Invasive Species - What's New on NISIC's Site

The ESA Governing Board voted unanimously last week to approve the addition of "spongy moth" to ESA's Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms List, completing a process started in July 2021 when the previous name, "gypsy moth," was removed due to its use of a derogatory term for the Romani people. Translation of the French name is based on the destructive forest pest's sponge-like egg masses.

A new study led by the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) and the University of Barcelona (UB) has revealed that marine plastic pollution could contribute to the introduction and transport of non-native species that attach to these particles of anthropogenic origin.

To win the "Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize Competition for Management of Invasive Species," participants must submit their technology innovation solution -- such as tools, equipment, methods, strategies, etc., that help land managers directly reduce the spread and impacts of invasive species within the United States and its Territories. Solutions should focus on invasive species that cause harm to native ecosystems. Solutions may be species-specific, but universal control techniques that may have multiple species benefits are preferred. Submission period: Open until April 30, 2022, 11:59 EDT.

See also: Innovation for Conservation: Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize Competitions Engage Public in Top Wildlife Issues (Press Release - Mar 1, 2022).
The public now can help reimagine what drives wildlife conservation in the 21st century by participating in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize Competitions. The competitions will engage the public to help address six important issues: preventing wildlife poaching and trafficking, promoting wildlife conservation, managing invasive species, protecting endangered species, managing nonlethal human-wildlife conflict, and reducing human-predator conflict.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has added ravenna grass, glossy buckthorn and common buckthorn to a list of noxious weeds — plants that cannot be legally sold or cultivated in the state. The non-native plants spread aggressively into wooded areas and fields, crowding out beneficial plants and disrupting native ecosystems. The ban on sale and cultivation will take effect April 5, 2022 with enforcement phased in over the next year.

Oak wilt is complex, with a high degree of variability in distribution, severity, and associated management options. This publication provides a detailed overview of oak wilt and is intended to help natural resource managers in the Northeast and Midwest choose the most appropriate tools for a given situation. Using the Story Map format, information has been organized into selectable sections/tabs for easy navigation and exploration.

In conjunction with National Invasive Species Awareness Week, Governor Jay Inslee proclaimed the same week (February 26 - March 3, 2024) as Washington Invasive Species Awareness Week to raise awareness and find preventative solutions for invasive species.

Recent approval of the Alabama Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan opens avenues of federal funding for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division and Marine Resources Division to deal with aquatic invasive species in Alabama’s abundant waterways. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey submitted the aquatic invasive species plan to the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force, an entity of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the recent approval means Alabama will be eligible for up to $100,000 annually to combat aquatic invasive species. Visit www.outdooralabama.com/research/aquatic-nuisance-species-management-plan for more information on the Alabama Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan.

The “Introduced” podcasts are devoted to aquatic invasive species (AIS). Its tagline is “aquatic invaders and stories from our changing waters.” Topics are wide-ranging, from Asian carp to the trade in invasive species on the Internet.
See also: Introducing "Introduced," Sea Grant's Newest Podcast (May 20, 2020, news article about podcast)

The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the expansion of wild bird surveillance for avian influenza to include the Mississippi and Central Flyways. This expansion also enlarged the existing surveillance program in the Atlantic and Pacific Flyways, which is in place to conduct surveillance of birds that may interact with wild birds from Europe and Asia. APHIS confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds in several states in the Atlantic Flyway in January as well as in a commercial turkey flock in Indiana on February 8, and this additional surveillance will increase our capability to track the disease throughout the United States.

Anyone involved with poultry should review their biosecurity plan and enhance their biosecurity practices to ensure the health of their birds. In addition to practicing good biosecurity, all bird owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds and report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to state/federal officials, either through their state veterinarian or through USDA's toll-free number at 1-866-536-7593. 

See related resource: Defend the Flock Program for additional information on biosecurity for all poultry flocks. APHIS has materials about biosecurity, including videos, checklists, and a toolkit available in the Resource Center.
See also: Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza for related news of the Eurasian H5 HPAI in the U.S.

The combination of invasive species and climate change creates unique challenges for natural resource managers. We are developing a network of experts to produce useful and usable science to protect native systems and enhance resilience in the North Central region (CO, WY, KS, NE, SD, ND, MT). This project will expand the successful model of the Northeast Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change Management Network to the North Central region of the U.S. This effort will integrate the research and management of invasive species, climate change, and fire under one umbrella. Stakeholders in the North Central region have identified invasive species, woody encroachment, wildfire, and habitat and ecological transformation as key management issues which this project will address. Project length:  Jun 2, 2021 through Jun 1, 2023.
See also: Creating a North Central Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change (NC RISCC) Management Network