Effective communication is the cornerstone of effective action. The Federal agencies recognize that many non-Federal stakeholders play important roles in the development and dissemination of information on invasive species. For example, land grant universities and other educational institutions, State departments of natural resources, State departments of agriculture, and civic and environmental organizations often have significant expertise in education and outreach relevant to natural resource issues. The Council hopes to engage these experts, as well as educators, public communicators, and trainers from a variety of disciplines, in the design and implementation of its programs. The Federal agencies will have to meet certain resource challenges.
Information needs to reach decision makers and program managers in a timely manner.
Long-term funding, staffing, and an appropriate infrastructure need to be provided. To ensure that the current programmatic objectives are met and future needs are anticipated, the overall education, outreach, and training strategy must include a credible monitoring and evaluation process. The Council plans to support a wide variety of training programs that will enable individuals and organizations to minimize the spread of invasive species. Some of these programs are discussed in the other sections of the Plan. Actions Planned By July 2001, the Council will coordinate development and implementation of a national public awareness campaign, emphasizing public and private partnerships.