Washington Invasive Species Council

Washington Invasive Species Council We respect different opinions and intend for our social media platforms to foster thoughtful and respectful conversations. They are considered public records.

The Washington Invasive Species Council’s mission is to provide policy direction, planning, and coordination to empower those entities engaged in the prevention, detection, and eradication of invasive species. About Washington Invasive Species Council

Our goal is to sustain Washington's human, plant, and animal communities and our thriving economy by preventing the introduction and spread of harm

ful invasive species. The Washington Invasive Species Council (WISC) uses social media platforms to inform the public about council meetings, to tell stories about the work of WISC and its partners, connect with our audiences, and provide more opportunities for civic engagement. This means that while WISC does not discriminate against any views, we reserve the right to remove comments if they violate this policy. Comments are not screened and will be immediately posted. Comments should not contain private information. WISC may remove a comment for any of the following reasons:

- It’s not topically related to the content of the original post

- It expresses support or opposition to political parties, campaigns, or ballot measures

- It includes profane, obscene, vulgar, offensive, threatening, harassing, or personal attacking language or images

- It promotes commercial products or businesses

- It expresses discrimination based on legally protected status such as race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, disability, or sexual orientation

- It promotes illegal activity or an activity that may be illegal based on a viewer’s status (such as age)

- It compromises the safety or security of the public or public systems

- It transmits protected or private information

- It violates a legal ownership interest of any party including copyright and trademark, including, but not limited to, links or hashtags to sites that violate these restrictions and hyperlinks to material not directly related to WISC's original post

- It contains symbols, numbers, and letters to circumvent any of the above

Posts to WISC's social media accounts, including but not limited to comments, are not the proper forum for providing WISC with legal notice, submitting petitions or other forms, submitting public comments for official comment periods, or for submitting public records requests under the Public Records Act, Revised Code of Washington 42.56. Please see Washington Administrative Code 220-120 for proper submission of public records requests.

That’s not a dinner plate. That’s a cluster of invasive mussels that are hitching a ride on a boat propeller.Springtime ...
05/28/2026

That’s not a dinner plate. That’s a cluster of invasive mussels that are hitching a ride on a boat propeller.

Springtime in Washington means boats, paddles, waders, and weekends on the water. It also means risk—especially from invasive freshwater mussels.

These tiny hitchhikers don’t wait for an invite. They latch onto boats and gear, which can innocently transport invasive species from one waterbody to another.

These mussels could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars a year and close access to state waters for recreation and commercial opportunities and clog water intake pipes and filters, reducing water pumping capabilities for power and water treatment plants.

Once established, they will change ecological systems and food sources critical to native mussels and species such as salmon and trout.

Before you head to your next lake or river take three simple steps:

1. Clean all equipment that touched the water of plants, algae, animals, and mud.

2. Drain all water (live wells, bilge, buckets) before you leave.

3. Dry everything completely before your next trip to a waterbody.

Nothing ruins a perfect Washington lake faster than an invasive species that never leaves.

Image courtesy of Government of Alberta

Cute, destructive, and absolutely not dating material. Swipe left on this pest. Always. The Japanese Beetle is making wa...
05/27/2026

Cute, destructive, and absolutely not dating material. Swipe left on this pest. Always.

The Japanese Beetle is making way too many connections in Washington. Specifically in South Central Washington (Yakima, Benton, Pasco, Wapato) and near the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

It’s a shiny, metallic green heartbreaker with copper vibes, looking for your garden, your lawn, the entire ecosystem.

Don’t let this one invade your DMs. Keep your eyes peeled for signs of this lurker:

• Watch for damaged leaves that look like lace

• Examine struggling lawns, possibly from root damage

If you think you’ve spotted one, don’t ghost it! Report it: https://invasivespecies.wa.gov/report-a-sighting/

And please, don’t help it travel. It gets around enough.

Memorial Day weekend checklist: pack snacks, sunscreen, and a variety of beverages. But don’t pack a pest!Nothing ruins ...
05/22/2026

Memorial Day weekend checklist: pack snacks, sunscreen, and a variety of beverages. But don’t pack a pest!

Nothing ruins a beautiful weekend faster than accidentally introducing a long-term ecological nightmare. Invasive seeds, mud, and tiny stowaways can cling to your boots, dog, gear, and even your tires and end up changing entire ecosystems.

So, before and after you play:
- Remove plants, animals, and mud from boots, gear, pets, and vehicles

- Clean your gear before entering and leaving recreation areas

- Stay on designated roads and trails

- Use certified or local firewood and hay

Remember, if you’re headed out this weekend, pack the cooler, grab your friends, clean all your equipment and gear first, and leave invasive species behind.

Learn more: https://invasivespecies.wa.gov/campaigns/play-clean-go/

Since first appearing in the United States in 2002, the emerald ash borer has killed millions of North American ash tree...
05/22/2026

Since first appearing in the United States in 2002, the emerald ash borer has killed millions of North American ash trees in the eastern and midwestern United States, with some locations suffering deaths of nearly all ash trees.

