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California Department of Food and Agriculture

Media Contacts: Steve Lyle, CDFA Public Affairs (916) 654-0462 or slyle@cdfa.ca.gov,

California Department of Food and Agriculture
Release #09-050
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INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL OF CALIFORNIA APPOINTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Group tasked with drafting rapid response plans for invasive pests, plants and diseases


SACRAMENTO, July 20, 2009 – The Invasive Species Council of California (ISCC) has appointed an Advisory Committee to recommend ways to mitigate non-native species’ effects on resources throughout the state.



“The 24 founding members of the California Invasive Species Advisory Committee (CISAC) have a challenging task ahead of them,” said Secretary A.G. Kawamura of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, chairman of the council.  “They will lay the groundwork that will enable this council to enhance our collective ability to protect California’s environment, food systems, human health and economy from invasive and destructive pests, plants and diseases.”



The ISCC, formed earlier this year, is chaired by Secretary Kawamura and vice-chaired by Mike Chrisman, Secretary for the California Natural Resources Agency. Also serving on the council are Secretary Linda Adams of California’s Environmental Protection Agency; Secretary Dale Bonner from the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency; Secretary Kim Belshe from the California Health and Human Services Agency; and Matt Bettenhausen, Acting Secretary of the California Emergency Management Agency.



The CISAC is tasked with making recommendations to the ISCC, including drafting an invasive species rapid response plan. The committee will take input from local government, tribal governments and federal agencies, as well as environmental organizations, academic and science institutions, affected industry sectors and impacted landowners.



Members of the California Invasive Species Council Advisory Committee:
Linda Arcularius, Supervisor, Inyo Board of Supervisors
Ted  Batkin, President, California Citrus Research Board
Victoria Brandon, Member, Sierra Club
Mike Chapel, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Forest Service
Gabriela Chavarria, National Science Director, Natural Resources Defense Council
Christiana Conser, Project Manager, Cal-HIP & PlantRight Sustainable Conservation
Ricardo De Leon, Microbiology Unit Manager – Quagga, Metropolitan Water District
Joseph M. DiTomaso, Weed Specialist, University of California Davis Cooperative Extension
Robert Dolezal, Executive Director, California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers (CANGC)
Dennis Faria, Aquaculture, Imperial Catfish
Andrea Fox, Governmental Affairs Division, California Farm Bureau Federation
Larry Godfrey, Vice Chair, Department of Entomology, U.C. Davis
Robert Hoffman, Assistant Regional Administrator for Habitat, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Region
Doug Johnson, Executive Director, California Invasive Plant Council
Mary Maddux-Gonzales, Sonoma County Public Health Officer
Karen McDowell, Environmental Planner, San Francisco Estuary Partnership
Leigh Melander, Founder, Imaginal Institute
David Pattison, Member, California Association of Pest Control Advisors
John Randall, Assoc. Science Director, Nature Conservancy
Kristina Schierenbeck, Research Leader, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS)
Zea Sonnabend, Policy Specialist, California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF)
Rick Tomlinson, Technical Committee, California Strawberry Commission
Greg Van Wassenhove, County Agricultural Commissioner, Santa Clara County
Keith Douglass Warner, Lecturer, Santa Clara University


For more information on the Invasive Species Council of California, please visit www.iscc.ca.gov.


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California Department of Food and Agriculture Office of Public Affairs
1220 N St., Ste. 214, Sacramento, CA 95814
916-654-0462, www.cdfa.ca.gov