California Department of Fish and Game

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aug. 13, 2008

Contacts: Susan Ellis, Environmental Program Manager for the

Invasive Species Program, (916) 653-8983

Alexia Retallack, Marketing Specialist, (916) 322-8944

DFG SCIENTIST APPOINTED TO NATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE

California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) scientist Susan Ellis was appointed to the advisory committee for the National Invasive Species Council Aug. 1.

"California's environment, agriculture and economy have been seriously impacted by invasive species," said Donald Koch, DFG Director. "Susan's experience with California's efforts to control, contain and eliminate invasive species will provide important information and perspective to the council."

The National Invasive Species Council is co-chaired by the Secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture and Commerce, and its members include the Secretaries of State, Defense, Transportation, Treasury, Health and Human Services and Homeland Security, and the Administrators of the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration, the National Air and Space Administration, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Trade Representative.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced Ellis's appointment to the 31-member Invasive Species Advisory Committee at an Aug. 1 council meeting in Washington, D.C. The Invasive Species Advisory Committee represents a broad range of stakeholders including scientific, conservation, agriculture, state and tribal governments and industry organizations impacted by invasive species.

Ellis, Environmental Program Manager for DFG's Invasive Species Program, has worked for the department for more than 25 years on program and policy matters, the last nine years on invasive species issues. She served as Incident Commander at the onset of California's Quagga mussel infestation and currently chairs the Quagga mussel interagency team. Ellis and her program team recently completed and initiated implementation of the California Aquatic Invasive Species Plan.

Ellis has also worked on other critical DFG issues including endangered species, fisheries, aquaculture, land use planning and the impacts of contaminants on fish and wildlife resources. She represents DFG on the U.C. Water Resources Center Advisory Committee and the Light Brown Apple Moth Environmental Advisory Task Force. She is a member and past chair of the Western Regional Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species and the California-Nevada Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.