IPAW Working Committees -or -How You Can Become Involved!

 

In order to accomplish its mission, there are a number of areas in which IPAW must be active. These tasks include education, assembling and disseminating scientific knowledge related to invasives, promoting stewardship by helping to get people involved in local groups, and influencing public policy in Wisconsin, to name just a few.  It is pretty obvious that IPAW will not have a large paid staff any time in the near future. That means that it will require the volunteer efforts of the IPAW membership (you) to make this effort successful.

 

IPAW needs your help!  A brief description of the charges of each IPAW committee is presented here.  If you are interested in providing some volunteer labor for any of these tasks, please contact the board member liaison or the committee chairperson listed below.  All committees need help. Please consider working on at least one committee.  If you have already volunteered to help -thank you!

 

Communications

Contact: Rolf Utegaard, (715) 834-0065, bigute-hort@prodigy.net

Promote membership, maintain membership list, and generate a list of potential members

Produce and distribute a brochure and a periodic newsletter

Make press releases and promotional materials describing the organization and raising awareness

Design and maintain a high-quality 1PAW Website

Maintain a List-Serve of members and people interested in invasives

 

Education

Contact: Kent Van Horn, (608) 266-7596, vanhok@dnr.state.wi.us

Develop educational materials and programs related to invasive plants

IPAW will have use for educational materials and programs targeting all education and interest levels

 

Science and Stewardship

Contact: Eric Parker, Committee Chair, (414) 266-9041, eric.parker@gasai.com

Survey/Monitoring: Survey Wisconsin for problem species, assemble existing information and monitor current distribution and extent of spread.

Assemble and provide information on pending or potential invasive plant problems. Work with regional groups to assemble and disseminate this information

Invasive Species List: Review status of current invasive plant lists. Develop a list of species of highest concern to IPAW.

Prioritize list and work with the Government Relations Committee on control strategies

Control Method Research: Evaluate, and promote appropriate control methods and generate funding for research

 

Regional Groups

Contact: Kelly Kearns, Committee Chair, (608) 267-5066, kearns@dnr.state.wi.us

Maintain contact with regional groups working on control of invasive plants

Determine how IPAW can best serve the Regional Groups and provide support to those groups

Keep IPAW membership informed of the activities of regional groups

 

Government Relations

Contact: Gene Roark, (608) 238-5349

Track actions of government agencies and make recommendations that advocate for invasive plant control when appropriate

Track public policy and legislation on invasive plant issues

Educate IPAW members and decision-makers on invasive plant policy issues

 

Plant Industry Relations

Contact: Rolf Utegaard, (715) 834-0065, bigute-hort@prodigy.net

Develop relationships with industry (Horticultural, Landscape, Forestry, Agriculture, etc) and work to promote IPA W goals

 

Fundraising

Contact: Nancy Braker (608) 251-8140, nbraker@tnc.org

Solicit gifts and grants from private and public sources to further the mission of IPAW

 

Plants Out of Place Conference 2003

Contact: Kelly Kearns, (608) 267-5066, kearns@dnr.state.wi.us

Plan all aspects of a conference to be held in February or March 2003

 

Nominating

Contact: Dan Undersander, (608) 263-5070, Djunders@facstaff.wisc.edu

Propose a slate of candidates for each election that ensures that members of the Board of Directors for that term represent the wide range of interests of members of the organization. Interests should include: 1) private landowners, 2) commercial interests such timber, nursery production, agriculture, and the herbicide industry, '3) land managers and resource professionals, 4) private conservation organizations, 5) local, state, federal and tribal agencies, 6) education, and 7) research. Directors should also represent interests in a diversity of habitat types and geographic regions of the state.