STATEMENT OF DR. JAMES TATE, JR., SCIENCE ADVISOR,

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

BEFORE THE HOUSE AGRICULTURE SUB-COMMITTEE ON DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS, OVERSIGHT, NUTRITION AND FORESTRY

October 2, 2002

Invasive species are a costly economic problem. Invasive plants alone are estimated to cause more than $20 billion per year in economic damage. Other estimates that include invasive animals and pathogens push the total cost to the U.S. economy to more than $100 billion each year.

In addition, our nation is losing precious wildlife habitat and suffering mounting natural resources productivity losses to the encroachment of invasive plants and animals. As an estimate of ecological harm, 46% of threatened and endangered species owe their listing to uncontrolled spread of invasive species (Wilcove et al., 1996). Here at the Department, we are attempting to combat invasive species across the broadest possible array of species and habitats on public and private lands and in inter-jurisdictional waters. We are striving to work in partnership with a broad spectrum of states, non-governmental organizations, and private interests.

As the steward of some 438 million acres of public lands -- roughly 18 percent of all land in the United States -- the Department's eight bureaus manage more than one out of every five acres of land in the United States, with most of these lands in the American West. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), with some 262 million acres, is the largest federal landholder, and energy and mineral operations on its lands generate over $2 billion in revenue. The National Park Service (NPS) manages 83 million acres in 385 parks, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) manages 93 million acres in the National Refuge System for wildlife conservation and recreational uses.

In fiscal year (FY) 2000, the Department spent approximately $31 million, about five percent of the total federal invasive species expenditures (U.S. General Accounting Office, 2000).

Department of the Interior Program Highlights

Given the large amount of land and diverse resources under its jurisdiction, the Department of the Interior necessarily must be one of the leaders in working toward the control of invasive species. Indeed, the Department's mission focuses on a broad array of natural resources -- from mineral resources and mining to protection of endangered species and stewardship of natural systems for present and future generations. Our contribution focuses on lands and waters, many of which are not under commercial development. Thus, we often find ourselves focused on weeds, animals, and pathogens whose impacts influence natural areas across the nation.

Interior resource management programs target invasive plants and animals, including emerging wildlife diseases, on National Wildlife Refuges, National Park lands, and BLM lands. A brief snapshot of these programs include the following:

•The NPS has created a model program called "Exotic Plant Management Teams," under the Natural Resources Challenge, which we plan to replicate in other bureaus.

•On BLM lands, range and forest managers focus on removal of weeds contributing to unnatural wildfire cycles and post-fire restoration.

•The Bureau of Reclamation focuses on aquatic weeds in waters under its jurisdiction, and it contributes control and restoration leadership in the fight against saltcedar.

•The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides client bureaus with the research and information sharing tools for monitoring, prevention, and control and accountability.

At the staff level, we are proud of our contributions to policy and information sharing as members of the Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds (FICMNEW). Further, Interior Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force members work with states, Tribes, and other federal partners to stem the onslaught of aquatic nuisance species, like sea lamprey, Caulerpa alga, Eurasian ruffe, Giant Salvinia water fern, and the Asian swamp eel, primarily through the FWS, Bureau of Reclamation, and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

We are also working toward partnerships with private landowners to address invasive species. For example, many Departmental bureaus contribute to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's (NFWF) "Pulling Together Initiative" to build partnerships with private landowners to eliminate harmful weeds. The BLM "Partners Against Weeds," (PAWS) and the FWS "Partners for Fish and Wildlife" programs control invasive species on private lands with the goal of restoring native plant and animal communities.

In a similar vein, the Department provides administrative support for the National Invasive Species Council (Council) and the Invasive Species Advisory Committee to build direct stakeholder involvement and collaboration between federal agencies and non-federal partners. Interior bureaus work closely with Council staff to implement the invasive species activities called for in the first National Invasive Species Management Plan (Plan): leadership and coordination, prevention, early detection and rapid response, control and management, restoration, international cooperation, research, information management, and education and public awareness.

The Plan calls for a "cross-cut" budget proposal for federal agency expenditures concerning invasive species beginning in FY 2003. The Council co-chair Departments (Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) are working together to have an interagency performance budget crosscut proposal ready for the FY 2004 budget cycle. It will be performance-oriented, with common long-term goals, intermediate goals, performance measures, and definitions for the relevant Departments. Like the Plan discussed above, the performance budget proposal's initial focus will be on early detection and rapid response, control, and prevention.

