special features
State Invasion Portfolios
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| Photo: grass carp - USGS | Our series of invasion portfolios spotlights the environmental and economic damage that invasive species cause in individual states. We focus closely on a few states to make the damage tangible on a local level, and to highlight concrete, responsible policy solutions for this urgent environmental problem. We choose states based on: the scale or type of threats that invasive species pose; the potential for increased awareness to leverage improved policies locally, in other states, and nationally; and the availability of relevant information on invasives in each state.
We focus first on Texas, West Virginia, and Alaska. Many experts in each state helped prepare and review our invasion portfolios.
Each state's 16-page booklet begins with a common section introducing invasive species, describing the severity of the problem in the United States, defining a species "introduction" and the point at which this process becomes a harmful "invasion," and showing how invasive species move between ecosystems.
Then, each document has state-specific sections: numbers of non-native and invasive species; trends; species likely to become larger threats; how invasive species are transported between ecosystems; economic impact; environmental damage and what is at stake in each state; details on several of the most harmful species; and the public and private organizations that deal with the problem, with suggestions for strengthening their work.
In addition, Congress has proposed a National Aquatic Invasive Species Act (NAISA) intended to protect our nation's aquatic ecosystems more comprehensively. We've created individual pages describing how NAISA, as proposed, would benefit each state.
We encourage you to use our documents to help you:
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learn about the issue;
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talk to your local, state, or federal leaders and politicians;
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discuss the issue with your neighbors;
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write an editorial or letter to the editor for your local newspaper;
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teach a workshop, course, or seminar.
You can download all three portfolios in PDF format from the Related Links box above. Please email us at invasives@ucsusa.org to let us know how you intend to use the documents. This information would be very helpful to our efforts. |
