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CalWeedMapper is a new Web site for mapping invasive plant spread and planning regional management. Users generate a report for their region that synthesizes information into three types of strategic opportunities: surveillance, eradication and containment. Land managers can use these reports to prioritize their invasive plant management, to coordinate at the landscape level (county or larger) and to justify funding requests. For some species, CalWeedMapper also provides maps of suitable range that show where a plant might be able to grow in the future. The system was developed by the California Invasive Plant Council and is designed to stay current by allowing users to edit data.

Currently, most cogongrass is controlled with herbicides, which only serve as a temporary solution. The herbicides must be reapplied every 6-12 months. ARS scientists in the U.S. and overseas are investigating biological control of cogongrass by collecting and studying insects that feed on the grass where the weed originated. These insects will be screened over many years to determine if they will be safe, and only those that cause no harm to valued plants will be released.

“Invasivorism,” or eating invasive species as a means to control or eliminate their numbers, has become a popular tool, utilized by restaurants and even Whole Foods. The tale of a giant Amazon fish reveals the promise and peril of “invasivorism.”

The Canadian Council on Invasive Species (CCIS) serves as a national voice and hub to protect Canada from the impacts of invasive species. With members and chapters from all corners of Canada, along with governments and businesses, the CCIS brings people together to build practical solutions to prevent the spread of invasive species.

Canada's coasts and waterways are vital to our environment, livelihoods, and economy, and must be protected. Ballast water, which helps keep vessels stable in the water, can accidentally introduce and spread aquatic invasive species, like the zebra mussel, if released in the water untreated. To further protect Canadian waters, the Government of Canada is taking action to limit the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species in ballast water. Today, the Canadian Minister of Transport announced the coming into force of the new Ballast Water Regulations to strengthen existing rules for vessels on international voyages and the introduction of new rules for vessels which remain in Canada and on the Great Lakes. These regulations, which replace the Ballast Water Control and Management Regulations, apply to vessels in Canadian waters and to Canadian vessels anywhere in the world. Vessels are now required to:

• plan their ballast water management and reduce the number of organisms in their ballast water, typically by installing a ballast water management system; and
• carry a valid certificate, keep records, and be regularly surveyed and inspected. Smaller vessels may follow an equivalent approach tailored to their operations and size.

See also: Managing Ballast Water and Backgrounder: Ballast Water Regulations.

Collaboration between Canadian governments, industry, academia and other partners in plant health is essential to protect our resources from new and emerging risks, drive innovation and ensure that Canadian industry remains competitive and sustainable. Plant health partners in Canada are pleased to announce the establishment of the Canadian Plant Health Council – fulfilling a multi-partner commitment to collaboratively implement the Plant and Animal Health Strategy for Canada. The Canadian Plant Health Council will address priorities for the plant health sector, working together on preventive approaches and activities to protect forests, agriculture and other plants from pests, diseases and other risks.

Urban legends about the origins of canal grass in Panama abound, but the Smithsonian has new evidence that puts the question to rest. Canal grass is an invasive weed, native to Asia. Because its tiny seeds blow in the wind, it readily invades clearings and spreads to form impenetrable stands by budding from tillers and rhizomes. Once established, canal grass is challenging to eliminate.

Citrus canker, a serious disease of citrus, was recently found on trees in East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes, according to LSU AgCenter plant doctor Raj Singh. Citrus canker is a highly contagious bacterial disease that was first detected around 1914 in Louisiana and declared eradicated by 1940. The disease is known to cause defoliation, premature fruit drop, blemished fruit and tree decline. Severely infected trees ultimately may stop producing fruit. If you believe your citrus trees have citrus canker, contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture at 225-298-5410 or the LDAF Horticulture and Quarantine Division at 225-952-8100. 

The National CAPS Committee will revise the National Pest Surveillance Guidelines when annually reviewing the policy, strategy, and performance of the CAPS program. The NCC also will approve annually a “Priority Pest List.” This list will include the Commodity and Taxonomic Survey Pests, as well as Pests of Economic and Environmental Importance (OPEP Prioritized List). The Priority Pest List will be based on input by PPQ, the States, Center for Plant Health Science and Technology (CPHST), National Identification Services (NIS), and commodity organizations.

See also: Pest Tracker - Box Tree Moth for more information

See also: Case Studies for more resources

See also: Case Studies for more resources

USGS published a dataset called "Catalog of U.S. Federal Early Detection/Rapid Response Invasive Species Databases and Tools." The catalog, developed in collaboration with the National Invasive Species Council Secretariat, is a multi-sheet spreadsheet that contains openly available, online, federally supported databases and tools dealing with various aspects of a potential national early detection and rapid response invasive species framework. 
Citation: Simpson, A., Morisette, J.T., Fuller, P., Reaser, J., and Guala, G.F., 2020, Catalog of U.S. Federal Early Detection/Rapid Response Invasive Species Databases and Tools: Version 2.0 (ver. 2.0, 2020): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9CNVBYR.
See also: Dataset is also available in a user-friendly online version - Federal Early Detection/Rapid Response Invasive Species Resources: Overview & Vocabulary