Aquatic Nuisance Invasive Species Communications Arizonas Experience

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Aquatic Nuisance (Invasive) Species
CommunicationsArizonas Experience

• Lawrence Riley
• Chief of Fisheries
• Arizona Game and Fish Department

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Topical and Challenging Issue for Arizona

• Not entirely a new issue to the Southwest
• Somewhat challenging in terms of definitions
• Are all nonnative introduced species by
  definition invasive
• Perhaps crystallized issue in the Southwest
• Many of our sport fishes introduced, arguably a
  significant issue for conservation of natives

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Nonnative Fishes Introduced 1870s through 1970s
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Arrived but Controlled (hydrilla)
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Arrived but Held in Check?
Giant Salvinia
Threat on Colorado River
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Some are Just Hard to Find
New Zealand Mudsnail
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Some Are Hard to Be Convincing About
Toxic alga
Ugly consequences
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Development of a Communication Strategy

• Participation through the Association of Fish and
  Wildlife Agencies Project
• Genesis in the Fisheries and Water Resources
  Policy Committees National Conservation Need
  Identified need for assistance in communication
  about Aquatic Nuisance Species

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Desired Outcomes

• Increase awareness among the public
• Increase users who take initiative
• Change behavior so that the public is proactive
• Improve partnerships
• Increase level of participation in the Stop
  Aquatic Hitchhikers! campaign
• Influence Arizona policy in addressing ANS and
  remain current in regulating ANS

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Evolution of Communication Strategy in Arizona

• Dont dwell on the past, dwell on the future
• Protect our waters and adopt the Stop Aquatic
  Hitchhikers! campaign
• Identify key audiences, and key messages
• Tardy and reluctant start
• Getting alignment can be challenging

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Dont Dwell on the Past, Address the Future

• Rather than invite engagement about decisions
  over the last century, we focused our attention
  on how to influence the future
• Did not elect to engage a small but vocal
  minority that question the management of sport
  fish and sport fishing

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Choice to Embrace the Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!
Campaign

• Adopt and adapt the SAH Campaign for our use in
  Arizona materials, signage, call to engagement

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Identify Audiences and Messages(DJ Case and
Associates, Sharon Rushton)

• Key Audiences and Messages
• Policy and Decision Makers (Water, Wildlife, Land
  and Water Managers) Your resources are at risk
• Anglers Dont dump your bait bucket
• Boaters, boating industry A few simple steps,
  take the pledge
• Boating Anglers Protect your waters
• Took a Left Turn at Albuquerque

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A Tardy Start Necessary Alignment

• Advocacy for sending a Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!
  message comes from a passion to prevent change in
  aquatic wildlife resources.
• Does it tickle a public information officers or
  marketers fancy?
• In our environment of wishing to stimulate
  participation, ANS messaging can be a hard sell.

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I Shoulda Turned Left At Albuquerque Bugs
Bunny

• Opportunity presented itself to redeploy effort
  to address a prime audience Policy and Decision
  Makers
• Small group developed underpinnings for a
  gubernatorial executive order
• Game and Fish Department
• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Transportation
• AZ Chapter of TNC (Facilitator)

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Reaching the Governors Office

• Worked through our liaison in the Governors
  Office (Natural Resources was not Issue 1)
• Developed a white paper and straw dog executive
  order
• Keep the tasks simple

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Arizona Executive Order

• April 1, 2005 Governor Napolitano Established the
  AZ Invasive Species Council (AISAC) (E.O.
  2005-09)
• Charged with development of consensus vision for
  a multi-stakeholder approach to Invasive Species
  for Arizona
• Make recommendations
• 10 principles
• 7 recommendations

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Generates Report to Governor(http//www.governor.
state.as.us/ais)
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Recommendations

• Adopt Councils Consensus Definition
• Make Council Permanent Advisory Body
• Establish an AZ Center for Invasive Species
• Provide Outreach and Education
• Establish or Adopt Database and Mapping System
• Strengthen ED/RR
• Develop Comprehensive Management Plan

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Tying Back to Project
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With the AISAC, We Reached Our First and Primary
Target Audience

• Participants on AISAC included decision makers,
  partners, and stakeholders
• Game and Fish, Agriculture, Water Resources,
  Transportation, State Parks, State Lands
• Federal Agencies
• Stakeholders including ranching / agriculture,
  pet industry, landscape industry, NGOs, and others

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So What Will Happen to AISAC Recommendations

• A second gubernatorial executive order was signed
  by Govern Napolitano on January 24, 2007
• Establishes AISAC as a standing advisory body,
  under joint chairmanship of Game and Fish and
  Department of Agriculture
• Charges development of a state management plan by
  June 2008

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Has This Awareness Ended Our Challenges?
Quagga mussel
Detected in Colorado River January 2007
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Does Having a Communication Strategy Help?

• Yes, but...
• Whole new list of partners to bring on board
• Demand for new, more targeted messages

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Achieved Outcomes?

• Increase awareness among the public
• Increase users who take initiative
• Change behavior so that the public is proactive
• Improve partnerships
• Increase level of participation in the Stop
  Aquatic Hitchhikers! campaign
• Influence Arizona policy in addressing ANS and
  remain current in regulating ANS

LESS MEASURABLY THAN WE HAD INTENDED
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End of Project or Beginning of Project?

• Suspect that this is really the beginning
• Anticipate a continuing challenge on adoption and
  evolution of messages
• Need to focus on bringing the public information
  officers / marketers in our organization into
  ownership of the messages
• Influencing public behavior is the key to success

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