New York State Invasive Species Program

The State of New York’s Invasive Species Program At-a-Glance:

• Environmental Protection Fund
  • The invasive species line item is the lifeline supporting the infrastructure of the statewide invasive species program, first described in the 2005 NYS Invasive Species Task Force Report, and outlined below. Many of the components are administered as contracts through the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.

• New York Invasive Species Council
  • Nine state agencies, co-chaired by NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets

• New York State Invasive Species Advisory Committee
  • Twenty-five representative stakeholders including environmental, academic, industry groups

• Invasive Species Coordination Unit
  • Two coordinating staff at the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation housed within the Division of Lands and Forests

• Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISMs)
  • Eight regional public-private partnerships established across New York to coordinate invasive species prevention and management and deliver on-the-ground programming

• iMapInvasives
  • Web-based database and mapping system that stores and displays statewide invasive species occurrence, treatment, and assessment information for agencies and citizens alike

• New York Invasive Species Clearinghouse
  • Web-based gateway to access timely, accurate, scientific, and policy information and information on upcoming invasive species events and invasive species news of interest

• New York Invasive Species Education Program
  • Education program integrated within the Cornell Cooperative Extension Network that provides high quality science-based educational programs and cutting edge research-based information regarding invasive species of major concern

• New York Invasive Species Research Institute
  • Virtual institute that serves the scientific research community, natural resource and land managers, and state offices by promoting information-sharing and developing recommendations and implementation protocols for research, funding, and management to improve the scientific basis of invasive species management

• Additional Components
  • The State of New York’s invasive species program also leads special projects as needed, and as resources and capacity allow, such as offering an Invasive Species Eradication Grant Program; preparing a NYS Invasive Species Management Strategy; coordinating and streamlining regulatory processes; implementing regulatory and encouraging non-regulatory approaches to prevention; supporting invasive species research, and, responding to new species introductions to the state, among other initiatives.