About the Six Rivers Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area

The Nature Conservancy received funding through the Department of Defense (DoD) Legacy Program to initiate a CISMA in the Western Panhandle of Florida, and organized the inaugural meeting of The Six Rivers Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area, formerly known as the Northwest Florida Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (NWFL CISMA) on October 14th, 2009. The meeting was attended by representatives from 19 agencies and local governments. The representatives voted on CISMA boundaries which include Escambia County, Holmes County, Okaloosa County, Santa Rosa County, Walton County, and Washington County. Attendees identified a number of benefits of developing a CISMA in the region, including: the ability to assess problems on a landscape scale; allow for treatment across property boundaries; cooperate in invasive species treatments; cooperate in leveraging funding; assist private landowners in removing invasive species; reduce the high maintenance cost caused by invasive species reinfestations; identify research ideas and leverage research funding; expand public awareness of invasive species; provide agency invasive species points of contacts; and provide knowledge of what agencies are doing to manage invasive species.

Past meeting minutes

Meeting Minutes - October 14th, 2009 - GCPEP Overview

Meeting Minutes - May 11th, 2010 - 5 Year Strategic Plan