Invasive Species

According to National Invasive Species Management Plan, an invasive species is "a species that is non-native to the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health." This definition was adopted by the NYS Invasive Species Task Force. The Task Force refined the definition stating that to be considered "invasive", a non-native species‛ harm must significantly outweigh any benefits. The NYS Invasive Species Task Force website also provides descriptions of priority invasive species in the area.

If you have any questions about invasive species locally or if you think you have an invasive species to identify or report, please contact your county extension office.

Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership (CRISP)

The Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership (CRISP) is hosted by the Catskill Center in Arkville and is one of eight statewide Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM). Its mission is to promote education, prevention, early detection, and control of invasive species to limit their impact on the ecosystems and economies of the Catskills.

CRISP is involved in all aspects of invasive species management and prevention and provides coordination, leadership and information on invasives for the Catskills region. In each CRISP county, a point person has been identified to help with identification and reporting as well as promoting a greater awareness of the importance of early detection and rapid response.

In Schoharie County, we have joined with other CRISP CCE Associations to help in the early detection and rapid response effort to prevent, detect, and control invasive species. The Master Gardener volunteers of Otsego County also participate in the project. See: http://catskillinvasives.com for more information.

iMapInvasives

Visit the iMapInvasives website, an online GIS-based data management system, owned and offered to the public by the Nature Conservancy, to assist citizen scientists and natural resource managers working to protect natural resources from the threat of invasive species. See: http://www.imapinvasives.org

Last updated May 16, 2022