New York State Invasive Species Task Force

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New York StateInvasive Species Task Force

• IMPLEMENTING
• the
• RECOMMENDATIONS

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Timeline
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1 million in FY 05-06

• Eradication only
• Aquatic (and wetland) species
• 1 million
• 100,000 cap, 12 match
• Municipalities and not-for-profits
• Applications opened 1 March 2006

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Implementation in FY 06-07

• Continue ISTF (in some form)
• Draft management plan
• Expand outreach
• Integrate database, clearinghouse
• Coordinate research
• Support regional partnerships
• Expand grants beyond eradication

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Overarching Principles

• Deliver program primarily through partners
• Allocate EPF resources primarily to partners
• ISMAs for on-the-ground delivery
• NYSIS Council supported by NYS staff
• NYSISC and direction by Executive Order

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Recommendations

• 1
• Establish a permanent leadership structure to
  coordinate IS efforts.
• Federal model? Interim? Mgt Plan?

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• INTERIM - The existing ISTF can be expanded
  (existing DOH Invasive Plant Council) or
  otherwise revised to provide strategic direction.
  The ISTF Steering Committee can administer as
  much of the 12 recommendations as can be
  accomplished with available resources. State
  agencies, especially DAM and DEC, will need to
  allocate staff resources for this purpose.
• SFY 2006-07 Costs 0 stafftime for organizing
  meetings and communication

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Recommendations

• 2
• Prepare and implement a comprehensive
• IS management plan.
• Contract?

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• This Plan should be developed to address, among
  other things the structure for a permanent
  coordinating body integration among agencies and
  stakeholders additional funding sources and
  additional regulatory authority.
• SFY 2006-07 Costs 100,000 EPF (contract)
• stafftime for administration

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Recommendations

• 3
• Allocate appropriate resources to invasive
  species efforts.
• potential 3 million EPF ?

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• Staff are needed to administer the use of
  available funds and to ensure coordination.
  Executive Budget EPF for
• implementation of the recommendations of the
  ISTF report
• SFY 2006-07 Costs 3 M EPF (contracts grants)
• stafftime for administration

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Recommendations

• 4
• Establish a comprehensive education and outreach
  effort.
• e.g.,Coop Extension or equivalent?
• Sea Grant?

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• Contract with an existing educational
  organization (e.g. Cornell Cooperative Extension
  or equivalent) to develop a comprehensive
  outreach and education program for invasive
  species. The complete program should be
  initiated in SFY 2006-2007. They would develop a
  statewide program and provide a
  multi-disciplinary, 3-person team to support each
  ISMA.
• Contract with SeaGrant (50 K) to continue the
  New York Sea Grant National Aquatic Nuisance
  Species Clearinghouse (which is threatened by
  cuts in NOAA funding) and it should begin
  expansion to serve as the New York State Invasive
  Species Information Clearinghouse.
• SFY 2006-07 Costs 300,000 (contract)
• stafftime for administration

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Recommendations

• 5
• Integrate databases and information
  clearinghouses.
• e.g., Invasive Plant Database or equivalent ?

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• Contract with The Nature Conservancy (Invasive
  Plant Council) to use the Natural Heritage
  Program to establish a state-wide database
  clearinghouse for all taxa of invasive species
  that incorporates existing data from agencies and
  organizations in the state, as well as from
  nearby states, provinces, Canada, and our own
  federal government. The Natural Heritage Program
  is housed within DEC and so its existing contract
  could be revised to reflect this additional
  service.
• SFY 2006-07 Costs 300,000 (contract)
• stafftime for administration

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Recommendations

• 6
• Convene a regular invasive species conference.
• Defer?

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• A regular (annual or biennial) invasive species
  summit should be developed only once permanent
  staff are available to provide the necessary
  attention. This recommendation should be
  deferred.
• SFY 2006-07 Costs 0

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Recommendations

• 7
• Formalize New York State policy and practices on
  IS.
• Agencies

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• Draft a Governors Executive Order (?) to direct
  all State agencies and authorities to 1) phase
  out uses of invasive species 2) expand use of
  natives 3) promote private and local government
  use of natives as alternatives to invasives and
  4) wherever practical and where consistent with
  watershed and IS Management Area Plans, prohibit
  and actively eliminate invasives at project sites
  funded or regulated by New York State. This
  draft Order should be developed by a team of
  State agency staff with guidance from non-State
  stakeholders.
• SFY 2006-07 Costs 0
• stafftime for policy development

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Recommendations

• 8
• Establish a center for invasive species research.
• Coordinate, prioritize, fund

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• Begin planning for a future Center for Invasive
  Species Research.
• Continue on-going research on biocontrol of
  Phragmites because it is known to pose serious
  problems (second only to purple loosestrife in
  ISTF survey biocontrol for loosestrife has
  already been developed by Cornell) across the
  state and because significant investment has been
  made in developing meaningful biocontrol.
• SFY 2006-07 Costs 200,000 (contract)
• stafftime for administration

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Recommendations

• 9
• Coordinate and streamline regulatory
  processes
• Agencies

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• Individual agencies should be charged to reform
  relevant regulatory processes to remove
  unnecessary impediments to the restoration of
  invaded ecosystems. Processes should facilitate
  the efficient application of best management
  practices.
• SFY 2006-07 Costs 0
• stafftime for policy development

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Recommendations

• 10
• Encourage nonregulatory approaches to prevention.
• Industry certification?

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• Develop a pilot program to develop clean stock
  for use by the nursery and landscape industry.
  Explore a certification program for the green
  industry that is responsive to known threats and
  can help evolve a method of identification of
  threats at the borders.
• SFY 2006-07 Costs 100,000 (contract)
• stafftime for policy development
• and administration

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Recommendations

• 11
• Influence Federal actions to
• support invasive species prevention,
  eradication and control.
• Agencies organizations

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• New York State agencies should coordinate work
  with its Congressional Delegation, National
  Governors Association, Environmental
  Commissioners of States, federal agencies, and
  other bodies to influence federal actions.
  Agencies should continue their usual level of
  effort. Without dedicated staff, participation
  will be largely reactive rather than proactive.
• SFY 2006-07 Costs 0
• stafftime policy and legislation analysis

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Recommendations

• 12
• Recognize and fund
• demonstration projects.
• WMAs, NGOs, localities

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• Regional Partnerships Contract with 3 existing
  partnerships (up to 250 K each) for core
  services of organizing volunteers for
  prevention monitoring and detection information
  management eradication and control and
  education and outreach. Encourage additional
  partnerships via competitive grants (below).
• Grants Expand the Aquatic Invasive Species
  Eradication Grant Program begun by DEC in SFY
  05-06 to include prevention, monitoring and early
  detection in addition to eradication and
  terrestrial environs as well as aquatic habitats.
• SFY 2006-07 Costs 650 K (contracts) 1.3
  (grants)
• stafftime for administration