach in the Neches River basin. The hands-on DOING sibling of stream_bioassessment / watershed_health surveys. SDG 6.6 & 15.1.): 1. 1. Walk the marked, accessible trail edge at the recreation area with a USFS-coordinated siting confirm, and photograph the invasive Chinese tallow or Chinese privet stand as found, staying on the marked trail. 2. 2. Hand-pull small stems and seedlings by the root; for larger stems, cut at the base and treat the cut per the site's approved invasive-control protocol. 3. 3. Never leave the marked trail edge or enter the lake or a saturated shoreline; a two-person minimum works within sight of each other. 4. 4. Bag and haul off cut material, photograph the cleared trail edge from the matching before vantage, and record the species and area treated. Done when: USFS-coordinated siting confirm + before/after photos + species/area-treated record + GPS

Where

Bouton Lake Recreation Area, Angelina National Forest, near Zavalla, TX (public national-forest trailhead)

Pay

$135 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

USFS-coordinated siting confirm + before/after photos + species/area-treated record + GPS

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

intermediate

Open until

2026-10-23

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 90–180 minutes. Method of record: Urban-creek riparian restoration install (native buffer planting, bank stabilization, invasive/litter removal) per NRCS CPS 391 riparian forest buffer + EPA nonpoint-source BMP practice -- hands-on restoration, not a bioassessment survey; assess->clear->plant/stabilize->verify

Bring

• shovel / dibble bar
• native bare-root or plug plantings (locally sourced)
• erosion-control matting or willow stakes (bank-stabilization sites)
• loppers / hand saw (invasive removal)
• gloves + trash bags (litter pass)
• camera
• GPS-enabled phone

Steps

1. 1. Walk the reach with the site plan (or the standing bioassessment/watershed-health finding, if one exists) and photograph the bank/buffer segment as found: bare soil, invasive cover, litter, erosion.
2. 2. Clear invasive growth and litter from the planting zone by hand, bagging trash separately from green waste; leave native volunteers in place.
3. 3. Plant native riparian species (or set willow stakes / erosion-control matting) at the spacing and depth the site plan calls for, working from the top of bank downward; water each planting in.
4. 4. Stake or anchor any erosion-control matting so it will not lift in the next high-flow event, and mulch around new plantings kept clear of stems.
5. 5. Photograph the finished segment from the matching vantage, record species/count or matting area installed, and note any follow-up watering the planting needs.

If it does not match the plan

• Steep, actively eroding or undercut bank -> stabilize with matting/stakes before planting; never plant into a bank that is still actively failing.
• Standing or fast-moving water in the work zone -> stay on the bank, never enter the channel; document from the bank and reschedule if the reach is unsafe.
• Suspected illicit discharge, sheen, or odor in the reach -> stop, photograph from a safe distance, do not touch, and report to the MS4/311 line rather than working through it.

What counts as done

• Before photo of the reach segment (bare soil, invasive cover, litter, or erosion as found)
• Invasive/litter removal photo-documented, green waste separated from trash
• Planting or matting installed to spec (species/count or matting area recorded) with after photo from matching vantage
• Erosion-control matting/stakes secured against the next high-flow event, and follow-up watering need noted

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.