1) Heartland CISMA meeting, Friday, July 17th, 9:30 am-12 noon, Circle B Bar Reserve, 4399 Winter Lake Rd, Lakeland, FL 33803: RSVP so we know how many to expect at: www.CISMA-MTG-717.eventbrite.com Draft agenda with potential CEU (applied for) for Mike’s presentation:
9:30-9:45am Intro/round robin- learn what your neighbors are doing
9:45-10:35am Priority Early Detection Rapid Response species ID- Mike Sowinski (FWC)- This presentation will focus on identification of the Heartland CISMA’s priority Early Detection Rapid Response plant species with an emphasis on giving participants the ability to identify, report and remove or treat those species. This presentation is in conjunction with the release of the Heartland CISMA’s priority EDRR species ID and treatment weed decks (sets of laminated cards to be used in the field to aid in identification and treatment), which every participant will receive.
10:35-11:05am Invasive species prioritization in the Heartland CISMA- Debi Stone (SJRWMD)
11:05-12pm Fall aquatics workshop, invasive plant amnesty day planning- Shannon Carnevale (Polk Extension) (and NFWF Pulling Together Initiative funding opportunity [see #9 in this email for details]- Cheryl Millett)
AND, we’ll have the priority EDRR weed decks, so come and get ‘em!
2) FLEPPC plant list criteria guide now online: http://www.fleppc.org/list/2015/CriteriaDocs.html. Consider completing a criteria form, if you have a plant/plants that meets the following conditions.
Category I – Invasive exotics that are altering native plant communities by displacing native species, changing community structures or ecological functions, or hybridizing with natives. This definition does not rely on the economic severity or geographic range of the problem, but on the documented ecological damage caused.
Category II – Invasive exotics that have increased in abundance or frequency but have not yet altered Florida plant communities to the extent shown by Category I species. These species may become ranked Category I, if ecological damage is demonstrated.
Click on http://www.fleppc.org/list/list.htm, and then click on “Criteria Document for Requesting Consideration of New Species” and follow the instructions.
If you have any question, please send them to Patricia L. Howell, Plant List Chair at phowell@broward.org
3) Sustainable Floridians program through UF/IFAS Extension Polk County, June 16-July 28 on Tuesdays (4-7pm). Cost: $52.24: Sustainable FloridiansSM is a discussion-to-action program that will benefit UF/IFAS Extension and the citizens of Florida. The Sustainable FloridiansSM program provides information to motivated individuals to connect personal decisions with information about sustainable practices. Program participants will attend an seven week course that combines group discussions, weekly action exercises and resource materials for an interactive and informative program. Participants will be provided with course materials, books, energy conservation devices for the home, and other products that relate to sustainable living. Each week participants will meet to learn about: energy conservation, local foods, land use issues, water conservation, and community leadership.
More information is available at: http://polk.ifas.ufl.edu/NR/SustainableFloridians.shtml
Registration is available at: https://polksustainablefloridians.eventbrite.com
4) Free access to Weed Science: The Weed Science Society of America is pleased to announce that the Weed Science special issue, Research Methods in Weed Science, is now open access online and available at http://wssajournals.org/page/research-methods-collection.
5) SWFWMD Vegetation Management Specialist Position position available with 7/24 closing date (see attached). Note: the attached file is a web page archive file format and is safe to open.
6) The Florida Chapter of The Wildlife Society (FLTWS) would like your opinion on how to make FLTWS most relevant to wildlife professionals working in Florida. Complete a <20 question survey that should take ~10 minutes to complete and you could be the randomly selected respondent (if you provide your email address) that is offered free registration to the spring 2016 conference. Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FL_TWS
7) Next monthly CISMA Online Meeting/Call Wednesday, July 22nd at 1:30pm EST – hosted by Florida Invasive Species Partnership (FISP), contact Rose Godfrey at coordinator@floridainvasives.org to get more information (and to get on the Florida CISMA list if you’re not already on it. Participation is voluntary, we promise it will only last 1 hour, and we can guarantee that you will enjoy the conversations
8) Upcoming events at neighboring Lake County CISMA: -details from Brooke Moffis at burnb48@ufl.edu
a. Next CISMA meeting on July 30th at 2:00 PM at the Trout Lake Nature Center. Gregg Walker an invasive plant research scientist from Florida Natural Areas Inventory will discuss Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) lists and what they can do for you, and his role in our local CISMA, followed with a business meeting.
b. August 20th a Forest Stewardship Workshop with available CEUs, partnering with Chris Demers from UF/IFAS.
9) Funding opportunity: National Fish and Wildlife Federation (NFWF) Pulling Together Initiative. We will discuss this at the 7/17, but if you have ideas for these funds before then, call me the week of 7/13.
Preproposal due 8/3/15, full proposal due 9/30/15
Grant awards $25-200K, typically $50-150K
4 program priorities (with ~$200K of total $850K directed to sage grouse):
· Establishing Cooperative Weed Management Areas (CWMA)
· Acceleration of High Performing Cooperative Weed Management Areas
· Comprehensive Early Detection and Rapid Response Approaches
· Significant On-The-Ground Management/Restoration Projects
For more information and to apply, go to:
http://www.nfwf.org/pti/Pages/home.aspx#.VYxkKE9VgSU
· Pulling Together Initiative
Invasive weeds represent one of the most significant threats to the economy and ecology of the United States, causing billions of dollars in damage each year to farms and ranches and degrading millions of acres of critical wildlife habitat. NFWF's Pulling Together Initiative provides modest grants to help local communities effectively manage these plant invaders.
The Pulling Together Initiative is one of the only public-private partnerships to address invasive weeds nationally. Pulling Together Initiative grants are intended to help support the creation of local cooperative weed management area partnerships. Such partnerships bring together local landowners, citizens groups and weed experts to develop and implement strategies for managing weed infestations on public lands, natural areas, and private working lands.
Funding priorities for this program include:
o Projects that focus on a particular well-defined weed management area, such as a watershed, ecosystem, landscape, or county;
o Projects supported by private landowners, state and local governments, and the regional/state offices of federal agencies;
o Projects with a steering committee composed of local cooperators who are committed to working together to manage invasive and noxious plants across their jurisdictional boundaries;
o Long-term weed management plans which are based on an integrated pest management approach using the principles of ecosystem management; and
o Inclusion of a public outreach and education component, as appropriate.
Since 1997, this program has awarded $20.8 million to 595 projects. Leveraged by an additional $44 million in partner contributions, these grants have resulted in a total of $64.8 million for local communities fighting invasive weeds. The Pulling Together Initiative has facilitated the creation of cooperative weed management areas in 16 different states, greatly improving not only national invasive weed management, but state weed management. Cooperative weed management areas typically range in size from the county level to the multi-county and watershed level.
Major funding for the Pulling Together Initiative is provided by the Bureau of Land Management, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and USDA Forest Service. All awards must be matched by non-federal contributions from project partners, either cash or in-kind, on at least a 1:1 basis.
| Cheryl Millett (863) 604-3352 (Cell) Download our Nature Conservancy magazine App FREE for exclusive digital content. | | The Nature Conservancy | |
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