DOINews: Interior, USDA Launched National Invasive Species Awareness Week with Awards Ceremony, Fair

Department of the Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary Olivia Ferriter speaks at the launch of National Invasive Species Awareness Week 2015 at an event at the Department of Agriculture on Feb. 25. Ferriter and Kevin Shea, administrator for Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, USDA (seated behind her), recognized the efforts of nine individuals and organizations during an awards ceremony at the event. Photo by Tom Witham, USDA.

USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Administrator Kevin Shea and DOI Deputy Assistant Secretary Olivia Ferriter present a lifetime achievement award to retired DOI Invasive Species coordinator Gordon Brown at the launch of the National Invasive Species Awareness Week 2015 at USDA in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 25, 2015. Photo by Tom Witham, USDA.

National Invasive Species Week highlights efforts to prevent or slow the spread of invasive species such as zebra mussels, Asian carp and Burmese pythons that are harmful to native ecosystems, the economy and sometimes human health. A recap of events and webinars from NISAW 2015 is available at www.nisaw.org.

Every day can be invasive species awareness day, but National Invasive Species Awareness Week, coordinated by the National Invasive Species Council, occurs only once a year. This year NISAW was Feb. 23 to 28. State, federal, tribal and local officials, along with representatives of the private sector and environmental groups, participated in a week of events, briefings and workshops to discuss national and regional invasive species issues.

On Wednesday morning, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Budget, Finance, Performance and Acquisition at the Interior Olivia Ferriter and Administrator for Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services Kevin Shea officially launched NISAW 2015 at an awards ceremony and information fair hosted by the Department of Agriculture.

Partnerships are crucial to successfully prevent and control invasive species. The awards ceremony recognized nine individuals and organizations for their leadership, volunteerism, lifetime achievement and outreach and education:

• Recipients for Lifetime Achievement Awards were Gordon Brown, retired Department of the Interior Invasive Species coordinator, Washington, D.C.; Al Cofrancesco, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Mississippi; and Robert McMahon, University of Texas at Arlington, Texas.
• Leadership Award recipients were Steve Kendrot, USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services, Maryland; and Cathy Lucero, Clallam County Noxious Weed Control Board, Washington.
• Outreach Award recipients were Bob Wiltshire, Invasive Species Action Network, Montana; and Christy Martin, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, Hawaii.

• Volunteer award recipients were volunteers NH LAKES Lake Host Program, New Hampshire, and Mark Imlay, Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council, Maryland.

NISAW highlights efforts to prevent or slow the spread of invasive species such as zebra mussels, Asian carp and Burmese pythons that are harmful to native ecosystems, the economy and sometimes human health.

For example, the Fish and Wildlife Service has found that more than 400 threatened and endangered species are at risk at least partly because of invasive species. Meanwhile, the damage done by invasive plants alone costs the United States an estimated $34.7 billion a year, including clogging waterways and pipes and poisoning pets and livestock. A recap of events and webinars is available at www.nisaw.org.

A broad coalition of groups supported and sponsored the NISAW events including federal and state agencies, professional organizations and representatives from the private sector and environmental groups.

By: Hilary Smith, Invasive Species Coordinator, PPA, DOI
March 23, 2015