RECENT ANS ANNOUNCEMENTS

Wildlife Forever

 Wildlife Forever is proud to release the 2021 Clean Drain Dry Initiative® annual accomplishment report. Through media outreach, communications marketing, and community engagement, the public awareness campaign has generated a record-breaking 117 million impressions in 2021. Invasive species threaten fishing, boating, and outdoor recreation. Implementing a partner-led and consistent best practices campaign empowers users to prevent the spread of AIS. Full Press Release.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

UPCOMING WEBINARS

Michigan Invasive Species Program’s NotMISpecies Webinar Series:

March 24, 2022, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m ET. - Step aboard Michigan’s Clean Boats, Clean Waters grant program

Looking for resources to help your community protect a local water body from aquatic invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

Learn more about invasive species ? The Michigan Clean Boats, Clean Waters (CBCW) program provides $1k - $3k grants annually for groups interested in aquatic invasive species prevention through increased boater education and awareness. Kelsey Bockleman and Paige Filice from Michigan State University Extension and Kevin Walters from Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy will reveal 2022 CBCW award recipients, share information on past projects and help your group prepare to apply for a CBCW grant in 2023.

The Wildlife Society

March 24, 2022, 2:00 pm  ET - What the “Lacey Act” is and isn’t and how we use it to prevent invasions of Injurious Wildlife

Most conservation professionals know what the “Lacey Act” is. Or do you? Since 1900, the “Lacey Act” has been the most widely known conservation law in the United States. It protects native wildlife and plants from trafficking and supports State conservation laws. And you may be surprised that it also protects against the importation of invasive or injurious species. But did you know that there was no law named “the Lacey Act”? Hence, there is a lot of confusion over what the “Lacey Act” is and isn’t. This webinar, presented by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Injurious Wildlife Listing Coordinator, aims to clear that up. By summarizing the history from 1900, you will see how the two provisions diverged. That will segue into showing how the lesser known provision of the law is effective at preventing harmful wildlife species from being imported and causing invasions.

Collaborative Conservation and Adaptation Strategy Toolbox Webinar

March 24, 2022, 11:00 AM Pacific/12:00 PM Mountain/1:00 PM Central. -  Developing a Regional Strategy to Curtail Illegal Stocking of Sport Fish and Baitfish in the Colorado River Watershed

In 2020, members of the Colorado River Fish and Wildlife Council began developing a Strategic Plan to Curtail Illegal Fish Movement designed to (1) mitigate the expansion of nuisance invasive fish populations, (2) improve administrative and political support for interstate containment efforts, (3) increase the consistency of proactive prevention and reactive responses to illegal fish movement, and (4) increase public buy-in for halting illegal fish movement and subsequent control efforts.

NAISMA Monthly Webinars: NPS Integrated Pest Management Webinar Series

April 20, 2022 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm CDT - A Biocultural Approach to Integrating Indigenous Knowledge with Western Science for Invasive Species Management and Policy

May 18, 2022 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm CDT - Using Community Based Social Marketing to Prevent the Spread of Invasive Species

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

None this week.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

None this week.

RECOMMENDED READING

Aquatic invasive species specialists’ perceptions on the importance of genetic tools and concepts to inform management

Bernos, T. A., Jeffries, K. M., & Mandrak, N. E. (2022). Aquatic invasive species specialists’ perceptions on the importance of genetic tools and concepts to inform management. Biological Invasions, 1-17.

A review of invasive species reporting apps for citizen science and opportunities for innovation

Howard, L., van Rees, C. B., Dahlquist, Z., Luikart, G., & Hand, B. K. (2022).  A review of invasive species reporting apps for citizen science and opportunities for innovation. NeoBiota, 71, 165-188.

ANS IN THE NEWS…

Invasive plants, animals and fish pose threat to Arkansas outdoorsmen

March 19, 2022. Giant threats to Arkansas’s fish and water are lurking under the surface somewhere right now. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission needs boaters’ help in stopping these terrors before they spread any further.

Drink up, and learn about invasive species in Northern Michigan

March 18, 2022. A new project in Northwest Michigan will bring awareness to the impact of off-road vehicles (ORVs) in transporting invasive species from one area to another.

10 pounds of eggs found in large invasive fish caught in Oklahoma lake, state reports

March 18, 2022. Invasive bighead carp can weigh more than 88 pounds, and one caught last week in Oklahoma’s Grand Lake was close to that at 81.8 pounds.

SUNY Oneonta Awarded Money To Stop The Spread Of Invasive Species

March 18, 2022. Most of the money will be used to pay students to inspect boats and fishing gear with the goal of stopping the spread of aquatic invasive species in area lakes and rivers.

Tracking Florida's Invasive Species (video)

March 17, 2022. ABC Action News' Michael Paluska tracks one of the most invasive species of animals in Florida, the python.

Invasive algae species in Newport Harbor is not 100% gone, eradication expected over next few years

March 17, 2022. Last summer, divers set out from China Cove Beach to remove an invasive algae species from Newport Harbor, and the city at the time said it had been removed by way of vacuum pumps that extracted the plant by its roots from the seafloor.

FIT researchers find signature for invasive fish species

March 17, 2022.  The bluegill sunfish and a host of other fish considered invasive species have extra copies of cellular stress response genes in their genomes, new Florida Tech research has found, which may explain why they are more resilient to environmental fluctuations and can outcompete others for shared resources.

Department of Boating and Waterways Opens Grant Program to Stop Invasive Species Infestation

March 17, 2022.  On March 7, the California Division of Boating and Waterways announced the availability for grant funding under the Local Assistance Quagga and Zebra Mussel Infestation Prevention Grant Program.

New Ontario watercraft regulations fight invasive species

March 17, 2022.  New legislation in Ontario can result in a fine if boats are not cleaned properly when they are moved from one body of water and into another.

Expert teams to devise way to remove invasive species

March 17, 2022. The State government on Wednesday informed the Madras High Court that seven teams of forest officials have been formed to study the challenges posed by invasive weeds, especially Prosopis juliflora, in other States and find a way to root them out from Tamil Nadu.

‘Brave’ bobcat attacks 120-pound python and eats its eggs, Florida trail camera shows

March 15, 2022. With a well-placed trail camera, wildlife researchers captured a bobcat fighting a nesting Burmese python in the Florida Everglades, and eating its eggs, photos show.

Oregonian accused of shipping live scorpions pleads guilty to federal charg

March 14, 2022. An Oregon man pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to violating international and domestic shipping laws for importing and exporting hundreds of live scorpions without a license.

MSU Extension helps to educate on and prevent invasive species

March 14, 2022. With the help of other partners, like the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, MSU Extension has been working for years to educate and encourage boaters and independent organizations to help stop the spread of invasive species.

Commission meets online March 17-18 to consider further protections for sea stars and increased harvest of non-native European green crabs

March 11, 2022. The Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet Thursday and Friday, March 17 and 18, for a fish passage fish passage
Fish passage is the ability of fish or other aquatic species to move freely throughout their life to find food, reproduce, and complete their natural migration cycles. Millions of barriers to fish passage across the country are fragmenting habitat and leading to species declines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish Passage Program is working to reconnect watersheds to benefit both wildlife and people.

Learn more about fish passage workshop (Thursday) and to consider changing shellfish regulations to prohibit harvest of sea stars and increase the daily bag limit for non-native European green crabs (Friday).

Oregon Passes Law to Prevent Spread of Diseases Linked to Wildlife Trafficking

March 6, 2022. Gov. Kate Brown signed a bill into law today to help Oregon prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases linked to the import, trade and handling of wildlife. H.B. 4128 passed with bipartisan support in the Oregon legislature.