California Invasive Species Council

California Invasive Species Council
Name	California Invasive Species Council
Formed	2008
Jurisdiction	California
Headquarters	Sacramento, California
Parent agency	California Natural Resources Agency

Contents

California Invasive Species Council The California Invasive Species Council provides state-level coordination for aquatic and terrestrial invasive species management across California, aligning agencies such as the California Natural Resources Agency, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California State Parks, and federal partners including the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The council advises executive offices like the Office of the Governor of California and legislative bodies such as the California State Legislature on prevention, early detection, rapid response, and long-term control, working with stakeholders including the California Farm Bureau Federation, the Nature Conservancy, and tribal governments such as the Yurok Tribe.

Overview

The council serves as a coordinated forum for invasive species policy and action among state entities like the California Environmental Protection Agency, academic institutions such as the University of California, Davis, conservation NGOs like the Sierra Club, and federal agencies including the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Park Service. It addresses threats from organisms such as Mediterranean fruit fly, Asian citrus psyllid, zebra mussel, and Eichhornia crassipes while interfacing with regional initiatives like the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission and multi-jurisdictional efforts including the Western Governors' Association.

The council was created in response to legislative and administrative actions following invasive species events that affected sectors represented by entities such as the California Legislature and the Office of Emergency Services (California), and after review by advisory groups including the California Invasive Plant Council and the Interagency Invasive Species Coordinating Committee. Its establishment drew on models from interstate arrangements like the Great Lakes Commission and national strategies from the National Invasive Species Council, with implementation guided by executive orders from the Governor of California and reports produced by agencies such as the California Natural Resources Agency and research from the United States Geological Survey.

The council’s mission aligns with policy frameworks advanced by institutions like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, focusing on prevention, detection, rapid response, control, and restoration across habitats managed by entities such as the California Department of Water Resources, the California Coastal Commission, and the California Energy Commission. Responsibilities include developing state plans compatible with federal statutes like the Lacey Act and cooperating with programs run by the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the National Invasive Species Information Center to protect resources managed by the California State Lands Commission and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The council comprises representatives from state departments such as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California Department of Food and Agriculture, academic partners including the University of California, Berkeley and the California State University system, and liaisons from federal agencies like the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the United States Forest Service. Membership includes ex officio seats for leaders from the California Natural Resources Agency and the California Environmental Protection Agency, with advisory roles for NGOs like Point Blue Conservation Science, research organizations such as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and tribal governments represented by groups including the Hoopa Valley Tribe.

Initiatives coordinated by the council tie into surveillance networks run by the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the United States Geological Survey, outreach campaigns partnering with organizations such as the California Invasive Plant Council and the Nature Conservancy, and rapid response protocols informed by research at the University of California, Davis and the Smithsonian Institution. Programs address aquatic invasions affecting waters overseen by the State Water Resources Control Board and terrestrial invaders impacting lands managed by California State Parks and the Bureau of Land Management, while engaging sectoral stakeholders including the California Farm Bureau Federation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The council coordinates multiagency responses involving the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the United States Department of Agriculture, and forms partnerships with conservation NGOs such as the Sierra Club and The Nature Conservancy as well as academic centers like the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management and the Hopland Research and Extension Center. It interfaces with regional compacts including the Western Governors' Association and international collaborations facilitated through ports such as the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach, engaging stakeholders from municipal governments like the City of San Diego and tribal authorities including the Yurok Tribe.

Policy guidance from the council informs state statutes enacted by the California State Legislature and executive directives from the Governor of California, and aligns with federal laws including the Lacey Act and programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture. Funding streams flow from state budgets authorized by the California Department of Finance, competitive grants from federal agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and private funding from foundations like the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to support projects implemented by partners like the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the University of California system.