WPC! 2xB(Jr Z|xTimes New Roman (TT)Courier New (TT)XC\  P6Qd6X@DQ2R<jPPphoenix XP\  P6Q  PCA-APWG Action Agenda Alien Plant Working GroupOphelia Wong2\vvvpvheading 1heading 1 heading 2heading 2 heading 3heading 3 heading 4heading 4 2fvvvzvheading 5heading 5 heading 6heading 6 heading 7heading 7 heading 8heading 8 2b l v rz vDefault Paragraph FoDefault Paragraph Font endnote textendnote text  endnote referenceendnote reference footnote textfootnote text  2H r  2 footnote referencefootnote reference toc 1toc 1X` hp x (#X` hp x (#toc 2toc 2X` hp x (#P P X` hp x (#toc 3toc 3X` hp x (#P P X` hp x (#22zvtoc 4toc 4X` hp x (#  X` hp x (#toc 5toc 5X` hp x (#XXX` hp x (#toc 6toc 6X` hp x (#X` hp x (#toc 7toc 7 2dztoc 8toc 8X` hp x (#X` hp x (#toc 9toc 9X` hp x (#X` hp x (#index 1index 1X` hp x (#P P X` hp x (#index 2index 2X` hp x (#P P X` hp x (#2v!lz!toa headingtoa headingX` hp x (#$$X` hp x (#captioncaption _Equation Caption_Equation Caption  H   +X` hp x (#$ P | ,X4`<h ! Rr\  P6Q  $ P | ,X4`<h !P X`h! XP\  P6Q +X` hp x (#! !P X`h!X` hp x (#$ P | ,X4`<h ! ^\  P6Q  Plant Conservation Alliance Alien Plant Working Group (APWG) ,)\  P6Q    k\  P6Q An Action Agenda for Invasive Plants  ^\  P6Q    XP\  P6Q Report from 1999 workshops held January 12 and 13 as part of the Native Plant Conservation Initiative Meeting, January 1115 at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas  \  P6Q   W\  P6Q  APWG Chair XP\  P6Q  and W\  P6Q  Workshop Leader  XP\  P6Q  Jil M. Swearingen, US National Park Service; Washington, DC  ,)\  P6Q   W\  P6Q  Workshop Facilitators  XP\  P6Q Alisa Shull, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Austin, Texas Nathan Allan, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Austin, Texas ,)\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q   W\  P6Q  Editor  XP\  P6Q Karen L. Enyedy  ,)\  P6Q   W\  P6Q  Participants  \  P6Q   W\  P6Q First Day  &J\  P6Q Carole F. Bergmann, Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission Alison Hill, US Forest Service Alyce M. Hreha, Utah Native Plant Society Ruth Ann Ingraham, Indiana Native Plant & Wildflower Society, Inc. Edie Jacobsen, US Navy, Southwest Division Naval Facilities Julie Lyke, US Fish and Wildlife Service Steven Manning, Invasive Plant Control, Inc. Richard Moyroud, Florida Native Plant Society, Inc. Ted Scott, Jr., Virginia Native Plant Society Michael J. Warnock, Texas Research Institute for Environmental Studies Peter White, North Carolina Botanical Garden Charlas Wise, Garden Club of America W\  P6Q   ,)\  P6Q   W\  P6Q Second Day &J\  P6Q  Mary Carol Cooper, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Karen L. Enyedy, Native Plant Society of Texas John Fay, US Fish and Wildlife Service Russ Hass, US Natural Resources Conservation Service & US National Park Service Elizabeth Ley, US Department of Agriculture, National Arboretum Nancy Morin, American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta Larry Morse, The Nature Conservancy Levester Pendergrass, US Forest Service Jackie Poole, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Kathleen Rice, Desert Botanical Garden Stacy Scott, US Forest Service Susan Silander, US Fish and Wildlife Service Carol Spurrier, US Bureau of Land Management Paul Teese, Bowman &n6X@DQ  &J\  P6Q s Hill Wildflower Preserve XP\  P6Q   &J\  P6Q Hilary Vinson, US Fish and Wildlife Service $ P | ,X4`<h !wX4`<h ! XP\  P6Q  Case Statement  wX4`<h !$ P | ,X4`<h !Invasive non-native1 plants and other organisms are destroying Americas natural history and identity. These unwelcome invaders are disrupting natural ecosystems throughout the US, replacing and eliminating native species and greatly reducing our nations unique and diverse biological resources. Americas problem with invasive plants is a mostly unintended result of the introduction of exotic species from around the globe to every corner of the nation"for landscaping, erosion control, range forage and other uses. C\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q  Exotic plants, free from the complex array of natural controls present in their native lands (including herbivory, parasites and pathogens), may experience unrestricted growth when introduced to new environments. Many exotics introduced to the US have escaped the bounds of their intended planting sites and now are established over extensive areas. To date, more than 900 species of invasive, nonnative plants have been identified as a threat to nonnative ecosystems and natural areas in the US. It is these invasive exotic species, with their capacity to overwhelm and displace US indigenous flora and fauna, that are the concern of the Alien Plant Working Group and this Action Agenda.1 Some of the known impacts of invasive plants include extinction and reduction of endangered and threatened species and their habitats; loss of native sources of food and shelter for indigenous insects, birds, and other wildlife; disruption of native plant-animal associations (e.g.: pollination, seed dispersal and hostplant relationships); alteration of ecological processes such as plant succession; alterations to the frequency and intensity of natural fires; hydrological changes and other significant ramifications. Invasive species also cause great economic damage each year in the form of crop, forage, and timber losses, and require large annual expenditures for weed control. Mission  The mission