State Agency Invasive Species Responsibilities

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Our mission: Managing fish and wildlife resources for their long-term well-being and the benefit of people.

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) came into existence on
July 1, 1999, with the creation of a constitutional amendment approved in the 1998 General Election.  By virtue of ARTICLE IV, Section 9, of the Constitution of the State of Florida, “a fish and wildlife conservation commission, composed of seven members appointed by the governor, subject to confirmation by the senate for staggered terms of five years… shall exercise the regulatory and executive powers of the state with respect to wild animal life and fresh water aquatic life, and shall also exercise regulatory and executive powers of the state with respect to marine life, except that all license fees for taking wild animal life, fresh water aquatic life, and marine life and penalties for violating regulation of the commission shall be prescribed by general law.” The agency has 1,867 full-time employees.

The FWC has established an Exotic Species Section within the Division of Habitat and Species Conservation for the purpose of minimizing the negative effects of exotic species on native fish and wildlife species.  Duties of the Division of Habitat and Species Conservation include aquatic and terrestrial habitat management, land acquisition, scientific support and assistance to private and public sector landowners, species management and recovery plans, and recovery plans for imperiled species. 

The Exotic Species Section works cooperatively with the 5 other agency divisions.  The Fish and Wildlife Research Institute conducts research; monitors marine and freshwater resources, wildlife and habitats; and develops and implements techniques for restoring plant and animal species and their habitats. The Division of Hunting and Game Management facilitates safe and responsible use of game wildlife resources. The Division of Habitat and Species Conservation’s duties include aquatic and terrestrial habitat management; land acquisition; scientific support and assistance to private and public sector landowners; species management and recovery plans; exotic species programs focused on prevention and control; and recovery plans for imperiled species. The Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management provides expertise on freshwater fish populations to ensure quality fisheries and fishing in Florida lakes, fish management areas, rivers and streams. The Division of Marine Fisheries Management develops regulatory and management recommendations for consideration by FWC Commissioners designed to ensure the long-term conservation of Florida’s marine fisheries resources.  The Division of Law Enforcement emphasizes compliance with fishing and hunting regulations, including state and federal laws that protect threatened and endangered species, laws dealing with commercial trade of wildlife and wildlife products, and boating safety laws and regulations.
 

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Invasive Plant Management (bureau) is the lead agency in Florida responsible for coordinating and funding two statewide programs controlling invasive aquatic and upland plants on public conservation lands and waterways throughout the state. Florida's aquatic plant management program is one of the oldest invasive species removal programs with its beginnings dating back to the late 1800s. With the addition of the upland program, the bureau oversees the largest invasive plant management program of its kind in the United States. The bureau also insures that beneficial native aquatic plants are protected through its permitting programs.

The Bureau of Invasive Plant Management serves to protect Florida's Native Biodiversity by:
  • Leading the Management of Invasive Plants on Public Lands;
  • Maintaining recreational, economic and ecological values of Florida's Public Lands;
  • Providing education and information to the public;
  • Developing and maintaining inventories of plant communities on public lands;
  • Collecting information to assist science based decision making.


Florida Department of Agriculture Consumer Services

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is under the control of the Commissioner of Agriculture and has a wide variety of agricultural regulatory, marketing, development, and consumer protection responsibilities.  Its invasive species regulatory authority extends to farms, those areas affected by pests and diseases, and other places as the Florida Legislature has designated.  The department has 13 divisions and two Offices. 

Five divisions and One Office have responsibility in matters concerning exotic and invasive species.  Division of Animal Industry is responsible for the regulation of domesticated animals, and animal pest and diseases.  The division through the State Veterinarian is the lead in control and eradication efforts for invasive animal pest and diseases.  The Division of Aquaculture is responsible for the regulation of all aquatic species grown on a farm, marine or fresh water, leasing sovereign submerged land for aquaculture at the direction of the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, and enforcing the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s rules on prohibited and restricted animals.  The Division of Agricultural Environmental Services handles pest control, including mosquitoes and other biting flies on a statewide basis.  The division regulates the chemicals used as well as the user and oversees the funding of mosquito control operations.  The Division of Forestry manages the State of Florida’s public forests and oversees wildfire protection state wide.  The division also co-manages property with other state agencies and as manager is responsible for protection of those areas.  The Division of Plant Industry is responsible for farmed plants, and plant pests and diseases within the State of Florida.  The division oversees numerous invasive species management plans as well as control and eradication efforts of both plants and animals.  Currently, the division is statutorily authorized to promulgate the State’s invasive species plant list.  The Office of Ag Law Enforcement is responsible for enforcing the department’s responsibilities and operates the state’s strategically located interdiction stations located on all of the road entry points into and out of Florida.  They inspect trucks entering and leaving the state for violations of the department’s and other state agency’s regulations.

 

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES


University of Florida Extension - Institue of Food and Agriculture Sciences Center for Aquatic and Invasive PlantsThe University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is a federal, state, local, government partnership dedicated to education, research, and extension.  IFAS is administered through Florida’s Land-Grant and Sea-Grant programs and encompasses programs of on-campus instruction, research, and off-campus extension.  In addition to facilities on the University of Florida campus, IFAS has extension offices in each of  Florida’s 67 counties, 13 Research and Education Centers located throughout the state, 6 Research sites/demonstration units and 6 locations with off-campus undergraduate degree programs.
 

Natural Resources is an important component of the Land-Grant and Sea-Grant Missions.  As the importance of invasive species in natural areas has increased, IFAS has responded with efforts to address this issue in education, research, and extension programs.  At least eight academic courses address invasive species.  Four of these have their main focus on invasive species in natural areas.  Research priorities include developing management programs and understanding ecology and physiology of the state’s worst invasive species, and development of predictive indices for invasiveness.  Extension efforts include pesticide applicator certification training programs for invasive plant management in terrestrial and aquatic natural areas, an assessment of invasiveness to help in making recommendations for horticultural commodities, providing information to increase the public’s awareness of their role in helping solve invasive species problems, and training of County Extension Faculty.  Established programs such as 4-H, Master Gardeners, and Florida Yards and Neighborhoods facilitate public outreach.  Information on invasive species is made readily available through the Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants Information Office and their Website (http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu), the IFAS Electronic Data Information Source (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu),  The University of Florida Weed Science Website (http://weedext.ifas.ufl.edu), and other sites linked through the IFAS home Website (http://ifas.ufl.edu).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ST. JOHNS RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT 

The invasive plant management program of the St. Johns River Water Management District controls nuisance upland and aquatic vegetation on approximately 400,000 acres of District-owned properties. As a contractor for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), the District also maintains control of nuisance aquatic vegetation in eight public lakes and rivers. The goal of the invasive plant management program is to maintain control of nuisance aquatic vegetation to improve flood protection, navigation, recreation, and water quality and to control nuisance upland vegetation for protection of plant and animal communities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last updated: August 15, 2007