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| News Release |
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| For release: September 28, 2009 |
Contact:
Wendy Brown
(360) 902-3088
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State
Launches Hotline, Web Site to Report
Invasive
Species Sightings |
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Invasive Species Council
announced today the launch of a hotline and Web site for
people to report sightings of invasive species.
Invasive species are plants and animals that are not
native to Washington and can crowd out local wildlife
and plants, destroying entire landscapes. From ivy
choking city parks, to Spartina filling estuaries, to
apple maggots infesting orchards, invasive species cost
Washington millions of dollars to control every year.
“Invasive species can devastate our native plants and
animals,” said Chris Christopher, chair of the
Washington Invasive Species Council. “If left unchecked,
they can change how Washington looks and what wildlife
lives here, and devastate farming, fishing and other
businesses that depend on this state’s natural
resources. They also can affect where and how people can
recreate in the state’s lakes, rivers and Puget Sound.”
The
creation of the hotline, 1-877-9-INFEST, is one of a
series of actions being taken by the Invasive Species
Council and its partners to combat invasive species. The
council also has revamped its Web site at
www.invasivespecies.wa.gov and created posters in
state parks and other materials to help educate the
public about what they can do to help stop invasions.
“We
hope this telephone number and Web site will encourage
citizens, gardeners, boaters, hikers, and others who are
outdoors to tell us when they spot an invasive species
so we can stop it before it has a chance to spread,”
Christopher said.
People
are encouraged to call the hotline or report online if they
see a new plant, insect or animal in their neighborhood or
know of someone smuggling plants into the country or
releasing pets, such as snakes or aquarium fish, into a
stream or park. To learn more about what plants and animals
might be invasive, the council’s Web site at
www.invasivespecies.wa.gov has photographs and stories
about invasive species as well as links to many resources
for combating their spread.
In
Washington, state agencies and academic institutions spend
an estimated $28 million every two years to control and
prevent the spread of invasive species. In the United
States, nearly half of the 958 species of plants and animals
listed as threatened or endangered under the federal
Endangered Species Act are at risk primarily because
non-native species out compete them for food or eat them.
In
addition to the hotline, the council recently received a
$221,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency,
through the Puget Sound Partnership, to address invasive
species in Puget Sound. With the grant, the council will:
- Identify the extent and impact of invasive species in
Puget Sound and the gaps in protection so that agencies
can better target future efforts. The council will
create a database showing the extent of invasive species
and maps to show existing efforts and gaps, and make the
information available online to the public.
- Educate the public on the damage caused by invasive
species and the role people can play in prevention.
“There
are many successful programs to combat invasive species,”
Christopher said. “But there is no system in place to tell
us where the species are statewide, how well we are
preventing their spread, whether the investments are
cost-effective, and which species we should be targeting.
Without that information, state leaders can’t make strategic
choices about where to invest limited funding and staff
time. This grant will allows us to develop that strategic
vision for the Puget Sound area as a start.” |
| The
Recreation and Conservation Funding Board (RCFB), formerly called the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation, was established in 1964 to finance
recreation and conservation projects throughout the state.
For more information on the agency or its grant programs,
visit the Web site: www.rco.wa.gov. |
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