of the Alien Plant Working Group is to promote the conservation and restoration of native plants and natural ecosystems by preventing the use and introduction of invasive species and by removing invasive plants from natural areas. The APWG is addressing these goals by gathering information on invasive species that affect natural areas in the US; sharing this information with the public, land managers, scientists, researchers and policy makers; supporting regional and local invasive plant management efforts, and forming local to international partnerships. Areas of focus identified by the workshop participants are in line with those identified by the National Invasive Species Council (or NISC, an executive committee established through President Clintons Executive Order 13112), and include the following categories: policy and guidelines, research, information management, ontheground management, outreach and education, resources and training, communication, networking and partnerships, and funding. ^\  P6Q  POLICY AND GUIDELINES  XP\  P6Q Outcome 1. ^\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q  Invasive, nonnative species are no longer used for landscaping, restoration, wildlife habitat enhancement, rangeland forage and other purposes, except where situations indicate there would be no likely movement of the plant, or its reproductive parts, to a natural area or to the environment at large.  W\  P6Q  XP\  P6Q Actions: W\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q  W\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q Prohibit use of invasive, nonnative species for landscaping, restoration, wildlife enhancement, rangeland forage or other purposes at local, regional, state and national levels. Require and encourage the use of native and noninvasive species in landscaping, restoration, wildlife habitat enhancement, rangeland forage and other purposes. Develop guidelines for the use of native and noninvasive species for landscaping, restoration, wildlife enhancement, rangeland forage and other purposes. Develop incentives for land managers, farmers, ranchers, homeowners and others to control and discontinue the use of invasive species and to use native and noninvasive species.  Outcome 2. Known or probable invasive, nonnative species are no longer imported nor introduced into the US.  W\  P6Q  XP\  P6Q Actions: W\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q  Develop national policy to implement standards for invasiveness testing, in coordination with researchers and the National Invasive Species Council (NISC). Develop a national certification program for noninvasive species. Develop policies that prohibit the importation and introduction of species that have a likelihood of becoming invasive in the US and that have not been certified as noninvasive.  Outcome 3.  Biological control agents used against nonnative invasive plants are specific to the target pest plant, and naturally occurring biological controls are encouraged.  W\  P6Q  XP\  P6Q Actions: W\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q  W\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q 1.Develop adequate safeguards to ensure that nonnative control agents for invasive plants are specific to the target plant, and do not harm native species. 2.Where appropriate, encourage naturally occurring biological controls, such as herbivores and pathogens, that develop on invasive, nonnative plants. C\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q  Outcome 4. Known invasive species are no longer exported from the US, nor transported within the US, to locations where there is a likelihood that they will become invasive.  W\  P6Q  XP\  P6Q Actions: W\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q  W\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q Develop a national policy to ensure that species with known invasive characteristics are not exported from the US to other countries where they are likely to become invasive. Develop a national policy to ensure that species native to one part of the US are not transported to other parts of the country where they are likely to become invasive.    ^\  P6Q  XP\  P6Q Outcome 5. ^\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q  Known invasive species are no longer sold or promoted by the horticultural industry, or others, for use in parts of the country where they are known to be, or are likely to become, invasive.  W\  P6Q  XP\  P6Q Actions: W\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q  1.Develop laws at all levels that prohibit the propagation and sale of known invasive species in areas where they are, or are likely to become, invasive. Develop incentives for the horticultural industry to market native species and species certified as noninvasive.   Outcome 6.  National, state and local policies fully address the need to control nonnative invasive species, including species longestablished in the US.  W\  P6Q  XP\  P6Q Actions: W\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q  Analyze and identify gaps in existing policies and regulations on the control of invasive species. 1.Create enforcement options to prevent known invasive plant species from spreading beyond infested areas. Incorporate National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) process into proposed invasive plant management plans.     ^\  P6Q RESEARCH  XP\  P6Q Outcome 1.  ^\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q  Research initiatives effectively address the threat of invasive alien plants.   W\  P6Q  XP\  P6Q Actions: W\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q  Identify research needs for invasive plants of natural ecosystems. Determine research priorities. Develop invasiveness testing procedures and standards. Identify native substitutions for plant species used for forage, landscape and restoration plantings, wildlife habitat enhancement and other purposes. Develop criteria for determining the invasiveness of a species based on qualitative characteristics and quantifiable evidence. Consider researching cause and effect relationships of invasive plants.    ^\  P6Q INFORMATION MANAGEMENT  XP\  P6Q  Outcome 1.  Agencies and organizations achieve consensus on terminology and come to endorse and use common definitions for words including: alien, exotic, invasive, etc. Actions: Form a panel to review existing definitions (e.g.: those used in Executive Order 13112), develop consensus definitions, and make recommendations for adoption. Create or find a term for describing a species that becomes invasive within its native range.  Outcome 2.  A national web site provides information on invasive species, including distribution, invasiveness, control, native substitutes, etc.  Actions: Support continued development of PCAAPWG projects including: Web page  Weeds Gone Wild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien and its following components"  Background information (terminology, statement of the problem, and how individuals can help);  Database of invasive plants of natural areas (Natural Area Weeds Database); C\  P6Q  2 XP\  P6Q   Fact sheets (include information such as native origin, description, ecological threat, distribution, habitat, management, alternative plants, links to experts);  Internet links to information sources, organizations and partners;  Publications, press releases, meeting notices, etc. Regional invasive plant control manuals (e.g.: Weed Busters Handbook for the midAtlantic region). Regional invasive plant training program for volunteers (e.g.: Weed Busters Training and Certification Program). Slide presentation(s) on invasive plants. World Wide Weed Web (Weed Web) global directory of invasive species partners. Continue to develop and update link exchanges to relevant web sites. Support and coordinate with other webbased efforts focused on invasive plants that affect natural ecosystems, combining efforts where beneficial.  ^\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q Outcome 3. ^\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q  Information on invasive plants is compiled and accessible to land managers, the scientific community, the plant industry and the public"both electronically and as hard copy. Actions: Compile publications and other information on invasive species. Make publications and other information available on the national invasive species web site. Ensure that research results and other new information, such as Early Warning System (EWS) announcements, are readily accessible to all users. C\  P6Q  3 XP\  P6Q  Identify information gaps and make recommendations for addressing these. Explore the creation of a physical repository for print materials on invasive plants.  Outcome 4. National, regional and state lists of invasive plants are compiled and prioritized according to criteria developed by scientists and researchers. Actions: Build upon resources like the PCA national database of invasive plants of natural areas (Natural Area Weeds Database), which includes invasive plant species identified by Exotic Pest Plant Councils, The Nature Conservancy, state natural resource offices, and other relevant sources. Ensure that species included on lists meet criteria for noninvasiveness, as developed by the research community. Adopt and employ invasive plant ranking criteria, such as the system being developed by The Nature Conservancy, to determine national invasive plant priorities.  ^\  P6Q  ONTHEGROUND MANAGEMENT  C\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q  Outcome 1. Invasive plant control project managers, the public, and others, are aware of the importance of preventing the introduction and spread of invasive plant species to noninfested areas. Action: Develop guidelines for preventing the spread of invasive plant species between infested areas or other sources to noninfested lands of all types, including parks, preserves, refuges, recreational lands, range lands, national forests, roadways, etc. Encourage creative solutions to prevent the spread and introduction of invasive plants on public and private lands by hikers, campers, cyclists, snowmobile and other motorizedvehicle users, fire suppression teams, and others. Ensure that prevention is an integral part of approved integrated weed management plans. Outcome 2. Invasive plant control projects employ Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices and comply with environmental regulations. Actions: Incorporate IPM methodologies into the development of invasive plant control projects, using established policies and protocols. Ensure compliance with environmental regulations such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), etc., when developing and implementing invasive plant control projects. Outcome 3.  