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Preventing an Invasion: Building a Regional Defense Against Quagga & Zebra mussels
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At the Great Lakes, native fish populations began to die off as mussel populations exploded and caused massive aquatic habitat impacts. Examples like these strike a chord of fear in the Northwest, where we're dependent on inexpensive hydropower and where billions of dollars have been invested in protecting salmon populations.
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"A biological wildfire at our borders" -- that's how Idaho State Rep. Eric Anderson described the enormity of a quagga or zebra mussel invasion in the Northwest to more than 75 participants at the May 15th conference, "Preventing an Invasion: Building a Regional Defense against Quagga and Zebra Mussels" in Vancouver, WA.
Hosted by PNWER, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, "Preventing an Invasion" introduced participants to the economic and environmental threat presented by these invasive mussels. Participants, ranging from invasive species council leaders to legislators to utility owners, heard not only how their sectors might be adversely affected, but also how we as a region can work together to prevent the spread of these mussels into the Northwest.
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Rep. Eric Anderson describes "a biological wildfire at our borders" at the May event.
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The day concluded with break-out sessions where sector leaders discussed possible next steps for promoting regional prevention and early-detection capabilities. The resulting declaration of cooperation, which will be released later this month, outlines the regional Action Plan for helping to prevent the spread of these dreaded mussels into the region. You will be able to view it at:
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Attendees of "Preventing an Invasion: Building a Regional Defense against Quagga and Zebra Mussels" in Vancouver, WA.
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PNWER is committed to bringing jurisdictions together to prevent this potential invasive species crisis. Join the fight at the Annual PNWER Summit in Anchorage, Alaska, where regional leaders will meet for the Invasive Species Conference on Wednesday, July 17. Learn more at pnwer.org/2013summit, and check out exciting new policy tour opportunities below.
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Quagga mussels underwater.
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New policy tours announced for the PNWER Summit
Thursday, July 18  WJ Hernandez Hatchery Tour Limit: 25 | 9:00am-11:00amThe new William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery is successfully serving the dual purpose of promoting sustainable fisheries and enhancing the Alaska economy by using innovative engineering design. The 141,000-square-foot hatchery is the largest facility owned and operated by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Division of Sport Fish (DSF). With a mission to protect and improve the state's recreational resources, DSF operates hatcheries throughout Alaska. At full capacity, the new facility will produce 6 million fish, including Chinook and Coho salmon, rainbow trout, lake trout, Arctic char, and Arctic grayling. DSF will use the new fish to stock a new Fairbanks hatchery as well as for release in accessible waters along Southcentral Alaska's 600-mile road system. The hatchery will be an important contributor to sport fishing in Alaska, which nets the state economy $1.4 billion annually. It has been awarded a 2013 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award by ASCE, a 2012 National Recognition Award from ACEC, and will receive the first ever ISI Envision Sustainability certification in July, 2013. The tour will cover hatchery operation and site and describe the policy framework that guides Alaska's sport fish stocking programs. Friday, July 19 NORAD Tour
Cost: $25 | Limit: 25 | 2:00pm - 5:00pm
This tour features a trip to the Alaska NORAD Region, located at the Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage. Alaska NORAD Region is a combined U.S. and Canadian organization in charge of monitoring and controlling aerospace for North America. The visit will include a presentation about the function and responsibilities of Alaska NORAD, and visits to the Ukla Memorial, the Bald Eagle Aviary and Air Park.
Pebble Mine Tour
Limit: 8 | 8:00am - 5:00pm | Pre-register by June 15
Pebble Mine is the common name of a mineral exploration project investigating a very large porphyry copper, gold, and molybdenum mineral deposit in the Bristol Bay region of Southwest Alaska. The tour includes a helicopter to the Pebble deposit area and drill site, as well as a tour of the core shack. Hosted by Pebble Limited Partnership.
Please contact Jennifer Grosman for more information; jennifer@pnwer.org or (206) 443-7723.
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