THE NATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL (NISC)
2008 – 2012
National Invasive Species
Management Plan
August 2008
PREPARE PREVENT PROTECT
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THE NATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL (NISC) August 1, 2008
2008-2012 National Invasive Species
Management Plan
National Invasive Species Council
Members
Hon. Dirk Kempthorne
Co-Chair
Secretary of the Interior
Hon. Ed Schafer
Co-Chair
Secretary of Agriculture
Hon. Carlos M. Gutiérrez
Co-Chair
Secretary of Commerce
Hon. Condolezza Rice
Secretary of State
Hon. Mary E. Peters
Secretary of Transportation
Hon. Robert M. Gates
Secretary of Defense
Hon. Henry M. Paulson,
Jr.
Secretary of the Treasury
Hon. Michael O. Leavitt
Secretary of Health and
Human Services
Hon. Michael Chertoff
Secretary of Homeland
Security
Hon. Stephen L. Johnson
Administrator
Environmental Protection
Agency
Hon. Michael Griffin
Administrator
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Amb. Susan C. Schwab
U.S. Trade Representative
Mr. James Hester
Agency Environmental
Coordinator
Global Environment Center
U.S. Agency for International
Development
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THE NATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL (NISC) August 1, 2008
2008-2012 National Invasive Species
Management Plan
Council Staff
Lori C. Williams
Executive Director
Christopher Dionigi
Assistant Director
Domestic Policy, Science and
Cooperation
Richard L. Orr
Assistant Director
International Policy, Science
and Prevention
Phillip Andreozzi
Senior Policy Analyst and
Regional Coordinator
Kelsey A. Brantley
Program Analyst and
Invasive Species Advisory
Committee (ISAC)
Coordinator
Melinda Wilkinson
State Liaison
Co-Chair Department Liaisons
A. Gordon Brown
U.S. Department of the
Interior
Hilda Diaz-Soltero
U.S. Department of
Agriculture
Margaret M. Brady
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce
National Invasive Species Council
Department of the Interior
Office of the Secretary (OS/SIO/NISC)
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20240
www.invasivespecies.gov
Suggested Citation: National Invasive Species Council. 2008.
2008-2012 National Invasive Species Management Plan. 35 pp.
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THE NATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL (NISC) August 1, 2008
2008-2012 National Invasive Species
Management Plan
Table of Contents
PAGE
NUMBER
Executive Summary 4
Introduction 7
2008 Plan Structure and Organization 9
Prevention 11
Early Detection and Rapid Response 16
Control and Management 21
Restoration 25
Organizational Collaboration 28
Appendix 1: List of Acronyms Used 34
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THE NATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL (NISC) August 1, 2008
2008-2012 National Invasive Species
Management Plan
Executive Summary
Invasive Species introduced into the United States from around the globe are affecting plant
and animal communities on our farms, ranches and coasts; and in our parks, waters, forests,
and backyards. As global climate patterns shift, the distribution of species will change, and so
will the susceptibility of particular habitats to the impacts of new species introductions. Human
activity such as trade, travel and tourism have all increased substantially, increasing the speed
and volume of species movement to unprecedented levels. Invasive species are often
unintended hitchhikers on cargo and other trade conveyances. Still more species are
deliberately introduced as pets, ornamental plants, crops, food, or for recreation, pest control or
other purposes. Most nonnative species, including most of our sources of food and fiber, are not
harmful; and many are highly beneficial. A small percentage of nonnative species cause great
harm to the environment, the economy or human health. Nonnative species that cause harm are
collectively known as invasive species.
It is difficult to estimate the total economic harm caused by invasive species, however invasive
plants alone result in two to three billion dollars in crop loss each year (Bridges 1992). Aquatic
invasive species clog irrigation canals and pipes that supply water to power plants and factories.
Invasive plants, pathogens and parasites cut crop yields and sicken livestock. Humans can be
affected directly. Invasive ants cause painful stings. Invasive plant pollen increases the severity
of respiratory allergies and the sap of the invasive plant, Giant Hogweed, causes blisters on the
skin that can lead to permanent scarring. West Nile Virus (WNV) is an invasive pathogen of
humans and animals. As of July 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report
that 1,086 deaths in the United States were caused by WNV (CDC 2008).
Invasive species (such as kudzu, snakehead fish, zebra mussels, emerald ash borers, sea
lamprey, tree of heaven, hydrilla, nutria, West Nile virus, and Sudden Oak Death pathogen) may
prey upon, displace or otherwise harm native species. Some invasive species also alter
ecosystem processes, transport disease, interfere with crop production, or cause illnesses in
animals and humans; affecting both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. For these reasons, invasive
species are of national and global concern.
Invasive species populations span geographic and jurisdictional boundaries; thus efforts to
manage invasive species must be coordinated across boundaries. In 1999, Executive Order
(EO) 13112 established the National Invasive Species Council (NISC), co-chaired by the
Secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce. NISC members include the Secretaries
of Transportation, State, Defense, Homeland Security, Treasury, and Health and Human
Services; the Administrators of the Environmental Protection Agency and the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration; as well as the Director of the U.S. Agency for
International Development and the U.S. Trade Representative. NISC was charged with
providing coordination, planning and overall leadership for federal invasive species programs
and reaching out to state, tribal, local and private partners.
