None The Nature Conservancy in Virginia Press Releases Search All Press Releases David Dadurka Phone: (301) 897-8570 E-mail: ddadurka@tnc.org

The Nature Conservancy Joins with State to Plan Counter-Attacks on Invasive Species

Conservancy pledges $10,000 toward new public-private partnership to combat snakehead and other invasive species

Charlottesville, VA—2 September 2004—The recent discovery of the northern snakehead fish in the Potomac River watershed underscores the severity of the threats that invasive species now pose to Virginia’s ecology. If the snakehead were to establish a successful population, this opportunistic predator potentially could feed on and displace native fish, amphibians and even aquatic birds, disrupting entire ecosystems.

The Nature Conservancy applauds and has committed at least $10,000 in private funds toward a new state initiative, the Virginia Invasive Species Council, which is meeting in Richmond today, September 2, to begin developing a comprehensive plan for preventing the introduction of and controlling invasive species, including the snakehead fish. The Conservancy also urges Virginians to join in the state’s effort by learning about invasive species and about how they can help stem the destruction of native species.

Invasive species are now the second-highest threat to native ecosystems nationwide. A recent report from the U.S. Government Accounting Office states, “invasive species – harmful, non-native plants, animals and microorganisms – are found throughout the United States and cause damage to crops, rangelands, waterways and other ecosystems that is estimated to cost in the billions of dollars annually.”

Approved by the General Assembly in 2003, the Virginia Invasive Species Council is a multi-agency panel chaired by Secretary of Natural Resources W. Tayloe Murphy, Jr. The Council is comprised of representatives from the Marine Resources Commission, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the state departments of Conservation and Recreation, Forestry, Agriculture and Consumer Services, Transportation, Health and Game and Inland Fisheries. The Council is charged with coordinating the state’s activities concerning invasive species, developing guidance to state agencies on the control and prevention of invasive species and serving as a forum for educating the public about this critical threat.

“Keeping invasive plants and animals at bay in Virginia helps both our environment and our economy,” said Michael Lipford, Virginia executive director of The Nature Conservancy. “Controlling the spread of invasive species will require an intensive effort, but with state agencies, private enterprise and individuals all working cooperatively, there is hope for success,” said Lipford.

Invasive species are typically transplants from distant places. Once free from the natural checks and balances that had kept them under control in their native realms, these intruders establish themselves in new areas, proliferate and persist to the detriment of native species. They often hoard light, water and nutrients, and can even alter entire ecosystems by changing soil chemistry or hydrological processes. As a result, invasive species can overtake native species and, in turn, displace the animals that had relied on the native plants for food and shelter. With intentional and unintentional assistance from people, these problematic plants are spreading at an alarming rate, infecting natural areas not only regionally, but across the United States.

Taken as a whole, the threat that invasive species pose to the survival of native plants and animals is exceeded only by direct habitat loss. Invasive species are contributing to the decline of 57% of the plants and 39% of the animals listed as imperiled or endangered in the U.S. 

Unfortunately, the cost of invasive species does not stop with the damage done to plants and animals. In fact, the cost to the national economy has been estimated as high as $137 billion per year and rising, due primarily to losses in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, as well as the costs of clearing invasive-clogged waterways and fighting invasive-fueled fires.

“Invasive species and pathogens can even transform the character of a community,” said Jennifer Allen, a conservation ecologist for the Conservancy who serves on the Council’s Advisory Committee. “For example, several decades ago our small-town main streets were lined with American elm trees, but Dutch elm disease wiped out many of those majestic trees. That loss affects both the social character and the aesthetic well-being of many small towns.”

Virginia residents can help prevent the spread of invasive species by learning to identify and remove them from their own backyards. For more information on invasive species, visit the webpage of the Conservancy’s Invasive Species Initiative.

“Taking the time to remove invasive plants and replace them with native varieties is a great way for Virginians to bring new energy to the old adage, ‘think globally, act locally,’” Lipford said.