What level of funding
will be directed To ITAP?
ITAP will not receive any direct
funding and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is not a funding
mechanism. Rather, the MOU provides the structure for focused
frequent sharing of information, expertise, and other resources
to support interagency collaboration. ITAP will also facilitate
technical input into the National
Invasive Species Council (NISC) and associated interagency
tasks. ITAP will help inform Agency decision makers about opportunities
for collaboration in the areas of systematics, germplasm, pest
detection, monitoring, forecasting, and assessment; pathways;
and pest management. ITAP helps support NISC's priority-setting
and cross-cut budget initiatives by reporting on baseline capacity
for invasive species research and identifying needs for research
and development, particularly to support rapid response to new
invasive species.
Who is the principal
audience for ITAP activities?
ITAP will primarily provide information
and facilitate technical input for resource managers, and decision
makers, including the Executive Branch, Congress, the National
Invasive Species Council (NISC), and State and local elected officials.
ITAP will also receive and share information with commercial interests,
non-governmental organizations, and the public. ITAP will principally
reach this audience in cooperation with, and through mechanisms
already established, by its member agencies.
What level of
leadership will the ITAP team provide?
ITAP will provide leadership for
facilitating implementation of activities that support NISC's
National Invasive Species Management
Plan and the invasive species programs of ITAP members. Leadership
will be achieved by facilitating development of databases and
other informational systems, informing respective agencies about
options for collaboration, facilitating documentation of capacity
and needs, coordinating interagency projects and regional work,
contributing technical information to policymakers, and enhancing
agency and Congressional awareness and understanding of invasive
species issues through briefings, tours, and other activities,
and facilitating public awareness and education. ITAP will also
serve as a liaison with NISC, the Advisory Committee to the Council,
and associated work groups.
What are the
potential products of ITAP coordination?
Products of ITAP's coordination
and liaison activities could include development of:
- National perspective on invasive animal and pathogen problems
and our capacity to address them, e.g., through traditional and
on-line publications (such as a pest fact book), technical support
for documentaries and other public media, Congressional briefings
and tours (similar to (FICMNEW's participation in Weed Awareness
Week), and provide input on cross-cut budgets.
- Comparable data standards
and protocols for detecting
and monitoring invasive species that can be shared among ITAP
members and other agencies and organizations.
- Assessment of the impacts
of invasive species already
present in the US and ranking the potential invasiveness of species
that potentially could be introduced and have adverse effects.
- Fora for discussion of priority
research, monitoring, and management needs to coordinate these activities more efficiently.
- Databases and information
sources on invasive species
and their management - such as a catalogue of natural enemy importations
similar to the Julien Catalogue.
- Working groups for coordinating Federal efforts on
existing and emerging threats such as sudden oak death, West
Nile virus, invasive birds, Asian long-horned beetle, and emerald
ash borer.
- Special reports that highlight insect and disease conditions,
threats, capacity and budget needs, and policy concerns and/or
recommendations.
- Technical workshops on key issues such as evaluation methods
for monitoring pathways.
- Technical advice for developing inter-organizational
policy, such as a national pest or disease strategy, quarantine
listings, screening processes and lists, and exclusion policies.
How will ITAP
improve Federal response to invasive terrestrial animals and pathogens?
A major function of ITAP will
be to provide an infrastructure for focused Federal coordination
at an earlier stage than would otherwise occur - i.e., when coordination
is likely to be most effective and less costly (monetarily and
ecologically). ITAP will help facilitate coordination among agencies
in applying their legal mandates in addressing invasive species
problems.
ITAP's network will be able to
rapidly locate and enlist expertise to provide information and
technical advice for addressing invasive insect, plant disease,
animal disease, and terrestrial animal species - including early
detection, rapid assessment, and response to new invaders.
How will ITAP
facilitate interactions between interested Federal Departments
and Agencies?
As a permanent Federal committee,
ITAP will provide infrastructure for continuous communication
and effective coordination among senior program and technical
staff. ITAP will serve as a reliable source of state-of-the-science
information and technical support for the Council, ISAC, other
interagency committees (e.g., FICMNEW, ANSTF), and Federal agencies
in addressing threats from invaders, ensuring that the same accurate
information is available to all participants.
ITAP also will improve access
to complementary scientific and technical expertise among the
Federal Departments and Agencies on a continuing basis. For example,
for a plant disease threat, ITAP could help link Agriculture's
sophisticated laboratory facilities and extensive research capacity
with Interior's expertise in design of monitoring and modeling/forecasting
systems to develop a coordinated response. The shared resources
of our member agencies can therefore be harnessed to address invasive
issues, not just species by species, but in a coordinated fashion
that can look at cumulative impacts of invasive species to biological
and human communities and ecosystems.
