Our Mission:
Protecting Clark County’s lands and waters by educating the public to identify, prevent, and control invasive species while promoting native species.
If you’ve made it here through your own accord, you must be interested in the problem of controlling invasive plants, and if that is true, we hope you continue to visit us, and can join in some of our activities! We’d love to have you!
Let us introduce ourselves…
CCHIRP is a CISMA. CISMAs are Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas, also known as CWMAs, Cooperative Weed Management Areas. They first became prevalent in the western US, but over the past decade have spread to the eastern states, including the Midwest. Sometimes called Coalitions, Partnerships, or Councils, CISMAs are formed to collectively combat the problem of invasive species spreading across the landscape. They can vary greatly in their geographic range, activity level, and focus, and are usually comprised of representatives from various governmental agencies, non-profits, and concerned citizens or citizen groups. They might cover a single county, or extend over multiple counties. CCHIRP covers one county in Indiana – Clark.
CISMAs have been shown to very effectively target invasive species problems by engaging local interests and addressing invasive issues across various types of land ownership. By working together at the local level, CISMA partners are able to pool resources and knowledge to address mutual invasive species problems. In Indiana, the first CISMA was formed in 2006. Now, through the Indiana Invasives Initiative, several CISMAs have been established across Indiana. For more information on CISMAs in the Midwest, you can also check out the Midwest Invasive Plant Network.
If you are concerned about invasive species in Clark County, and would like to do more about controlling them, please let us know! We’d appreciate your input! Please complete a hard copy of our CISMA survey, and submit as instructed at the end of the survey. Or, use our fillable form.
Visit our Native Plants page here to learn more about natives.
Visit our Invasive Plants page here to learn more about invasives.
