Recorded: October 20, 2022, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Eastern
 

Title: Montana Mussel Response: 5 Years Following Detection

Description: Dreissenid mussel veligers were detected in Montana for the first time in 2017. The state declared a Natural Resource Emergency and took aggressive steps to address containment and expand watercraft inspection. Five years following the initial detection, no further evidence of invasive mussels has been found. Prevention and early detection efforts continue, relying heavily on local partners and local involvement to help protect the waters of Montana from invasive species.

Thomas Woolf has worked on aquatic invasive species issues for over twenty years. Previously he worked with the Idaho State Department of Agriculture developing and implementing Idaho’s AIS program. In 2017 he moved to Montana and started as the AIS Bureau Chief for Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks where he currently coordinates and manages the state’s aquatic invasive species program.