EO 13112 also required the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Invasive Species Advisory
Committee (ISAC), a group of 30 nonfederal stakeholders from diverse constituencies
(representing state, tribal, local and private concerns) around the Nation, to advise NISC on
invasive species issues. In addition, EO 13112 called on NISC to prepare and issue the first
national plan to deal with invasive species. Completed in 2001, the National Invasive Species
Management Plan, Meeting the Invasive Species Challenge (2001 Plan), served as a
comprehensive “blueprint” for federal action on invasive species, as well as NISC’s primary
coordination tool. This coordination tool provided the first comprehensive national plan for
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THE NATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL (NISC) August 1, 2008
2008-2012 National Invasive Species
Management Plan
invasive species action. It called for about 170 specific actions within nine categories of activity,
about 100 of which have been established or completed. Actions identified in the 2001 Plan
continue to be implemented.
The 2008–2012 National Invasive Species Management Plan (2008 Plan) is the first revision of
the 2001 Plan, as mandated by EO 13112. This document will direct Federal efforts (including
overall strategy and objectives) to prevent, control and minimize invasive species and their
impacts within the next five fiscal years (2008 through 2012). If necessary, it may be updated
more frequently to reflect changes in circumstances, agency plans and priorities. NISC member
agencies, ISAC members, NISC staff, stakeholders and other experts have provided input in
drafting this revision, which replaces the 2001 Plan.
The 2008 Plan is focused upon five “Strategic Goals”: Prevention; Early Detection and Rapid
Response; Control and Management; Restoration; and Organizational Collaboration. To
accomplish these strategic goals, critical support for efforts such as research, data and
information management, education and outreach, and international cooperation elements are
included in pertinent sections of the 2008 Plan.
Each of the five strategic goals specifies on-going objectives and the long-term vision for
success in that area. Under each strategic goal, “Objectives” describe what is to be
accomplished over the next five years, and “Implementation Tasks” describe what agencies
expect to do in order to accomplish that objective. Within the “Implementation Tasks”, there are
“Performance Elements” which allow for measurement of progress towards accomplishing
identified tasks.
The 2008 Plan is not a comprehensive list of all federal invasive species actions. It is a targeted
set of priority strategic action plans with objectives and implementation tasks that are intended
to be completed in the next five years. The over-arching strategic goals and strategic action
plan objectives remain consistent with the 2001 Plan. The accomplishment of specific
implementation tasks and performance elements will be dependent upon agency budgets, and
in some cases, legal or regulatory changes.
The 2008 Plan currently requires the work of 35 different “entities” (typically agencies or
bureaus within NISC members’ departments and agencies) to achieve a total of 87 Performance
Elements. Participating agencies are identified either as a “Lead” or a “Participant” to describe
their role in accomplishing a specific Performance Element.
Prevention is the first-line of defense. The Strategic Goal for Prevention calls for preventing the
introduction and establishment of invasive species to reduce their impact on the environment,
the economy and health of the United States.
Even the best prevention efforts cannot stop all invasive species. Early Detection, rapid
assessment and Rapid Response (EDRR) may act as a critical second defense. The EDRR
Strategic Goal calls for developing and enhancing the capacity in the United States to identify,
report and effectively respond to newly discovered and localized invasive species.
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THE NATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL (NISC) August 1, 2008
2008-2012 National Invasive Species
Management Plan
The spread of widely established invasive species can be slowed and their impacts reduced.
The Control and Management Strategic Goal calls for containing and reducing the spread of
invasive populations to minimize their harmful impacts.
Invasive species can severely undermine the ability of plants and animal communities to
recover. The Restoration Strategic Goal calls for the restoration of high-value ecosystems to
meet natural resource conservation goals by conducting restoration efforts on multiple scales.
Invasive species cross jurisdictional boundaries, making coordination and collaboration critical
to success. The Organizational Collaboration Strategic Goal calls for maximizing
organizational effectiveness and collaboration on invasive species issues among international,
federal, state, local and tribal governments, private organizations and individuals.
The problem of invasive species may at times seem overwhelming. However, considerable
success is being achieved in the prevention, detection, eradication and control of some invasive
species along with increasing emphasis in the restoration of ecosystems that have previously
been dramatically affected by invasive species. Additional research and information exchange;
new detection and eradication techniques; and innovative control methodologies and
collaborative models are increasing our capacity to address invasive species problems. The
2008–2012 National Invasive Species Management Plan takes a strategic approach and builds
on existing programs to maximize federal efforts over the next five years to prevent and control
invasive species in order to enhance our environment, economy and human health.
