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See also: Economic Impact of Invasive Species to Washington State Fact Sheet [PDF, 205 KB]

Montana’s economy could see more than $230 million in annual mitigation costs and lost revenue if invasive mussels become established in the state, according to a report released by the Montana Invasive Species Council (MISC). Commissioned by MISC and completed by the University of Montana Flathead Biological Station, the economic impact study provides “a snapshot of projected direct costs to affected stakeholders dependent on water resources,” said Bryce Christiaens, MISC chair. “It does not reflect the total economic impact to the state, which would be considerably higher.” View a one-page fact sheet [PDF, 484 KB] or the full report [PDF, 4.0 MB].

To better understand the impacts of invasive species on infrastructure managed by the federal government an effort was undertaken by the National Invasive Species Council Secretariat to solicit feedback from those agencies. A questionnaire was sent out to the federal agencies that manage infrastructure to identify the impacts they have observed, how they are managing them, issues they have identified and resource needs. The research demonstrated that impacts from invasive species on federally managed infrastructure range from non-existent to significant. Identified gaps needing improvement include awareness and education of invasive species impacts, limited resources, insufficient policy, and lack of agency support.
See also: NISC and NISC Staff Products for more resources.

Aquatic invasive species pose an ongoing threat to the environment, economy, recreation, and human health and safely. These species are a direct driver of biodiversity loss, yet also hinder economic development, serve as vectors of disease, decrease the aesthetic value of nature, and prevent recreational activities. Keep reading to learn more about these specific threats.

Prepared for the Oregon Invasive Species Council.

Although the scientific literature has relatively few publications on the subject, the expanding distribution of ticks and their associated disease-causing pathogens are increasingly shown to be facilitated by the presence of certain invasive plant species, particularly plant understory and transition-zone species. Invasive species have been found to contribute to the spread and survival of ticks, hosts, and various disease-causing pathogens. For those species that have been investigated, several invasive plant species such as Japanese honeysuckle and barberry have been definitively shown to harbor and enhance tick, host, and pathogen populations by enhancing microhabitat and survival. Additionally, non-native tick species such as Asian longhorn tick have been introduced and potentially new invasive tick-borne pathogens or hosts can, and likely will, be introduced in the future. For more publications, see ISAC White Papers.

Invasive species spread either accidental or intentional into new environments has resulted in negative impacts to the ecological communities of infested areas, to commercial, agricultural, aquacultural, and recreational activities dependent on these areas.