Working toward solutions

As part of the Washington Invasive Species Coalition, Conservation Northwest is working with others to find solutions to the problems of invasives to help protect Washington’s natural areas from invasive species. This work also protects Washington's economy, because once invasives are established they are terribly expensive to combat.

The coalition works to close two major pathways of introduction:

• marine (through ballast water from large ships) and
• terrestrial (through nursery plant introductions).

We’ve begun working with nurseries to reduce sale of problem invasives, including well-known invasives like English ivy and lesser known ones such as old man’s beard and butterfly bush.

The coalition has created a booklet for gardeners called Garden Wise, covering invasive and recommended non-invasive alternative plants.

It has also promoted a statewide invasive species council, which has worked well in other states to ward off invasives. A bill creating the council was recently passed in the state legislature and awaits Governor Gregoire's signature. The council will coordinate efforts to monitor and manage entry points for invasive species, design and implement plans to control invasive species in the state, and raise funds to get the work done for native lands.

The Washington Invasive Species Coalition is administered by Conservation Northwest.

Steering committee groups:

The Mountaineers
The Nature Conservancy
Conservation Northwest
People for Puget Sound
Seattle Audubon
University of Washington - Sea Grant
University of Washington - Center for Urban Horticulture
Washington Native Plant Society