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THE NATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL (NISC) August 1, 2008
2008-2012 National Invasive Species
Management Plan
Introduction
Invasive Species introduced into the United States from around the globe are affecting plant
and animal communities on our farms, ranches and coasts; and in our parks, waters, forests,
and backyards. As global climate patterns shift, the distribution of species will change, and
particular habitats may become more or less susceptible to the impacts of new species
introductions. Human activity such as trade, travel and tourism have all increased substantially,
increasing the speed and volume of species movement to unprecedented levels. Invasive
species are often unintended hitchhikers on cargo and other trade conveyances. Still more
species are deliberately introduced as pets, ornamental plants and food, or for recreation, pest
control or other purposes. Most nonnative species, including many of our sources of food and
fiber, are not harmful; and many are highly beneficial. A small percentage of nonnative species
cause great harm to the environment, the economy, or human health. Nonnative species that
cause harm are collectively known as invasive species.
Executive Order 13112 (EO 13112) defines an invasive species as:
“an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm
or harm to human health.”
The definition includes many types of invasive species such as animals, plants and
microorganisms. It focuses upon invasive species which are harmful, rather than focusing on
nonnative species, most of which are not harmful. Several different terms have been used to
describe invasive species, such as: “alien”, “aquatic nuisance species”, “injurious wildlife”, and
“noxious.” In 2006, the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC) issued a white paper to
provide advice on what is intended by the term “invasive species”, and why so many different
terms have been used in the past. The ISAC white paper is available on the Web at:
.
Invasive species (such as West Nile virus and Sudden Oak Death pathogen, kudzu, tree of
heaven, hydrilla, zebra mussels, emerald ash borers, sea lamprey, snakehead fish, and nutria)
may prey upon, displace or otherwise harm native species. Some invasive species also alter
ecosystem processes, transport disease, interfere with crop production, or cause disease in
animals or humans; affecting both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. For these reasons, invasive
species are of national and global concern.
Invasive species populations span geographic and jurisdictional boundaries; thus efforts to
manage invasive species must be coordinated across boundaries. In 1999, EO13112 charged
all federal departments whose actions may affect the status of invasive species, to the extent
practicable and permitted by law, to work together within their current authorities to prepare,
prevent, and protect resources from harm caused by invasive species. EO 13112 also
established the National Invasive Species Council (NISC), co-chaired by the Secretaries of the
Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce. NISC was charged with providing coordination, planning
and overall leadership for federal invasive species programs and outreach to state, tribal, local
and private partners. NISC members include the Secretaries of Transportation, State, Defense,
Homeland Security, Treasury, Health and Human Services; the Administrators of the
Environmental Protection Agency and National Aeronautics and Space Administration; as well
as the U.S. Trade Representative and an official of the U.S. Agency for International
Development.
EO 13112 also required the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Invasive Species Advisory
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THE NATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL (NISC) August 1, 2008
2008-2012 National Invasive Species
Management Plan
Committee (ISAC), a group of 30 non-Federal stakeholders from diverse constituencies around
the Nation (representing state, private, local and tribal concerns), to advise NISC on invasive
species issues. In addition, it directed NISC to prepare and issue the first national plan to deal
with invasive species. Completed in 2001, The National Invasive Species Management Plan,
Meeting the Invasive Species Challenge (2001 Plan), serves as a comprehensive “blueprint” for
federal action on invasive species, as well as NISC’s primary coordination tool.
This document is the first revision of the 2001 Plan, as mandated by EO 13112. The
2008 –2012 National Invasive Species Management Plan (2008 Plan) will direct federal efforts
(including overall strategy and objectives) to prevent, control and minimize invasive species and
their impacts within the next five fiscal years (2008 through 2012). If necessary, it may be
updated more frequently to reflect changes in circumstances, agency plans and priorities. NISC
member agencies, ISAC members, NISC staff, stakeholders and other experts have provided
input in drafting this revision, which is intended to replace the 2001 Plan.
The 2008 Plan currently requires the work of 35 different “entities” (typically agencies or
bureaus within NISC members’ departments and agencies) to achieve a total of 87 Performance
Elements. Participating agencies are identified as either a “Lead” or a “Participant” to describe
their role in accomplishing a specific Performance Element.
Federal, state, local and tribal governments, as well as organizations in the private sector, have
taken significant steps to meet the challenges posed by invasive species. These steps set the
stage for the 2008 Plan and provide direction and focus. An estimated 59 percent of the 2001
Plan’s 170 specific actions have been completed or are in progress. Among the products NISC
has generated are guidance documents on early detection and rapid response, prioritization of
control actions, and an analysis of major pathways for introduction of invasive species. NISC
members have developed an Invasive Species Performance (Crosscut) Budget for fiscal years
2004–2007. ISAC members completed a white paper interpreting the EO definition of invasive
species in 2006, and they provided input on the 2008 Plan and future crosscut budget
categories and specific initiatives.
Awareness of the problems caused by invasive species has dramatically increased in the last
eight years as evidenced by increased activity at federal, state, and local levels. More than 24
states now have invasive species coordination councils. Local governments and citizens groups
of all types are active in invasive species prevention and control. Despite the significant
increase in activity and awareness, much remains to be done to prevent and mitigate the
problems caused by invasive species.
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THE NATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL (NISC) August 1, 2008
2008-2012 National Invasive
