This Level One WIT Training is directed at state, federal and local natural resource and boating agency personnel, water users of all types, law makers, policy makers, and border/lake inspection personnel, marina operators and commercial boat transport operators.

The Level One training program gives a thorough overview of the species and problems caused, and includes information on outreach and education programs, basic mussel biology, distribution, transport vectors, mussel impacts and focuses on how to inspect for and decontaminate trailered watercraft suspected of having zebra or quagga mussels on-board.

The Level One training includes 4-5 hours with one instructor utilizing a new two-part education and training video produced for this purpose, a informative presentation on national prevention programs, current issues, lessons learned from existing watercraft inspection programs, a question and answer session and a hands-on watercraft inspection exercise.

The Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission and its state, federal, tribal and local partners will provide an instructor for this course upon request.

The primary instructor for this training is Bill Zook (See information below). In addition, graduates of Level Two training are also certified as Level One instructors. Click here for a List of WIT Level Two Graduates. You can also find this information in the Training Resources section of this website.

Bill Zook:

Bill is a retired Fisheries Program Manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and for the past seven years has worked as a contract consultant for the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission responsible for zebra/quagga mussel outreach and education in the western U.S.  With WDFW, he established Washington’s Aquatic Nuisance Species Program in the mid-1990’s, a program then considered to be the model for the rest of the west. He developed the watercraft inspection and decontamination training program in 2004 and has conducted dozens of trainings since. Bill is the co-author of the Uniform Minimum Protocols and Standards for Watercraft Interception Program for Dreissenid Mussels in the Western United States (see earlier link) recently adopted by the Western Regional Panel of the national Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force. He lives and works in Olympia Washington.

How to schedule a Level One Training for your organization:

Level One Training is provided at no charge to Federal, State and Local Government agencies for groups of 20 or more and at cost ($500-$1,000 depending on travel costs) for non government organizations.

The agency or organization that hosts a Level One training needs to provide the training facility and is responsible for recruiting and notifying course participants. In addition, the host provides one trailered watercraft for every 10-15 people attending the class that will be used for the hands-on inspection exercise portion of the training. Click here to find a checklist of responsibilities for agencies and organizations hosting a Level One training. You can calso find this information in the Training Resources section of this website.

Everything else needed for the training is provided by PSMFC and the trainer.

To schedule a Level One training, please contact:

D. Davis
(702) 236-3814
quaggadee@cox.net