2012 National Invasive Species Awareness Week Kicks-Off on Monday

WASHINGTON, DC—Next week, state, federal, tribal and local officials, along with representatives of private sector and environmental groups will kick-off a week-long of events, briefings, and workshops to discuss international, national and regional invasive species issues as part of this year’s National Invasive Species Awareness Week (Feb. 26 – Mar. 3, 2012) coordinated by the National Invasive Species Council.

All events will be open to the public.

On Tuesday morning, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior Lori Faeth will officially launch National Invasive Species Awareness Week 2012 at an event hosted by the Department of the Interior. Deputy Assistant Secretary Faeth will be joined by Asian Carp Director John Goss from the White House Council on Environmental Quality and Dr. Catherine Woteki, Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Later on in the day, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Lawrence J. Gumbiner and Ambassador Ronnie Jumeau of the Republic of the Seychelles will be featured during the International Invasive Species and Green Economy Forum.

National Invasive Species Awareness week will highlight efforts to prevent or slow the spread of “invasive species”--species that are both non-native and harmful to the environment, the economy and human health. Asian carp, large constrictor snakes such as the Burmese python in the Everglades, quagga and zebra mussels, wood-boring beetles, kudzu and West Nile Virus are just a few examples of invasive species.
The complete agenda and exact locations and times of events are available at www.nisaw.org . Highlights of the week include:

-Kids Invasive Species Day at the US Botanic Garden (Noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 26 at 100 Maryland Ave., SW)

- Official Launch of National Invasive Species Week (9:00 a.m., Feb. 28, 2012, 1849 C Street, NW - the Department of the Interior)

- International Invasive Species and Green Economy Forum (3:00 p.m. on Feb. 28, 2012 at 1849 C Street, NW - the Department of the Interior)

- Invasive Species Prevention Session (8:00 a.m., Feb. 29, 2012, Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel, 1001 14th Street, N.W.) **

- Urban Invasive Species Issues Forum (3:15 p.m., March 1, 2012, Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel, 1001 14th Street, N.W.) **

- Grass Roots Invasive Species forum and Webcast (1:00 p.m., March 1, 2012, Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel, 1001 14th Street, N.W.) **

- National Invasive Species Achievement Award Ceremony (8:30 a.m., March 1, 2012, USDA Whitten Bldg. Patio, 1400 Independence Ave. S.W.)

- National Environmental Coalition for Invasive Species Panel and brown bag on invasive species (11:30 a.m. on March 1, 2012 at 1170 17th Street NW)

**A registration fee will be charged for events being held at the Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel

A broad coalition of groups are supporting and sponsoring the events next week including the Department of the Interior and other federal agencies, the National Invasive Species Council, the Weed Science Society of America, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Great Lakes Commission, the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, and the Federal Interagency Committee on the Control of Noxious and Exotic Weeds - as well as representatives from the private sector and environmental groups.