National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) tracks environment and natural resources legislation to bring you up-to-date, real-time information on bills (from 2015) that have been introduced in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Database provides search options by state (or territory), topic, keyword, year, status or primary sponsor. Topics include: Wildlife-Invasive Species and Wildlife-Pollinators.
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See What's New on the NISIC's Web site by using our RSS feed (learn about RSS). Contains items of interest that have been added to our site, in order of most recent post date.
Environment and Natural Resources State Bill Tracking Database
National Conference of State Legislatures.
Post Date: Mar 21, 2019
APHIS Launches Webpage for Pests and Diseases
(Mar 12, 2019)
USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is launching a new “Pests and Diseases” webpage. The new page lists all pest and disease programs managed by APHIS as part of its mission to protect American agriculture and natural resources.
On the new page, users can search by type (plant, animal), keyword (avian, fruit fly, cotton), or by the specific pest or disease (coconut rhinoceros beetle, brucellosis). You can also scroll through the page, which lists the pests and diseases alphabetically and includes a corresponding image.
APHIS created the webpage to make it easier for its customers to find critical information on pests and diseases of concern. With this tool, members of the public will have the information they need to report pests and diseases and together we can protect America’s agriculture and natural resources.
Post Date: Mar 19, 2019
Invasive Mussels Could Cost Montana $234 Million Per Year
(Jan 24, 2019)
Montana Invasive Species Council.
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).
Post Date: Mar 18, 2019
An Invasive-Species Success Story: The Eradication of the European Grapevine Moth in California
(Mar 2019)
Entomological Society of America. Entomology Today.
Invasive insect and arthropod species make for a lot of scary headlines—think emerald ash borer, spotted lanternfly, and Asian longhorned tick, just to name a few. But success stories in invasive-species response are out there. They just need to be told. One of those success stories is the eradication of the European grapevine moth (Lobesia botrana) in northern California after it was found there in 2009. A cooperative, multipronged response effort kept infestations from running wild, and it was declared eradicated in 2016, two years after the last adult moth was caught in the region. The story of this effort is recounted, along with analysis of the invasion’s dynamics, in a study published in January in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America.
Post Date: Mar 09, 2019
New Tool Launched for Aquatic Invasive Species Surveillance in the Great Lakes
(Dec 13, 2018)
Great Lakes Commission.
Aquatic invasive species inflict millions of dollars of ecological and economic damage to the Great Lakes, with impacts on coastal industries, water quality, native fish and wildlife and human health. Recently, Blue Accounting, in partnership with state and federal agencies, launched a new suite of web-based resources and tools to support early detection of aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes. The earlier new aquatic invasive species are detected, the easier and less expensive it is to avoid potentially devastating consequences of a large invasion. The new tools released by the Blue Accounting initiative help target efforts to focus on high-risk species and locations across the 11,000 miles of shoreline and 94,000 miles of surface area that make up the Great Lakes basin.
Post Date: Mar 05, 2019
Purdue Experts Encourage ‘Citizen Scientists’ to Report Invasive Species
(Feb 2019)
Purdue University.
A major tool in the fight against invasive species is the Report INvasive website, hosted by Purdue College of Agriculture and the Indiana Invasive Species Council. The website includes several ways that people can report invasive species, including a smartphone app from the Great Lakes Early Detection Network. “There are not that many specialists and experts covering the state,” Sadof said. “When there are concerned citizens reporting, however, we have many more eyes and a better chance of detecting and eradicating a harmful species early.”
Post Date: Feb 26, 2019
Australia’s 10 Worst Invasive Species
(Feb 19, 2019)
National Environmental Science Programme (Australia). Threatened Species Recovery Hub.
New research by the Threatened Species Recovery Hub has shown that invasive or pest species are a problem for 1,257 threatened species in Australia, or about four out of five species. The research which has been published in the scientific journal Pacific Conservation Biology also identified the top ten invasive species based on how many threatened species they impact. Lead researcher Stephen Kearney from the University of Queensland said many people may be surprised at which species top the list. “Rabbits, a plant root disease and feral pigs are the top three pest species impacting Australia’s threatened species,” Mr Kearney said.
Post Date: Feb 24, 2019
New Nonnative Species Rules
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) needs your feedback on proposed rule changes that relate to nonnative species in Florida. To collect public input, the FWC held a series of public workshops where the public could comment on the conceptual changes. People can continue to submit comments and feedback on nonnative species rules by using the online comment box or by email to NonnativeSpeciesRules@MyFWC.com.
Post Date: Feb 23, 2019
State Agricultural Officials Urge Residents to Check Plants for Spotted Lanternfly
(Feb 21, 2019)
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.
The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) announced today that a single dead specimen of the invasive pest known as spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) was reported and confirmed at a private residence in Boston. As a result, MDAR is urging the public to check for signs of spotted lanternfly adults in any potted plants that they may have received over the holiday season and to report any potential sightings of this pest on MDAR's online reporting form by taking photographs and collecting a specimen if possible. Residents should look for large, gray insects, about one inch long, with black spots and red underwings.
Post Date: Feb 22, 2019
Species Profile -- Boxwood Blight
Boxwood blight was first discovered in the United Kingdom in 1994; its origin is unknown. Boxwood blight was detected in the U.S. in 2011 and the means of introduction is unknown. It is a fungal disease of boxwood plants, which are widely used as landscape ornamentals.
Post Date: Feb 19, 2019