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Illinois

Provides selected Illinois resources from agencies and organizations with an interest in the prevention, control, or eradication of invasive species.

Spotlights

  • Choose Copi: Eat Well and Do Good - State of Illinois Renames and Rebrands Asian Carp

    • Jun 22, 2022
    • Illinois Department of Resources.

    • Following more than two years of consumer research and planning, the State of Illinois unveiled "Copi," the new name for Asian carp, which is a play on “copious” – as that’s exactly what these fish are. By one estimate, 20 million to 50 million pounds of Copi could be harvested from the Illinois River alone each year, with hundreds of millions more in waterways from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast. The new name and brand are designed to address public misconceptions about this delicious top-feeding fish, which is overrunning Midwest waterways.

      Copi are mild, clean-tasting fish with heart-healthy omega-3s and very low levels of mercury. Increased consumption will help to stop them from decimating other fish populations in the Great Lakes and restore an ecological balance to waterways down stream.

  • Be a Hero, Transport Zero

    • Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program; Illinois Natural History Survey; Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

    • Invasive species – non-native plants, animals, or pathogens that cause harm to natural areas – impact both our economy and the environment. Their environmental impacts can affect outdoor activities such as fishing, hiking and birding. You can help prevent these impacts by becoming a hero and joining the more than 90% of outdoor enthusiasts in Illinois who are already fighting the spread of invaders.

  • Emerald Ash Borer

    • Illinois Department of Agriculture. Bureau of Environmental Programs. Division of Natural Resources.

    • Native to Asia, the Emerald Ash Borer is an exotic beetle that was unknown in North America until June 2002 when it was discovered as the cause for the decline of many ash trees in southeast Michigan and neighboring Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It has since been found in several states from the east coast spanning across the midwest and in June 2006, we discovered that it had taken up residence in Illinois.

State Specific Threats

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this location, organized by source.

Partnership
  • River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA)

    • River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area.

  • Woody Invasives of the Great Lakes Collaborative

    • Midwest Invasive Plant Network; Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

    • The Woody Invasives of the Great Lakes Collaborative provides information related to woody invasive species identification, distribution, impacts, regulatory status, and control and management. The collaborative has also developed recommendations on trees, shrubs and vines that gardeners and landowners can plant as alternatives to known woody invasives. The WIGL Collaborative was founded in early 2018 and is coordinated by the staff of the Midwest Invasive Plant Network (MIPN).

State and Local Government
Academic