The National Invasive Species Council (NISC) was established by Executive Order (EO) 13112 to ensure that Federal programs and activities to prevent and control invasive species are coordinated, effective and efficient.
NISC members are the Secretaries and Administrators of 13 federal departments and agencies to provide high-level coordination on invasive species and is co-chaired by the Secretaries of Commerce, Agriculture, and the Interior (see NISC Organizational Chart.)
EO 13112 defines invasive species as "…an alien (or non-native) species whose introduction does, or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health". Only a small proportion of non-native species are invasive (seeISAC Definitions White Paper.)
NISC receives advice from and consults with the Invasive Species Advisory Committee, a group of nonfederal experts and stakeholders chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (FACA).
Other Important NISC actions and duties include:
- Drafting and revising of the National Invasive Species Management Plan
- Drafting of the Interdepartmental Invasive Species Performance Budget
- Reviewing progress under the Plan and EO 13112 (see the Five Year Review of EO 13112)
- Working with the Department of State to provide input for international invasive species standards
Additional information on invasive species and related topics is available at www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov, an information center maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Library.
