The Interjurisdictional Invasive Species Rapid Response Team (IInSRRT) is a program being designed to support or lead, as requested, rapid response actions across jurisdictions in support of lead management authorities, such as DOI land management agencies, states, tribes, and territories.

The goal of the IInSRRT is to respond to nationally significant invasive species, as appropriate to the DOI mission, and across multiple jurisdictions regardless of land ownership within the authorities of DOI bureaus. The program structure is composed of the IInSRRT Coordinator, an IInSRRT Guidance Group, and deployment team responders initially composed of employees within the DOI. The Guidance Group provides guidance and support for the program. The IInSRRT Coordinator has been assisting in achieving management objectives flowing from the  National Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) Framework and other local, regional, and national efforts. The IInSRRT program is meant to increase resources available to support rapid response actions, through Incident Command System (ICS) emergency response support that may include an interjurisdictional deployment team for invasive species incident response on and off DOI lands and waters as requested.

This presentation will provide an overview of the IInSRRT structure, roles the program can support during response actions, and provide one of many opportunities for suggestions on how to effectively implement the program.

McKayla Spencer, Interjurisdictional Invasive Species Rapid Response Team Coordinator
McKayla Spencer is the Interjurisdictional Invasive Species Rapid Response Team (IInSRRT) Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). She received her B.S. in Zoology from the University of Florida and her M.S. in Biology from Austin Peay State University with a thesis on comparative physiology and behavior of two native North American snakes. She worked with invasives species on Guam, including Brown Treesnakes, before working with other invasive species in Florida with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as the state’s Nonnative Fish and Wildlife Program Coordinator. She now coordinates the IInSRRT program for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, implementing the program with partners to increase the capacity for invasive species rapid response.