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Date: July 2, 2009
Contact: Larry Perez, 305-224-4263
Contact: Linda Friar, 305-242-7714

Boynton Beach, Florida – Resource managers from the Everglades Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (ECISMA) will converge at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday, July 8, for the 6th Annual Everglades Invasive Species Summit. This year’s two-day event will bring together representatives from various federal, state, local, and tribal governments, private industries, and community organizations responsible for controlling the spread of invasive species. The summit provides an open forum for professionals to share successes and strategies, and provides opportunities to plan for future operations. The event will provide updates on recent partner operations, insight on new species of concern, and information about new control technologies.

The summit will kick off with a keynote address by Dan Thayer, Director of Vegetation and Land Management for the South Florida Water Management District. Dan has devoted his entire career to battling invasive exotics in South Florida and was an early promoter for the establishment of the ECISMA.

The ECISMA aims to better coordinate the activities of partner agencies, and help facilitate a rapid response against new nonnative introductions, which can pose a serious threat to the health and integrity of south Florida’s natural environments through direct competition with native plants and wildlife. ECISMA partners actively work to help stem the proliferation of numerous invasive plant and animal species.