Invasive species plan available for public review

The Flathead Basin Aquatic Invasive Species Draft Plan is available for public review and comment through July 15. 

The plan outlines strategies and supporting tasks to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. 

The plan also contains a 2010 work schedule that will be updated annually as the work group learns more about the ecology of invasive species and the efficacy of prevention and control strategies.

The plan can be viewed online at www.flatheadbasincommission.org or www.flatheadlakers.org. Hard copies are available for review at the Fish, Wildlife and Parks office in Kalispell, the Lake County Environmental Health Department in Polson and at the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Department of Natural Resources in Polson.

Comments should be sent to John Wachsmuth at jwachsmuth@mt.gov.

The plan was crafted by the Flathead Basin Aquatic Invasive Species Work Group, a collaborative partnership formed in April 2009 that includes the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes; Flathead Basin Commission; Flathead Conservation District; Flathead County; Flathead Lake Biological Station; Flathead Lakers; Flathead National Forest; Glacier National Park; Lake County; Missoula County; Montana Department of Agriculture; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; Sanders County; U.S. Geological Survey; the Whitefish Lake Institute and the Clark Fork Task Force. 

The mission of the group is to prevent the introduction of aquatic invasive species into the Flathead Basin and help contain, control and, where possible, eradicate invasive species present in the Flathead Basin.  

Aquatic invasive species include pathogens (whirling disease), plants (Eurasian water milfoil) or animal species (zebra mussels) that are not indigenous to the Flathead Basin.

Once introduced into new habitats, these organisms disturb native species through competition, predation, displacement, hybridization, spread of disease and parasites, and can ultimately cause extinction of valued organisms. 

In addition, the species adversely impact a variety of commercial and recreational activities. Typically, aquatic invasive species have no predators in areas where they invade, and reproduce rapidly, making control of these species very difficult. 

The goal of the Flathead Basin Draft AIS Plan is to minimize the harmful ecological, economic, and social impacts of invasive species by preventing new introductions and controlling the dispersal of those species already found in portions of the basin.