Alaska Invasive Species conference Oct. 19 – 21
October 12, 2011
The Alaska Invasive Species Conference Oct. 19 – 21 in Anchorage will highlight concerns
about plant and animal intruders.
The annual conference will feature the Committee for Noxious and Invasive Plants Management
Workshop Oct. 19 – 20 at the Millennium Hotel and the Alaska Invasive Species Working
Group Workshop Oct. 21 at the Coast International Inn.
Conference coordinator Michael Rasy of the UAF Cooperative Extension Service said the conference will focus on invasive species research and prevention efforts.
Other states spend millions of dollars trying to control the spread of invasive species.
Prevention efforts are key to avoiding these same challenges in Alaska.
Not all nonnative species are considered invasive — just those that pose a threat
to natural resources, ecosystems and agriculture. A focus session on Oct. 21 will
highlight Elodea cadensis, an invasive plant that is popularly used in aquariums but has turned up in Fairbanks
and in Southcentral waterways. Rasy said the dense vegetation can change water quality,
degrade salmon habitat and act as a barrier to float plane and boat travel.
Pre-conference activities include a free public lecture by Richard Lee will be at
6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, at Gorsuch Commons on the UAA campus. Lee, an integrated
pest management specialist with the Bureau of Land Management in Denver, will talk
about the role of herbicides in integrated pest management. The Invasive Plants of
Alaska Educators Workshop also will take place prior to the conference, 12:30-4:30
p.m. Oct. 18, also at Gorsuch Commons.
Conference sponsors include Cooperative Extension Service, Fairbanks Soil and Water
Conservation District, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.
Preregistration is requested. A registration form and agenda are available online
at www.uaf.edu/ces.