City of Santa Cruz watersheds include over 150 square miles of the County of Santa Cruz. While blessed with great native biodiversity, with the long history of industrial, recreational and other land uses post-Mission period and being relatively nearby the major Pacific Rim hub that is San Francisco Bay, many invasive species have become established – or threaten to become established – in these watersheds. Despite a strong conservation constituency in this area, management of these species is often confounded by limited resources, lack of prioritization, changing climatic conditions, fire interval and severity shifts, ongoing introductions of new invasive species and limited regulatory tools. Furthermore, the human factors involved in managing invasive species – be they cultural traditions, concerns about management techniques, lack of awareness of the impacts of these species or others often further challenge wildlife managers in their attempts to advance invasive species management strategies. As the threats posed by invasive species inevitably grow in coming years, public education regarding these issues is critical to implementing rigorous management strategies.