Being a Good Neighbor

Invasive species do not respect boundaries. They don’t care who owns what land or waterway. They want what they need and will trespass to get it. Those working to prevent, eradicate, and control invasive species are most effective if they adopt a different approach, if they recognize who their neighbors are and extend a helping hand, if they are cooperative. Good neighbor practices – including the legal authorities that enable governments to work together across jurisdictions – are not so good for the uninvited guests known as invasive species.

The National Invasive Species Council (NISC) is committed to promoting and enacting good neighbor practices. Council members actively reach out to public and private sector leadership to foster a cooperative approach to solving shared invasive species challenges. They direct federal agencies to enact on-the-ground partnerships with neighboring land managers, as well as to share the information, skills, tools, and technologies that enable everyone in the “neighborhood” to effectively prevent, eradicate, and control invasive species.

Executive Order 13112 calls on the National Invasive Species Council (NISC) to “encourage planning and action at local, tribal, state, [territorial], regional, and ecosystem-based levels to achieve the goals and objectives of the Management Plan.” Although representatives of states, territories, and tribes serve on the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC), the need remains for a strategic approach to Federal coordination with states (including local authorities and territories), tribes, North American frameworks, and ecosystem-scale initiatives. The NISC Secretariat is currently coordinating inter-agency dialogue and a team of non-Federal experts working under the auspices of ISAC to advance the following priority actions called for in the 2016-2018 NISC Management Plan.

MP Action 2.5.1: Develop recommendations for coordinating Federal agency activities to implement E.O. 13112 with U.S. states and territories. Implement recommendations as time and resources permit.

Progress Reports:

In 2016, the Department of Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs, representatives of the U.S. territories, and the NISC Secretariat collaborated in the visioning and establishment of the U.S. Territories Invasive Species Coordinating Committee (USTISCC). USTISCC was officially launched on December 15, 2016. See the Press Release for more information.
The Spring 2017 issue of Newswave contains an article on the U.S. Territories Invasive Species Coordinating Committee, which coordinates with NISC on invasive species issues that impact U.S. territories.
On March 29, 2017, the Invasive Species Advisory Committee adopted a White Paper entitled, Strengthening Federal-State Coordination. The recommendations contained therein have been provided to NISC senior officials for consideration.

MP Action 2.5.2: Develop recommendations for coordinating Federal agency activities to implement E.O. 13112 with Federally-recognized tribes, as well as Native Alaskan and Native Hawaiian communities.

Progress Report:

On December 6, 2017, the Invasive Species Advisory Committee adopted a White Paper entitled, Enhancing Federal-Tribal Coordination of Invasive Species. The recommendations contained therein have been provided to NISC senior officials for consideration.

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