Invasive animal assessment

The City of Portland is conducting an assessment to determine status and threats of invasive animals and to identify and guide management actions. This assessment will characterize invasive animals in the City of Portland; evaluate existing programs and regulatory authorities; define opportunities for collaboration; and identify high priority projects for implementation. The assessment will identify invasive terrestrial and aquatic wildlife species that are currently present, as well as those that might invade suitable habitats in the City in the next 5-10 years. The assessment includes a survey to gather input from regional experts. This work is being conducted as part of the larger statewide assessment of invasive species being conducted by the Oregon Invasive Species Council, and will address high priority tasks identified in the Portland Watershed Management Plan and the City's Terrestrial Ecology Enhancement Strategy. This assessment will serve as a template for other regional or local entities to conduct similar studies to help guide management actions. The assessment will be complete by the end of 2009 and we would like to share the results.