Mid Atlantic Lake Forum-A regional approach to AIS control and management

Mid Atlantic Lake Forum-A regional approach to AIS control and management

Principal Investigator: Mark Lewandowski, Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Co-Principal Investigator: Mike Naylor, Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Years Funded: 2017-2018

Project Description:
Despite the fact that lake and reservoir managers in the Mid-Atlantic face many AIS challenges, there is currently very limited cooperation and coordination between managers within and between states as to how to identify and react to these issues. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is requesting funding to assist with the implementation of a Mid-Atlantic Lake Forum. This forum will bring together professionals from Maryland and surrounding states to discuss aquatic invasive species issues, encouraging information sharing and developing a multi-jurisdictional approach to controlling the spread of aquatic invasive species across state lines and to exchange information on control strategies for AIS species already present. Lake managers and AIS experts would discuss AIS issues within each state, identify red alert species of concern and work on solutions to minimize the spread of those species. Presentations would focus on control methods used in each state, innovations for minimizing introductions, herbicide use, and would end with a roundtable discussion that would develop a regional action plan. This regional plan would be used to increase information sharing between agencies, encourage all agencies to report their invasives and develop a regional interactive map that can track the spread of invasives.

Agenda can be found here

Meeting minutes can be found here

Presentation Archive: 

Photo credit: Mike Lewandowski