Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Prevention Aid Lessons Learned

Transcription

1 Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Prevention Aid Lessons Learned Tina Wolbers, Phil Hunsicker DNR AIS Prevention Planners Adam Doll DNR Watercraft Inspection Program Coordinator Dave Rush Douglas County Land & Resource Management April 14 th, 2016 State of Water Conference Alexandria, MN Minnesota Dept. Natural Resources

2 Today s Topics & Session Structure Brief introduction to AIS Background on AIS Prevention Aid Tina Wolbers & Phil Hunsicker Background on Watercraft Inspection Program Adam Doll Exercise Feedback on AIS Work in Minnesota Audience answers questions around the room Douglas County s AIS Program & Multi- County Collaboration Dave Rush Summary of Exercise Discussion & Questions

3 Minnesota Waters Land of 10,000 Lakes 11,842 (10+ acres) to be exact 5,493 are fishable lakes 6,564 Natural Rivers & Streams 69,200 miles Ranked First in the Nation, Per Capita: Registered recreational watercraft One for every 6 residents or about 900,000 Sales of fishing licenses

4 Protect the Land of 10,000 Lakes Minnesota s AIS Goals are to: Prevent introductions of new invasive species into Minnesota. Prevent the spread of invasive species within Minnesota. Reduce the impacts caused by invasive species to Minnesota's ecology, society, and economy.

5 A Brief Introduction to Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) What are they? How do they get here? How do they spread? What makes them invasive? Species of concern Why do we care?

6 Photo: Alison Fox, University of Florida Definition of Aquatic Invasive Species Minnesota Statute 84D, Subd. 9a. Invasive species. "Invasive species" means a nonnative species that: (1) causes or may cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health; or (2) threatens or may threaten natural resources or the use of natural resources in the state. Jeff Gunderson, Minnesota SeaGrant

7 How Do They Get to Minnesota? Introduced through: Ballast Water Stocking Nursery Industry Bait Industry Aquaculture Aquarium Trade Minnesota Sea Grant Minnesota Sea Grant

8 How Do They Spread within Minnesota? Spread Easily as Unwanted Hitchhikers: Seeds, fragments or microscopic juveniles easily moved with water Attach to objects often moved by humans Pathways of Spread: Human Activity (primary) Animal and Weather Activity natural dispersal, connected waters (secondary)

9 What Makes Them Invasive? Generalist Tolerate a wide variety of habitats, water quality, and food sources Aggressive Compete for resources Reproduce Rapidly and Often Produce millions of seeds, fragments, and juveniles which move easily with water Lack Natural Enemies Parasites, diseases, and predators that provide checks & balances in its original native range are not usually present in the new ecosystem

10 Photo: Alison Fox, University of Florida Species of Concern Zebra Mussels Less than 1% of Minnesota waters are confirmed as infested with zebra mussels. Eurasian Watermilfoil Impacts: Change ecosystem function Impede recreation Harm native species Starry Stonewort First detected in Minnesota waters in August 2015, in Lake Koronis and connected Mud Lake. Credit Paul Skawinski

11 Why Do Minnesotans Care? Simply put, invasive species impact our: ENVIRONMENT Carrying diseases that kill wildlife Crowding out native species Killing native species ECONOMY Damaging infrastructure Increasing investments for control measures Negatively impacting sports and commercial fisheries Decreasing lakefront property values SOCIETY Affecting human health Fouling gear Impeding recreation

12 Not Everything is a Weed : Native Aquatic Plants Native aquatic plants are a vital part of a healthy lake ecosystem.

13 Aquatic Invasive Species Laws It is unlawful to possess, import, purchase, transport, or introduce invasive species except under a permit for disposal, control, research or education.

14 Aquatic Invasive Species Laws Minnesota Statute, Section 84D Species-specific regulations Listing infested waters Transport of water, aquatic plants, regulated/prohibited species, and water-related equipment 21-day dry time for docks/lifts Drain plugs must be open during transport Inspection of water related equipment & Inspector authority Service provider permit Now includes decontamination services and rent/lease of water related equipment.

