ForAgProtect

Because non-native invasive species (NNIS) do not recognize jurisdictional boundaries, management requires an integrated network of partners and places a premium on close collaboration between both public and private entities entrusted with plant protection efforts. ForAgProtect, a geographic information system (GIS) for forestry and agricultural protection is a tool to facilitate this collaboration by providing 1) a visual and analytical medium for this collaboration, 2) decision support at a strategic level for forest protection managers faced with challenges in prioritizing the use of limited resources, and 3) tactical support for field personnel responsible for implementing plant protection and management efforts. Previous work that focused on hemlock woolly adelgid has demonstrated the need for one GIS built to meet both current and future NNIS challenges. This comprehensive statewide system will define and map pathways of introduction (organism arrival) and provide assessment of important ecological and environmental factors that influence NNIS establishment, spread, and potential impact. The system will be designed to act as a national model by prioritizing forest protection efforts in Vermont. ForAgProtect will be primarily used by project partners entrusted by the public with plant protection efforts. This project is partnership with the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, USDA Forest Service, USDA-APHIS Vermont, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, with additional funding from the Northern States Research Cooperative.