invasive plants, including listing of management options; and partnerships with 
communities to perform winter draw down, dredging, weed harvesting, and herbicide 
use. 
• IPANE, New England Wild Flower Society, University of Connecticut, Silvio O. 
Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. IPANE’s mission is to create a 
comprehensive, continually updated web-accessible database of invasive and potentially 
invasive plants in New England. A network of professionals and trained volunteers will 
update the database, which will facilitate education and research that will lead to a greater 
understanding of invasive plant ecology and support informed conservation management. 
An important focus of the project is the early detection of, and rapid response to, new 
invasions. 
• Connecticut Sea Grant College Program, Sea Grant, University of Connecticut. The 
program is working with Connecticut and New York agencies and organizations to 
develop an ANS Management Plan for the Long Island Sound, working with CT DEP to 
develop a state aquatic invasive species management plan, conducting outreach and 
education, participating on the Northeast ANS regional panel, and supporting research on 
red alga (Grateloupia turuturu), colonial tunicate (Didemnum sp ), baitworms, the 
associated packing materials, and the economic impact of fouling organisms on marine 
aquaculture operations. 
• The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Invasive Plant Control 
Initiative. The Refuge developed an Invasive Plant Control Initiative in response to the 
threat to natural diversity posed by invasive plant species. This initiative examines the 
problem of freshwater invasive plants from a regional perspective and identifies tasks that 
will enhance the capability within the region to address identified issues. Also, in 
cooperation with a number of partners, the Refuge used a grant from the National Fish 
and Wildlife Foundation to develop a strategic plan discussing the current invasive plant 
situation, outlining future actions for the Connecticut River Watershed and Long Island 
Sound, and recommending funding for high-priority invasive plant control projects in 
1998. As part of the initiative, a partnership of federal, state, municipal, business, and 
non-profit groups formed to control water chestnut, a recent invader to the watershed. 
Components of the strategy include mechanical harvesting of the source population and 
organizing volunteers to monitor water bodies for satellite populations within the 
watershed and to hand-pull populations when found. 
• Research, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CTAES). CTAES is 
researching control methods for nuisance aquatic plants, mapping their distribution and 
documenting the water conditions in which they are likely to occur. Studies are being 
conducted on control with herbicides and the effects of these products on nontarget 
plants. Water samples from treatment sites are being tested for herbicides to determine 
how concentrations change with time, where the herbicide may migrate, and what 
concentrations are necessary to achieve control with minimal impacts on desirable plants. 
Water from nearby wells is often tested to determine if aquatic herbicides can 
contaminate groundwater. Studies on the effectiveness of mechanical removal by 
different methods, including hydroraking and cutting, are also in progress. Biocontrol 
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