15 Aquatic Invasive Species Laws Clean, Drain, Dispose Legal Requirements: CLEAN aquatic plants and animals from watercraft and water-related equipment. DRAIN all water by removing drain plugs, and keep drain plugs out while transporting watercraft. DISPOSE of unwanted bait in the trash.

16 Aquatic Invasive Species Laws Dry Docks & Lifts for 21 Days When moving docks, lifts, and associated equipment to another waterbody: You must remove all visible zebra mussels, faucet snails, and aquatic plants, whether they are dead or alive. You may not transport equipment with prohibited invasive species or aquatic plants attached. The equipment must be out of the water for 21 days before it can be placed in another waterbody.

17 AIS Prevention Aid Background Tina Wolbers Phil Hunsicker AIS Prevention Planners Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

18 What are Counties Doing with Their AIS Money? I ll pause for a moment so you can let this information sink in.

19 And this quiz will count toward your final grade!

20 AIS Prevention Aid Program Minnesota Statute, Section 477A.19 Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Aid must use the proceeds solely to prevent the introduction or limit the spread of aquatic invasive species at all access sites within the county. The county must establish, by resolution or through adoption of a plan, guidelines for the use of the proceeds. Counties received payments starting in July 2014

21 AIS Prevention Aid Program County Role Complete oversight to allocate the funding in accordance with statute Each County Board designates oversight of funds and program management to a local government unit (LGU) within the county DNR Planner Role Repository for submitted plans and resolutions Provide technical support to LGUs as they draft, implement, and evaluate their AIS prevention programs Facilitate collaboration amongst LGUs Build relationships between LGUs and the DNR Aid Distribution Statewide: $4.5 million in 2014 $10 million each year thereafter County: 50% based on watercraft trailer launches 50% based on watercraft trailer parking spaces 4 counties do not receive aid Range (2016 allocation): Highest: $680,785 Lowest: $2,300

22 AIS Prevention Aid Program A Spectrum of Activities

23 Regional AIS Prevention Workshops One component of technical support provided by the DNR has been coordinating, hosting, and facilitating regional AIS prevention workshops: Goals: To bring counties together; to share collective AIS experiences in ways that might help other participants; to learn from the experiences of others; and to build stronger inter-county relationships. Objectives: Network with surrounding counties, share ideas, develop partnerships, and continue to discuss regional approaches to AIS prevention. Intended Audience: Workshops were tailored specifically for local government staff leading their AIS Prevention Aid programs.

24 Workshop Participants # Workshops Statewide Total # County Representatives # (and %) of Counties Attending Workshop Series #1 (May/June 2015) counties (81%) Workshop Series #2 (January 2016) counties (70%) All workshops Organizations Represented: Soil & Water Conservation Districts, county departments (environmental services, parks, planning and zoning, land management, sheriff s office), county commissioners, AIS advisory committee/task force members, tribal bands, watershed districts, DNR, nonprofits, lake associations, coalitions of lake associations (COLAs), University of MN Extension, MN Sea Grant, Initiative Foundation 75 attended one (90%) 45 attended both (54%)

25 Workshop Take-Aways Appreciated the opportunity to share successes, challenges, and experiences and to learn from others Many ideas and projects shared were taken home by others Would like more collaboration opportunities in the future The plan development process is valuable it engages stakeholders, encourages conversations, reflects local needs, and creates buy-in A consistent AIS prevention message should be used across the state Local funding is essential in order to build community capacity to address AIS Long term, stable funding is essential for program success

26 January 2016 Workshops - Six Main Themes Program Startup and Prioritizing Activities Public Awareness Watercraft Inspection and Decontamination Working with Local Law Enforcement Invasive Aquatic Plant Management Early Detection, Monitoring, Rapid Response Planning

27 Starting a New Program and Prioritizing Activities Communicate with other county programs Find ways to collaborate Form an AIS task force or advisory committee Create a grant/request For Proposals (RFP) program Address competing viewpoints on use of funds Address lack of interest Balance workload and staffing

28 Public Awareness Engage the community: interact one-onone with people at fairs, festivals, open houses, youth events and businesses Work with resorts/private accesses Install signs at water accesses Get AIS education into schools Create and market AIS messages Gather information through surveys

