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| New Hampshire Invasive Species Network | |
|---|---|
| Name | New Hampshire Invasive Species Network |
| Type | Nonprofit partnership |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Concord, New Hampshire |
| Area served | New Hampshire |
| Focus | Invasive species management, prevention, education |
New Hampshire Invasive Species Network is a statewide partnership coordinating invasive species prevention, detection, control, and education across New Hampshire. The Network convenes state and federal agencies, university researchers, conservation NGOs, municipal officials, tribal representatives, and private landowners to align local actions with regional strategies. It operates at the intersection of biodiversity conservation, natural resource management, and public engagement to reduce ecological, economic, and cultural impacts from nonnative flora and fauna.
The Network connects entities including the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, United States Department of Agriculture, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and academic institutions such as the University of New Hampshire and Dartmouth College. Partner organizations often include The Nature Conservancy, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, New England Wild Flower Society, and regional chapters of Sierra Club and Audubon Society of New Hampshire. Municipal partners range from the Concord, New Hampshire municipal government to county conservation commissions and watershed associations like the Merrimack River Watershed Council. Federal land managers such as White Mountain National Forest staff and the National Park Service coordinate with tribal authorities including representatives from the Abenaki and nearby Penacook communities. The Network supports alignment with statutes and programs including the Lacey Act, Plant Protection Act, and statewide regulatory efforts led by the New Hampshire Legislature.
Initiated through stakeholder workshops convened after statewide surveys and legislative inquiries, the Network emerged amid collaborations between University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, the New Hampshire Invasive Species Committee, and regional offices of the United States Geological Survey. Early impetus drew on precedents set by multi-jurisdictional efforts such as the Great Lakes Commission invasive species initiatives and the Northeast Regional Invasive Plant Management projects. Founding meetings involved representatives from municipal conservation commissions in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Manchester, New Hampshire, and Keene, New Hampshire and funding from federal grants administered through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program. The Network's charter formalized roles for partner agencies, academic collaborators, and NGOs to create coordinated prevention and rapid response protocols.
The Network employs a coordinator model with steering committees composed of representatives from the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food, New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, and academic partners such as Keene State College and Colby-Sawyer College. Working groups focus on aquatic invasive species, terrestrial invasive plants, forest pests, and insect threats; they liaise with federal labs at USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station and USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Technical advisors have included scientists from Harvard Forest and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Funding and in-kind support flow from foundations such as the High Meadows Fund, regional utilities like Eversource Energy, and land trusts including Monadnock Conservancy. The Network coordinates with interstate initiatives such as the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission and the Invasive Plant Atlas of New England.
Major initiatives include early detection and rapid response (EDRR) pilot projects modeled on protocols used by the Pacific Northwest Invasive Species Council and the Great Lakes Aquatic Nonindigenous Species Information System. Programs emphasize prevention at human vectors such as boat launches, nurseries, and landscaping trade shows through collaborations with the New Hampshire Nursery and Landscape Association and the New Hampshire Marine Trades Association. Control campaigns have targeted species already the focus of national programs like the Emerald Ash Borer outreach run by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and mirror techniques promoted by the National Invasive Species Council. The Network runs a coordinated watch list and incident reporting platform linked to federal systems such as the USDA APHIS National Detection System.
Priority species addressed include aquatic invaders like Eurasian watermilfoil, Hydrilla verticillata outbreaks influenced by lake recreation in regions including Lake Winnipesaukee; insect pests such as Emerald ash borer and Hemlock woolly adelgid affecting stands in the White Mountains and Great North Woods; and terrestrial plants such as Japanese knotweed, Multiflora rose, and Norway maple in riparian corridors and urban landscapes. The Network assesses impacts on species and places protected under law and policy, coordinating with managers at Great Bay Estuary and endangered species recovery programs tied to the New Hampshire Endangered Species Conservation Committee. Economic and cultural impacts prompt partnerships with forestry stakeholders like the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association and municipal public works departments.
Collaborative research integrates long-term monitoring plots established with partners at University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, genotyping work with laboratories at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and ecological modeling led by researchers affiliated with Yale School of the Environment and Cornell University. Citizen science platforms coordinated by the Network draw on protocols from iNaturalist, eBird, and regional datasets such as the Invasive Plant Atlas of New England and federal repositories at USGS National Biological Information Infrastructure. Data sharing agreements align with standards used by the National Ecological Observatory Network and enable cross-jurisdictional mapping with tools developed by the Northeast Regional Climate Center.
Public engagement leverages volunteers trained through New Hampshire Master Gardener Program chapters, municipal volunteer stewards, and lake associations such as the Lake Winnipesaukee Association. Educational partnerships extend to K–12 outreach coordinated with the New Hampshire Department of Education and university extension programs at University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension and Keene State College. Workshops, signage at recreation sites, and regional conferences often feature speakers from The Nature Conservancy, Audubon Society of New Hampshire, and federal partners like the National Park Service to promote best practices in prevention and control and to recruit volunteers for monitoring and restoration projects.
Category:Organizations based in New Hampshire Category:Invasive species control organizations