Many Partners, One Mission: USACE Jacksonville District and Florida Agencies Tackling Everglades Invasives

DAVIE, Fla. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Jacksonville District joined more than a dozen federal, state, local, university, and nonprofit partners at the Everglades Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (ECISMA) Summit, a two‑day gathering focused on the growing threat of invasive species in South Florida on July 22 and 23.

South Florida is a hotspot for new plants and animals, and the summit underscored how species from around the world can arrive through ports, the pet and ornamental plant trades, and other pathways. Some escape or are released into the wild and become invasive when they harm the environment, the economy, or human health. Hundreds of invasive species now call South Florida home, complicating and slowing restoration of America’s Everglades and demonstrating why no single agency can tackle this challenge alone.

Hosted under the ECISMA banner, the summit brought together six major partners—Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), USACE, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Park Service, and Miami‑Dade County—along with a wide range of cooperative partners including universities and other state, federal, local, and non‑government organizations. Together, these groups, along with South Florida tribal entities, form ECISMA, a partnership that manages, researches, and educates about invasive species across South Florida through three main program areas: invasive species control and management, research, and outreach and education.

The summit reinforced ECISMA’s core purpose: to formalize coordination among agencies, focus work on priority areas and species for Everglades restoration, and integrate invasive species control at a regional, multi‑jurisdictional scale. Participants emphasized that working under the CISMA umbrella strengthens access to funding, supports a shared Invasive Species Master Plan linked to the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), and keeps senior decision‑makers engaged so invasive species are built into planning and budgeting from the start.

A key feature of the two‑day summit was its “year in review” segment, where partners shared data, accomplishments, and challenges from the previous year. These presentations showed invasive species not as isolated local problems, but as connected issues across the Everglades—affecting agriculture, tourism, native wildlife, and community quality of life. By putting numbers, maps, and field stories side by side, the year‑in‑review helped partners spot gaps, avoid duplicating efforts, and set stronger shared priorities for the year ahead.

The summit also highlighted practical tools and emerging technologies that help partners stay ahead of new invasions. Sessions on bio surveillance for emerging nonnative species showed how improved monitoring and analysis can detect new invaders earlier and guide faster response. Python Patrol training demonstrated how agencies, local governments, and community members can safely report and help manage invasive Burmese pythons. An invasive plant identification walk at Long Key Nature Center gave hands‑on practice in recognizing problem plants in the field and how they’re managed at the nature center.

Outreach and education were another major focus of the summit. This session highlighted how ECISMA partners can use online platforms for coordinated outreach, and work together to deliver consistent, shared messages across their preferred channels.

For the Jacksonville District’s Invasive Species Management Branch team, the ECISMA Summit was an opportunity to reaffirm its role as a committed partner in invasive species management and Everglades restoration. The district’s invasives staff took part in discussions on how to continue integrating invasive species control into CERP projects and shared on‑the‑ground data from our projects.

As a signatory partner in the ECISMA framework, Jacksonville District helps ensure invasive species concerns are considered during planning, design, and implementation, protecting restoration investments from long‑term biological impacts across our South Florida area of responsibility.

“Many Partners, One Mission” captures the spirit of the summit: safeguarding America’s Everglades demands coordinated action from across the entire invasive species community.

Through ECISMA, the Jacksonville District Invasive Species Management team and its Florida partners are strengthening cooperation, sharing data and tools, and speaking with a unified voice about the urgency of invasive species control and management. The two‑day summit showed that while invasive plants and animals may be spreading quickly, South Florida’s network of agencies, universities, tribes, and nonprofits is equally determined to respond with science‑based strategies, shared responsibility, and a clear focus on maintaining the health and resilience of the Everglades.