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Marion County Invasive Species Management Council ORGANIZING TO COMBAT COGONGRASS AT THE COUNTY LEVEL Linda Duever, Coordinator [email protected] http://www.mcismc.org In the West, invasives control programs are typically managed through stakeholder coalitions called Cooperative Weed Management Areas (CWMAs). A CWMA is defined as: “A partnership of federal, state, and local government agencies; tribes; individuals; and various interested groups that manage noxious weeds or invasive plants in a defined area.” A CWMA… represents a defined geographic area involves the majority of landowners and resource managers is headed by a steering committee is committed to cooperation operates under a comprehensive strategic plan that stresses IPMbased approaches Marion County Invasive Species Management Council The Marion County Invasive Species Management Council is the first attempt to apply the CWMA approach to invasives management in Florida. MCISMC was formed in 2006 with a $12,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Pulling Together Initiative. The county serves as the fiscal manager and a contracted consultant acts as coordinator. http://www.mcismc.org Linda Duever, Coordinator [email protected] Marion County Invasive Species Management Council Year One Pulling Together Initiative NFWF Grant • Group Organization • Cogongrass Mapping • Strategic Plan Development Linda Duever, Coordinator [email protected] http://www.mcismc.org Marion County Invasive Species Management Council CWMA Establishment Strategy • Focus on the worst problem • Actively seek broad involvement, but • Postpone formalities • Minimize time commitments • Emphasize strategy development • Prioritize websites Linda Duever, Coordinator [email protected] http://www.mcismc.org MCISMC Partners Alachua Conservation Trust BASF Corporation Bugwood Network City of Ocala Clay Electric Cooperative Conway Conservation [link to new address] Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway Florida Bureau of Invasive Plant Management Florida Department of Transportation Florida Division of Forestry Florida Division of Plant Industry Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Florida Native Plant Society Florida Natural Areas Inventory Florida Office of Greenways and Trails Florida Park Service Florida Uplands Network Infrastructure Corporation of America International Property Services Lewis Environmental Services Marion County Audubon Society Marion County Extension Service Marion County Information Systems Department Marion County Parks and Recreation Department Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District Marion County Transportation Department Mockernut Hill Botanical Institute On Top of the World Plum Creek Timber Progress Energy Putnam County Environmental Coalition Rayonier Save Our Big Scrub Society for Range Management, Florida Section Southwest Florida Water Management District St. Johns River Water Management District Sumter Electric Cooperative The Nature Conservancy USDA Forest Service USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences University of Florida Levin College of Law Conservation Clinic Cogongrass GPS Points mapped by Marion County Transportation Department MCISMC’s Cogongrass Control Strategy • Geographic • Wildfire - Bull’s Eye • County Boundaries - Natural Barriers • Divide and Conquer • Biological • Right Herbicide - Right Time • Starve the Roots • Commitment and Persistence • Social • The War Game • Websites • Grassroots Territories http://www.mcismc.org Marion County Invasive Species Management Council Lessons Learned Year One • A good website is critical! • Work with the strengths and weaknesses of the people you have. • Strategy, Strategy, Strategy Linda Duever, Coordinator [email protected] http://www.mcismc.org