Prevention
Summary
It is critical that we prevent the introduction and establishment of invasive species. Our strategies include endorsement of pathways management, enhancement of law enforcement, promotion of research, sharing of best management practices, and engagement in cooperative partnerships.
Strategies
See actions associated with these strategies in the Statewide Action Plan.
Endorse pathway management to prevent introduction and establishment of new species into Oregon and to contain further spread of invasive species established within geographically limited areas of Oregon.
Enhance enforcement by Oregon agencies of existing legal authorities that prevent introduction and spread of invasive species; evaluate changes needed to incorporate pathway approach into existing legal authorities.
Promote research on advantages of pathway approach; recommend prevention actions that utilize a pathway approach.
Identify, compile, and share best management practices (BMPs) for pathways by which invasive species enter Oregon and move about within the state.
Engage in cooperative partnerships at the local, national, and regional levels to aid in effective prevention.
Feature Story | Mussels
A maginified view of Quagga mussels on a marina support structure now above the waterline.
Credit ©: J. N. Stuart via Flickr.
Situation: Zebra and quagga mussels form dense freshwater colonies that attach to nearly any submerged surface. These colonies obstruct water pipes, underwater equipment, and cause extensive environmental damage to ecosystems. Management techniques are costly and do not effectively eradicate species.
Impact: Hydropower and drinking water infrastructure, irrigation pumps, recreational boating and ecosystem decline.
Cost: “The estimated [one-time] cost for a hypothetical zebra mussel mitigation strategy… at 13 select hydroelectric projects [in the Columbia River Basin], was $23,621,0009.”
Pathways: Transported through ballast water and movement of equipment from water bodies with mussel populations.
Prevention: Thorough inspecting, cleaning, and drying of potentially contaminated watercraft. Operation of five boat inspection stations by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Fact: In 2015, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Watercraft Inspection Team, funded by the Oregon State Marine Board, inspected over 12,000 boats for invasive species and decontaminated 269 watercraft carrying aquatic invasive species. Eighteen of those watercraft had invasive mussels.
Campaign: Clean, Drain, Dry
Key Players & Partners in Prevention
Key Players
Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon State Marine Board, Tribal Governments, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Partners
Bureau of Land Management, Cooperative Weed Management Areas, Industry groups: nursery, trade, aquaculture, Law enforcement, National Park Service, Oregon State Parks, Oregon State University, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Portland State University, Travel Oregon, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service