RESPONDING TO AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES INTRODUCTIONS IN PENNSYLVANIA - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

RESPONDING TO AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES INTRODUCTIONS IN PENNSYLVANIA

SARA STAHLMAN, PENNSYLVANIA SEA GRANT

Tactics for Dealing with AIS

(in descending order of preference for use)

1.Prevention (Keep it out of our waters)

• 2. Early Detection (Find an infestation while it is small)
• 3. Rapid Response (React before population becomes

established)

• 1. Management (control the population size, spread,

etc.)

• 2. Eradication (eliminate established populations)

PENNSYLVANIA AIS RAPID RESPONSE PLAN seagrant.psu.edu

PURPOSE

Interagency decision support framework designed to aid agencies in conducting a coordinated and structured response to new aquatic invasive species infestations.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN…

• Began development

2008

• Workshop for Agency staff

2009

• Mock exercises and field testing
• Round goby in Fairview gravel pits

2010

• Mock exercises and field testing
• Didymo
• New Zealand Mudsnail
• Re-vamped to 3-tiered structure

2013 2014 2015 2017

• Rapid Response Mock Excercise: Starry Stonewort
• Plan was approved by PISC
• Rapid Response Mock Exercise: Hydrilla

2019

• Rapid Response Mock Exercise: New Zealand Mudsnail

SECTION 1- DECISION TREE Concise overview of all the action steps that may be needed in the rapid response process.

SECTION 2 – CHECKLIST OF ACTIONS

Action 2:

Is the report high priority? completed

Action 1:

Report suspected AIS to AIS coordinator completed

Action 3:

Identify/verify the species completed

Checklist of actions that can be used as a stand alone document

SECTION 3- DETAILED ACTION STEPS

 Detailed, comprehensive supporting information for each step  Contact information for federal and state agencies, interested parties,

and others

 Interactive tools:

 Response Options Template  Incident Response Plan

GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE FUNDING

 Hold 1 mock exercise per year  Hold 4-6 rapid response trainings per year

WHAT IS A MOCK RAPID RESPONSE EXERCISE?

 Simulate an emergency response to a mock scenario of a new

infestation of a species in the Lake Erie Watershed

 Familiarize participants with the process  T

est the Pennsylvania rapid response plan framework and identify existing gaps and challenges

 Produce a report detailing the response to the scenario and

have discussions about successes, future needs, and next steps

STARRY STONEWORT MOCK EXERCISE

OCTOBER 22, 2015

HYDRILLA MOCK EXERCISE

NOVEMBER 16, 2017, ERIE PA

MOCK SCENARIO

In July, 2017 a park volunteer at Presque Isle State Park discovered a small patch of an unknown plant species near West Pier Boat launch on Presque Isle State Park. Using the Pennsylvania Field Guide to Aquatic Invasive Species he found that the plant most closely resembled the invasive plant, Hydrilla verticillata.

MOCK SCENARIO Careful not to touch or move the plant, the volunteer took several close up photographs of the infestation, and made notes of where the patch was

• found. He returned to the Tom Ridge

Environmental Center and reported his finding to a park manager.

MOCK SCENARIO

In light of this discovery, one of the Presque Isle State Park managers took the ranger boat to do a quick sweep of the area described by the

• volunteer. In addition to the patch

found near West Pier, she also identified an additional patch of the suspect plant about 525 feet outside the channel to Marina Lake, and another at the boat launch in Marina Lake.

DATA FROM PYMATUNING

A boater survey conducted by the PymatuningVolunteer Launch Stewards program showed boat visitors traveling from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York in 2017 to visit Pymatuning, with over 40 boats reported from the Lake Erie watershed region of Pennsylvania.

FRAMING QUESTION

What would it look like if Pennsylvania was a leader in aquatic invasive species rapid response?

ACTION 1: REPORT SUSPECTED SPECIES TO AIS COORDINATOR

WHO IS THE FIRST POINT OF CONTACT?

