PRESS RELEASE: OREGON INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL WELCOMES NEW COUNCIL MEMBER FOR 2022

Invasive species pose a serious threat to the economy, infrastructure, and food & water systems, and can impact outdoor recreation opportunities and tourism. The Oregon Invasive Species Council (OISC) is a group of state and public agencies, tribes, scientists, land managers, industry leaders, educators, and members of the public who provide leadership and coordination in the collaborative effort to protect Oregon from invasive species. Each year, the OISC sends out a request for nominations to fill available appointed member seats. One new member was selected to serve on the Council for a two year term (2022-2023) and six Council members were re-appointed for a second term.

In addition to the new council member, Troy Abercrombie (Western Invasives Network & North Coast Cooperative Weed Management Area) will serve as the OISC Chair for 2022 and Christine Moffitt (Friends of South Slough Reserve) will serve as the 2022 Vice Chair.

The OISC welcomes the following new and returning members:

Katie Murray, Oregonians for Food & Shelter

1st term on the Council

Katie is the Executive Director of Oregonians for Food & Shelter (OFS), having joined the organization in 2020 after 14 years at Oregon State University. Katie has over 16 years of experience working on pest issues around the state, including coordination with state natural resource agencies and a broad array of stakeholders. Like the Oregon Invasive Species Council, OFS aims to protect Oregon’s natural resources and economy through the integrated and responsible management of pests, including invasives. OFS is a broad coalition of more than 500 members across agriculture, forestry, and urban settings who are concerned with the protection of modern tools for healthy working and urban lands and spaces. Katie is serving on the Council as a member of the public.

Troy Abercrombie, Coordinator of Western Invasives Network

2nd term on the Council

Troy currently serves as the Coordinator for the Western Invasives Network (WIN), a network of 11 Cooperative Weed Management Areas (CWMAs) that encompass 21 counties in western Oregon, southwest Washington and parts of Montana, Idaho and British Columbia. In this role, Troy facilitates and assists with the coordination of the CWMAs and their associated activities while serving as a resource to their membership, providing support for project development, partner recruitment, and community engagement. Troy represents an entity with a headquarters or principal operations in Clatsop, Columbia, Lincoln or Tillamook Counties and with a purpose of responding to invasive species concerns.

During his first term on the Council, Troy served on numerous committees and brought forward the perspectives of the WIN membership. In 2021, Troy served as the Vice-Chair of the Council and worked hard to move Council objectives forward, including education & outreach products, interagency agreements and public webinars.

Edward “Chuck” Fisk, F5 Wildlife Control

2nd term on the Council

Chuck represents an entity with a headquarters or principal operations in Benton, Lane, Linn, Marion or Polk Counties and with a purpose of responding to invasive species concerns.

Chuck is the owner and operator of F5 Wildlife Control. One of the main components of effective wildlife control is the mitigation and elimination of invasive species. F5 is frequently called upon to control invasives such as nutria, opossums, and starlings. Primarily serving as a field technician has enabled observations and reports of illegal aquarium dumping as well as yard waste disposal while occasionally cataloguing and reporting invasive plant species.

During his first term on the Council, Chuck was able to inject the viewpoints of private business into council deliberations as well as the practical reality of where science intersects with social and economic concerns. This helped maintain a diverse council atmosphere where many professional and public concerns were considered.

Peter Kenagy, Farmer at Kenagy Family Farms & Regional Representative of the Oregon Farm Bureau

2nd term on the Council

As a lifelong resident, farmer, and manager of 450 acres along the Willamette River in Benton County, Peter has seen firsthand the shifts in vegetation and pressures of invasive weeds both on agricultural lands and natural areas over the last 45 years. He is active with both the Oregon Farm Bureau and Benton County FB in addition to being on the board of directors for the Specialty Seed Growers of Western Oregon and has been part of the Benton County CWMA since its inception. Peter has a unique and broad perspective on the issues and challenges that invasives present for both our natural

areas and working lands. Peter represents an organization or association that advocates on behalf of private industry in this state.

