Forestry Council Invasives Leadership Team

Healthy lakes depend on healthy forests. The Wisconsin Association of Lakes recognizes that lakes and forests are interconnected. Dealing with the threat of forest invasives by developing and making people aware of practices to prevent the spread of invasive species will benefit forests and our lakes.

The Forestry Council Invasives Team is focusing on four priority issues:

• Forestry best management practices for invasive species. Goal: Create partnerships and process for developing best management practices.
  
• Forestry/invasives research, survey, and monitoring needs. Goal: Create a central repository for collecting and sharing standardized survey data on the presence and severity of invasive species.
  
• Landowner/manager partnerships and co-operative management.
  Goal: Provide incentives and facilitate development of local weed councils or Weed Management Areas throughout Wisconsin.
  
• Information, education and outreach.
  Goal: Create an informational clearinghouse pilot project to more effectively deliver information and resources about invasive species to private landowners.

At this time the Leadership Team has requested approval for the following actions from the Council on Forestry:

• Endorsement of the Department of Natural Resources budget request to fund and invasive species program.
• Recognition of the need for revision of state statutes and related administrative rules to develop comprehensive invasive species laws.
• Request for staff support from the Division of Forestry to continue the co-ordination and leadership efforts needed to advance identified strategies.