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The Northwest Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change (NW RISCC) Network is a partnership of regional agencies and organizations dedicated to helping practitioners address the nexus of climate change and invasive species, including plants, animals, and pathogens.
The Northwest Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change (NW RISCC) Network is a partnership of regional agencies and organizations dedicated to helping practitioners address the nexus of climate change and invasive species, including plants, animals, and pathogens.
Participate in the NW RISCC Network:
Stay up-to-date on upcoming events, research summaries, and more by subscribing to our listserv.
Want to do even more? Let us know you're interested in joining our Advisory Team.
Help inform upcoming NW RISCC tools & resources:
Help inform upcoming NW RISCC tools & resources:
Please take a few minutes to let us know what types of resources and information would be most helpful to your invasive species management work via this short survey.
News
New Management Brief:
New Management Brief:
Although tick-borne illnesses are relatively rare in the Northwest, ticks in the region can still transmit various diseases like Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and tick relapsing fever. Climate change-driven increases in temperature and declines in humidity may influence tick behavior and expand suitable ranges for some species in the Northwest. These changes may also alter the pathogen prevalence of certain diseases within tick and host populations. Tick surveillance programs in northwestern North America are inconsistent across state and country borders, and are limited by funding, resources, and effective options for management. Some management strategies exist, but most are limited to small scales. Improving public awareness and collaboration across states and between researchers, land resource managers, and medical professionals is currently the most effective way to prevent the spread of tick-borne illnesses.
Winter 2025/2026 webinar recording:
Winter 2025/2026 webinar recording:
On January 27, NW RISCC hosted five speakers in a webinar on the impacts of different climate variables on weed biocontrol agents and their success in the Northwest. Dr. Jenn Andreas began with a brief overview of weed biocontrol. Then Dr. Chandra Moffatt talked about new research re-evaluating the efficacy of Canada's oldest weed biocontrol program, the St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) biocontrol system, across environmental and elevational gradients. Dr. Brittany Barker, and Dr. Fritzi Grevstad discussed phenological drivers and cues, providing a framework for thinking about how climate can interact with insect life cycles to affect voltinism and phenology. Finally, Dr. Annette Evans presented results of a global review of climate impacts on biocontrol.
This event also served as the launching point for a working group to address knowledge gaps around Northwest biocontrol in a changing climate. If you're interested in joining this working group, please fill out this form by Feb. 6, 2026.
Fall 2025 webinar recording now available:
Fall 2025 webinar recording now available:
On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, in this NW RISCC paired researcher-practitioner webinar, Michele Buonanduci presented the findings of recent research into the impacts of forest and estuary management on the climate resilience of salmon in Washington’s Willapa basin, including the impacts of Spartina eradication. Chad Phillips then provided details about Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Spartina management efforts.
Recordings now available for the 2nd International Invasive Species & Climate Change Conference!
Recordings now available for the 2nd International Invasive Species & Climate Change Conference!
Watch the full recordings:
Or find a specific speaker/session via the IISCCC page.
In September 2023, invasive quagga mussel larvae were detected in the Columbia River Basin, the last major North American river basin without an established population. Their presence poses a direct threat to sensitive ecosystems, local economies, and cultural resources. Climate change may facilitate the expansion of suitable habitats for these species. In turn, the impacts of established invasive mussels could worsen the climate challenges already being faced in the Northwest.
Don't Move a Mussel - NW RISCC Management Brief.pdf
Summer 2025 Webinar Recording Available
Summer 2025 Webinar Recording Available
In this team-up style webinar, Jonny Armstrong presents NW CASC-supported research on trout, temperature, and pathogens in the Upper Klamath Basin, while Ian Tattam discusses the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s work on non-native bass and juvenile steelhead interactions in the John Day River.
The European green crab has received significant attention for its known and potential economic, cultural, and ecological impacts in the Northwest and beyond. This Management Brief compiles information on the ways warming temperatures can influence this ongoing invasion and highlights the role climate adaptation can play in management.
Don't Get Crabby Management Brief—NW RISCC.pdfTitle image credit: Roger T. George/Burke Herbarium Image Collection
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