Refuge System Battles Invasive Species

For Release on May 1, 2008
Contact:   David Eisenhauer  (703) 358-2220
         Michael Lusk  (703) 358-2110
         Jenny Ericson  (703) 358-2063  

Invasive plants and animals—introduced to the lands and waters of the
United States from foreign shores—continue to plague national wildlife
refuges.  Some efforts to stem this threat are already in place and
beginning to take hold.  But there are other steps people can take to help
by slightly altering their routines.

About 2.4 million acres of the 98-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge
System are currently infested with invasive plants, according to the 2007
Refuge Annual Performance Plan.  Additionally, 4,423 invasive animal
populations occupy refuge lands—from the brown treesnake overrunning Guam
National Wildlife Refuge to the more common nutria, a species that has
spread to many states that was brought from South America when its fur was
highly marketable.

National wildlife refuges spent more than $11 million last fiscal year in
fighting this problem, which has become pervasive.  During each of the past
four years, the Refuge System has treated an average of 14 percent of the
acres infested with invasive plants.

Five Invasive Species Strike Teams have been mobilized to respond rapidly
to the detection of new and threatening infestations.  They are working in
Arizona , New Mexico , the Upper Missouri/Yellowstone/Upper Columbia River
basins, south Florida , North Dakota , and Hawaii and the Pacific Islands .

In the near future, a team led by biologists from the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service will be gearing up to rid Rat Island, part of Alaska
Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, of its namesake invader.  More than 200
years ago, Norway rats came ashore to Rat Island when a Japanese ship ran
aground.  The rat spill changed the island from a predator-free sanctuary
for ground-nesting seabirds into a death trap.  There are virtually no
seabirds left.

The team will hit every potential rat territory on the island, including
all vegetated offshore rocks and islets.  And areas that can’t be reached
by helicopter, such as overhanging cliffs and coastal areas, will be
visited by biologists on foot.

On the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
became a beacon of success in 2004, when it eradicated nutria.  But the
battle is never-ending, and the refuge’s nutria-free status now depends
largely on neighboring landowners to control nutria on their lands. Today,
an intensive trapping and detection program is maintained on 130,000 acres
of coastal marsh surrounding and including Blackwater Refuge.

Citizen support is key in the battle against invasive species.  The Refuge
System has worked for the past three years with the National Wildlife
Refuge Association, The Nature Conservancy and the National Institute of
Invasive Species Science on a program that has enabled about 2,750
volunteers to inventory, treat and restore more than 211,000 acres of
Refuge System land.

Many of these refuge volunteers are called upon to wage hand-to-hand combat
with invasives.  At Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, the
New England Invasive Plant Group—a network of agencies and organizations
working with the refuge—fought the water chestnut. The aquatic invasive
floats on the water’s surface and displaces native plants.  The infestation
at Log Pond Cove was first detected in 1997, not long after the refuge was
established.  Once the plant is well established, eradication is next to
impossible.

Silvio O. Conte Refuge began to show progress in controlling the problem
only after it enlisted the help of hundreds of volunteers to hand-pull the
weed, year after year. Machine pulling was not doing the job.

How Citizens Can Help

Learn How to Fight:  In collaboration with the Center for Invasive Plant
Management, the National Wildlife Refuge System has designed an online
training course for volunteers and others interested in joining the army to
help fight invasive plant species—one of the single greatest threats to the
Refuge System.  The new Web-based training course,
www.fws.gov/invasives/volunteersTrainingModule, includes video, text and
photos that provide information about the science and management of
invasive plants.

In Fishing Season:
·     Don’t dump any bait, especially minnows or crayfish, into streams or
lakes after fishing.
·     Be sure to inspect and thoroughly clean your fishing gear, including
boats, trailers and waders.  Invasive plants and animals, like hydrilla and
zebra mussels, can quickly spread to uninfested waters by hitchhiking on
gear used by anglers.

In the Garden:
·     When looking for ornamental plants or groundcover for your home or
garden, use native plants.  Many areas now have nurseries specializing in
local native plants, or search online for your local native plant society
that can make recommendations for you.
·     If you do use a non-native plant, ask your local nursery if it is an
invasive species in your area.
·     When buying a potted plant, check for unwanted weeds growing in the
pot and make sure to pull them out before planting.
·     When you pull unwanted weeds out of your lawn or garden, make sure to
remove the entire plant and carefully bag it for disposal.  Seeds from a
dying plant can spread into uninfested areas.

Volunteer on a National Wildlife Refuge:  More than 36,600 people already
donate their time to national wildlife refuges.  To join this outpouring of
public concern for public lands – whether to fight invasive species or help
in other ways – find information about volunteering on the Web at
http://volunteer.gov/gov/.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to
conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for
the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and
trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific
excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated
professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our
work and the people who make it happen, visit
www.fws.gov.