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.

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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

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

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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

Meet Christine Moffitt!

For our third installment of New Council Member Fridays, we’re happy to introduce Christine Moffitt! 

Christine spent the summer of 1969 in Coos Bay at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, which fueled her love for the Oregon coast. Christine says her favorite place in Oregon is the Shore Acres state park due to the natural beauty, amazing beaches, and dramatic waves one can encounter there.

In her role as a fisheries biologist, Christine’s work was directly affected by invasive species introductions. She focused her research on understanding aquatic systems, which includes the present-day consequences of invasive species introductions made more than 150 years ago, when fisheries and biologists didn’t know how drastic those consequences would be. She has mostly spent time working on the removal of invasive fish, including eradicating carp. Christine got involved with other, smaller organisms while studying whirling disease, mollusks, and shellfish. Her biggest concern is the altering of ecosystems: small organisms are so easily transported, hard to see and understand, and there is still so much about them that is unknown. Globalization poses a large threat due to transportation and speed at which organisms are being relocated.

As a newly appointed Oregon Invasive Species Council member, Christine is most looking forward to using her knowledge to make a difference and support education and awareness about invasive species. In addition to her accolades as a biologist and role as Emerita professor at the University of Idaho, she also loves music and is the president of the Oregon Coast Music Association.