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.

Chris Berry is the Watershed Manager for the City of Santa Cruz where he oversees drinking water source protection and environmental regulatory compliance. His work includes the development and implementation of several habitat conservation plans, oversight of over 4,000 acres of open space (including significant forest health and invasive species management issues), management of environmental education programs and related activities. He also serves on the County of Santa Cruz Fish and Wildlife Advisory Commission – where he helped establish the County’s first invasive species – related ordinance (regarding American bullfrogs). He is a proud graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara.