Fall 2019 OISC Meeting Recap

/

Here is a quick recap of the October 2019 meeting in case you missed it. This 3-day event included engaging presentations, thoughtful discussions, and field tours.

  • We had more than 50 attendees over the 3-day event, representing 31 organizations to share information and connect programs & priorities to the strategic statewide goals to protect Oregon from invasive species.

  • Representation included 8 State Agencies, 6 Federal Agencies, 3 Educational Institutions, 2 Tribes, local Oregon Legislator, and U.S. Congress staff, and many others including NGOs and advocacy groups.

  • We heard from 17 speakers from across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.

Day One

Day one topics included OISC committee updates, 2019 -2020 OISC calendar planning, Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA) updates, and round table updates from Council members. We also heard 2019 Oregon legislative session updates​ from Representative Greg Smith from Oregon House District 57 and words of support to the Council from Senator Merkley and Senator Wyden​, presented by Jessica Keys with the ​Office of U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley ​and Kathleen Cathey with Office of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden. 

During the day one info forum, we learned about:

  • Potential Impacts of Flowering Rush/Northern Pike on Salmon and Steelhead in Selected Reaches of the Columbia River Downstream of Priest Rapids Dam from Blaine Parker with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (PDF of Presentation, CRITFC website)

  • Columbia Basin Flowering Rush Management Plan from Tim Butler with the Oregon Department of Agriculture (PDF of Presentation, ODA Noxious Weed website)

  • One Fish, Two Fish, 15,000 Fish: Brook Trout Suppression for Bull Trout Recovery in the Upper Malheur​ from Brandon Haslick with the B​urns Paiute Tribe (PDF of Presentation, BPT website)

  • The Pacific Northwest as an Emerging Beachhead of Crayfish Invasions from Julian Olden with the ​University of Washington (PDF of Presentation, University of WA website)

  • Invasive Crayfish Removal in Malheur Basin from Rick Boatner with the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (PDF of Presentation, ODFW website)

  • Sage Grouse, Fire, and Invasive Grasses from Jackie Cupples with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (PDF of Presentation, USFWS website)

  • Invasive Species Impacts to First Foods and Native Plants from Cheryl Shippentower with the ​Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation  (PDF of Presentation, CTUIR website)

  • Revegetation for Elk and Invasive Plant Management from Cameron Sponseller with the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (PDF of Presentation, ODFW website)

Day Two

Day two topics included OISC committee updates, next steps for the 2020 OSIC Education Grant Program (now open), an interactive activity to identify regional invasive species priorities (see image below), updates from the 2019 OISC Chair, discussion on setting Rule for Chair & Vice Chair roles and process, determining the 2020 member nomination process, and discussion about support of a proposed northern pike suppression and early detection grant program in Washington State.

IMG_5530.jpeg

During our day two info forum, we learned about:

Day Three

Day three field trips included:

  • A trip up to a site along the Columbia River to see an active U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flowering rush treatment and monitoring site.

  • Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Wildlife site visit to hear about noxious weeds issues on their Wildlife Management Area.

  • An Irrigon Wildlife Management Area site visit to see invasive crayfish sampling.

  • The Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge visit to see examples of wetland & waterfowl habitat management, invasive weed control, cooperative programs & partnerships, and a Canada thistle biocontrol site.


What an information packed meeting! Special thanks to members of the OISC’s Eastern Oregon Working Group for helping with arranging guest speakers, meeting venue, and field trips locations: Lindsay Chiono, Kristopher Crowley, Erin McConnell, Dave Pranger, Karen Ripley, and David Wooster! 

We hope to see you at our next meeting in 2020.

More details will be available soon on the OISC meetings page.

The views and opinions expressed in the attached file(s) or link(s) above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Oregon Invasive Species Council. Please contact the author directly if you have any questions regarding the content.

New Grant for Invasive Species Education & Outreach

/

About the Education & Outreach Grant

The Legislature provided the Oregon Invasive Species Council (OISC) with $100,000 to fund education and outreach projects in the range of $2000 to $20,000 during the 2019-2021 biennium. The OISC seeks to fund a diverse range of conventional and innovative projects to build knowledge and awareness, and empower policy makers, communities, interest groups, and members of the public to take actions that help prevent the spread of and control invasive species across the land and waters of the state. The OISC encourages innovation that leverages upon current invasive species educational approaches and messaging and/or new messages and approaches to invasive species education and outreach to reach new audiences.

Grant Timeline

  • Applications due: January 30, 2020

  • Awards announced: April 2020

  • Project completion & final report due: June 30, 2021 or within 60 days of project completion

Education & Outreach Projects

Projects can be implemented in a variety of ways. Successful applicants will have goals tied to:

  1. The Education & Outreach Strategies outlined in Oregon’s Statewide Strategic Plan for Invasive Species 

    • Expand awareness of invasive species through improved communication tools that effectively reach the Oregon public and messaging that resonates with Oregonians.

    • Collaboratively develop educational materials with network partners to pool expertise and resources.

    • Promote focused, inclusive outreach and engagement to build public support and involvement among historically under-represented audiences.

  2. Understanding the prevention, detection, spread, impacts, or management of invasive species in Oregon; and

  3. Protecting our aquatic resources, working landscapes, wildlife, and the unique beauty of our state for future generations.

Application Details

All documents must be submitted electronically as well as one hard copy postmarked by 11:59 PM on January 30, 2020. Awards will range between $2,000 to $20,000 depending on the scope and reach of the project. Project match of 25% is required, but can be met with either outside funding sources or in-kind labor match. Applications requesting over $20,000 may be considered if the applicant can demonstrate significant statewide benefit. We encourage prospective applicants to reach out to Council Members and/or the OISC Coordinator (coordinator@oregoninvasivespeciescouncil.org) to discuss your project ideas.

