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National Invasive Species Council
Headquarters POC
In 1999 the United States Government created the National Invasive Species Council (NISC). Recognizing that our increasingly globalized world had facilitated the introduction of new, potentially harmful species, the Department of the Interior set forth to create the NISC. NISC operates at the highest level of federal leadership. NISC aims to provide high level vision and leadership in an effort to sustain and expand federal efforts to safeguard U.S. interests.
Invasive species are a biosecurity threat to food, water, animal and human health, the environment, infrastructure, cultures, the economy, energy, military readiness, and other national interests. Because they pose innumerable threats, NISC strives to work decisively and strategically in order to combat invasives. NISC recognizes that because invasives are a time and context driven problem--that is to say what is invasive in one ecosystem may be endangered in anotherthey must use a flexible, multi-tiered approach. NISC works first and foremost to prevent the introduction of potentially harmful species. This is the most cost effective, damage preventative means of combating invasives. Should an invasive slip past established barriers, NISC then attempts to eradicate, if possible, or control the species. In cases of late detection and response, the NISC attempts to restore habitats that have been degraded by invasives. Early detection and rapid response (EDRR) are key to minimizing environmental damage.
NISC has studied past efforts to combat invasive species and concluded that collaboration is indispensable in the battle. As such NISC emphasizes the coordination of intergovernmental agencies as well as private partners as the crux of their management plan. Because invasive species are a temporally and contextually driven problem, recognizes that on the ground, local management is vital to mission success. NISC strives to encourage planning and action at local, tribal, state, regional, and ecosystem-based levels to achieve the goals and objectives of the Management Plan. The threat posed by invasive species is substantial, but with proper leadership and management, it is far from insurmountable.
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