Resource Search

In November of 2017, a tick species previously unknown to the US called Haemaphysalis longicornis, or the Asian longhorned tick, was discovered both on a sheep and in a pasture in New Jersey. Since then, this new tick species has been found in eight additional states, including 17 counties and one city in Virginia.

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission recently finalized new aquatic invasive species (AIS) rules and modifications to the existing rules in an effort to target the most likely ways that these species are moved from water body to water body.

Ohio State University Extension has released a new app for spotting and tracking invasive species -- non-native organisms such as Asian carps, purple loosestrife and Asian longhorned beetle -- to try to keep them from setting up beachheads and hurting the economy and environment. By using the free Great Lakes Early Detection Network app, a person can take pictures of suspected invasive species -- whether of farm, forest or water -- and upload the pictures and locations for verification. Based on this early warning, scientists can send out alerts, map the spread and figure out a battle plan.

If your leisure-time plans include boating or fishing in Michigan, recent changes in Michigan’s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA) may affect you. Beginning March 21, watercraft users in the state are required to take steps to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. Also, anyone fishing with live or cut bait or practicing catch-and-release fishing will need to take precautions to limit the movement of invasive species and fish diseases.

Another documented report of giant salvinia along the Texas-Arkansas border was confirmed by Texas Parks and Wildlife last week, creating additional concern from Arkansas Game and Fish Commission biologists about the nuisance plant's spread into The Natural State. Giant Salvinia is a free-floating South American plant, similar in appearance to duckweed but much larger. It stays at the water's surface and can rapidly cover a large area and choke out all life in the water beneath if left unchecked. Arkansas's first confirmed case of giant salvinia entering the state was documented in 2017 in Smith Park Lake in Miller County followed shortly after by sightings in Sulphur River Wildlife Management Area. It was confirmed in Lake Erling in December 2018 and Lake Columbia in 2019. Anyone spotting giant salvinia in an Arkansas lake is encouraged to call the AGFC's Fisheries Division at 800-364-4263 to report the location.

The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) has initiated a new social media campaign to raise awareness of the dangers cogongrass poses to the state. With agriculture and natural ecosystems at risk, ADAI is calling on Alabamians to recognize this threat and share the information.

Cogongrass has now infested more than 75 percent of Alabama's counties. This federally regulated noxious weed was introduced in the U.S. in 1911 as packing material in the port of Mobile. In the decades since, it has greatly expanded and become more dangerous. Visit www.alcogongrass.com to learn how to spot cogongrass and report it when it blooms again in the spring.

Members of the $689-billion outdoor recreation industry have established a blue-ribbon commission to stop and reverse the spread of aquatic invasive species in the U.S. The commission will bring together leading biologists, environmentalists, policymakers, and resource managers to assess existing mitigation efforts and identify more effective eradication solutions. Findings from the analysis will be presented to Congress and the administration in 2023, with a goal of passing comprehensive legislation to better manage and eliminate aquatic invasive species.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has developed a publicly available dashboard that displays the results from nation-wide avian influenza virus (AIV) monitoring in wild bird populations. Data presented in the dashboard can identify increased AIV risk and can provide information to poultry producers, wildlife managers, and members of the public on AIV activity in their area.
See related resource: Wild Bird Avian Influenza Surveillance

The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s Water Resources Division announces a new grant program to aid in the control or eradication of aquatic invasive plants in Michigan’s inland lakes. This year, approximately $100,000 will be available through the Aquatic Invasive Plant (AIP) Control Grant for the reimbursement of permit fees required for projects to control or eradicate inland lake aquatic invasive plant species using physical, biological or chemical control activities that occur in 2019. The grant handbook and application process are currently being developed. The handbook will contain detailed information on eligibility, instructions for applying for the grant, and items to be included with the grant application. Grant applications will be accepted from June 1 through July 1. The handbook will be made available on the Michigan Aquatic Invasive Plant Control Grant Program webpage on June 1.

Grant funds are available for the control, prevention and research of state-listed aquatic invasive plants. Grants are available to local lake associations and municipalities for control and/or prevention of state-listed exotic aquatic plants, and to institutions of higher learning for in furthering research associated with exotic aquatic plant management, control, biology, ecology or prevention.

See also: Invasive Plants for more resources

See also: Invasive Plants for more resources

A portion of Los Angeles County has been placed under quarantine for the Tau fruit fly (Zeugodacus tau group) following the detection of more than 20 flies in the unincorporated area of Stevenson Ranch, near the city of Santa Clarita.

This the first Tau fruit fly quarantine ever in the Western Hemisphere. The fly is native to Asia and is a serious pest for agriculture and natural resources, with a very wide host range, including numerous fruits and vegetables as well as a select range of native plants in California.

A collection of photos and descriptions of agricultural weeds found in New Jersey.

For the last seven decades, Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) has been leading the fight against nematodes—invasive, microscopic worms that can destroy seasons' worth of crops. However, researchers had been working in a facility that lacked the infrastructure to keep pace with their innovative work. On August 1, 2019, thanks to a $1.2 million grant from New York State and another $400,000 in federal funding, CALS cut the ribbon on the new Golden Nematode Quarantine Facility, located on the Cornell campus in Ithaca, NY. The facility is the only research program in North America with expertise in biology, resistance breeding and management of potato-cyst nematodes. At the lab, Cornell scientists work in tandem with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture Research Service (ARS).

To reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species in Maine, a law was passed by the Maine Legislature (effective June 16, 2023) that requires boaters to take specific actions to encourage water to drain from their watercraft prior to entering a water body or leaving a launch site. Aquatic invasive species are any fish, wildlife, or plant species that spreads to a water body where they do not naturally occur. These species are often transferred to new locations on watercraft, watercraft trailers, and other equipment associated with water recreation, and they impact the health of our waters, fish, and wildlife.

See also: Help us Keep it Maine: Protect our Waters from Aquatic Invasive Species

Maryland renamed the northern snakehead to the Chesapeake Channa in April 2024. The name change aims to increase public interest in eating the fish and control its population. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will begin changing the name on January 1, 2025.
See also: Senate Bill 207 / House Bill 19