Indiana 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, try our County Resources Page for other contacts, or contact a member of our Indiana Invasives Initiative to start one! 

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. 

Help out new cismas....

Our Invasives Initiative regional specialists are working with several counties that have just formed CISMAs or are working on forming one.  If you live or work in one of these counties, browse the listings below for contact information and other details.

You can help new CISMAs - just take a survey! 

If you live or work in one of the counties below, helping a new CISMA could be as easy as taking an online survey!

Why Community Surveys?

As new groups form some of the first questions are:

1. Who is already managing invasives in our area?
2. How can our new CISMA help? or What activities should we focus on?
3. WHO is willing to help lead our new CISMA or plan CISMA activities? 

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.  

Owen County - Sweet Owen woodlands network (SOWN)

Contact:

Owen County SWCD - Andrea Oeding

788 Pottersville Rd, Spencer, IN

andrea-oeding@iaswcd.org; 812-829-2605

johnson county

Contact:

Johnson County SWCD - Blair Beavers 

550 East Jefferson Street Suite 202 Franklin, IN

blair-beavers@iaswcd.org;  (317) 739-9540 Ext 101

vanderburgh & posey & gibson & Pike & warrick Counties

Contact:

Heather Zengler (SWCD Invasive Technician/CISMA Coordinator)

Heather is the main contact for all five of these SW Indiana counties, but you can also contact your SWCD office for more information.

921 North Park Dr Evansville, IN 47710

heather.zengler@in.nacdnet.net; Phone: 812-423-4426 x3

Click on the images below to take the CISMA surveys for any county you live or work in.  Paper surveys are also available at each county's SWCD office, or by request to Heather Zengler.