Indiana CISMAS

Indiana cismas

Photo by MC-IRIS, a CISMA operating in Monroe County Indiana.

WHAT IS A CWMA OR CISMA?

CISMAs were first known as CWMAs, or Cooperative Weed Management Areas. They first became popular in the western US, but over the past decade have become more widespread in the eastern states, including the Midwest. Sometimes called Coalitions, Partnerships, or Councils, CISMAs are formed to collectively combat the problem of invasive species spreading across the landscape. CISMAs can vary greatly in their geographic range, activity level, and focus, and are usually comprised of representatives from various governmental agencies, non-profits, and concerned citizens or citizen groups. They might cover a single county, or stretch over multiple counties.

CISMAs have been shown to very effectively target invasive species problems by engaging local interests and addressing invasive issues across various land ownerships. By working together at the local level, CWMA/CISMA partners are able to pool resources and knowledge to address mutual invasive species problems. In Indiana, the first CISMA was formed in Brown County in 2006, the Brown County Native Woodlands Project. Now, through SICIM’s Indiana Invasives Initiative, we are working to establish new CISMAs across Indiana, and provide resources and guidance for new and established CISMAs. For CISMA resources and more information on CISMAs in the Midwest, you can also check out the Midwest Invasive Plant Network.

Established CISMAs

Check out CISMAs working in southern Indiana and across the state by browsing the table below. If you don't see a CISMA listed for your county, scroll down to see if we are working to start one in your area. You can also try our County Resources Page for other contacts, or contact a member of our Indiana Invasives Initiative if you’re interested in starting a new CISMA.

CISMAs arranged in geographic order from North to South. Click on the image to view or download as a pdf.

Note this table only represents the established and new CISMAs shown in the map above, there are several other counties working to create CISMAs in Indiana (scroll down the page for more information). We will try to keep this table up to date, but if you have any corrections or additions please contact Emily Finch at emily@sicim.info.

New CISMA Efforts

Our Invasives Initiative regional specialists are working with several counties in an effort to establish their own cismas. Some of these counties are just starting out, while others have held several meetings and are already conducting invasive species activities. If you live or work in one of these counties, browse the listings below for contact information and other details.

What are cisma Community Surveys?

If you live or work in one of the counties below, helping a new CISMA could be as easy as taking an online survey! These surveys can help new groups understand who is already managing invasives, how a CISMA can help and what to focus on, and who is willing to help lead the new CISMA.

Even if you don't know anything about invasives, you can still take the survey (just skip over any questions you don't know). Just scroll down the page and click on the survey for any county you live or work in. For paper copies, reach out to the contact listed for you county.

Counties listed approximately north to south.

In Orange County, partners working to start a CISMA held their first ever event, a Garlic Mustard Weed Wrangle at the Pioneer Mothers trail outside of Paoli.