FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2014
CONTACTS:
Dave Parker, Communications Director,
Governor’s Officer, 444-9844
Mike Wessler, Deputy Communications Director,
Governor’s Office, 444-9725
Governor
Bullock [Montana] Signs Executive Order to Combat Invasive Species
HELENA – Today, Governor Steve Bullock was
joined by sportsmen, conservationists, and land managers as he signed an
executive order improving and streamlining Montana’s efforts to tackle the
threat of invasive species in the state. The order establishes the Montana
Invasive Species Council (MISC) to serve as the overarching council to combat
invasive species in the state—both aquatic and terrestrial.
“Montanans cherish our outdoor recreation and
spaces, and those spaces play a crucial role in our state’s vibrant economy. It
is imperative that we do everything we can to protect Montana from the threat
of invasive species that disrupt our land, water, and native species,” Bullock
said. “None of us want another knapweed spreading across Montana.”
The MISC will be tasked with:
· Providing recommendations,
direction and planning for combating infestations of invasive species
throughout the state, while preventing the introduction of others;
· Fostering cooperation,
communication and coordinated approaches that support international, federal,
regional, state, local, and tribal initiatives for the prevention, early
detection and control of invasive species;
· Serving as a nonpartisan forum
that would achieve a science-based interdisciplinary and comprehensive
understanding of the current status, trends and potential threats of invasive
species in Montana;
· Identifying priorities for prevention
and control of invasive species in Montana;
· Recommending and taking
measures that will encourage prevention, early detection and control of harmful
invasive species in Montana;
· Championing priority invasive
species issues identified by stakeholders to best protect the state; and
· Advising
and working with agency personnel, local efforts, and the scientific community
to implement program priorities.
The MISC will be made up of twenty-one
members, including representatives from tribal governments, county weed
districts, the MSU extensions, conservation districts, conservation
organizations, private land owners, natural resource groups, private industry,
and representatives from state and federal stakeholder agencies.
In addition, Bullock was joined by students
from Whitehall who have raised, monitored, and released biological control
agents on noxious weeds in Montana. They sang “The Twelve Days of Invasion,” a
variation of the 12 days of Christmas highlighting twelve invasive species in
Montana.
Bullock’s executive order can be found at here.
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Mike Wessler
Governor’s Office
Deputy Communications Director
Office- 406-444-9725
Cell – 406-461-7289