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July 7, 2008

Comment sought on strategy for aquatic invaders

Submitted by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources



SOCIAL CIRCLE — The public can read and voice opinions on a proposed management plan targeting aquatic invaders in Georgia.

July 30 is the deadline to comment on the draft Georgia Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan. The document is available at www.georgiawildlife.com (click the “Conservation,” “News” or “Get involved” tabs) and from the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division office in Social Circle.

Also, a public comment meeting is scheduled for 5:30-7:30 p.m. July 10 at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Mansfield. Check www.georgiawildlife.com for directions.

Jon Ambrose, assistant chief of Wildlife Resources’ Nongame Conservation Section, said the five-year plan is the first statewide attempt at prioritizing non-native species that threaten Georgia waters and identifying what can be done by a variety of organizations.

The work of the Georgia Invasive Species Management Plan Advisory Committee, representing about 30 public agencies and non-government organizations, is designed to “maximize our efficiency in dealing with these (species),” Ambrose said.

Troublesome exotics include hydrilla, an Asian/Australian water plant that has infested several Georgia reservoirs, and the island apple snail, a South American mollusk that threatens aquatic communities in the southernmost part of the state. The plan even addresses land-dwellers that pose risks to aquatic systems, such as feral hogs, which can affect streams and wetlands by rooting up soil and vegetation.

Georgia’s plan must be approved by a federal aquatic nuisance species task force and Gov. Sonny Perdue’s office before being put into practice.

The advisory committee is also developing a broader strategy that includes terrestrial invasive species. Both plans build on current efforts of groups such as the Georgia Invasive Species Task Force to identify high-priority species, assess impacts and threats, implement control methods, and educate the public about the environmental and economic impacts of invasive species.

The state’s Wildlife Action Plan rates invasive species a major threat to biodiversity and lists development of a statewide plan to monitor and control them as a high priority. On a national scale, the economic losses and environmental damage caused by exotic species total approximately $120 billion a year.

Send written comments on the Georgia Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan to jon.ambrose@gadnr.org or Jon Ambrose, Georgia Wildlife Resources Division, 2070 U.S. Highway 278 S.E., Social Circle, GA 30025.

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