Wildlife Forever Releases 2022 National Report on Invasive Species

Immediate Release:

Contact: Zach Burnside, Invasive Species Program Coordinator ZBurnside@WildlifeForever.org

White Bear Lake, MN – Wildlife Forever is proud to release the 2022 Clean Drain Dry Initiative annual accomplishment report. Through applied use of media and community outreach, the public awareness campaign generated a staggering 90 million impressions in 2022.   

“I want to thank our sponsors and partners for working together to invest into public awareness and education. Last year, industry partners like Yamaha and American Sportfishing Association really stepped up, making investments, and getting engaged. Invasive species are a national conservation priority everyone needs to be part of,” said Pat Conzemius, CEO of Wildlife Forever.  

Targeted marketing and consistent messaging are key elements ensuring Clean Drain Dry communications are relevant to a broad range of stakeholders. Last year, the campaign and associated outreach efforts generated investments, discounted services, and savings of over $912,000.00. 

In addition to multi-media outreach campaigns, Wildlife Forever conducts on-the-ground, landscape-scale, efforts to slow the spread of invasive species. The Access Enhancement Guidebook is the culmination of years of evaluation, analyzing water accesses, recommending signage, and deploying infrastructure improvements that empower users to prevent the spread of invasive species. The report includes case studies at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge and Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. 

“With the explosion of interest in outdoor recreation, it is more important than ever to educate the public on invasive species issues,” said Zach Burnside, Invasive Species Program Coordinator at Wildlife Forever, “reaching users early and often helps to build lasting habits that protect the resource.” 

Coordination for 2023 recreation seasons is underway now.  Please reach out to Wildlife Forever for campaign services and information on available education and outreach resources. To learn about services, contact Zach Burnside: ZBurnside@WildlifeForever.org or visit www.CleanDrainDry.org 

Since 2006, the Clean Drain Dry Initiative has reached over 2.4 billion impressions and has helped to invest over $15 million dollars to coordinate the national campaign and educate outdoor recreational users on how to prevent the spread of invasive species. Strategic communications, marketing, outreach and educational services provide access to consistent messaging and tailored AIS prevention planning.  

 

About Wildlife Forever: Our mission is to conserve America’s wildlife heritage through conservation education, preservation of habitat and management of fish and wildlife. Wildlife Forever is a 501(c)(3) non-profit; recent audits reveal that 94% of every dollar supports our award-winning conservation programs. Please, Join Today and learn more about the Fish Art Contest®, Clean Drain Dry Initiative™ and Prairie City USA® at  www.WildlifeForever.org.