Melissa Bravo

Responsibilities and Interests:

I am the Acting Botanist/Weed Scientist for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and as such I am responsible for implementing and management of the Pennsylvania Noxious Weed Control Program including weed management and control relative to invasive and noxious weeds of the Commonwealth. Responsibilities include surveying for new and existing weed pests and overseeing control and management programs for some exotic species already known to occur in Pennsylvania. During the non-field season I provide outreach/educational training talks on Weed Identification, Vegetation Management PPE Wear and Pesticide Core Safety Training, and Regulatory Updates to applicators within federal, state, local and public and private organizations. A significant component of this position has been researching and rewriting the State Noxious Weed Control Law and Regulations to update the law to current standards and expectations.

Ongoing Programs

• Giant Hogweed and Goatsrue Federal Noxious Weed Program Manager: The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and USDA have a joint program in place in Pennsylvania for the eradication of the federal noxious weeds Heracleum mantegazzianum and Galega officinalis.
• Pilot Kudzu State Eradication Program: Beginning in 2006 and with the infusion of a one time source of funding from the state legislature, I developed a 3 year pilot program to assist property owners with managing and controlling kudzu, a state noxious weed of limited distribution. To date 58 of the 143 sites found in PA have been controlled in the program.
• Pennsylvania Invasive Species Council: As the interim coordinator (2005-2008) for the Pennsylvania Invasive Species Council, and as Chair of the Terrestrial Work Group (2006-current) I provide technical and administrative support to the Governor’s Council which is tasked with developing and implementing a comprehensive state invasive species management plan. The completed plan was signed by Governor Rendell in 2009.

Professional Background:

• Botanist/Weed Scientist. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg, PA, State-wide. October 2005 – current.
• Farm Owner. Meadow Lake Farm, Lawrenceville, PA. A Bravo Family Century Farm. 1908 –Current. Currently operating as a commercial row-crop/cattle grazing operation. The Former Meadow Lake Farm, Wellsboro, PA. May 1993 — June 2001: Joint owner and operator of an Angus/Simmental cow and feeder calf operation (60 head); 1969-1992: Family Farm owned and operated as a two hundred purebred/ mixed breed sheep and 5 acre stocked fee fishing farm.
• Agronomist. Orange County, NY, Sussex County, NJ, Delaware Water Gap, PA / NJ. Responsible for agronomic recommendations, seed and chemical sales and delivery of these products and Scouted @3,000 acres biweekly for New Jersey IPM/EQIP clients. Crop Production Services. Goshen, NY. May 2003 — September 2004
• Invasive Plant Assessment and Inventory Technician. Biological Science Technician (Plants). National Park Service. Temporary Appointment. Responsible for the assessment and inventory of the sites invasive vegetation. Surveyed 800 acre site for the presence of 120 non native exotic plant species. Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites. Hyde Park, NY. May 2002 — September 2002
• Crop and Farm Management Advisor. Independent Consultant. Consulted and assisted supervisor on the day to day planting and harvesting of crops, pesticide and fertility management and application of crop inputs. Managed product inventory, ordering and application for 600 acres processing sweet corn, 200 acres field corn, 300 acres small grains, 600 acres forage crops and 400 acres christmas trees. Wending Creek Farms. Coudersport, PA. May 1999 — December 2001
• Crop Advisor. Independently scouted and managed 5,000 to 9,000 crop production acres in five PA counties. Provided biweekly field-specific scouting and recommendations in all areas of crop selection, crop planting, weed management, field mapping, fertility, pesticide selection and timing. Developed CropMD reports on pre-plant and post harvest inputs. West Branch Crop Management Association. Jersey Shore, PA. May 1993 — December 1997

National Outreach/Publications

• Bravo, M.A., and J. Zoschg Jr., 2011. Discovery of Significant Goatsrue Infestation in McKean County, Pennsylvania. Proc. WSSA: 51.
• Bravo, M.A. 2009. Evaluation of Kudzu Control Program in Pennsylvania. Proc. WSSA: 49:417.
• Bravo, M.A. 2008. Data Management Challenges in Regulatory Weed Programs. Proc. WSSA: 48:177.
• Bravo, M.A. 2007. Giant Hogweed Eradication in Pennsylvania and Surrounding States. Proc. WSSA: 47:226.
• Bravo, M. A. 2003. Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica Thunb.) fact sheet. Weeds Gone Wild. http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien.
• Bravo, M. A. 2002. Invasive plant assessment and inventory reports. Bard Rock. Vanderbilt Mansion, Bellefield Estate, Franklin D. Roosevelt Estate, Eleanor Roosevelt Estate. Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites. Hyde Park, NY.
• Bravo, M. A. 2002. A survey of triazine resistant common lambsquarters on PA farms. Master of Science Thesis in Agronomy. Penn State University, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences, University Park, PA. 133 pp.