SUBMITTING A REPORT FOR HYDRILLA

 Volunteer reports the find to the

park manager

 Park manager must then submit

the report according to procedure in the rapid response plan.

SUBMITTING A REPORT

 Name and contact information of

reporter

 Date of observation  Exact location of discovery  Driving directions to the nearest

site access point

 Clear, close-up digital

photographs (more to come on this)

CURRENT CHALLENGES

 Vacancy in invasive species council coordinator position

 Update: Position set to be filled in the next few months

 Need for general reporting mechanisms

 Working with PDA on a reporting hotline and e-mail  In the meantime:

 Sea Grant reporting form

DON’T FORGET FEDERAL AGENCIES

 For federally or joint state-

federally regulated species, agency responsible must contact federal authorities responsible for that taxon.

ACTION 2: IS THE REPORT HIGH PRIORITY?

IS ACTION NEEDED?

VS.

IS ACTION NECESSARY?

A report may be low priority if….  The species is already known and well

established in the area

 The species will not be able to survive

Pennsylvania’s climate

 For that location, there is already an

existing report of higher risk species to which resources should be allocated first

RED-BELLIED PACU (PIARACTUS BRACHYPOMUS)

CLIMATE MATCH FOR HYDRILLA

LOW PRIORITY AT THIS TIME? STILL REPORT IT!

 Reports deemed low priority should be reported within the agency and

to other agencies, organizations, and mapping and tracking initiatives

ACTION 3: IDENTIFY/VERIFY THE SPECIES

VERIFYING THE IDENTIFICATION OF SUSPECT AIS

 May need to consult outside sources and collect a

specimen for positive identification

 Gather and document information accurately  Keep the specimen secure to avoid spreading  Note that it is ILLEGAL to possess or transport certain live

AIS

CONSULTING AN EXPERT

 Academy of Natural Sciences-Philadelphia  Carnegie Museum of Natural History  Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection  Pennsylvania Department of Health  Pennsylvania Sea Grant  Tom Ridge Environmental Center Natural History

Museum

 Western Pennsylvania Conservancy  Cleveland Museum of Natural History  The Aquatic Invasive Species Experts Database

INFORMATION GATHERING TOOLS

 Pennsylvania Field Guide to Aquatic

Invasive Species

 Camera  Hand lens  GPS Units  Notebooks

GATHER INFORMATION

 Record Latitude and

Longitude

 Provide driving directions

to the nearest access point

 Notes about the location,

habitat and environmental conditions, and size of the infestation

TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS

 Take clear, close-up digital photographs

from different angles

 Include a reference object to establish

scale

 Take photos of the immediate

environment where the sighting occurred

 Provide good background contrast  Take photos of any distinguishing

characteristics

COLLECTING A SPECIMEN : APPENDIX C

 Leave stem intact with intact

leaves and if available, intact flowers, fruits, and roots

 Be careful when collecting as

fragmentation could occur

 Wash the plant in clean water to

remove debris; do not allow the plant to dry out

 Fill out specimen label with date,

location, collectors name, and any

• ther relevant information

 To ship, place in a Ziploc bag with

water and newspaper packing

ACTION 4: CONDUCT RISK ASSESSMENT TO DETERMINE IF SPECIES IS A CANDIDATE FOR RAPID RESPONSE ACTION

RISK ASSESSMENT

 Systematic process of evaluating the potential risks that may be

involved in a particular activity

 Is the risk of introduction and spread of Hydrilla in the Lake Erie

Watershed low, medium, or high risk?

RISK ASSESSMENT

 Step 1: Is this a new invasion?

 Yes: Go to Step 3  No: Go to Step 2

 Step 2: If a population already exists, is it increasing?

 Yes: Go to Step 3  No: Low Risk

 Step 3: Is the species known to cause significant impacts?

