Annual Report of Activities Conducted under the Cooperative Aquatic Plant Control Program in Florida Public Waters for Fiscal Year 2013-2014 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Invasive Plant Management Section Submitted by: Jeffrey D. Schardt FL Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Invasive Plant Management Section 3900 Commonwealth Blvd. MS705 Tallahassee, FL 32399 Phone: 850-617-9420 Fax: 850-922-1249
[email protected] Annual Report of Activities Conducted under the Cooperative Aquatic Plant Control Program in Florida Public Waters for Fiscal Year 2013-2014 This report was prepared in accordance with §369.22 (7), Florida Statutes, to provide an annual summary of plants controlled and funds expended managing aquatic plants in public waters. The Cooperative Aquatic Plant Control Program (Cooperative Program) administered by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in the state’s public lakes and rivers involves complex operational and financial interactions between state, federal and local governments as well as private sector companies. The FWC has entered into 45 financial agreements (including contracts, task assignments, cooperative agreements, and purchase orders) with the aforementioned entities. The FWC receives some federal funding through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the USACE directly funds and controls aquatic plants, employing USACE management crews in much of the St. Johns River and its tributaries. Since all of the public waters managed by the USACE are eligible for state funding through the Cooperative Program, and since the FWC occasionally assists in control operations in these waters, FWC staff monitors plant populations and control efforts and includes USACE activities in this report.