Regional Outreach/Publications

• Bravo, M.A, J. Zoschg Jr., and C. Johnson 2011. CWMA Formation in Response to Mile A Minute in Northern Pennsylvania. Proc. NEWSS: 65.
• Bowers, I.D., M.A Bravo and J. Zoschg Jr., 2011. Improving Survey Methods for the Detection of Giant Hogweed in Pennsylvania. Proc. NEWSS: 65.
• Bravo, M.A. M. Polach and J. Zoschg Jr. 2010. Giant Hogweed Eradication Program in Pennsylvania. Proc. NEWSS: 64.
• Bravo, M.A. and J. Miller. 2010. Kudzu Eradication Program in Pennsylvania. Proc. NEWSS: 64.
• Bravo, M.A. 2010. Northeastern Weed Science Society Noxious and Invasive Vegetation Short Course. Gretna Glen Retreat, Lebanon, PA. Proc. NEWSS: 64.
• Bravo, M.A., P. Broady and R. Romanski. 2009. Evaluation of Repeated Annual Treatments for a Pilot Kudzu Eradication Program in Pennsylvania: Third Year Summary. Proc. NEWSS: 63:71.
• Bravo, M.A. J. Zoschg and D.E. Hillger 2009. Giant Hogweed Control and Eradication in Pennsylvania. Proc. NEWSS: 62:70.
• Bravo, M.A. and K.A. Wagner. 2009. Northeastern Weed Science Society Noxious and Invasive Vegetation Short Course. Gretna Glen Retreat, Lebanon, PA. Proc. NEWSS: 62:1.
• Bravo, M.A. and P. D. Broady. 2008. First Year after Treatment Results: Pilot Kudzu Eradication Program in Pennsylvania. Proc. NEWSS: 62:64.
• Bravo, M.A. 2008. Herbicide Effectiveness on Giant Hogweed for Pennsylvania Eradication Program. Proc. NEWSS: 62:63.
• Bravo, M.A. 2007. Controlling 40 Year Old Kudzu Vines in Pennsylvania. Proc. NEWSS: 61:3.
• Bravo, M.A. 2007. Giant Hogweed Eradication in Pennsylvania and Surrounding States. Proc. NEWSS: 61:4.
• Bravo, M.A. and J.C. Fuller. 2006. Giant Hogweed Eradication in Pennsylvania and Surrounding States. Proc. NEWSS : 60:25.
• Bravo, M. A. and D. J. Hayes. 2003. Exotic species in Roosevelt-Vanderbilt historic sites. Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites, Hyde Park, NY. Proc. NEWSS: 57:61.
• Bravo, M. A. and W. S. Curran. 2001. A Survey of Triazine Resistant Common Lambsquarters on Pennsylvania Farms. Proc. NEWSS: 55:18.
• Bravo, M. A. and W. S. Curran. 1999. The Control of Common Lambsquarters in Corn with Four Soil-Applied Herbicides. Proc. NEWSS: 53:27.

State Outreach/Publications

• Bravo, M.A. 2007- 2011. Updating Township Noxious Weed Ordinances. Pennsylvania Association of Township Supervisors. Hershey Convention Center, Hershey, PA.
• Bravo, M.A. 2005-2011. Federal and State Noxious Weed Updates and Identification and Distribution. PennDot Regional Road Side Vegetation Management Trainings. State-wide.
• Bravo, M.A. and A.S. Walter. 2010. Goatsrue Weed Alert for McKean and Potter Counties. PA Dept. of Agric. Harrisburg, PA.
• Bravo, M.A. 2009. Next Generation Biofuel Crops in the Chesapeake Bay Region: Addressing the Concern: Nontraditional crop species escaping cultivation and becoming invasive in the region as a result of biofuel production practices: A right crop on the right acreage approach. Report to the Chesapeake Bay Commission- Biofuels Task Force.
• Walter, A.S. M.A. Bravo, D. Eggen and S. Whitney. 2009. Invaders in the Commonwealth. Pennsylvania Invasive Species Management Plan. The Pennsylvania Invasive Species Council Website http://www.invasivespeciescouncil.com/
• Bravo, M. A., Wagner, K. A., Maierhofer, M., Huff, C.M., and Uholt, J., 2008. The Pennsylvania Invasive Species Council Website http://www.invasivespeciescouncil.com/
• Bravo, M.A. et al. 2008. Background Paper from the Pennsylvania Feral Swine Task Force on the Current Efforts in Pennsylvania; Appendix: Proposed Feral Swine Actions for Pennsylvania Prepared By Pennsylvania Feral Swine Task Force. The Pennsylvania Invasive Species Council Website, http://www.invasivespeciescouncil.com/
• Bravo, M.A. 2006. Terrestrial Component of the Pennsylvania Invasive Species Management Plan. Editor, PA Dept. of Agric. Harrisburg, PA.
• Bravo, M.A. 2006. Mile-A-Minute Weed Alert for Cameron and Potter Counties. PA Dept. of Agric. Harrisburg, PA.