About Heartland Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area
Mission
Provide the collective outreach, support and strategic infrastructure to effectively manage invasive species across boundaries in the four-county area of DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands and Polk Counties.
Membership Partners
Membership is open to any who would like to participate. Partners include:
- The Nature Conservancy
- Archbold Biological Station (ABS)
- Avon Park Air Force Range (APAFR)
- Bok Tower Gardens (BTG)
- Florida Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services, Division of Forestry (DOF)
- Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC)
- Florida Department of Environmental Protection:
- Bureau of Mine Reclamation (BMR)
- Florida Park Service (FPS)
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)
- Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI)
- Highlands County:
- Parks and Recreation (Highlands P&R)
- Soil and Water Conservation District (Highlands SWCD)
- Polk County Environmental Lands Program (Polk ELP)
- South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD)
- Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD)
- University of Florida, Institute for Food and Agricultural Services (UF/IFAS)
- DeSoto County Extension Service
- Hardee County Extension Service
- Highlands County Extension Service
- Polk County Extension Service
- University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species Ecosystem Health
- U.S. Department of Agriculture:
- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service- Plant Protection and Quarantine (APHIS- PPQ)
- Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Steering Committee
Formed November 2010, open to new members:
Cheryl Millett, TNC, chair
Keeli Carlton, Polk ELP
Keith Clanton, DOF- joined April 2011
Erik Egensteiner, FPS
Clarence Morgan, APAFR
Bob Nelson, TNC
Debi Tharp, TNC
All committees formed since November 2010, and are open to new members:
Aerial survey Committee
David Blood, FWC
Carrie Kotal, DOF
Cheryl Millett, TNC
Clarence Morgan, APAFR
Rosalind Rowe, TNC
Central Florida Invasive Species Workshop Committee
Tabitha Biehl-Gabbard, Polk County ELP, lead
Keeli Carlton, Polk County ELP
Carrie Kotal, DOF
Cheryl Millett, TNC
Mike Sowinski, FWC
Debi Tharp, TNC
EDRR/Control Committee
Keeli Carlton, Polk County ELP
Erik Egensteiner, FPS
Carrie Kotal, DOF
Cheryl Millett, TNC
Clarence Morgan, APAFR
Bob Nelson, TNC
Debi Tharp, TNC
Katrina Noland, BTG
Early Detection Scavenger Hunt Committee
Debi Tharp, TNC, lead
Carrie Kotal, DOF
Cheryl Millett, TNC
Education Committee
Katrina Noland, BTG, lead
Carrie Kotal, DOF
Shannon McGee, UF/IFAS
Invasive Species ID Workshops Committee
Tabitha Biehl-Gabbard, Polk County ELP, lead
Keeli Carlton, Polk County ELP
Carrie Kotal, DOF
Cheryl Millett, TNC
Mike Sowinski, FWC
Debi Tharp, TNC
Prevention Committee
Bob Nelson, TNC
Website Committee
Cheryl Millett, TNC