The event recognized the important role of more than 100 private landowners that have signed agreements with U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's Wildlife Service to allow access to their property for control of this destructive and nonnative rodent. The agreements are a key example of how partnerships formed between federal and state agencies and private landowners can lead to outstanding success in the control of damage caused by invasive species.

More than 125 invitations to the event were sent to private landowners, elected officials and natural resource agency managers. The response was outstanding, with 95 people attending the Landowner Appreciation Day, including many members of Congress from Maryland.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gave presentations about nutria control and marsh restoration during a luncheon. The landowners were very interested and a very informative question and answer session ensued.

Landowners were presented with a certificate of appreciation and caps with an embroidered seal of the Maryland Nutria Project, as well as a packet of information about the nutria control project.

The event was a resounding success and provided an opportunity to discuss the role that state, Federal agencies and private individuals have in managing non-native invasive species.