Erin Myers US Fish and Wildlife Service On behalf of the Florida Invasive Species Partnership

1. The Florida Invasive Species Partnership (FISP): Invasive Species Know NO Boundaries, Do We? Erin Myers US Fish and Wildlife Service On behalf of the Florida Invasive Species Partnership

2. Scale of the threat in Florida • 1,000 non-native insects in Florida, or 8% of all insects • 122 non-native fish, many of which are predatory • 52 species of non-native amphibians and reptiles, 39 reproducing (<25% of the total) – greatest # in US! • > 50 non-native mammal species, 18 reproducing • > 11 non-native bird species that breed in Florida, 185 non-breeding seasonal birds • 25,000 plants into Florida annually • 1,318 established outside of cultivation, 10% invasive in natural areas Strangers in Paradise, Island Press 1997

3. No Boundaries! • > 50% of Florida’s 520+ listed plant species are threatened by invasives Invasives cross natural and disturbed sites, public or private Source: K Burks, FNAI

4. Publicly managed areas Public/Private Partnership Is the Only Way 60% of Florida is privately owned • If landowners and land managers in Florida wish to achieve long-term success, it is critical to collaborate with all stake holders, focusing on prevention as well as treatment.

5. Becoming F.I.S.P. • 2001 Invasive Species Working Group • Represent federal & state agencies • Create one strategic plan for prevention and management of all biological invasions in Florida • Primarily public lands • 2006 Private Land Incentive Sub-working Group • Target invasive species management on private lands • Assume no “one size fits all” approach will work • Promote partnerships between public land managers, resource managers and private land managers • Coordinate current efforts on public lands with private lands • 2008 The Florida Invasive Species Partnership • Maintain same partnership focus

6. Challenges • Public land managers • Limited funds • Limited staff or authority to “cross the fenceline” • Limited ability to assist their neighborswith invasive species control • Private land managers/Technical service providers • Provide information about the programs they administer • Unaware of other options that might be advantageous to the landowner • Private landowners • Not receiving all the available information • Lose interest

7. FISP Goals Think Locally - Act Neighborly • Increase effectiveness and decrease costs by working together. • Provide tools to develop a unified approach and bridge the gap between landowners’ and land management agency efforts. • Encourage development, implementation and sharing of new and innovative approaches.

8. FISP Tools • Develop matrix of existing incentive programs that can be used for invasive species control and target the problems on public and private lands. • Establish matrix on a single web site, provide links to specific information to address and resolve the problem. Provide outreach and training to the following audiences: public, private and technical service providers. • Promote partnerships and collaborative efforts to address invasive species on statewide, regional and local levels (e.g., Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas (CISMAs)) • Provide an information clearinghouse for these efforts.

9. Cropping Up in Florida 2007-2009

10. FISP AccomplishmentsOutreach • FISP representatives attended over 25 meetings/conferences within Florida and Nationally since 2008 • Receiving increased interest from other agencies such as National Park Service, US Forest Service, Florida Natural Areas Inventory and others, asking: What can we do? • Hired FISP database and outreach coordinator • Updates and manages Incentive Program Matrix • Completed the “Got Invasives?” Factsheet • FISP appeared in multiple publications • Wildland Weeds, Conservation Forestry Handbook, Forest Stewardship Newsletter • Developed FloridaInvasives.org • Hosted monthly Webex for CISMAs • Started summer of 2008

11. FISP AccomplishmentsFL Department of Transportation • DOT Voluntary Codes of Conduct • Incorporating the code into DOT statewide policy for roadside landscaping and other related practices • Increased statewide awareness and understanding of invasive plants at all levels within DOT • Training on invasive plant identification for employees, consultants and contractors • Phase out use of FLEPPC Category I and II plants • Encourage plant nurseries to increase availability of non-invasive plants • DOT Participates in FISP and CISMAs • FWC-Invasive Plant Management Section (IPMS) supporting FNAI mapping of DOT borrow pits (July 2009) • DACS Cogongrass Initiative: Plant ID cards

12. FISP Developments • Memorandum of Understanding between all FISP partners • Informational Posters • “In Service” Trainings • FWC-IPMS • Decontamination Protocol for Pesticide Applicators in Florida • Procedures for spraying near organic farms • Homeowner disposal of invasive plants

13. Key ISTF – Python patrol training Invasive Species know NO boundaries – Do we? Necessary ingredients for long-term success: • Multiple agencies and organizations in partnership • Involve private landowners and interests • Recognize differences and commonalities in missions • Conservation leverage COOPERATION is the key to successful, long-term management of invasive plants!