Thinking LocallyThinking LocallyActing Neighborly: Acting Neighborly:

CISMA’s and CISMA’s and landscape landscape scale conservationscale conservation

Kristina Serbesoff-King

-on behalf of Florida Invasive Species Partnership (FISP)

25,000 plants into FL annually 1,318 established outside of cultivation, 10% invasive in natural areas

Source: Strangers in Paradise 1997, FFWCC 2005

1,000 non-native insects in Florida, or 8% of all insects 122 non-native fish, many of which are predatory >50 non-native mammal species, 18 reproducing >11 non-native bird species that breed in Florida, 185 non- breeding seasonal birds 52 species of non-native amphibians and reptiles, 39 reproducing (<25% of the total) – greatest # in US!

Scale of Threat in FloridaScale of Threat in Florida

Increase effectiveness and decrease costs by working together

Build focus on prevention as well as treatment

Provide tools to develop a unified approach and bridge the gap between land owner efforts

Encourage development, implementation, and sharing of new and innovative approaches

Florida Invasive Species Partnership Goals:Florida Invasive Species Partnership Goals:

If landowners and land managers in Florida wish to achieve long-term success, it is critical to collaborate with all stake holders, focusing on prevention as well as treatment.

Publicly owned areas

No Boundaries!No Boundaries!

60% of Florida is privately owned

• Public land managers– Limited funds, Limited staff – Limited ability to “cross the fenceline”

• Private land incentive programs– Limited funds, Limited staff – Knowledgeable about their programs– Unaware of other options

• Private landowners– Limited funds– Not receiving all the available information

ChallengesChallenges

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

CISMAsCISMAs

Crossing Boundaries, Meeting ChallengesCooperative Invasive Spp Management Areas

1. Defined geographical area

2. Involvement or representation of the majority of landowners and natural resource managers in the defined area

3. Steering committee

4. Commitment to cooperation

5. Comprehensive plan that addresses the management or prevention of one or more invasive species.

CISMA - 5 Basic CharacteristicsCISMA - 5 Basic Characteristics

$ Cross boundaries; invasive plant management across the landscape, rather than just political or property boundaries

$ Share a common

vision and mission

$ Be highly visible,

building community awareness

How CISMA’s could improve our How CISMA’s could improve our effectiveness?effectiveness?

$ Adopt and utilize Best Management Practices to reduce the risk and improve the results of control efforts

$ Provide an early detection and rapid response network

$ 1 + 1 = 31 + 1 = 3 Combined efforts

improve results

How CISMA’s could improve How CISMA’s could improve management of invasive plants?management of invasive plants?

$ Secure and coordinate funding

$ Allow partners (public and private) to share and leverage limited resources

$ Reduce individual costs by

pooling resources

How CISMA’s could improve How CISMA’s could improve availability of resources?availability of resources?

$

$ A Partnership approach to managing invasive plants in a geographic area

$ 5 Basic Characteristics

$ It’s flexible and unique to each area

$ 14 recommended steps toward forming CWMA/CISMA

$ Three documents: (1) Agreement (2) Strategic Plan (3) Annual Operating Plan

CISMA SummaryCISMA Summary

Training/EDRR workday/increased

BIPM funds

Joint grant to control coastal invader

Annual workplan/Aerial

Surveys

Prioritized plants with

BMPs

Cogongrass demo for

landowners

Plant ID workshop in the works

PTI Grant – tallow, TSA, cogongrass

BCC wants to know more –

BMPs for ROWs

Treating cogongrass – BCC engaged

Python EDRR, Greenthumb,

Australian pine

Cogongrass mapping, PTI

Grant

Workshop held in to create work plan, submitted CCS proposal

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

COOPERATION is the key to successful, long-term management of invasive plants!

Invasive Species know NO Invasive Species know NO boundaries – boundaries – Do we?Do we?

Next Call – February 25, 20094th Wednesday every month at 1:30pmemail kserbesoffking@tnc.org for call-in/log-in

WebEX - go to: nethope.webex.comEnter meeting number: 826 615 549 Enter meeting password: invasive

Phone - US Toll-free: 1-866-642-1665 Participant Passcode: 698452

Florida Invasive Species Partnership (FloridaInvasives.org):

Monthly CISMA WebEx/Conference Callparticipation is voluntary, we promise it will only last 1 hour, and

we can guarantee that you will enjoy the conversations