Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County is taking a survey to learn if invasive species impact the lives and businesses in the North Country, and St. Lawrence County residents can participate.

Anyone who has been impacted by the poison ivy type of rash caused by wild parsnip or dreaded walking barefoot on a shell-ridden beach has felt the impact of invasive species.

Those living in the Saint Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario (SLELO) region, including Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Oswego and Oneida counties, are invited to help by taking this survey.

Invasive species have the potential to drastically affect the lives of everyone. An example is viral hemorrhagic septicemia, or VHS. VHS is a viral disease that affects many freshwater fish, and has caused a decrease in some fish populations due to its spread.

This can affect anglers, fisheries, and fishing guides due to the large decrease in fish stock for them to catch.

Anyone from the SLELO region who would like to participate in the survey can go to the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County website www.ccejefferson.org, or to the extension’s social media pages for links.

For more information, call Timothy Ives at 315-788-8450 or email at tmi4@cornell.edu.