Jan 28, 2009 MEETING Minutes
Co-chairs: Rita Beard NPS, Al Tasker APHIS; Members: Gina Ramos BLM, Mike Ielmini FS, Bob Nowierski
CSREES, La Donna Carlyle BIA, Russ Jones, EPA, Pete Egan AFPMB, Jenny Erickson, Mike Lusk, FS; Guest
Lee VanWychen, WSSA.
9:00 am - Welcome and Introductions
Tasker & Beard
9:15 am - Old Business
1. Minutes from last meeting
2. Set next meeting Thursday, Feb 26, at NIWAW. March meeting is scheduled for Wed March 25. Jenny
will host at FWS. She will email to remind us of directions.
3. Review/Revise Agenda
4. Rita announced results of the Co-Chair election; Jenny Erickson is the new Co-chair. Al Tasker will
keep recording and distributing minutes.
5. Update FICMNEW Meetings list
 International Biopesticides meeting 8 Feb 2009. associated w/ WSSA meeting in Orlando, FL
 Tamarisk & Russian Olive Research Conf. will be held in Reno Feb 18 & 19 2009. Grand Sierra
Resort & Casino. FWS and APHIS are both involved. Recent Diorhabda issues will be discussed.
 Dick Mack APHIS proposed seminar re: invasive prediction parameters on 17 March 2009 at
APHIS. ?may conflict w/ international wildlife ½ day inv spp. workshop. Tasker will check this out.
 March 2009. National IPM meeting in Portland, OR? (need details from Nowierski)
 May Duluth, MN ?ICOAT? DOT meeting ? (need details from Bonnie)
 ISAC meeting in Tucson, AZ 4-8 May 2009. May Buffelgrass, Desert Museum, ?APHIS Onionweed
eradication, Arundo donax biological control Gordon Brown coordinating for Interior agencies;
Hilda Diaz-Saltero for USDA.
 Inv Plant Symposium at WSSA/SRM in Denver Feb 2010. Working committee is interested in
FICMNEW input; Rita will setup a separate teleconf to discuss. ½ day invited symposium speakers:
David Lodge, Dick Mack, Dan Simberlof, et al. Volunteer papers in concurrent sessions; may ask
FICMNEW Agencies to chair sessions &/or give session keynote lead papers.
 WAB May 26-29, 2010 at FWS NCTC Training Ctr in Shepardstown, WV. Steering committee is
working on agenda. Bonnie, Jenny & Rita are involved from FICMNEW.
Subcommittees/working Groups
1. Weed Fact book update. (Gina)
a. Gina Ramos. Gina met with Randy to get drafts and is assembling in TOC order
b. TOC Randy was working from is different, Gina will attempt to reconcile/revise and identify
gaps, and remind authors
c. Need to reactive revise working committee to finalize internal working draft by spring. May
need to post on a secure site.
d. Weed Primers underway at Bugwood
2. NIWAW planning update Lee Van Wychen.
a. IWAC planning call is 3 PM today.
b. http://timssnet.allenpress.com//ECOMNIWAW//Timssnet/Meetings/MAS_meetings.cfm for
registrations, NIWAW registration is $160 early registration extended to 28 January 2009 $186
after cutoff. Cut-off date for hotel registration at $186/night is January 22, 2009. Call: 1-888627-8681. This is well below the government per diem rate for Washington DC.
c. NIWAW is Feb 22-27. Overall theme Preserving America’s Heritage.
d. Bot Garden not available for Sunday Kid’s nor for display space this year because of a special
exhibit. Next year will probably be okay. Capital hill not an option for displays. Hotel space is
too small for FICMNEW large display.
e. Mixer on Sunday PM still on. Monday 7 to 8 breakfast. Monday session to 10 AM. Tue Botanic
Garden Reception is okay.
f. No Agency roundtables, Agencies will coordinate individual agency meetings
g. Inventory: Bags 200; Lanyards 1500
3. NIWAW - FICMNEW meeting Feb 26, 2009
a. Appoint a steering committee Rita Beard, Mike Ielmini, Jenny Erickson, Bob Nowerski
b. Overall FICMNEW theme Funding/Grant opportunities & how to apply. Does Interior have a
Grant book like the USDA one? Include EPA grants NRCA, NGO CIPM grants. Other grant
programs & Farm Bill & Economic Stimulus programs from FICMNEW agencies
c. Invite ITAP & ANSTF (is Exec Sec Scott Scott Newsham?) for Grant update. Invite Ag Library
re website. NISC staff for update on state program liaison & grants in this session.
