Fall 2018 OISC Meeting Recap

Thank you to everyone who came out to our November 2018 OISC meeting that took place earlier this month on the Portland State University campus. This 2-day event included engaging presentations, thoughtful discussions, and a fun social hour to mix things up!

individuals catching up at the social hour on day one of the OISC meeting.

jalene littlejohn from samara group, coordinator for the oregon invasive species council.

Here is a quick recap of the meeting in case you missed it:

• We had more than 55 attendees over the 2-day event Portland, representing nearly 24 organizations to share information and connect programs & priorities to the strategic statewide goals to protect Oregon from invasive species.

• Representation included 6 State Agencies, 3 Educational Institutions, 7 Federal Agencies, 2 Tribes, and many others, including city/state elected officials, NGOs, advocacy groups, and individual community members.

• We heard from 14 speakers from across Oregon, Washington and the Western Governors’ Association.

• Portland State University students in an annual bioinvasions class taught by OISC Member Dr. Catherine de Rivera, presented on their work to develop a top tier “watch list” to accompany the Oregon Invasive Species Hotline.

• Council members formed a working group to focus on engagement around invasive species issues and priorities in eastern Oregon and set priorities for the next OISC meeting including a breakout session to focus on the Statewide Strategic Plan progress report.

Attendees listening to a presentation on day one of the OISC fall 2018 meeting.

Day 1: OISC Meeting in Portland, OR

We learned about and connected with:

• Washington state’s priorities regarding invasive species from Justin Bush with Washington Invasive Species Council (PDF of Presentation, WISC website)

• The Biosecurity Initiative by Western Governors’ Association, from Bill Whitacre with Western Governors’ Association (WGA website)

• Japanese beetle eradication update from Jessica Rendon with Oregon Department of Agriculture (PDF of Presentation, JB website)

• City of Portland planning & summit outcomes from Dominic Maze with City of Portland (PDF of Presentation, City of Portland Invasives website)

• Restoration of important native plants and traditional foods from Greg Archuleta with Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (PDF of Presentation, CTGR website)

• The connection between art, science, and education from Emily Bosanquet with Pacific Northwest College of Art (link to PDF, PNCA website)

• Flowering rush update from Tim Butler with Oregon Department of Agriculture (PDF of Presentation, ODA Noxious Weed website)

• Postfire recovery in the Columbia Gorge from Chris Aldassy with East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District (PDF of Presentation, EMSWCD website)

• Invasive plant control in the Tualatin Basin from Tyler Pedersen with Tualatin Soil & Water Conservation District (PDF of Presentation, TSWCD website)

• Programs happening at Port of Portland from Dana Green and Matt Paroulek with Port of Portland (PDF of Presentation, Port of Portland website)

• Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Program from Glenn Dolphin with Oregon State Marine Board (PDF of Presentation, OSMB website)

• Rusty crayfish and Northern Pike update from Rick Boatner with Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (PDF of Presentation, ODFW website)

• Aquatic plant and mussel surveys from Rich Miller with Center for Lakes and Reservoirs (PDF of Presentation, CLR website)

clint burfitt from usda animal & plant health inspection service, plant protection and quarantine.

Day 2: OISC Business Meeting in Portland, OR

Chair update and budget report: Quarterly OISC meetings took place throughout the year and there was a lot of work to be done this year to address declining funding for the OISC.  New opportunities, priorities, and partnerships were discussed.

Education Committee updates: The OISC Education Committee gave an update on the Don’t Pack a Pest project, which focuses on international academic travelers. Oregon Sea Grant is working with university program partners to share the “Don’t Pack a Pest” message.

Proposed 2019 Legislative Concept: The proposed legislative concept, if successful as a Bill in the 2019 Oregon Legislative Session, will improve Council membership structure, enhance representation across Oregon and enable strategic implementation of collaborative actions to protect Oregon from invasive species.

PSU’s Bioinvasions Class Presentation: A small group of students from Dr. Catherine de Rivera’s Bioinvasions class at Portland State University is working on a watch list for invasive species in Oregon. The final project will be a short, visual “watchlist” that will accompany the Oregon Invasives Hotline to help people know which invasive species to look for and report. Stay tuned for more details on this project.

Congratulations on another successful Council Meeting!

We hope to see you at our next meeting in 2019.

More details will be available soon on the OISC meetings page.

*Note: The views and opinions expressed in the attached file(s) or link(s) above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Oregon Invasive Species Council. Please contact the author directly if you have any questions regarding the content.