Cutting bush honeysuckle stems with chainsaw. Photo by Scott Woodbury.
What is the Missouri Invasive Plant Council?
The Missouri Invasive Plant Council (MoIP) advocates for making early detection and control of known and potential invasive plants a statewide priority.
In 2015, Grow Native! spearheaded this multi-agency, multi-industry networking and advocacy group (first called the Missouri Invasive Plant Species Task Force, then the Missouri Invasive Plant Task Force, and now the Missouri Invasive Plant Council) to bolster statewide efforts to identify and control the invasive plant species that severely impact several sectors of the Missouri economy and native biodiversity. The purpose of the council — working as a united, supportive front — is to review, discuss, and recommend educational and regulatory action related to managing known and potential non-native invasive plants. Representatives from the fields of conservation, agriculture, botanical science, ecological services, plant production, horticulture, landscape services and design, and arboriculture make up the council.
Download the MoIP Fact Sheet for more information.
Goals
- To develop a list of key invasive plants and their assessment scores in order to focus efforts.
- To serve as a portal for invasive plant management in the state and contribute to regional and national efforts (such as the Midwest Invasive Plant Network).
- To develop recommendations to influence policy and strategies to influence action to manage invasive plants within Missouri and the Midwest region.
- To track and stop continued distribution of known and future invasive plants.
- To reach new audiences.
- To operate in a manner in keeping with funding and capacity.
- To determine geographic priority areas for invasive plant control, including education opportunities (high public use areas) and native biodiversity.
- To focus efforts in a unified front to impact things on the ground; establish priority geographic areas; facilitate agency cooperation and coordination.
History
2015 – Grow Native! meets with Missouri Department of Conservation and Missouri Department of Natural Resources to discuss addressing invasive plant problems on the landscape. The Missouri Invasive and Exotic Plant Species Task Force is formed with members from landscape services, the horticultural industry, conservation groups, researchers, and government agencies.
2016 – moinvasives.org launches, with a goal to become a clearinghouse of information regarding invasive plant management for species of concern in the state of Missouri.
Group begins drafting list of plants and reviewers for Invasive Plant Assessment.
2017 – Group changes name to Missouri Invasive Plant Task Force (MoIP). MoIP releases General Guidelines for Methods of Control.
2018 – MoIP releases first Invasive Plant Assessment of 142 plants. Working with the City of Columbia, members host a field day focused on Callery pear.
Mizzou Botanic Garden becomes the first to sign the Missouri Invasive Plant Pledge.
2019 – MoIP establishes Invasive Plant Action Award.
With Forest ReLeaf, MoIP runs Missouri’s first Callery pear buy-back program in St. Louis.
2021 – MoIP votes to change from a Task Force to a Council, to change its name to Missouri Invasive Plant Council (MoIP), and to adopt a Protocol that guides the governance of this Council.
MoIP Chairs
Carol Davit
MoIP Chair and Missouri Prairie Foundation Executive Director
Carol Davit has worked for more than 20 years in the conservation and environmental fields in communications, development, administration, and leadership capacities. She has worked for private, nonprofit conservation groups and at the municipal and state government levels. She has been the editor of field guides and written on a wide variety of natural history and conservation topics for the Missouri Prairie Journal, the Missouri Conservationist, and other publications.
Matt Arndt
MoIP Vice-Chair and President of the Missouri Consulting Foresters Association
Matt Arndt is a consulting forester and arborist, and is the owner of Matt’s Healthy Woods & Wildlife. He carries certifications from both the Society of American Foresters and the International Society of Arboriculture. In addition to his full-time forestry work, Matt also has side businesses in native seed production and custom web development. He has served as President of the Missouri Consulting Foresters Association since 2013, and is the vice-chair of the Missouri Invasive Plant Council. He also serves on the Natural Resources Subcommittee of the NRCS State Technical Committee, the Missouri Farm Bureau Forestry Advisory Committee, and the Cameron Park Board.
MoIP Members
Members have expertise in invasive plant science and/or management or have other experience, knowledge, or skills that are valuable to advance the mission of MoIP and carry out its objectives. Members are added by consensus of the existing member group.
Active MoIP Steering Committee members meet four times each year to develop strategies for addressing invasive plant species in the state of Missouri.
MoIP meets quarterly.
- Bruce Schuette, Missouri Prairie Foundation
- Quinn Long, Missouri Botanical Garden Shaw Nature Reserve
- Alli Brown, Missouri Botanical Garden
- Reid Smeda, University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
- Carol Davit, Missouri Prairie Foundation
- Larry O’Donnell, Deep Roots KC
- Matt Arndt, Missouri Consulting Foresters Association
- Jim Ball, Missouri Walnut Council
- Hank Stelzer, University of Missouri School of Natural Resources
- Matt Kemna, Columbia Utilities/Right of Way
- Bill Ruppert, National Nursery Products, Grow Native!
- Lauren Pile, USDA Forest Service
- Christopher Pierce, USDA APHIS
- Brian Davidson, USDA Forest Service
- Joe Alley, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Ann Koenig, Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Community Forestry Council
- Malissa Briggler, Missouri Department of Conservation
- Roxie Campbell, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Rock Bridge State Park
- Nate Muenks, formerly Missouri Department of Conservation
MoIP Associates
MoIP Council regularly engages with groups outside of those represented within the Council. Known as Associates, these organizations receive regular updates from MoIP and agree to share our information with their membership, when relevant. They are welcome to attend MoIP meetings, but must arrange for attending ahead of the meeting day. Organizations may include landholding groups or agencies, horticulture industry associations, conservation groups, and individuals. MoIP strives to get involvement from a diverse group of associates. If your organization is interested in engaging with MoIP, email [email protected].