Thursday, August 09, 2012

Help keep the National Invasive Species Information Center website program up, funded and operational (NISIC)


               I am asking you to help keep the National Invasive Species Information Center website program up, funded and operational. (NISIC) which is a program of USDA-ARS NAL, is under the financial knife and as part of the incessant focus on cutting the federal programs this vital infrastructure is now targeted to help off set deficit spending in other places in the government. The idea that information for the public good should be privatized is wrong on so many levels, but here with invasive species because of the global nature and local consequence, only a public site can provide equal access to all users.

               Please add a comment to this post, and write to the Secretary of Agriculture and the US Congress. If you have time, write to USDA ARS NAL directly. I have rarely asked for anything, but now we have little time. Please add your comments to this posting today. Just a few words...volume is what counts. KEEP NISIC FUNDED is all you have to say, but of course telling them why it is important helps too.


Tell them to find the money to keep information freely flowing.

               NISIC is the gateway to invasive species information; covering Federal, State, local, and international sources. Most of the work on invasive species has long since been defunded and is now handled by volunteers who valiantly war against novel non indigenous species that are wreaking havoc and altering our ecosystems and the services they provide. The volunteers will be in no position to spend money to access information on early detection, rapid response, control methods, taxonomic, regulatory, and legislative initiatives if we privatize this information, and, because the volunteers have no money, accordingly it will not be offered.

At the NISIC website, you can keep current on the following invasive species issues:
·        Join a Discussion List
·        Read About Emerging Issues
·        Find Press Releases
·        Read Newsletters
·        Read Success Stories
Also on the NISIC website you can:
·        Us the A-Z Index or other Helpful Resources
·        Find Databases
·        Find Species Profiles (AnimalsAquatic SpeciesMicrobes, and Plants)
·        Find USDA Publications
·        Locate Experts
·        Locate Images
·        Ask A Question
·        Find U.S. Information
·        Locate Experts
o   Read the Executive Order 13112 (established the National Invasive Species Council)
NISIC is a resource for Students and Teachers:
·        Learn About Plant Names and Taxonomy (USDA, NAL)
·        Find Species Profiles (AnimalsAquatic SpeciesMicrobes, and Plants)
·        Locate Graduate Programs
·        Ask A Question
And, NISIC is an information source for professionals:
·        Attend a Conference
·        Find Conference Proceedings
·        Locate Graduate Programs
·        Search for Journal Articles
·        Find Grant Information


5 comments:

Caryn Rickel said...

This is great work.

Caryn Rickel
Institute of Invasive Bamboo Research

Sylvan said...

NISIC is a wonderful resource. Keep it funded!

Sylvan Kaufman, Ph.D.
Invasive species consultant at
Sylvan Green Earth Consulting

Sarah Ramsey said...

Keep NISIC funded -- farmers, gardeners, city planners, landscape architects, homeowners -- and more -- need this resource.
Sarah Ramsey
Homeowner, replacing invasives in my yard with native species

Caryn Rickel said...

This program is critical. Please keep this resource funded.

Anonymous said...

Keep NISIC funded! We use this valuable resource very frequently, and if it is lost we ill have no way to obtain much needed information. Please keep it funded.