d. NISC staff will have a Monday slot for National Mgt Plan NISC will update re: National
Invasives Mgt Plan on Monday,
e. Include Susan ?? FWS (Jenny will provide details I missed in my notes)
4. NIWAW/FICMNEW awards
a. Ramos, Lusk, Tasker, Ielmini on FICMNEW award committee
b. Need to discuss how many awards are reasonable
i. FICMNEW special achieve
ii. Joint FICMNEW/NAWMA
iii. PTI (NFWF Select)
iv. IWAC Award
v. Healthy Habitats Award?
vi. At least 2 others (Lusk to update)
c. Deadline Feb 6
5. Website update. No update
6. Annual State of nation draft. No update from last meeting.
New Business
1. Report from EPA re: recent ruling (Surface water lawsuit)
a. A recent 6th Circuit Court ruling invalidated an EPA rule promulgated following the Headwaters,
Inc. v. Talent Irrigation Dist. 9th Circuit case. That rule concluded that pesticides applied in
accordance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) are exempt from
Clean Water Act permitting requirements because they are not the discharge of a pollutant from a
point source, because the pesticide is not a waste at the time it is applied to the water. The ruling
could potentially return to requiring surface water permits as with original ruling 9th Circuit ruling.
b. EPA is reviewing the proposed ruling of the 6th Circuit, which is not final at this point.
c. EPA probably will set-up a website for public info
2. 2,4-D NRDC Petition to ban 2,4-D. 2,4-D Task Force draft comments can be requested from John
Jachetta. See attached copy of FR notice of petition comment period announcement.
3. Status of Endangered Spp. changes label. Russ said call Artie Williams. He will provide her contact info
4. Al will get costs to Jenny for a small format roll-up FICMNEW banner display.
Agency Updates
Interior
Sec Secretary Salizar confirmed.
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BLM. Gina is at Fire & Invasives meeting in Reno.
BIA. La Donna is expecting funding from stimulus package for schools and other infrastructure, but not
sure about invasives mgt funds from that source. Since LaDonna is now in Portland as NW region weed
person, a local DC BIA rep will attend NIWAW (La Donna to supply name)
FWS. Greg Siekaniec has been named as the new Assistant Director National Wildlife Refuge System.
Details at http://www.fws.gov/news/NewsReleases/showNews.cfm?newsId=B76CAC00-D134-57B83220C323CD825F7F Green jobs money for Invasive spp. has been proposed, but no word yet. Received
a FOIA request on Diorhabda beetle.
NPS. Stimulus package request huge, but most if not all inv spp. mgt proposals appear to have been
dropped.
USDA
Sec Tom Vilsack confirmed and has appointed Chief and Deputy Chiefs of Staff.
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APHIS. APHIS Administrator Cindy Smith is acting as Marketing & Regulatory Programs Deputy
Undersecretary. Reg changes for 7 CFR 360 and interim rule for Lygodium currently continue on hold
pending new departmental appointments. Farm Bill funding plan from APHIS on hold during a
discussion at department of allowable uses of this CCC funding. APHIS EDP has 3 new employees on
the Domestic Program staffs. A Citrus Health programs manager position has been advertised.
FS. No news on stimulus package funding for invasive spp. budget. (Mike I think I missed some of
your updates in my notes)
CSREES. Restructuring as National Institute for Food & Agriculture by Oct 1 2009, Comment period
closes COB Feb 6, 2009. NIFA will report directly to Deputy Undersecretary of REE. Farm bill also
renamed National Research Initiative (main CSREES competitive funding pool) as Agriculture & Food
Research Initiative (AFRI). See
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/news/2009news/01051_stakeholderinput.html
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NRCS. (Al from USDA website) USDA released an interim final rule Jan.16, 2009 that contains
legislative changes to Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), designed to develop and improve
fish and wildlife habitat on eligible land and water areas. The rule is open for public comments to March
17. See NRCS website http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2008/interim-rules.html or
www.regulations.gov for details.
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ARS. (Al Tasker verbal from John Lydon and Teung Chin). Administrator Knippling will announce
new Weed National Science Leader appointment at WSSA in February. ARS Pesticide Policy Program
lead Al Jennings retired Jan 1, Teung Chin is currently acting lead.
EPA
Administrator Lisa Jackson confirmed.
AFPMB
New grant program approved (Pete Egan to provide details). Center for Invasive Plant Mgt & Manning
Invasive Plant Mgt will provide training programs.
11:30 Adjourned
Tabled Topics for discussion at later meetings:
1. Interagency risk assessments. Hopefully, Richard Lee will be talking the lead on this subject. What is
on the schedule for agencies in 2008, 2009 and beyond, priorities for the year etc.
2. NAWMA data std update. Discuss at NIWAW?
3. MOU and Operating procedures draft for discussion at a FUTURE meeting?
Tentative Schedule for 2009
Jan 28; Feb 28; Mar 25; Apr 29; May 27; June 24; Jul 29; Aug 26; Sep 30; Oct 28; Nov-Dec 2;
Jan 27, 2010.