Find and Report Invasive Species

Help Protect Your Lands and Waters

The first step in protecting our communities from invasive species is knowing where they are, and you are our most important partner in that effort! Your eyes on the ground can help us not only to locate harmful plants, animals, and diseases, but also to find them soon enough for management to be an option. The earlier an infestation is found, the greater our chances are to eradicate it, contain it, or at the very least, slow it down, which buys valuable time to develop better control methods and prepare for its spread, among other things.

Thanks to public reporting from folks like you, DEC and our partners have been able to:

• significantly reduce the southern pine beetle (SPB) population - protecting thousands of acres of the Long Island Pine Barrens,
• control giant hogweed at 2,500+ sites, with nearly half of the sites now totally clear of hogweed plants,
• slow the spread of emerald ash borer (EAB) to give homeowners and municipalities time to manage their ash trees,
• reduce hydrilla in the Croton River by 99% and prevented spread into the Hudson River,
• and slow or contain many more terrestrial and aquatic pests.

DEC's "Ones to Watch"

See what invasive species DEC is looking for
in your region of New York State

DEC actively tracks a number of invasive species, focusing on those that are new to the area or are most likely present in low numbers. Want to help us track them? Use our interactive map (leaves DEC website) to find out which invasives we are looking for in your part of the state. The map links to instructions about how to report each species.

We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox to use the map (not Internet Explorer).

Reporting Other Invasive Species

Found something invasive that is not on your region's list on the map? Report it to New York iMapInvasives (leaves DEC website), the official invasive species database for NY. iMapInvasives provides a platform for reporting and tracking invasive species and is managed by the New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP). Getting an account is free, and their new mobile smartphone app makes reporting on-the-go easier than ever.

You can submit a report to iMap in one of two ways (all links below leave DEC's website). We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox to access iMap's website and tools on your desktop computer (not Internet Explorer):

• The best method is to simply create a free iMap account and submit reports directly to the database using the online interface or the mobile app (PDF). You can also set up alerts for the species and locations that interest you.
• If you do not want to create an account, you can use the iMap Public Report form to submit a single observation of an invasive species. Please note that reports submitted this way are not automatically submitted to the statewide database; they are reviewed weekly by NYNHP staff.

Visit the iMap website or view their recorded webinar training for more information on how to use iMap. For questions or concerns about NY iMapInvasives, email the team at imapinvasives@dec.ny.gov.

Stay Connected

Across the state, Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISMs) help DEC track and control invasive species. Find your local PRISM and follow them via their listserv or social media to find out about invasive species in your area and how to get involved.