Florida Invasive Species Partnership:

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Florida Invasive Species Partnership Managing
Invasive Species Across Boundaries in Florida
Kristina Serbesoff-King Invasive Species
Program Manager Florida Chapter, The Nature
Conservancy -on behalf of Florida Invasive
Species Partnership (FISP)
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Invasive Species Working Group
Becoming F.I.S.P.

• 2001 Invasive Species Working Group
• Represent state agencies and other cooperators
• Create one strategic plan for prevention and
  management of all biological invasions in Florida
• 2005 Private Land Incentive Sub-working Group
• Create partnership between public land managers,
  resource managers and private land managers
• Assume no one size fits all approach will work
• 2008 The Florida Invasive Species Partnership
• Maintain same partnership focus

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FISPs Mission - Public/Private Partnership Is
the Only Way
60 of Florida is privately owned
Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of
partnership approaches to preventing and
controlling invasives species through increased
communication, coordination and shared resources
in order to protect wildlife habitat, working
lands, natural communities and biodiversity in
Florida.
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Challenges

• Public land managers
• Limited funds
• Limited staff or authority to cross the
  fenceline
• Limited ability to assist their neighborswith
  invasive species control
• Private land incentives administrators
• Provide information about the programs they
  administer
• Unaware of other options that might be
  advantageous to the landowner
• Private landowners
• Not receiving all the available information
• Lose interest

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FISP mutual agreement

• Partners of FISP recognize that if landowners and
  land managers in Florida wish to achieve
  long-term success with regards to reducing the
  threat of invasive, non-native species, it is
  critical to
• Reach out and collaborate with all stakeholders,
  including private landowners.
• Focus on holistic management of invasive species,
  which includes prevention, early detection/rapid
  response, control and applied research.

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FISP Goals

• Think Locally - Act Neighborly
• Increase effectiveness and decrease costs by
  working together.
• Provide tools to develop a unified approach and
  bridge the gap between landowners and land
  management agency efforts.
• Encourage development, implementation and sharing
  of new and innovative approaches.

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FISP Objectives

• Develop and maintain a matrix of existing
  incentive programs that can be used for invasive
  species management on public and private lands.
• Establish and maintain an interactive website at
  www.floridainvasives.org that will host the
  incentive matrix provide links to specific
  information to address and resolve problems in
  regards to invasive species and serve as a
  central clearinghouse for invasive species
  partnership efforts.
• Promote and participate in partnerships and
  collaborative efforts to address invasive species
  on statewide, regional and local levels (i.e.,
  Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas
  (CISMAs).
• Provide targeted outreach and training to foster
  innovative approaches to invasive species
  management in Florida.

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FISP Accomplishments

• FISP represented at over 25 meetings/conferences
  within Florida and Nationally since 2008
• Receiving increased interest from other agencies
  such as National Park Service, US Forest Service,
  Florida Natural Areas Inventory and others,
  asking What can we do?
• Hired FISP database and outreach coordinator
• Updates and manages Incentive Program Matrix
• FISP articles written for multiple publications
• Wildland Weeds, Conservation Forestry Handbook,
  Forest Stewardship Newsletter
• Developed FloridaInvasives.org hosts the Matrix
• Continuing to foster the development of CISMAs
  and hosting monthly online meetings for CISMAs

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The website
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The Matrix
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Includes federal programs w/specific
information on Florida
Fields available in Matrix
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Includes non-profit programs
Goal to update quarterly so you contact the right
person the 1st time!
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FISP Accomplishments

• FDOT Voluntary Codes of Conduct
• Increased statewide awareness and understanding
  of invasive plants at all levels within DOT
• Training on invasive plant identification for
  employees, consultants and contractors
• Phase out use of FLEPPC Category I and II plants
• Encourage plant nurseries to increase
  availability of non-invasive plants
• DOT Participates in FISP and CISMAs
• FWC Invasive Plant Management Section (IPMS)
  provided plant ID decks to FDOT and county DOT
  (as part of DACS Cogongrass Initiative)
• FWC IPMS supporting FNAI mapping of DOT borrow
  pits (July 2009)

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FISP Developments

• CISMA websites
• Resolution between all FISP partners
• Informational Posters
• In Service Trainings
• FWC-IPMS responding to CISMA requests
• Decontamination Protocol for Pesticide
  Applicators in Florida
• Procedures for spraying near organic farms
• Homeowner disposal of invasive plants

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CISMAs
Crossing Boundaries, Meeting Challenges Cooperativ
e Invasive Spp. Management Areas

• a partnership of federal, state, and local
  government agencies, tribes, individuals and
  various interested groups that manage invasive
  species in a defined area

Everglades CISMA Joint Work Day
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Cropping Up in Florida 2007-2009
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• Creating Websites for CISMAs in Florida

• Timeline
• CISMAs to have website content info submitted end
  of March 09
• CISMA websites up by June 09
• How to Create a CISMA Website guide completed
  end of 2009 w/downloadable template

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Invasive Species know NO boundaries Do we?
Necessary ingredients for long-term success

• Multiple agencies and organizations in
  partnership
• Involve private landowners and interests
• Recognize differences and commonalities in
  missions
• Conservation leverage

Key ISTF Python patrol training
COOPERATION is the key to successful, long-term
management of invasive species!