FISC

FISC was founded in 1984 as the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC) and rebranded in 2019 to reflect its broader focus on all invasive taxa threatening Florida's ecosystems. This change aligns with research identifying "exotic" and other terms as problematic in invasive species communication (Iannone et al., 2020)... The Florida Invasive Species Council (FISC) is dedicated to mitigating the impact of invasive species through science-driven management, information exchange,... The Heartland CISMA consists of five counties in west-central Florida including Polk, Hardee, DeSoto, Highlands, and Okeechobee counties. Our landscape contains a variety of ecosystems such as hardwood forested uplands, high pine and scrub, pine flatwoods and dry prairies, freshwater forested and non-forested wetlands, marshes, hardwoods, ponds and lakes, and rivers and streams. Protecting this landscape from invasive species requires a coordinated and dedicated effort to preserve the natural resources of..