Responses to Invasive Plant Infestation

A partnership involving NIFA, and 15 agencies in six federal departments charged with responsibility for addressing the biological and economic challenges posed by invasive plants, has designed an award-winning national plan to detect and rapidly respond to invasive plant infestations. The National Early Detection and Rapid Response System for Invasive Plants in the United States, developed by the Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds, was the recipient of the American Planning Association’s (APA) award in the Federal Planning Division for Environmental Planning Excellence, for its exceptional achievement and intra-agency cooperation.

The system’s goals are early detection; early reporting; identification and vouchering of specimens by authorities; verification; archiving records; rapid assessment; and, rapid response. Following identification, rapid assessment of confirmed state and national data would follow to determine potential threats to habitats and environments, in turn leading to decisions for possible eradication or management of the suspect species.

For more information, contact NIFA’ Robert Nowierski.

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