Who’s involved?
APHIS
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS, is a federal agency, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is in charge of securing our borders against non-native invasive plants and animals. It works at ports of entry such as seaports, airports, and border crossings to assure that invasive species do not hitchhike into the United States in cargo from foreign ports or even in garbage aboard international ships or aircraft. APHIS has offices throughout the U.S. from which it helps state and local governments deal with non-native invasive species already in the U.S. You can learn more about APHIS from its web site at www.aphis.usda.gov.
APHIS has a new web site about invasive species called www.hungrypests.com. Click on the photo to the right to go to the site and watch the bugman video. It’s funny in a creepy sort of way. The HungryPests web site has a lot of good information about how invasive species spread and how we can slow or stop the spread of invasive species.
Arkansas State Plant Board
The Arkansas State Plant Board is a division of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. The plant board’s primary goal is to protect Arkansas’ plant-based agriculture, including the nursery trade. Non-native invasive plants and animals that threaten agriculture — essentially all non-native invasive species — also fall under its jurisdiction. The plant board is involved in efforts to track and control non-native invasive species in Arkansas, and it maintains Arkansas’ noxious weeds list. You can learn more about the Arkansas State Plant Board from its web site at www.plantboard.arkansas.gov.
USDA Forest Service Invasive Species Program
The U.S. Forest Service has an invasive species program focused on reducing the introduction and spread of non-native invasive species across all landscapes in the United States. The Forest Service provides an array of fact sheets and books about invasive threats, and it conducts research centered on finding and controlling invasive species. The fact sheets and books are available through the Forest Service Invasive Species Program. You can learn more about the Invasive Species Program through its web site at www.fs.fed.us/invasivespecies/index.shtml.
