The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region, the Northwest Power Planning and Conservation Council and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission present:
"Preventing an Invasion: Building a Regional Defense against Quagga and Zebra Mussels"
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Heathman Lodge | Vancouver, WA
Register at the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, by clicking
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Invasive Species Co-chair Eric Anderson, who will speak at the May 15 event, holds a license plate that's been submerged in Lake Mead, and, consequently, covered in quagga mussels.
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Quagga and zebra mussels are the most economically-damaging aquatic organisms to invade the United States, costing an estimated $5 billion in prevention and control efforts since their arrival in the late 1980's. Based on impacts elsewhere in the U.S. and Canada, there is good reason to believe that these mussels, if allowed to colonize Pacific Northwest freshwaters, will rapidly foul and damage the operations of hydropower, irrigation, industrial, hatchery, and municipal water facilities so vital to our economy. In addition, they pose a clear threat to the extensive regional investments - federal, state, tribal, utility, and community-based - intended to protect, mitigate, and enhance salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, and other native aquatic fish species, as well as the watersheds on which these fish depend.
This session will explore the far ranging economic implications of quagga and zebra mussel infestations and develop an action plan for protecting our region's waterways. Participants will have the opportunity to learn and provide feedback on regional issues of importance such as hydropower vulnerability assessments, rapid response planning and bolstering funding for regional prevention programs.
For more information, please contact Megan Levy, PNWER Invasive Species Work Group Coordinator, at [email protected] or 206-443-7723
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Tackling the challenges of invasive species at the PNWER Summit in Anchorage, Alaska
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The PNWER Summit will take place at the
Dena'ina civic and Convention center in Anchorage, Alaska
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The 3rd Annual PNWER Invasive Species Conference will be held as a part of the 23rd Annual Summit in Anchorage, Alaska on July 14-19, 2013. Invasive species control in North America costs hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Through regional, cross-border partnerships, we can help control these costs with joint prevention, education, and control programs. The 2013 Invasive Species conference will address the zebra and quagga mussel issue and provide an update on regional progress.
We will also discuss success in invasive species eradication, highlighting the triumph of the state of Alaska over the Northern Pike; discuss the affects of a changing climate on invasive species in the Arctic; highlight the difficulties of controlling movement of species in oil and gas development areas; and address the challenges presented by tsunami debris.
We will hold a morning session focusing on the varied challenges of invasive weeds, and host a panel on best practices for invasive species control at the international border. Through partnerships, like PNWER's regional invasive species council, legislators, invasive species experts, and the private sector can mitigate the economic impact of invasive species and better protect the environment of the region.
Register now for the 2013 PNWER Summit: Invasive Species at the Summit: Keynote Speaker David Lodge
Professor David Lodge serves as Director of the Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative (ND-ECI). One of the world's leading experts on aquatic invasive species, professor Lodge is the founder, architect and visionary behind the multidisciplinary and public policy thrust that drives much of the work at ND-ECI. His research focuses on ecological forecasting to better inform environmental risk assessment, policy development, and natural resource management. On numerous occasions Lodge has testified before the U.S. Congress about invasive species, and has also served as an expert witness in federal court. He served as the first chair of the U.S. government's national Invasive Species Advisory Committee in 2000-01, led research on freshwater biodiversity as part of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment sponsored by the United Nations in 2000-05, and led an expert team providing advice to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on reducing invasions from the ballast water of ships in 2010-11. Professor Lodge has a long history of reaching out across academic disciplines to conduct his research, and has extensive experience partnering with outside organizations such as The Nature Conservancy to help translate and transfer his scientific work to the public policy arena.