29 Watercraft Inspections and Decontamination Leverage partnerships Use a temporary staffing agency to hire inspectors Quality of staff is more important than quantity Training availability and quality is important Retention of inspectors through the fall and year-to-year Use decontamination units as a tool in the toolbox

30 Working with Local Law Enforcement Initiate and build relationships Compensate local law enforcement for AIS work Address lack of time, resources, or will to be involved Address differing expectations of involvement, penalties, and followthrough

31 Management of Aquatic Invasive Plants Determine which treatment activities to support Create grant/rfp program Find a Balance use of funds for treatment versus other AIS prevention activities

32 Monitoring, Early Detection, and Rapid Response Planning Gather baseline data on presence/absence of AIS Invest in early detection efforts Invest in rapid response plans with a communications strategy Address lack of technical expertise Engage boots on the ground

33 Continued Communication & Collaboration Counties are looking for ways to continue to improve communication and collaboration between themselves and with local stakeholders. The DNR will continue to provide technical support in the form of workshops and other actions/materials to promote communication (e.g. maintaining current contact list) Stakeholders like you have a role to play in AIS prevention and management activities A single organization cannot tackle the issues of AIS alone everyone needs to work together. Invasive species do not have boundaries, so educational and prevention measures shouldn t either

34 Contact Information Tina Wolbers, AIS Prevention Planner Southern MN (St. Paul) Phil Hunsicker, AIS Prevention Planner Northern MN (Brainerd)

35 Questions? Thank You!

36 Watercraft Inspections in Minnesota Adam Doll Watercraft Inspection Program Coordinator Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

37 A Brief History Minnesota s watercraft inspection program was created in 1992 Proposed by the DNR, Minnesota Lake Associations, and angling groups 10,000 hours of inspection at infested waters Focused on exiting watercraft 23 MCC inspectors 11,261 inspections (1993)

38 A Brief History Legislation strengthened the program in 2011 Allowed inspectors to look and touch water-related equipment Inspectors can prohibit the launching of water-related equipment under certain circumstances Inspectors can require decontaminations 98 DNR Inspectors 75,800 inspections DNR partners with local government units to share inspection authority

39 Recent History

40 Watercraft Inspections Today Minnesota s watercraft inspection program is expanding each year 2015 was the first season where LGU inspectors completed more inspections than DNR inspectors 43 active Delegation Agreements (705 inspectors in 2015) Modern technology allows for efficient and accurate data collection

41 Watercraft Inspections Inspectors and inspections as a prevention strategy Provide education about AIS/laws Performing watercraft inspections Conduct decontaminations Assist law enforcement Collect valuable usage data

42 Watercraft Inspections Today Change behavior; create new habits Purpose is to interrupt pathway of spread

43 Watercraft Inspections Today Who can hire watercraft inspectors? Local Government Units (including tribal) and the MN DNR What can other groups do? Apply for DNR inspection grants Train groups as DNR volunteers Education based (no authority) Must pass background check

44 Tools for Everyone Published decon location map available online Map available for use by all partners with authorized decontamination stations

45 Tools for Everyone Accessible inspection data for everyone ftp://ftp.dnr.state.mn.us/pub/eco/watercraft_insp/ Excel format

46 Watercraft Inspection Data Excellent dataset for descriptive statistics Documents what inspectors are seeing, but be careful about using it to predict The data is complex Example questions Watercraft Type License State Drain plug status Species found Next/last waterbodies visited

47 Watercraft Inspection Data Analysis Examples

48 Exercise Feedback on AIS Work in Minnesota 1. In your opinion, what is working well when it comes to AIS prevention, that should be scaled up or enhanced? 2. If you were in charge of your county s AIS prevention program, what would you do differently to achieve success? 3. How can your county work better with your organization on AIS prevention and management activities? 4. How can counties, the DNR, and/or your organization work to dispel false perceptions on AIS? 5. How can the DNR support AIS work being done by counties and/or your organization? 6. What examples best demonstrate the success of AIS Prevention Aid?