Stop the Invasion: Protection through Prevention

An Oregon Invasive Species Council Summit

 

November 16, 2012

Chemeketa Eola Viticulture Center

Doaks Ferry Road, Salem, Oregon

8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Agenda

Meeting Objectives: 

  • Bring agency, industry, academic, and nonprofit leaders and legislators (and others contributing to invasive species efforts in Oregon) together to:
    • Emphasize the role of prevention in protection Oregon from the threat of invasive species;
    • Share case studies from other states/regions on Japanese beetle, quagga/zebra mussels, feral swine, firewood, and noxious weeds;
    • develop a shared vision of how we can contribute to the implementation of the recommendations from the action plan to implement legal and regulatory efforts to minimize expansion of invasive mussels through watercraft movements in the western United States;
    • develop a shared understanding of and support for the legislative concepts for the 2013 legislative session that will provide Oregon with adequate protections from invasive species; and
    • identify next steps.

 

Expected Work Product:

  • A report to the Governor and Legislature that describes the actions, strategies, and recommendations developed by summit participants to deal with invasive species in Oregon.
  • A statewide invasive species action plan that identifies key actions that can be taken to address the threat of invasive species to Oregon.

 

Stop the Invasion: Protection through Prevention

An Oregon Invasive Species Council Summit

 

 

8:00 – 8:30                             Gather—Coffee

 

8:30 – 8:40                             Welcome and Introductions

·       Welcome and Introduction of Plenary Session — Rick Boatner, Oregon Invasive Species Council (OISC) Chair

 

8:40 – 8:50                             Agenda for the Summit

·       Review today’s agenda; other housekeeping details — Lisa A. DeBruyckere, OISC Coordinator

 

·       Walk through agenda

 

8:50 – 10:00                           Case studies from other regions and states

·       Five guest speakers from other regions and states will provide short presentations (15 minute presentations with 5 minutes Q & A) on the economic and environmental threats of:

o   (8:50–9:10) Japanese beetle – Ann Gibbs, Horticulturist, Maine Department of Agriculture

o   (9:10–9:30) Feral swine – Stephanie Shwiff, Research Economist/Project Leader, USDA/APHIS/WS/National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado

o   (9:30–9:50) Quagga/zebra mussels – Ricardo De Leon, Microbiology Unit Manager, Metropolitan Water District, La Verne, California

o   (9:50–10:10) Firewood – Ann Gibbs, Horticulturist, Maine Department of Agriculture

o   (10:10–10:30) Noxious weeds – Greg Haubrich, Noxious Weed Coordinator, Washington State Dept. of Agriculture
        

Information learned from these case studies will inform summit breakout sessions to develop funding, coordination, regulatory, outreach, and monitoring strategies to lessen the threat of invasive species to Oregon.

 

10:30 – 10:45                         BREAK

 

10:45 – 11:45                          Panel Discussion with Oregon Legislators

·       Oregon legislators will share their perspectives and address specific issues regarding invasive species challenges in Oregon—Mark Sytsma, moderator

o   6-person Oregon legislative panel will address these three questions:

1.      State agency natural resource budgets continue to receive fewer general fund dollars, lessening Oregon’s ability to prevent the introduction of invasive species.

·       What mechanisms exist or could be created to provide long-term sustainable funding for invasive species initiatives?

·       Is there potential to create matching funding programs, and if so, how could these be structured?

·       Is there potential for incentive-based approaches?

2.     Preventing introductions of invasive species is critical to reducing costs. What actions could legislators take to prioritize invasive species prevention policies?

3.     Raising awareness of the environmental, social, and economic costs of invasive species is important for continued public support of prevention programs. How can Oregon continue to place an emphasis on outreach to the public as funding for natural resource agency budgets declines?

 

11:45 – 1:00                             LUNCH

                                                     

Keynote Speaker

1:00– 1:45                                State agency director’s panel

 

·       State agency directors will address the following questions:

o   What do you see as the role of the Oregon Invasive Species Council? What would you like to see the Council doing?

o   What role can the Council play in helping Oregon’s natural resources obtain a dedicated portion of general fund for their programs?

o   What challenges do you see prioritizing and implementing programs, and what does the future look like? Where do invasive species “rate” in terms of priorities?

·       Agency directors:

o   Katy Coba, Director, Oregon Department of Agriculture

o   Scott Brewen, Oregon Marine Board

o   Dick Pederson, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

 

1:45 – 3:00                              Breakout Sessions To Develop Priority Actions to Protect Oregon from the Introduction and Spread of Invasive Species

·       Create 5 breakout sessions involving summit invitees to answer one question for each breakout group

·       Objective:  Summit invitees gather in groups by interest relative to five sets of priority actions to effectively manage invasive species in Oregon (funding, coordination, regulations, outreach, prevention/monitoring/management)

 

·       Funding: What does Oregon need to do to ensure long-term sustainable funding for invasive species initiatives? What short-term (one year) and longer-term (2–5 years) approaches could be used to address and fund invasive species initiatives?

·       Coordination: Where are the gaps in coordinating invasive species efforts in Oregon, and what steps need to be taken to close those gaps?

·       Regulations: Where are the existing gaps in Oregon’s regulations relative to invasive species, and what needs to occur to close those gaps?

·       Outreach:  What outreach efforts are needed in Oregon to improve Oregonians’ support for invasive species legislation and funding initiatives?

·       Prevention/Monitoring/Management: What strategies can the state employ to more effectively manage high priority invasive species?

 

3:00 – 3:15                               BREAK

 

3:15 – 4:00                              Summary and Discussion of Breakout Session Solutions and                                                                                Recommendations

·       Summarize and lead discussion of the results of the breakout sessions — Lisa DeBruyckere, OISC Coordinator

o   Objective:  Ensure there is a shared understanding and support for suggested shared solutions and recommendations to effectively manage invasive species in Oregon.

 

4:00 – 4:15                              Next Steps

·       Describe and obtain concurrence on the next steps (short term and long term) needed to develop Oregon’s invasive species strategic plan — Dan Hilburn, OISC Vice-Chair

4:15                                             Adjourn


Printable version of agenda (pdf format)


Please RSVP  by sending an email to OISC Coordinator Lisa DeBruyckere at lisad@createstrat.com.