 Yes/Unknown: HIGH RISK  No: Low risk

ACTION 5: CONDUCT SITE SPECIFIC ASSESSMENT

INFORMATION GATHERING

 Extent and abundance of the invading species  Origin of the species  Evidence of reproduction  Type of substrate present  Ecosystem type  Presence of other species  Recreational/economic uses

SITE ASSESSMENT CONSIDERATIONS FOR HYDRILLA

 What portion of the water body could be colonized (water depth less

than 30 feet)?

 What is the potential for dense bed formation (areas with stiff muck or

sandy silt substrate)?

 What is the potential for rapid (less than 3 years) spread of Hydrilla at

the site?

 What is the strength of vectors for internal or external Hydrilla spread

(boat traffic, flow, currents, seasonally mobile bird populations)?

SITE ASSESSMENT CONSIDERATIONS FOR HYDRILLA

 What resources and uses are potentially threatened (water

supply, swimming, boating, fishing, aesthetics, populations of sensitive or protected species)?

 What is the potential for eradication (based on extent and

density of coverage, vectors of spread)?

 Is law enforcement action or if any additional form of

investigation is needed?

ACTION 5 (CONTINUED): EVALUATE RESPONSE OPTIONS

IDENTIFY OBJECTIVES FOR THE RESPONSE

 Need to understand the goal to choose the best way to achieve it  Eradication always primary goal, but is not always feasible  Which goals and objectives are attainable and most cost effective?

HYDRILLA RESPONSES

 Objectives

 Minimize or eradicate existing populations

and stop spread

 Maintain visitor and economic values of

the park

 Educate recreational water users and

visitors to the park

 Further evaluate and monitor existing

patches

BRAINSTORM ALL POSSIBLE RESPONSE OPTIONS (RESPONSE OPTIONS TEMPLATE)

 Consider available resources  Needed resources  Pertinent laws and regulations  Permitting  Available funding  Other resources

HYDRILLA RESPONSES

 Actions

 Monitor the existing range and spread to determine impacts on additional treatment options.  Develop education materials such as signage, and programs such as boat stewards positioned at

entrance and exit sites

 Herbicide treatment with possible benthic barrier treatment  Suction harvesting  Dredging during the winter to avoid plant fragmentation  Restrict access to certain areas of the bay to minimize boat traffic  Coordinate with federal and state agencies, neighboring states, commercial operations, and anyone else

who has current and future work planned in the Bay

SHARE RESULTS OF ACTION 5

 Contact appropriate partners, federal

agencies, local municipalities, property

• wners, and other relevant entities

 Public awareness is important

 Staying in front of misinformation and

rumors

 Responding to general questions.  Getting public buy-in and understanding

 Consider press releases, media

campaigns, educational materials, etc.

ACTION 6: DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT INCIDENT RESPONSE PLAN

INCIDENT RESPONSE FRAMEWORK

 Outlines who will take the lead and

how the chosen response method will be implemented

 Ensures all involved entities are

working together

 Ensures those who should be at the

table, are at the table

 Include all partners (other agencies,

• rganizations, stakeholders, etc.)

ACTION 7: CONDUCT EVALUATION AND NEXT STEPS

POST INCIDENT EVALUATION

 Was the response successful areas and were the response objectives met?  Did the mechanics of the plan work for you?  What gaps or areas of improvement were needed in this response effort?

 Sticking points

 Permits  Legislation  Funding

 What modifications are needed to the process before the next effort?

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

 Prevention of re-infestation  Informed, engaged, aware  Promotes buy-in  Creates caution when working in

affected areas or when participating in certain activities

 Outreach products:

 Trainings  Path-way specific outreach

programs

 Materials  Signage

SURVEILLANCE, MONITORING, AND RESTORATION

 Continued monitoring  Citizen science and

volunteer programs

 Development of restoration

plan if necessary

NEW ZEALAND MUDSNAIL MOCK EXERCISE

MARCH 21, 2019, BELLEFONTE PA

THANK YOU!

SARA STAHLMAN SNG121@PSU.EDU