Invasive plants are controlled and monitored to achieve longterm restoration of natural areas.  Actions: Establish a reliable methodology for monitoring and evaluating invasive plant control projects using, for example, the Bureau of Land Managements technical reference: Measuring and Monitoring Plant Populations. Develop measures to ensure that lands not included in invasive plant control projects are surveyed for the occurrence of invasive species and are considered for control as needed. Ensure that new occurrences of invasive species are documented and considered for inclusion in control plans, and reported to the Early Warning System (EWS) where necessary Support the development of a national program to measure annual changes in invasive plant populations, for example a no net increase program, similar to the national no net loss program for tracking wetlands.  ^\  P6Q  OUTREACH AND EDUCATION  XP\  P6Q Outcome 1. Widespread awareness of invasive species issues reaches the general public, educators, the horticultural industry, the news media, land managers and policymakers. Actions: Advertise the invasive plant list serve for information exchange. Widely advertise invasive plant educational materials through APWGs Weeds Gone Wild web pages. Ensure that public education programs emphasize the importance of prevention in invasive plant control efforts. Identify audiences that are uninformed about invasive plant issues and take steps to reach them. Explore effective means for distributing APWG and other print materials on invasive plants. Ensure that information about invasive species is included in PCA publications and speakers bureau presentations. Create a major national campaign to address invasive plant issues through such features as a popular slogan, a mascot (like Australias Woody the Weed), etc. Promote the institutionalization of a national Weed Awareness Week and Weed Busters Day. Develop a news to use service for editors of internal newsletters at corporations, partnering organizations, etc., to provide drop in articles and graphics on invasive plant issues. Outcome 2. Invasive species projects capture attention and draw participation from a wide cross section of the national population.  Actions: Advertise and promote incentive programs to reward home owners, land owners, developers and others for controlling invasive plants and reestablishing native species on their properties (e.g.: PCA award certificates, Weed Buster awards, etc). Explore new outreach incentives like invasive plant posses and bounties to involve the public in the control of invasive plants. Promote an adoption system for natural areas, parklands, highways, schools, backyards and other lands in need of invasive plant management (similar to various antilitter adopt a highway initiatives). Outcome 3. Invasive plant education efforts are incorporated into relevant public programs and curricula.  Actions: Coordinate education efforts with state cooperative extension service agencies, native plant societies, garden clubs, conservation organizations, the academic community and others. Ensure that invasive plant educational content includes information about the ways in which agriculture, forestry, ranching, landscaping, roadway construction, homebuilding and other landdevelopment practices cause and contribute to the invasive plant problem. Ensure that new information about invasive plants, reported by researchers and scientists, natural resource managers and others, is accessible to Weed Web partners and the public.  Outcome 4. Information about invasive species and their control is included in plant science classes at all levels, as well as in the curricula of other relevant programs such as landscape architecture, community planning, etc. Actions: Work with national education organizations such as the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the National Science Education Standards Center (CCE), the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), the National Academy of Science and other such organizations, along with major science textbook publishers, to develop educational curricula on invasive species for primary, secondary and higher education. Explore opportunities to work with the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, and with boards of regents at land grant colleges and other institutions offering programs in horticulture, landscape architecture, community planning and agriculture, to ensure inclusion of invasive plant issues in the curricula of these major fields of influence. Develop invasive plant teaching tools for educators at all levels. Develop selfinstructive teaching tools and games (both computerized and noncomputerized) on invasive plants for children and adults.  ^\  P6Q  RESOURCES AND TRAINING XP\  P6Q  Outcome 1.  Training as well as supply of personnel"staff, contract labor and volunteers"is sufficient to achieve invasive plant management goals. Actions: Provide invasive plant training workshops for organizations such as cooperative extension agencies (e.g: Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists), botanic gardens, garden clubs, etc. Provide training for natural resource managers, maintenance staff, and others, on invasive plant identification and control. Support implementation and expansion of national programs, such as the National Park Services Exotic Plant Management Teams (EPMT). Support the development of volunteer invasive plant control groups, for example, a National Weed Corps, the PCA Weed Busters force, etc. Find ways to engage other groups, such as nonviolent offenders, in invasive plant control projects.  ^\  P6Q  COMMUNICATION, NETWORKING & PARTNERSHIPS XP\  P6Q  Outcome 1. Communication is effectively established between traditional (natural resource fields) and nontraditional (horticultural industry, botanical gardens and arboreta, landscape architects, etc. ) partners. Actions: Establish an Internetbased list serve and formalize communication among Weed Web partners. Continue to develop and expand the APWGs World Wide Weed Web (Weed Web) to identify all existing and potential partners for inclusion in national invasive species efforts. Identify committed point person for each institution or organization on the Weed Web. Ensure that nursery industry professionals and others working outside the field of natural resources are invited to participate in invasive plant meetings, work shops and events organized by natural area partners. Outcome 2.   Nursery industry, arboreta, seed trade associations and others involved with importation, marketing and distribution of plant materials become leaders in developing responsible importing, testing, sales and marketing practices and in educating the public about the negative impacts and costs of invasive exotic species.  Actions: Work to remove highly invasive plants from market regions where they would be disruptive to natural area ecosystems. Develop local or regional market area lists for native plant substitutes and certified noninvasive plants. Develop guidelines for gardeners and landscapers on the control of invasive species. Develop and adopt a code of ethics regarding use, trade or sale of invasive species (like the North Carolina Botanical Gardens Chapel Hill Thesis and Challenge). Outcome 3. An Early Warning System (EWS) provides urgent communication Weed Web partners about newly detected invasive species occurrences.  W\  P6Q Action:  XP\  P6Q  W\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q Connect with and support ongoing efforts by the federal government and others to develop and implement an EWS (Early Warning System) for invasive species: Review existing methods for other national alert systems, such as those in use for severe weather alerts. Establish procedures to ensure correct identification (i.e.: specimen vouchers; DNA testing, etc.) of plants announced through the EWS. Outcome 4. An Early Warning System (EWS) provides urgent communication to land managers about detected locations of highly invasive species in the US (at various points of entry, and elsewhere) and about their level of threat. <\  P6Q   W\  P6Q Action:  XP\  P6Q  W\  P6Q   XP\  P6Q Connect with and support ongoing efforts by federal government and others to develop and implement an EWS (Early Warning System) for invasive species. Review existing methods for other national alert or warning systems (e.g.: weather); Establish procedures to ensure correct identification (i.e.: specimen vouchers; DNA testing, etc.) of plants announced through the EWS.  ^\  P6Q  FUNDING XP\  P6Q  Outcome 1.  Adequate funding exists to accomplish invasive plant management, research, outreach and educational goals. Actions: Secure congressional appropriations. Identify and pursue private funding sources for invasive species projects. Maximize cost shares for invasive plant projects by seeking cooperative agreements and other fiscal arrangements with partners. Create and facilitate partnerships to share resources for invasive plant efforts. Periodically reassess use of existing funds for invasive species projects and redirect to higher priorities where appropriate. Ensure that appropriate foundations and institutions are informed about the resource needs and funding priorities for invasive plant management, research, outreach and education. _ Footnotes d  1 C\  P6Q Definitions XP\  P6Q  d   C\  P6Q The following definitions are consistent with those developed by the Presidents Invasive Species Council and Executive Order Number 13112 on Invasive Species, dated February 3, 1999. d   XP\  P6Q 1a C\  P6Q A native or indigenous species is one that occurs in a particular place (e.g., habitat and ecosystem) as a result of natural forces, exclusive of human actions. Species native to the US and other parts of North America are generally recognized as those occurring on the continent prior to European settlement.  XP\  P6Q 1b C\  P6Q Nonnative (alien, exotic, nonindigenous) species are those that exist at a site as a result of direct, indirect, accidental or intentional human actions. This term can be used to describe a species introduced to the US from another country or continent as well as a US native species that has been introduced to a part of the US outside of its known natural range.  XP\  P6Q 1c C\  P6Q An invasive species is one that has the capacity to grow and spread rapidly, establish over large areas, and become dominant. 2Swearingen, J. Natural Area Weeds Database, 2000. A draft in process for the Plant Conservation Alliance, Alien Plant Working Group. Located at US National Park Service, National Capital Region, office of Jil M. Swearingen, IPM Coordinator. 3See APWG Action Agenda category Communication, Networking and Partnerships, Outcome 3 and Outcome 4.  d  _ APWG Action Agenda stops here