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Source: Kristin TePas (847)872-0141;
ktepas@illinois.edu
November 11, 2003 URBANA--If you think you’ve happened on
a new aquatic nuisance species (ANS) or an invasive species in new waters,
reporting the details to the State of Illinois is now as easy as going
online. The newly-remodeled Illinois Aquatic Nuisance Species Program Web
site provides this feature, as well as information on State ANS laws, the
State management plan, and the latest on hot topics such as the threat of
Asian carp.
“With links to a number of other Web pages, the site is a gateway to ANS
information resources,” said Pat Charlebois, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
biological resources specialist. “In addition to learning what you can do to
prevent the spread of invasive species, you can read about what the State of
Illinois is doing to address this issue.”
The Illinois Comprehensive Management Plan for ANS was developed to respond
to the problem of invasive aquatic species, which pose both an economic and
ecological threat to the region. These organisms, typically non-native
plants and animals, can push out native species, disrupt habitats, and
impair commercial and recreational use of local waterways.
Through management, research and outreach, the Illinois ANS program works to
prevent new introductions of invasive species, limit the spread of
established populations, and lessen harmful impacts from ANS infestations.
“The program addresses all pathways of introduction and spread, which
includes informing relevant audiences that careful action can prevent the
spread of invasive species,” said Charlebois.
Management and outreach efforts are ongoing in a number of areas. Visitors
to the new Web page can click on “Illinois ANS Activities” and learn about:
the Purple Loosestrife Project, in which students and 4-H youth raise and
release beetles to control this wetland plant; the electric barrier, an
effort to keep invasive fish from flowing between the Great Lakes and
Mississippi River Basins; and the latest ANS research efforts, including a
Sea Grant project assessing the impact of Asian carp.
The management program has also developed an online reporting system for
aquatic nuisance species sightings. “These notifications help us track the
introduction and spread of ANS, and provide information necessary for
management decisions,” said Charlebois. “All data are entered into a
state-wide database.”
The Web page also provides the opportunity to read ANS updates or sign up to
have them emailed directly to you. These updates include recent significant
sightings of invasive species, new ordinances, plus details on management
and research projects.
This Web page was developed through Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, the Illinois
Natural History Survey, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Web address is
http://www.iisgcp.org/il-ans/. If
you would like to report an ANS sighting by phone, call 847-872-8677.
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The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program is one of 31 National Sea
Grant College Programs. Created by Congress in 1966, Sea Grant combines
university, government, business and industry expertise to address coastal
and Great Lakes needs. Funding is provided by the National Oceanic
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U. S. Department of Commerce, the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Purdue University at West
Lafayette, Indiana.
Irene Miles |
