The Apalachicola Regional Stewardship Alliance (ARSA) Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA) was established in 2003 by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Northwest Florida Program and other stakeholders in the Apalachicola River region with concerns related to non-native invasive species. The primary reason for the creation of the CISMA was to facilitate a network for land managers to address the growing threat of non-native invasive species in the region. Since its inception, the CISMA has conducted semiannual meetings, implemented control projects on private lands, assisted land managers with grant writing, compiled and shared data, performed cooperative outreach and education, and participated in other activities related to non-native invasive species. Our goals for the future include the continuation and expansion of these activities, with an increased focus on private land control and public education programs.
The mission of the ARSA CISMA is to implement a comprehensive, region-wide approach to address the threats invasive aquatic and terrestrial non-native invasive species pose to native ecosystems within the Apalachicola River region (adopted January 2004).
Specific goals of the ARSA CISMA are:
- Maintain the functional landscape community of the Apalachicola River region.
- Preserve and restore the native biodiversity of the Apalachicola River region.
- Maintain the Apalachicola River region’s natural processes, such as hydrology and fire that sustain native species and natural communities.
- Protect species designated by the State of Florida or the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) as rare, threatened, or endangered.