Can Wild Pigs Ravaging the U.S. Be Stopped?

See Scientific American article here: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-wild-pigs-ravaging-the-u-s-be-stopped/

Plant invasions in protected areas - free e-book

In occasion of the World Park Congress, the Springer, upon an invitation by the Executive Secretary of the CBD, has generously offered to provide a free download of the book “Plant invasions in protected areas”.

The offer is valid for the next 4 weeks. The links is available on the congress website http://worldparkscongress.org/drupal/node/121 as well as in the ISSG website http://www.issg.org/

Plant this, not that

Based on work at University of Florida - http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article4056218.html

Invasive species organizations from Canada, US and Mexico will create North American Invasive Species Framework after Ottawa conference

(November 9 2014 – Williams Lake, BC) Following last month’s Weeds Across Borders, the bi-annual gathering of professionals and organizations working in invasive species management from Canada, the United States and Mexico, a North America Invasive Species Framework will be created to link existing federal plans, national strategies, and to identify shared priorities and monitoring indicators to prevent and contain invasive species across the continent.

More than 70 leaders and invasive species experts from across North America gathered in Ottawa October 14-16 to work together on shared issues caused by the transport and establishment of aquatic and terrestrial invasive species across the continent. This included leaders from federal, provincial and state governments along with non-government organizations, and industry. At the conclusion of the conference, the participants agreed to take specific actions to ensure increased coordination and planning for effective communication and responses to new and emerging invasive species threats

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“Invasive species do not recognize jurisdictional boundaries, so we need to keep talking and working together to collaborate and coordinate our work in preventing and stopping invasive plants and other species from creating further economic, environmental and social costs,” said Gail Wallin, Executive Director of the Invasive Species Council of BC and co-chair of the Canadian Council on Invasive Species, which hosted Weeds Across Borders with the support of an international advisory committee. 

Participants established plans to create a high-level North America Invasive Species Framework that would strategically address issues shared across international borders, with focus on prevention and detection, rapid response, pathways and communications. The Framework will expand coordination, collaboration, and action across North America against all aquatic and terrestrial invasive species threats, and involve input and review from federal agencies, provincial/state governments, aboriginal/tribal, industry and non-government organizations. 

In addition, the group agreed that a North American Invasive Species Directory of national and international organizations, governments and industries be developed focused primarily on invasive species management in North America. This directory would be linked to a continent-wide website portal for invasive species to provide linkages to national and international organizations, governments and industries focused primarily on invasive species management in North America. 

Future bi-annual gatherings will be renamed the North American Invasive Species Forum to reflect that invasive species include other species beyond plants. The next gathering is proposed for the Great Lakes region of the United States in 2016. 

Damages and economic losses caused by aquatic and terrestrial invasive species worldwide are estimated at more than $1.4 trillion; nearly 5 percent of the global economy. Forestry, agriculture, fisheries, and the recreation and tourism industries are some of the most heavily impacted, with millions in lost revenue each year. All North American ecosystems and nations are at risk, and these harmful exotic invaders pose a greater threat to native biodiversity than pollution, harvest, and disease combined. In the United States alone, invasive species annually cause an estimated $138 billion in economic losses, and over 46% of native species listed as threatened or endangered are at risk of further decline from the spread of invasive species. 

Invasive species directly and indirectly threaten human health; causing disease, allergic reactions, respiratory distress, and other health problems in people of all ages. Highly flammable invasive plants increase the frequency and intensity of wildfires, and are implicated in large-scale electric power outages. Other invasive plants obstruct roadway sightlines and traffic control signs along transportation corridors, creating extremely unsafe conditions for motorists. Aggressive populations of invasive fish, mussels, and aquatic plants degrade water quantity and quality, and cause declines in native species populations in both marine and freshwater areas. Increasing global trade and transportation, coupled with the significant environmental impacts of global climate change, are expected to expand invasions of harmful exotic species into new areas from the Arctic to the Caribbean and beyond. 

About the Canadian Council on Invasive Species 

The Canadian Council on Invasive Species works collaboratively across jurisdictional boundaries to support actions and information that can help reduce the threat and impacts of invasive species. Invasive species councils, committees, and coalitions representing provinces and territories across Canada established this federal society to work together to reduce the impact of invasive species across the country. 

Media contact: 

Gail Wallin, Co-Chair 

Canadian Council on Invasive Species 

gwallin@bcinvasives.ca 

P: 250 305-9161 

Barry Gibbs, Co-Chair 

Canadian Council on Invasive Species 

vvranche@yahoo.ca 

P: 403-850-5977 

Ecology Meets Economy—Again!!!

In Wisconsin the second educational get-together was held between the Green Industry and the Conservation communities in the past two years. The two groups are not totally exclusive of each other. They are far from it and seem to be more and more of a mixture each year.
What a great example of pulling together for conservation.

• Read the entire article, 'Ecology Meets Economy—Again!!!' by Michael Yanny
• Watch the videos from the conference

Dr. G. Keith Douce makes invited presentation at European Invasive Alien Species information system meeting in Antalya, Turkey

Dr. G. Keith Douce, Co-Director of The University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species & Ecosystem Health made an invited presentation at the European Union Cooperation in Science & Technology [COST] Action TD1209: European Information System for Alien Species working group meeting held in Antalya, Turkey on November 2^nd & 3^rd, 2014.

The TD1209 COST Action meeting was attended by 84 country-level representatives from 27 European countries as well as representatives from Australia and New Zealand.  The goal of the meeting was to facilitate the development of a European Invasive Alien Species (IAS) information system using enhanced knowledge gathering and sharing through a network of [European] experts.   This will enable effective and informed decision-making about IAS issues EU-wide as well as country-levels.  Other objectives were developing and implementing Early Warning and Rapid Response (EWRR) tools and protocols and incorporating Citizen Scientists into the reporting and decision-making process.   Dr. Douce was the only U.S. representative at the meeting and his presentation was titled:  EDDMapS Europe:  A possible framework for a European / North American coalition to deal with invasive alien species.

After the COST Action meeting,  Dr. Douce made a presentation titled: EDDMAPS & Bugwood Apps: Using Information Technology & partnerships to collect data and map invasive species across the U.S. at the 8th International NEOBIOTA Conference on Biological Invasions (http://neobiota2014.org/) also held in Antalya, Turkey on November 3-8, 2014. 

Governor Bullock of Montana Signs Executive Order to Combat Invasive Species

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.

Photo: 1, 2, 3

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Mike Wessler

Governor’s Office

Deputy Communications Director

Office- 406-444-9725

Cell – 406-461-7289

Facebook@GovernorBullock