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The North American Invasive Species Network is an American non-profit organization formed in 2010 by a group of government scientists and universities from across North America. The organization integrates various invasive species institutes, centres, laboratories and networks from the US, Canada and Mexico to help meet the needs of public conservation land and waterway resource managers. Membership is targeted toward regional centres and institutes, research labs, and/or other groups and individuals with invasive species interests and qualifications that are valuable to the mission of NAISN. Because invasive species are not restricted by jurisdictional boundary lines, the goal of connecting invasive species centres from across the continent was to develop a single network, resulting in better communication, coordination, collaboration, and cooperation in dealing with the multi-jurisdictional aspects of biological invasions. Currently their are eight invasive species centres/institutes in collaboration with NAISN.

About

In 1997, a letter sent to Vice-President Al Gore co-written by Don C. Schmitz, Dr. James T. Carlton, Dr. Daniel Simberloff, and Dr. Phyllis N. Windle, and signed by more than 500 scientists, resource and agriculture officials, urged the U.S. government to form a commission to recommend new strategies to prevent and manage invasive species. One of the letter’s recommendations was to form a center analogous to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help coordinate the multi-jurisdictional aspects of invasive species management in the U.S. The letter resulted in President Bill Clinton issuing Executive Order 13112 on February 3, 1999, calling for the establishment of a national plan and creating the National Invasive Species Council.

One of the National Invasive Species Council’s major responsibilities was the development of the National Management Plan on Invasive Species, released on January 18, 2001. The plan called for additional funding and resources for all invasive species efforts and pointed out large discrepancies in funding across affected agencies. The plan also identified problems in the current system, such as a failure to assign authorities to act in emergencies and the absence of a screening system for all intentionally introduced species. In addition, the plan called for the National Invasive Species Council to provide national leadership and oversight on invasive species issues and ensure that federal agency activities are coordinated, effective, work in partnership with the states, and provide public input and participation. The Executive Order specifically directs the council to promote action at local, state, tribal, and ecosystem levels; identify recommendations for international cooperation; facilitate a coordinated information network on invasive species; and develop guidance on invasive species for federal agencies to use in implementing the National Environmental Policy Act . Presently, the council has a staff of seven to accomplish these tasks. Without the infrastructure, support, resources, and mechanisms to synchronize the thousands of prevention and management programs that now exist from coast to coast, the council is unlikely to be more effective at coordination than are other federal interagency groups.

Realizing this, and after years of calling for the establishment of a National Center for Biological Invasions, Don C. Schmitz and Dr. Dan Simberloff organized a workshop in March 2010 in Florida to determine how to integrate various regional invasive species centers, institutes, laboratories, and networks established over the years in North America to help meet the needs of public conservation land and waterway resource managers regarding invasive species issues. An additional workshop was held in November 2010 in Idaho to address these same issues. Scientists, policy makers, resource managers, NGOs, educators, and information specialists from Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. attended the workshops, along with the directors, or their representatives, from regional invasive species centers, institutes, laboratories, and networks.

As a result of the November 2010 workshop, seven invasive species centers or institutes and one federally funded Canadian research network agreed to become part of the North American Invasive Species Network (NAISN). Since then, NAISN has added another Canadian member.

In 2013, eight invasive species centers and/or institutes, and one regional network are part of the North American Invasive Species Network (NAISN) either as a hub (1) or a node (2). They are:

In 2011, NAISN was established as a non-profit organization in the United States (501(C)3) to unify and connect these existing invasive species efforts into a single network, resulting in better communication, coordination, collaboration, and cooperation in dealing with the multi-jurisdictional aspects of biological invasions in North America. Participating member organizations, groups, or individuals can participate as Hubs1, Nodes2, or Affiliates3.

In April 2012, the third NAISN workshop was held to develop a five-year business strategic plan. A number of issues were discussed, including strategic objectives, potential demonstration projects, how to market and advertise NAISN services, engaging Native Americans/First Nations/Aboriginal peoples, and setting priorities and timelines. This five-year business strategy was developed to guide NAISN during its formative years. It is envisioned that, as NAISN grows and expands, the Network will work to enhance information exchange among scientists, government agencies, and private landowners through the use of a comprehensive website modeled after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, and the aggregation of databases from over 250 databases that contain information of invasive species currently in use worldwide. NAISN will also begin to track invasive species expenditures through annual surveys of federal, provincial, state, municipal and tribal governments and oversee a comprehensive analysis of economic impacts of invasive species; such information could readily be used by policy-makers and elected officials. Finally, NAISN will provide “one-stop shopping” for the news media and develop and implement national public awareness campaigns about invasive species in the North America.

References

1. North American Invasive Species Network. (2013). North American Invasive Species Network. Retrieved from http://www.naisn.org/about.html
2. North American Invasive Species Network. (2013). About the North American Invasive Species Network. Retrieved from http://www.naisn.org/about.html
3. ^ United States Department of Agriculture. (2012). Invasive Species:Laws and Regulations - Executive Order 13112. Retrieved from http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/laws/execorder.shtml
4. ^ National Invasive Species Council. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/council/main.shtml
5. North American Invasive Species Network. (2013). Organizations. Retrieved from http://www.naisn.org/organizations.html
6. ^ North American Invasive Species Network. (2013). About the North American Invasive Species Network. Retrieved from http://www.naisn.org/about.html

• United States Department of Agriculture. (2012). Invasive Species:Laws and Regulations - Executive Order 13112. Retrieved from http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/laws/execorder.shtml
• National Invasive Species Council. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/council/main.shtml
• North American Invasive Species Network. (2013). About the North American Invasive Species Network. Retrieved from http://www.naisn.org/about.html
• North American Invasive Species Network. (2013). Organizations. Retrieved from http://www.naisn.org/organizations.html