White Bear Lake, MN – Wildlife Forever has partnered with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to map invasive species and their connection to congressional districts of the western United States. The new report commissioned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) highlights 25 nonindigenous aquatic species (NAS) and ranks congressional districts’ level of infestations.
The “Battle of the Bads!” report was developed with information from leading biologists, the BLM, and USGS, to determine the most harmful NAS and their current spread throughout the western states. Congressional districts were given an infestation score that corresponds to the current level of NAS.
The report found that Oregon Congressional District 2, and Arizona Congressional Districts 1 and 4 ranked as the top 3 worst infested areas. California Congressional District 15 and Colorado Congressional District 3 also ranked as highly infested locations in the west.
Wildlife Forever hopes this report will educate the public and prompt policy makers and federal natural resource agencies to take a bolder, more aggressive stance toward funding prevention in the fight against invasive species.
“I hope this report inspires action from Congress. Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity and our natural resources. However, through well-funded prevention and eradication programs we know from experience that we can have a huge impact at reversing the damaging effects of invasives,” said Pat Conzemius, President & CEO of Wildlife Forever.
“This story gives a snapshot of our current NAS database infestation maps”, said Wesley Daniel, NAS Database Coordinator with USGS. “The introduction and dispersal of nonnative and invasive aquatic species evolves every day, and it is important that the public be aware of the current and potential threats species pose. The first step toward change is awareness, which determines whether it is a success story over time.”
Learn more and view the “Battle of the Bads!” Report here: https://bit.ly/3bowChQ
The Clean Drain Dry Initiative™ is the national campaign to educate outdoor recreational users on how to prevent the spread of invasive species. Strategic communications, marketing, outreach and educational services provide access to consistent messaging and resources for local communities to implement prevention programs. To learn about services, contact Dane Huinker at DHuinker@Wildlifeforever.org or visit www.CleanDrainDry.org.
About Wildlife Forever: Our mission is to conserve America's wildlife heritage through conservation education, preservation of habitat and management of fish and wildlife. Wildlife Forever is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to investing resources on the ground. Recent audits reveal that 94% of every dollar supports our award-winning conservation programs. Please Join Today and learn more about the Art of Conservation Fish Art Contest® and Songbird Art Contest™, Clean Drain Dry Initiative™ and Prairie City USA® at www.WildlifeForever.org.
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