Approaches to Solving the Invasive Species Problem

In general, the Department believes that the most effective and least costly method of reducing the impact of invasive alien species is to prevent their initial introduction. In the case of unintentional introductions, effective preventive measures involve identification of pathways and reducing the risk associated with those pathways. Indeed, Congress recognized this principle in the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act (Act), which recognizes, for example, that ballast water is a major pathway for the introduction of aquatic species. As such, the Act requires mandatory regulations on ballast water management for vessels entering the Great Lakes, and voluntary guidelines for other parts of the country.

Similarly, a number of methods have been used to prevent the introduction of pathogens and parasites associated with commercial species, including raw timber, horticultural plants, and pets, to name a few. The International Council for Exploration of the Seas has taken another approach by developing a protocol for use with aquatic species. In each case, the major emphasis is on preventing release of first generation imports.

As noted above, major pathways of introduction should be identified in order to prevent the unintentional establishment of invasive species. After major pathways have been identified, methods of interdiction should be developed, and they should be developed with an eye toward causing minimal disruption to international commerce.

After prevention, the early detection of and rapid response to new invasions is paramount. For example, veterinarians, wildlife rehabilitators, and epidemiologists began to share information immediately upon discovery of West Nile virus and its impact on wild birds and humans here in the United States. In this case, mechanisms do exist for the Centers for Disease Control to act promptly with local health and wildlife officials. While fighting invasive species must necessarily compete with other budget priorities, we are continuing to work toward development of similar systems that we hope will allow us to work with states and private citizens to rapidly respond to invasive species outbreaks.

Rapid response is essential to stop a newly arrived invasive species. Control of a well-established invasive species is many times more difficult. After establishment, a single control strategy seldom is sufficient and an integrated management strategy is usually needed. Integrated pest management (IPM) is a strategy that focuses on long-term control of pests and the damage caused by them through a combination of biological control, habitat manipulation, creative agricultural practices, and sequence and timing of actions. Pesticides are used, but under guidelines established to minimize risks to human health, beneficial and non-target organisms.

One area where we have had some recent success is in the listing of injurious wildlife -- like the snakehead fish that has recently been in the news. Under the Lacey Act, injurious wildlife species can be prohibited from import and interstate commerce. Nevertheless, the Lacey Act does have its limitations that prevent its use to comprehensively address invasive species introductions.

For example, the Lacey Act is limited to only animals. But, in fact, the statute does not apply to all animals, only those specifically listed along with mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mollusks, and crustaceans generally. Therefore, we do not have the authority to regulate insects, plants, and other organisms under the Lacey Act. The statute also excludes restrictions on species that are regulated under the Plant Pest Act, explicitly stating that section 42 does not authorize "any action with respect to the importation of any plant pest as defined in the Federal Plant Pest Act, insofar as such importation is subject to regulation under that Act." As a result, any animal species whose importation is regulated under the Plant Pest Act cannot be regulated under the Lacey Act.

The National Invasive Species Council

Federal efforts at addressing the invasive species problem are bolstered by the National Invasive Species Council which, as noted above, is co-chaired by the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and Interior. The Council offers coordination and leadership on invasive species issues and encourages partnership efforts to prevent and control the spread of invasive species. The Council provides a coordinated multi-stakeholder approach which utilizes input from a diverse group of stakeholders to all federal efforts on invasive species.

Also noted above, the Invasive Species Advisory Committee is a FACA committee with 30 members drawn from academic, industry, environmental, and private citizen groups. Currently, the Advisory Committee exists to provide advice to the National Invasive Species Council in accordance with Executive Order 13112, and it is supported by the Department of the Interior. The Advisory Committee provides critical expertise in invasive species. It has played a seminal role in development of the first National Invasive Species Management Plan, and recently provided important stakeholder input helpful to development of a FY 2004 budget crosscut and geographical areas of emphasis.

Conclusion

In closing, I want to thank you for providing the Department this opportunity to offer this very general picture of our programs and efforts to address invasive species problems. I hope it is clear that our goal is to ensure that our invasive species actions emphasize coordination of existing federal efforts and local control programs in order to strengthen ongoing invasive species programs and support new partnerships and initiatives. We look forward to working with the Committee and our partners -- states, Tribes, and private individuals -- to develop prevention, control, and management initiatives that recognize and strengthen these existing partnerships.

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my prepared remarks. I am happy to answer any questions you or other Committee members might have.