Background
Much work is being done at the state and local level to prevent the spread of invasive plants into Maine’s lakes, ponds and streams. PREVENTION of the spread of these organisms through raising public awareness, providing courtesy boat inspections, adopting a comprehensive invasive species action plan, etc. is--and must be--our major goal right now. In the event that an invader does manage to slip though the cracks and take up residence in a lake or pond, the best hope for eradicating it, or at least managing it in an environmentally sound manner, is early detection.
Relatively few of Maine’s 6000+ lakes and ponds have been screened for the presence of invasive plants. Though funding for invasive aquatic plant prevention is being generated through the sale of the Lake and River Protection stickers, it is widely accepted that this funding will not be sufficient to support a comprehensive, ongoing, State-staffed screening program.
In 2003 the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program founded the Maine Center for Invasive Aquatic Plants (MCIAP) to serve as a non-governmental partner in the effort to protect Maine waters from the threat of invasive aquatic plants. Working in partnership with Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Maine Natural Areas Program, Davis Conservation Foundation, Senator George J. Mitchell Center, University of Maine at Farmington and others, the Maine Center for Invasive Aquatic Plants has been instrumental in initiating, developing and supporting an effective volunteer based early detection system in Maine.
Through its Invasive Plant Patrol Program (initiated in 2001) MCIAP has trained over 1,250 volunteers to screen for and identify the eleven invasive aquatic plants on Maine’s watch-list and to distinguish them from harmless native “look-alike” plants. The Field Guide to Invasive Aquatic Plants and the new Quick Key to Ruling out Maine’s Eleven Most Unwanted Invasive Aquatic Plants, provide handy resources (made to take out on the water) for trained patrollers and the general public.
