SACRAMENTO – The Invasive Species Council of California (ISCC) has appointed an Advisory Committee to recommend ways to mitigate non-native species’ effects on resources throughout the state.

“The 24 founding members of the California Invasive Species Advisory Committee (CISAC) have a challenging task ahead of them,” said Secretary A.G. Kawamura of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, chairman of the council. “They will lay the groundwork that will enable this council to enhance our collective ability to protect California’s environment, food systems, human health and economy from invasive and destructive pests, plants and diseases.”

The group includes Lake County's own Victoria Brandon of Lower Lake, as Lake County News reported last week.

The ISCC, formed earlier this year, is chaired by Secretary Kawamura and vice-chaired by Mike Chrisman, Secretary for the California Natural Resources Agency. Also serving on the council are Secretary Linda Adams of California’s Environmental Protection Agency; Secretary Dale Bonner from the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency; Secretary Kim Belshe from the California Health and Human Services Agency; and Matt Bettenhausen, Acting Secretary of the California Emergency Management Agency.

The CISAC is tasked with making recommendations to the CISAC, including drafting an invasive species rapid response plan. The committee will take input from local government, tribal governments and federal agencies, as well as environmental organizations, academic and science institutions, affected industry sectors and impacted landowners.

Members of the California Invasive Species Council Advisory Committee include the following:

• Linda Arcularius, supervisor, Inyo Board of Supervisors;

• Ted Batkin, president, California Citrus Research Board;

• Victoria Brandon, member, Sierra Club;

• Mike Chapel, wildlife biologist, U.S. Forest Service;

• Gabriela Chavarria, national science director, Natural Resources Defense Council;

• Christiana Conser, project manager, Cal-HIP & PlantRight Sustainable Conservation;

• Ricardo De Leon, microbiology unit manager – quagga, Metropolitan Water District;

• Joseph M. DiTomaso, weed specialist, University of California Davis Cooperative Extension;

• Robert Dolezal, executive director, California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers;

• Dennis Faria, aquaculture, Imperial Catfish;

• Andrea Fox, governmental affairs division, California Farm Bureau Federation;

• Larry Godfrey, vice chair, Department of Entomology, U.C. Davis;

• Robert Hoffman, assistant regional administrator for habitat, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Region;

• Doug Johnson, executive director, California Invasive Plant Council;

• Mary Maddux-Gonzales, Sonoma County Public Health officer;

• Karen McDowell, environmental planner, San Francisco Estuary Partnership;

• Leigh Melander, founder, Imaginal Institute;

• David Pattison, member, California Association of Pest Control Advisors;

• John Randall, associate science director, Nature Conservancy;

• Kristina Schierenbeck, research leader, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service;

• Zea Sonnabend, policy specialist, California Certified Organic Farmers;

• Rick Tomlinson, technical committee, California Strawberry Commission;

• Greg Van Wassenhove, county agricultural commissioner, Santa Clara County;

• Keith Douglass Warner, lecturer, Santa Clara University.

For more information on the Invasive Species Council of California, please visit www.iscc.ca.gov .