While emerald ash borer has not been detected in Washington, its presence in neighboring Oregon and British Columbia means it could arrive soon, posing a serious threat to ash trees in Washington state

Through a collaborative effort of state and federal agencies, a new guide is now available to help Washington landowners and land managers detect and limit the spread of the invasive, wood-boring beetle.

The Washington State Emerald Ash Borer Resources & Management Guide includes general information about the beetle, prevention steps, and response and management strategies to reduce risk, strengthen readiness, and plan a coordinated response for when the emerald ash borer arrives.

Read/download the new guide:https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/wp-extension/uploads/sites/3191/2026/05/WA-EAB-Guide.pdf

Come work with us! We’re hiring a community outreach and environmental education specialist. This position is the primar...
05/21/2026

Come work with us! We’re hiring a community outreach and environmental education specialist.

This position is the primary staff person responsible for synthesizing and implementing annual plans for communication, outreach, and education and will support and facilitate meetings and workgroups that align with the council’s statewide strategic plan to prevent and stop invasive species.

Learn more/apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/5348529/community-outreach-and-environmental-education-specialist-3-non-permanent

If it feels like there are a lot of invasive species, you’re not wrong. So how do we decide which ones need attention ri...
05/21/2026

If it feels like there are a lot of invasive species, you’re not wrong.

So how do we decide which ones need attention right now? Just like any to-do list, we use a system to prioritize species and resources available based on the following:

• Which ones cause the most damage

• Which ones are most likely to spread

• Which ones can be prevented

Then we evaluate each species based on many factors and organize them from the biggest threat to the ones we need to keep an eye on. With so many species out there, prioritizing helps agencies and partners focus their time, funding, and responses where it can make the biggest difference.

And that’s where you come in! Your reports help us spot new priorities BEFORE they move up that to-do list for all the wrong reasons. See something unusual? Snap a photo and report it: https://invasivespecies.wa.gov/report-a-sighting/

*Photos courtesy of Hannes Lemme, Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture, Bugwood.org (spongy moth); Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org (flowering rush); Richard Bartz (feral swine); and WDFW (European green crab)

05/20/2026

🎶 Brush-a, brush-a, brush-a… 🎶

We’re not talking teeth—we’re talking boots, gear, and paws.

Seeds, mud, and microscopic hitchhikers can cling to your boots, dog, or gear. This can spread invasive species into new areas without you even realizing it.

Across Washington, more than fifty boot brush stations are now installed at trailheads and outdoor spaces, making it easier than ever for you to channel your inner Pink Lady from Grease and give invasive species the ultimate “brush-a.”

Remember Play, Clean, Go:

- Play in the outdoors

- Clean your gear and clothing before you leave

- Go to your next adventure

*Special thanks to the Columbia Gorge Cooperative W**d Management Area for the boot brush video.

When you spot something suspicious on the trail, in your yard, or in the water—don’t panic. Don’t freeze. Just think abo...
05/19/2026

When you spot something suspicious on the trail, in your yard, or in the water—don’t panic. Don’t freeze. Just think about who you’re gonna call . . .

A modern-day invasive species-buster will:

- Snap a photo

- Remember the location of the sighting

- Report it!

So, the next time you see something strange in your neighborhood, don’t call three parapsychologists. Report it online or using the WA Invasives app: https://invasivespecies.wa.gov/report-a-sighting/

Ever seen a traffic jam and thought, “What a nightmare?!?” Now imagine that under the bark of a tree.Those aren’t tangle...
05/14/2026

Ever seen a traffic jam and thought, “What a nightmare?!?” Now imagine that under the bark of a tree.

Those aren’t tangled lanes of traffic during Washington’s rush hour; it’s the handiwork of emerald ash borer larvae.

Those are the “galleries” the larvae carve out as they feed. And just like bad traffic, once it starts, it only gets worse. The galleries block or disrupt the water and nutrient transport within the tree, which cause its death.

This tiny pest has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees across North America and it’s headed west.

So, let’s not give it a free ride:

- Buy firewood where you burn it. Don’t transport it

- Never bring untreated wood products into Washington—it’s a new rule!

-Gather wood onsite when permitted

Report sightings of suspected emerald ash borer on the WA Invasives app or web form: https://invasivespecies.wa.gov/report-a-sighting/

Photo by David Cappaert, Bugwood.org

Attention all natural resources managers in the Olympia area! We’ve teamed up with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to...
05/14/2026

Attention all natural resources managers in the Olympia area!

We’ve teamed up with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to offer a FREE two-day Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point planning course.

The course will teach you a five-step process that can reduce the risk of spreading invasive species and will help you develop plans specifically tailored to identify and control non-target species that may become a threat to natural resources.

It’s an in-person, two-day planning course happening on May 21 and 22 from 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Space is limited so sign up soon. Learn more/register: https://invasivespecies.wa.gov/event/pulling-together-to-prevent-and-stop-noxious-weeds-in-washington/

Address

1111 Washington Street SE
Olympia, WA
98501

Telephone

+13605433485

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