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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Consolas;color:black">Please distribute widely</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><img width="548" height="352" id="Picture_x005f_x005f_x005f_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D287BD.EBAF0410"></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">Registration Open</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D"> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#4472C4"><a href="http://ebmsweb.caes.uga.edu/emc00/PublicSignIn.aspx?OrgCode=10&EvtID=10112&CC=117020603651&SessionID=ff1fe2fb6fbk&DictSeq=26&Lang=*&AppCode=REG&CultureInfo=en-US"><span style="color:#4472C4">Registration</span></a></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">
is open! Registration is $200 and includes 3 lunches and 2 dinners. Early Registration and Hotel Block is available until March 31, 2017. Optional Field Trips are available on Thursday Afternoon, May 11 – Saturday, May 13. Space is limited for some
trips.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">About the Forum</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">North American Invasive Species Forum - Building Cooperation Across Borders</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D"><a href="http://www.invasivespecies2017.org">http://www.invasivespecies2017.org</a>
</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">The North American Invasive Species Forum is a biennial conference encompassing the interests of professionals and organizations involved in invasive species management, research,
and regulation in North America. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">The Forum expands on the previous successes of the biennial Weeds Across Borders conferences, bringing together the international invasive species community. This Forum will include
the latest information on policy and cross-border coordination of aquatic and terrestrial invasive species management – including discussions on innovative and effective approaches for collaboration with indigenous and tribal groups, local communities, government
agencies, industry, not-for-profit organizations, and other stakeholders – with the objective of outlining a continental Strategic Framework for aquatic and terrestrial invasive species across North America.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">In addition to the three-day event, with opportunities for post-forum field trips along the Georgia coast and a pre-forum workshop on invasive speecies mapping and data. The North
American Invasive Species Network is hosting this Forum with the support of, and guidance from, an international steering committee representing the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. We hope that you will plan to enjoy the beautiful Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens
setting.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">Meeting Location</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">Way back when the property was a USDA plant introduction station, locals first affectionately dubbed it "the Bamboo Farm." Today, as a facility within the University of Georgia Extension,
it is now known as the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">Located 10 miles southwest of historic downtown Savannah, Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens is also 19 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean. It is in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 8b,
with an annual average minimum temperature of 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. On average, there are about 140 summer days with temperatures above 86 degrees.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">To learn more about the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens, please visit <a href="http://www.coastalgeorgiabg.org/" target="_blank"><b>their website</b></a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">Thanks,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">Chuck</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">Chuck Bargeron</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">Associate Director for Invasive Species and Information Technology</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">Center for Invasive Species & Ecosystem Health</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">University of Georgia – Tifton, GA</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">Phone (229) 386-3298</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">Cell (229) 402-0412</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#1F497D">www.bugwood.org</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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