During his first term on the Council, Peter co-chaired the legislative committee in 2020 and met with and helped recruit the legislative liasons to the OISC

Tim Newton, Chair of Malheur Soil and Water Conservation District

2nd term on the Council

Tim is the current Chairman of the Malheur County SWCD and has 50 years of experience working in agriculture with progressive irrigation and water conservation techniques. In his role, he works with producers and landowners in Malheur County to address invasive species issues. Currently, they have 6 on-the-ground projects that deal with invasive species. Tim represents an entity with a headquarters or principal operations in Baker, Crook, Deschutes, Grant, Harney, Klamath, Lake or Malheur Counties and with a purpose of responding to invasive species concerns.

During his first term on the Council, Tim has been a valuable contributor at regular meetings and on committees.

Cheryl Shippentower, Plant Ecologist at the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

2nd term on the Council

Cheryl is a Plant Ecologist for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), Department of Natural Resources. In this role, her primary responsibility is the protection, enhancement, and ecological restoration of First Foods that are critical to Tribal culture. Because invasive species impact ecosystems that support First Foods, invasive species management is a major component of her work. Cheryl represents a Native American or Indian tribe or association of tribes within this state.

During her first term on the Council, Cheryl served on The Oregon Invasive Species Hub committee and hopes to make positive and meaningful contribution to the Council’s mission.

Alex Staunch, Operations Manager/Project Manager at Mosaic Ecology

2nd term on the Council

Alex is a Natural Resource Scientist at Mosaic Ecology, a private natural resource management firm based in Portland, OR. In this role, Alex manages a diverse portfolio of monitoring, surveying, and mapping projects and he uses his background in taxonomy and plant systematics to identify rare natives and new non-natives on the ground. He also manages on-going wetland restoration projects in the Willamette Valley and leads terrestrial restoration efforts in the Columbia Gorge Scenic Area. Alex represents an entity with a headquarters or principal operations in Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington or Yamhill Counties and with a purpose of responding to invasive species concerns.

For his second term on the Council, Alex will be involved in the education & outreach community, will contribute to The Oregon Invasive Species Hub, and hopes to better communicate the Council’s work with those in the Portland Metropolitan area and beyond.

December 2021 OISC Meeting Recap

In case you missed it, here is a recap of the most recent Oregon Invasive Species Council (OISC) meeting held on December 8, 2021. We had 28 attendees representing 24 organizations in total. Representation included 5 Federal Agencies, 6 State Agencies, 2 Educational Institutions, NGOs, advocacy groups, and individuals.

Highlights from the December meeting include: 

• 2 outgoing OISC members were recognized: Dave Pranger (Morrow County) and Jas. Adams (Public Member). The Council appreciates and values their expertise, input, and knowledge over the years.

• The Council approved the nomination of Troy Abercrombie (Western Invasives Network) as Chair and Christine Moffitt (Friends of South Slough Reserve) as Vice Chair for the upcoming year.

• Rick Boatner (2021 OISC Chair, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife) gave an update on the 2021-2023 OISC budget, including the status of multiple federal grants. The Budget/Funding Committee will be working with the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) to figure out discrepancies in budget summaries.

• Rebecca McCoun (North Santiam Watershed Council) gave a presentation on Post-Fire Recovery in the North Santiam Watershed. View the presentation here. 

• Chris Benemann (Oregon Department of Agriculture) gave an update on new, upcoming quarantine rules. This includes making the 180-day emergency rule that was put in place following the interception of of zebra mussels on “moss balls” permanent. The permanent rule would require pre-notification of import into Oregon of these moss balls/marimo. ODA is also looking to implement a new quarantine for spotted lanternfly, which is already spreading rapidly on the east coast. The quarantine would be split into commerce (e.g. nursery stock) and non-commerce (e.g. people moving here from infested areas). 

• Catherine de Rivera (Portland State University) gave an update on the Memorandum of Understanding with ODA. Next steps include the Legislative Committee working with ODA to pursue insurance coverage for the OISC. 

• Karen Ripley (USDA Forest Service) gave an update on behalf of the Communications Committee. The 2020 Annual Report was finalized and is available here. 

Thank you to everyone that was able to join us for the meeting! The next meeting will be held virtually on January 11, 2022. Information about upcoming OISC meetings will be posted on the OISC Meetings Page as details are confirmed. 

