Virginia Invasive Species Council

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

zebra mussel sirex wood wasp rusty crayfish sudden oak death emerald ash borer chinese mitten crab northern snakehead fish rapa whelk tree of heaven japanese stilt grass imported fire ant phragmites

Twelve Highly Invasive Species Every Virginian Should Know

12 invasive species of high concern in Virginia

Twelve Invasive Species of High Concern in Virginia
Brochure (1mb PDF)

Invasion of the habitat snatchers

Invasion of the Habitat Snatchers
Poster (2.75mb PDF)

What is an invasive species:

Invasive species are non-native (a.k.a. alien, exotic, or nonindigenous) plants, animals, and diseases that cause or are likely to cause ecological and economic harm. Read more.

What can YOU do?

News

Good Green, Bad Green, Invasive Plant Control for Habitat Restoration

A MID-ATLANTIC FOCUSED CONFERENCE, Sept. 16 & 17, 2010

Check out the Event Website for a detailed program, online registration, scholarships, sponsors, continuing education credits & more!


Conference will be held at the Northern Virginia 4-H Center and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Center, Front Royal, Virginia

Who should attend: Natural Resource Professionals, Master Naturalists, Consulting Foresters, Landowners, Arborists & Horticulturalists, Master Gardeners, You!

Registration is available on-line or by mail for full (2-day) or partial (one-day or evening seminar only)

Get Volunteer Help with Invasive Species Infestations In Virginia's Parks and Natural Areas

The Virginia Master Naturalists and the Virginia Native Plant Society invite organizations to plan volunteer events for the second annual statewide Invasive Plant Removal Day. This year's event will take place on Saturday, May 1, 2010. Virginia Master Naturalist Chapters, Virginia Native Plant Society Chapters, neighborhood organizations, local parks and recreation departments, non-profits, nature centers, state and national parks, and other community groups are all potential organizers for local events.

With the permission of the landowner, you can host an event and post it on the website by visiting www.virginiamasternaturalist.org/invasives to enter in information about the location, time, volunteer needs, and target species. Your event will be on the Invasive Plant Removal Day Web site and publicized statewide. Volunteers will contact your event organizer to register.

In 2009, local organizations posted 41 invasive plant removal events across Virginia. More than 400 volunteers, including Master Naturalists, scouting and other youth groups, neighborhood associations, and other community volunteers, came to assist with the efforts. Together, they contributed more than 1300 hours of service and removed more than 250 bags of invasive plants. Their service plus addition in-kind donations are valued at more than $27,000.

Invasive species are non-native species that cause ecological or economic harm. They are widely recognized as a costly and leading threat to healthy ecosystems. They out-compete native species for the same resources, eventually harming trees, wildlife, and water quality. Invasive plants have taken a firm foothold in many parts of the state and everyone's help is needed to reclaim our natural areas. The Virginia Invasive Plant Removal Day is an opportunity to engage our citizenry in these efforts.

VDACS Issues Beach Vitex Quarantine

Due to concerns about the highly invasive characteristics of beach vitex (Vitex rotundifolia) the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) has issued a quarantine on this species in the cities of Virginia Beach and Norfolk, and Accomack and Northampton Counties. The quarantine restricts the movement of the plant into or out of the regulated areas. The plant as been sold as a dune stabilizer. However, in North and South Carolinas beach vitex has proved to be a highly aggressive invader and quickly grows beyond its intended setting. It outcompetes native species of dune vegetation, including sea oats and American beach grass. Since first discovered in Virginia 2008 on the Chesapeake Bay shoreline in Norfolk, it has be found on Assateague Island and in Virginia Beach. The Department of Conservation and Recreation recently placed the species on their list of invasive plant species in Virginia [link: ] and identified it as “highly invasive.”

Treekillers May Hitchhike on Your Firewood

Emerald ash borer, Asian longhorned beetle, and gypsy moth are but a few of the invasive species that kill our native trees by the millions every year. They also may hitch a ride to their next meal in firewood you may be moving with you to your favorite park or campground. For this reason, it is important to get your firewood from sources close to where you will light your next camp fire. To learn more about the threat of exotic pests being moved on firewood, go to Don't Move Firewood.

Wavy-leafed Basket GrassVDACS Issues Quarantine over Tidewater to Control Spread of Red Imported Fire Ants

After 10 years of battling red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) in southeast Virginia, the Departement of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) has issued a permanent quarantine of materials that may transport this aggressive invasive species to other parts of the state. As stated in a press release on August 4, 2009, the quarantine primarily restricts movement of "soil, plants with soil attached, grass sod, used soil-moving equipment, used farm equipment, hay/straw/pine straw, honey bee hives that have been in contact with the ground, and logs, pulp wood or stump wood with soil attached." These materials may be moved within the quarantine area. A certification process has been established and inspected items found to be free of red imported fire ants may be transported out of the quarantine area.

Red imported fire ants are small red or black ants that swarm their prey and have a powerful sting. They were first introduced into the United State in the 1930s and discovered in Virginia in 1989. For more information on the quarantine and the fire ant, see the following pages at the VDACS website:

2009 Invasive Species Bill Passes General Assembly

During its 2009 session, the General Assembly passed legislation that establishes the state's commitment to addressing the invasive species that threaten the Commonwealth through cooperation and coordination of government agencies, the business community, conservation organizations, and public citizens. The legislation directs the Secretaries of Natural Resources and Agriculture and Forestry to "coordinate the development of strategic actions to be taken by the Commonwealth, individual state and federal agencies, private business, and landowners related to invasive species prevention, early detection and rapid response, control and management, research and risk assessment, and education and outreach."

This legislation builds on work achieved through previous legislation and executive directives while not limiting the effort with an expiration date. The new legislation affirms the need for a state invasive species management plan and for that plan to be implemented and routinely updated. The Secretary of Natural Resources serves as chair and the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry as vice-chair of an advisory group tasked with development and implementation of the state invasive species plan. Such an effort has already been underway and this new legislation assures the work will continue beyond the current General Assembly and administration.

Read the 2009 Invasive Species amendment to the Code of Virginia (20kb PDF)

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