Please visit the OISC’s Education & Outreach Grants webpage for more information and to download the grant application packet.

The OISC Requests Nominations for 2020 Council Seats

/

The Oregon Invasive Species Council (OISC) is seeking nominations for 8 member seats to serve a 2-year term January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2021. Could you, or someone you know, be a good addition to the OISC? Send us a nomination by November 20, 2019.

The OISC recognizes that many state, federal, and tribal governments, as well as local government agencies, private industries and non-governmental organizations, play a role in managing invasive species. In order to successfully protect Oregon from the impacts of invasive species, the OISC promotes collaboration between a wide range of fields and expertise.

Strong nominees will have experience or expertise that relates to invasive species prevention or control and/or specialize in one of the following diverse areas of interest: natural resource industries; wildlife management or conservation; environmental or outdoor education; K-12 education; environmental law; marine, freshwater, estuarine systems; parks and recreation; domestic or international trade; travel and tourism.

The council is seeking to appoint members representing the following categories of interest in 2020:

  • A member who represents an entity, regardless of the form of the entity with a headquarters or principal operations in Gilliam, Hood River, Jefferson, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, or Wheeler Counties

  • A member who represents an entity, regardless of the form of the entity with a headquarters or principal operations in Clatsop, Columbia, Lincoln, or Tillamook Counties

  • A member who represents an entity, regardless of the form of the entity with a headquarters or principal operations in Baker, Crook, Deschutes, Grant, Harney, Klamath, Lake, or Malheur Counties

  • A member who represents an entity, regardless of the form of the entity with a headquarters or principal operations in Benton, Lane, Linn, Marion, or Polk Counties

  • A member who represents an entity, regardless of the form of the entity with a headquarters or principal operations in Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington, or Yamhill Counties

  • A member who represents a native American or Indian tribe or association of tribes within this state

  • A member who represents an organization or association that advocates on behalf of private industry in this state

  • A member of the Public

Council members’ primary role is to support the advancement of Oregon’s Statewide Strategic Plan for Invasive Species. Members benefit from multi-agency communication and collaboration that the OISC provides through meetings, committees, events, and communication. Council members are expected to attend 2-3 meetings per year in various parts of the state, serve on at least one committee, participate in conference calls, and support communication with and/or convening of other interested groups to contribute to Council activities. Council members are not paid, but may be reimbursed for travel expenses associated with attending Council meetings. Membership is limited to two consecutive terms. 

Nominations and questions about the process should be sent to coordinator@oregoninvasivespeciescouncil.org. The deadline to receive nominations is November 20, 2019. Complete nominations must include the following:

  • Individual’s name, title, phone, email, and mailing address

  • A brief description of the nominee’s qualifications (self nominations are acceptable)

  • A statement from the nominee that explains their interest, relative experience, and contributions they are willing to make to the Council. Nominee must specify the member seat(s) of interest.

  • Letters of support for the nominee are encouraged.

The council will notify appointees in December 2019 and welcome the new appointees at the first meeting of the Council in 2020, date to be determined.

OISC nomination information can also be found on the OISC Nominations page.

Meet Erin McConnell

/

For our fourth and final installment of 2019 New Council Member Fridays, meet Erin McConnell! Erin is the Invasive Species Program Coordinator for Oregon and Washington at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). In her role at BLM, she provides support to field programs, including reviewing pesticide use and distributing funds. Invasive species management is a huge part of Erin’s work, especially noxious weeds. One particular invasive species that she is concerned with is Ventanta dubia, an annual grass that was overlooked for a while, but is now everywhere!

With over 20 years of experience working as a Weed Manager for Oregon BLM, 19 of which were spent working in rural eastern Oregon, she has and will continue to share valuable insight that she has learned from her experience managing BLM District Weed programs and weed control activities, including chemical, biological, manual, and mechanical methods. Since becoming a Council member, Erin has joined the Education & Outreach Committee, the Communications Committee, and the Eastern Oregon Working Group. We are thrilled to have her on the Council and look forward to continuing a coordinated effort to tackle invasive species!

Flowering Rush Management in the Columbia Basin

/
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org

Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org

Flowering rush is an aggressive, invasive aquatic weed that has been documented in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Montana. This plant has the potential to invade and disrupt native marshlands in the Columbia River Basin and the impact of flowering rush on spawning habitat for native salmonid species is a growing concern. 

Achieving sufficient herbicide-plant contact time for successful plant control is one challenge when using aquatic herbicides to manage vegetation growing in flowing water systems. The US Army Corps of Engineers recently released a video that summarizes a unique approach to overcome this challenge by utilizing a bubble barrier system to curtail water flow, confine herbicide treatment, improve weed control, all while reducing impacts to non-target species: "Flowering Rush: Controlling an Invasive Species through Innovation and Partnership with the Walla Walla District".


Also related to flowering rush management in the Pacific Northwest is the Columbia Basin Flowering Rush Management Plan, which was recently released by the Columbia Basin Cooperative Weed Management Area. The Management Plan addresses the following topics:

  • Ecological Impacts

  • Distribution on the Columbia Basin

  • Policy

  • Management Options

  • Implementation Strategies

  • and more!

You can view/download the Management Plan here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58740d57579fb3b4fa5ce66f/t/5d800aea42bf0e112f156daf/1568672496264/2019-ISAN_Flowering-Rush_Report-FINAL-Low-Res-082019-1.pdf

Citations: 

Columbia Basin Cooperative Weed Management Area. 2019. Columbia Basin Flowering Rush Management Plan: A regional strategy to address Butomus umbellatus throughout the Columbia Basin. pp 67

https://www.oregon.gov/ODA/shared/Documents/Publications/Weeds/FloweringRushProfile.pdf