Congressional briefing on stopping the next Burmese python, Asian carp and quagga mussel invasions through House and Senate bills on invasive species prevention

When:  Friday, June 21, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Where:  Cannon HOB 122

Who:  Rep. Louise Slaughter (NY-28^th) (invited);  Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) (invited); Manley Fuller, President, Florida Wildlife Federation;  Jerry Rasmussen, Great Lakes United; Peter Jenkins, National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species; Bruce Stein, National Wildlife Federation, Moderator.

What:  The briefing will focus on invasive species and on HR 996, the Invasive Fish and Wildlife Prevention Act, introduced by Rep. Slaughter, and the companion bill, S. 1153, by Sen. Gillibrand. It also will address HR 1823, the Protecting Lakes Against Quaggas Act, to prevent quagga mussel invasions.

Why: HR 996 and S. 1153 would dramatically strengthen the ability of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to make rapid, science-based, decisions on whether non-native fish or wildlife species will be invasive, pose a threat to ecosystems within the United States, cause economic damage or threaten public or wildlife health. Invasive species are a costly thorn in the side of the American taxpayer. For example, in fiscal years 2010 and 2011, the Federal budget allocated $120 million to control the Asian carp. Meanwhile the U.S. is spending tens of millions more dollars to control other invaders, such as wetland-destroying nutria, zebra and quagga mussels and two huge python species established in the wild in Florida. Yet, Federal officials, due to Federal law, are very slow to respond to emerging threats.

Light Breakfast Fare Will Be Served

Briefing is sponsored by the National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species (www.necis.net) with support from the Office of Rep. Louise Slaughter.  This is a widely attended event.

Briefing Invite

Senator Gillibrand introduces bill to prevent the import of harmful non-native fish and wildlife

WASHINGTON (June, 7, 2013)—Acting in the interest of the nation’s environment and economy, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) took a major step forward today to stop the import of invasive, non-native animals by introducing “The Invasive Fish and Wildlife Prevention Act of 2013.” This bill will allow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to prevent new, harmful fish and wildlife from being imported into the country and to more quickly act to prevent the spread of those that are already here. This Senate bill is a companion bill of H.R. 996, which was introduced by Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) earlier this year.

The current U.S. law governing the import of animals is more than a century old, and has proven to be ineffective in protecting the country from the influx of thousands of non-native fish and wildlife species being imported into the country, hundreds of which are already known to be invasive or present disease risk. Recent invasions by imported animal species such as the Burmese python, Asian carp, northern snakehead, and red lionfish are together costing federal, state, and local governments tens of millions of dollars annually in efforts to control them. These costs could have been avoided if authorities had considered their risks beforehand and restricted their importation.

“The current injurious species listing process is a regulatory dinosaur that, in most cases, only closes the proverbial barn door after invasive species have escaped and become established,” said Peter Jenkins, spokesperson for the National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species. “We applaud Senator Gillibrand for introducing this proposed legislation, which will allow the federal government to proactively prevent future invasions of fish and wildlife that can cause permanent harm to the environment, spread disease, and cost millions of dollars to control.”

As a leading import market, the United States receives hundreds of millions of live, non-native animals each year for use in aquaculture or for sale by the pet and aquarium trades and other businesses. For years, the federal government has come under sharp criticism for allowing the import of invasive animal species that cause extensive damage to ecosystems, are a cost burden to taxpayers, and present safety or health threats.

“This bill is a 21^st century solution that improves oversight for the trade of live animals by updating a law enacted 113 years ago,” said Jennifer Caddick, spokesperson for Great Lakes United.  “It provides a significant boost to national efforts to prevent future invasions and protects our environment, wildlife, and economy,”

The proposed legislation will create a new screening system to proactively review live animals proposed for import to the United States and to restrict those that pose serious risks before they are imported, while also immediately giving the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service greater flexibility and authority to make science-based decisions to prohibit or restrict live animals already in trade. The current law regulating animal imports does not require that animals being imported first be screened for invasiveness, for diseases they might carry, or for the risks they pose to human or wildlife health.

“Senator Gillibrand and Representative Slaughter have created a critical opportunity for Congress to close the loophole that has allowed harmful invasive species to alter U.S. ecosystems and push out native species,” said Bentley Johnson, legislative representative for the National Wildlife Federation. “Enacting these bills would be one of the most significant policy advances in animal import oversight by the federal government.”