Emergency Control Account Project: Invasive Marine Tunicate Response

Year: 2014

Amount: $13,000

Invasive Species Emergency:

In 2010, colonies of Didemnum vexillum, an invasive tunicate, were discovered for the first time in Oregon at two locations: the Umpqua Triangle (Siuslaw estuary) and the Charleston Marina (Coos Bay). Later in 2012 and 2013, new colonies of D. vexillum were discovered on stationary pier pilings in the Charleston Marina and on subtidal surfaces of large jetty boulders along the north jetty of the Umpqua Triangle (Siuslaw River mouth). These new discoveries were alarming because they indicated that the D. vexillum populations had gained sufficient propagule pressure to successfully recruit locally to adjacent habitats, and because they made the jump onto stationary objects (i.e., pier pilings and jetty boulders) that cannot be readily removed as a potential control measure. As a result, the OISC received an emergency funding request for $13,000 from the Oregon State Marine Board in June 2014 to implement an action plan addressing the spread of D.vexillum to stationary pier pilings, floating docks, and jetty boulders in Oregon estuaries.

D. vexillum colony on monitoring substrate in Charleston Marina – July 2013

Species Information:

Didemnum vexillum is a colonial tunicate that is native to the northwest Pacific region of Asia. This invasive species has become widespread in temperate coastal habitats around the world over the past 40 years. 

Why this is Important:

Colonies of Didemnum vexillum can out-compete native epibenthic organisms, such as mussels, scallops, and other sessile species and readily overgrow artificial substrata including pilings, boat hulls, floating docks, cables, mooring lines, cultivated shellfish, and aquaculture gear. Expansion of tunicate colonies may result in moderate economic impacts to shellfish mariculture operations and increase costs to combat fouling in marinas and on the hulls of recreational boats and commercial vessels.

Project Outcome:

During 2014 and 2015 the implementation of the action plan resulted in the small colonies that were present at the Charleston Marina being removed by divers that collected the specimens by hand. These collected specimens were then disposed of and long-term monitoring plates were deployed by the adjacent Institute of Marine Biology for monitoring annually by students. As of 2020, no new colonies had been reported but the COVID-19 pandemic created complications on gathering new data. Diving within the Umpqua Triangle for monitoring of that location has been sporadic as funding for that activity has not been available. It was determined back in 2016 that the overall population was staying static and not significantly increasing so it was decided to just monitor the status over time.

Save the Date! 12/15 Columbia Basin CWMA Webinar

Register now for the upcoming Columbia Basin Cooperative Weed Management Area December webinar, taking place December 15th from 12-3 pm Pacific time via GoToWebinar.

The webinar will feature updates on flowering rush from basin states and provinces, progress on biocontrol and other management topics. View the agenda here.

Register for Columbia River CWMA Fall Webinar 2021:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1273285460995986959

October 2021 OISC Meeting Recap

In case you missed it, here is a recap of the most recent Oregon Invasive Species Council meeting held on October 13, 2021. We had 27 attendees representing 22 organizations in total. Representation included 3 Federal Agencies, 7 State Agencies, 2 Educational Institutions, Tribes, NGOs, advocacy groups, and individuals. 

Highlights from the October meeting include: 

• Nikki Brooks (U.S. Customs & Border Protection) gave an update on the Invasive Species Information Hub progress and next steps. The Council approved publishing the Invasive Species Information Hub and for the Education and Outreach Committee to define and amend Hub terminology.

• Rick Boatner (2021 OISC Chair, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife) and Isaak Stapleton (Oregon Department of Agriculture) gave an update on the 2021-2023 OISC budget and workplan. The Council will be putting together a 2023-2025 budget package request by June 2022.

• Todd Adams (Oregon Department of Agriculture) gave an update on the Apple Maggot Emergency Funding Distribution. Council funds were instrumental to continue the response project’s progress made in 2020 and carry through the 2021 to completion. 

• Jalene Littlejohn (OISC Coordinator) gave an update on appointed membership nominations and the work plan for wrapping up 2021.

• Catherine de Rivera (Portland State University) gave an update on the Memorandum of Understanding with the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA). Next steps include a meeting with ODA to talk about agreements.

Thank you to everyone that was able to join us for the meeting! Information about upcoming OISC meetings will be posted on the OISC Meetings Page as details are confirmed.