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For a fact sheet on the economic impact of imported invasive species and diseases: www.glu.org/en/system/files/Factsheet_necis_economics_final.pdf

Established in 2003, the National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species (NECIS) is a national network of 18 major conservation and environmental organizations that provides a united expert and scientific voice on invasive species policy. Its leaders include scientists, lawyers, activists, and advocates with many years of experience on invasives policy. For more information, please visit www.necis.net.

The rule would allow a plant called Arundo donax (also known as Giant Reed, Colorado River Reed, and Giant Cane), a known invasive species, to qualify as an “advanced biofuel feedstock” under the Renewable Fuel Standard. This means that producers would get money from the federal government for growing giant reed as a source to create biofuel.

Growing plants for energy can potentially be a cleaner and less harmful alternative to fossil fuels, but only if it is done responsibly. Planting a species that has been listed as one of the world’s 100 worst invasive species is not responsible.  Invasive species cost the United States over $120 billion every year.

Given the clear risks associated with growing giant reed for energy, the last thing we need is to be spending taxpayer-funded money encouraging producers to plant this stuff. There is still time for EPA to hit pause and fix the rule before finalizing it.

To view the letter and find out more information about this proposed rule, read National Wildlife Federation’s blog post here: http://blog.nwf.org/2012/10/an-environmental-disaster-of-unimaginable-proportions/

Biological Invasions article

Congress can give the Fish and Wildlife Service authority to stop costly invaders like Asian carp from ever being imported to the United States

WASHINGTON (May 31, 2012)—Yesterday evening, the Invasive Fish and Wildlife Prevention Act of 2012 (H.R. 5864) was introduced by Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), and a bipartisan group of nine original co-sponsors to prevent the import of harmful, non-native fish, wildlife, and wildlife diseases. This legislation would strengthen the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) ability to designate animals as “injurious,” which cannot be imported or shipped between states without a permit. The legislation would empower the FWS to become proactive rather than reactive in its listing and restriction process, and stop harmful invasive fish and wildlife from ever arriving at U.S. shores.  Original co-sponsors are Reps. Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU),  Sam Farr (D-CA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Dale Kildee (D-MI), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Charles Rangel (D-NY), and Mike Rogers (R-MI).

Examples of damaging imported invaders include Asian carp species, specifically the bighead and silver carp. These giant fish were imported in the 1970s, and escaped or were released into the wild. They are now thriving throughout the MississippiRiver basinwith only an electric barrier keeping them out of the Great Lakes. H.R. 5864 proposes a new process that could have kept these two intentionally imported species out of the country, saving taxpayers millions of dollars in control costs. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, approximately $204 million has been spent by federal, state, and local governments from 1998 through 2011, in an attempt to stop the spread of these fish into theGreat Lakes.

“If this legislation had been introduced decades ago, species like bighead and silver carp would have been banned before the first shipment,” said Jennifer Nalbone, director of Navigation and Invasive Species for Great Lakes United. “We have a lesson to learn from the Asian carp crisis; it’s time to put an updated, proactive approach in place. Our best defense is to screen out potential invaders from imports in the first place.”

For years, the federal government has come under sharp criticism for allowing the import of invasive animal species that cause damage, are a burden to taxpayers, or present safety or health threats.  Examples include venomous red lionfish, originally imported for the aquarium trade and now invading the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, and Burmese pythons originally imported for the pet trade and now menacing the Florida Everglades. The bill would implement a new regulatory process to more rapidly evaluate risks of importing non-native wildlife, and restrict those species that pose serious risks before they are imported to theUnited States. Current legislation regulating animal imports does not require that animals being imported first be screened for invasiveness, for diseases they might carry, or for the risks they pose to human or wildlife health.

This proposed legislation will create a new FWS screening system within six years, while immediately giving the agency greater flexibility and authority to make science-based decisions regarding prohibiting or restricting live animals in trade. The FWS also would get emergency authority to respond to the animal and human health threats posed by the live animal trade, a known potential vector for pathogens such as theWest Nileand monkeypox viruses.

“The existing 112-year-old regulatory process is very slow and utterly inadequate for the massive trade of live wild animals that is occurring in the 21^st Century. It’s like continuing to use a musket in the age of unmanned drones,” said Peter Jenkins, spokesperson for the National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species. “The listing of a damaging, non-native species often occurs after the species has either escaped or been released and become established, and this proves extremely costly for both taxpayers and ecosystems.”

As a leading import market, theUnited Statesreceives hundreds of millions of live non-native animals each year. Under the current law, it takes an average of four years for the federal government to stop the importation of potentially harmful wildlife. During this time period, an   animal can continue to be imported, potentially enteringU.S.ecosystems, where it can spread widely, crowd out native wildlife, fundamentally alter natural systems, and spread infectious pathogens and harmful parasites.

“Representative Slaughter’s action provides a critical opportunity for Congress to close the loophole that allowed harmful invasive species like Asian carp, Burmese python, and red lionfish to enter the country,” said Dr. Bruce Stein of the National Wildlife Federation. “Enacting this bill would be one of the most significant policy advances we can make to prevent future harmful invasions.”

“For several years, Congress has considered bills that would modernize our antiquated and broken regulatory system, but the legislation has stalled,” said Mike Daulton, vice president of Government Relations for the National Audubon Society. “By acting now, Congress can save taxpayers millions of dollars a year in damages and control costs.”

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Contact:     Cindy Yeast, 720-542-9455; 202-236-5413 cdyeast@earthlink.net

For a fact sheet on the economic impact of imported invasive species and diseases: http://www.glu.org/en/system/files/Factsheet_necis_economics_final.pdf

Established in 2003, the National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species (NECIS) is a national network of 18 major conservation and environmental organizations that provides a united expert and scientific voice on invasive species policy. Its leaders include scientists, lawyers, activists, and advocates with many years of experience on invasives policy. 

To view NECIS’ letter to members of the House of Representatives encouraging support of H.R. 5864, click the following link: NECIS_billendorsement_House

S. 357 would help remedy some of the major challenges in responding to emerging wildlife pathogens and parasites. These diseases pose a critical threat to the health of wildlife and, in many cases, to humans and domesticated animals.

NECIS made a series of detailed recommendations to the subcommittee, which can be viewed in the attached testimony letter submitted on April 20th.

S 357 NECIS recommendations

Before the markup of HR 511, NECIS sent in the attached letter (HouseJudiciary_HR511) urging support for the passage of the legislation.

While NECIS applauds the effort of Representative Rooney and the committee for passing the legislation, NECIS cannot support the bill with such a broad loophole, and calls on Members of Congress to eliminate the loophole as it heads to the floor of the House of Representatives.

These species of large constrictor snakes are having a devastating impact in the Florida Everglades.  In fact, a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that small mammal populations in the Everglades are crashing, coinciding with increasing numbers of exotic pythons.

In early 2010 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed adding the nine species of snakes in H.R. 511 to the list of injurious species.  However, in January 2012, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar released a final rule with just four of the nine species prohibited from import and interstate trade.  This decision did not “finish the job” and left 5 snakes species, identified by the U.S. Geological Survey as posing a “significant risk,” off the list.  Unless all 9 species are listed as injurious, the threats to public safety and ecosystems will continue.

At least 2,500 different species of non-native wildlife were imported to the U.S. in the last decade.  Research indicates more than 300 of those species are already known to be potential invaders or present disease risk.  The total U.S. cost attributed to invasive animals and associated animal diseases is estimated to be as much as $35 billion per year.

The coalition commended FWS for the development of the Climate Adaptation strategy and focused their comments on strengthening actions to prevent and control invasive species.

For the complete comments please click on the following link: NECIS letter on NFWPCAS.

While NECIS applauds the effort of Representative Rooney and the committee for passing the legislation, NECIS cannot support the bill with such a broad loophole, and calls on Members of Congress to eliminate the loophole as it heads to the floor of the House of Representatives.

Before the markup of HR 511, NECIS sent in the attached letter (HouseJudiciary_HR511) urging support for the passage of the legislation.

These species of large constrictor snakes are having a devastating impact in the Florida Everglades.  In fact, a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that small mammal populations in the Everglades are crashing, coinciding with increasing numbers of exotic pythons.

From the report:

The researchers found staggering declines in animal sightings: a drop of 99.3 percent among raccoons, 98.9 percent for opossums, 94.1 percent for white-tailed deer and 87.5 percent for bobcats. Along roads where python populations are believed to be smaller, declines were lower but still notable.

Rabbits and foxes, which were commonly spotted in 1996 and 1997, were not seen at all in the later counts.

Several National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species (NECIS) members framed possible solutions to a variety of problems created by invasive species and pathogens, including the spread of invasives from climate change, zoonotic diseases associated with animal trade, gaps in federal policy, and more.

NCSE has compiled the results from this and other breakout sessions.  To view the full policy recommendations from the breakout session titled “Biosecurity in a Changing Climate–How the United States Must Adapt to New Threats of Human and Animal Pathogens and Invasive Species,” click the link below.

FINAL_Recommendations_NCSE_Breakout_Session_19_Biosecurity_in_a_Changing_Climate_v3