Date: February 18, 2016
Contact: Jessica Kershaw, Interior Press@ios.doi.gov<mailto:Press@ios.doi.gov>
Interior Department Announces Framework to Safeguard the
Nation’s Lands and Waters from Invasive Species
Continuous proliferation of invasive species harmful to
U.S. ecosystems, the economy, and human health
WASHINGTON - In response to the harmful impacts invasive
species have on the Nation’s natural and cultural resources, today the
Department of the Interior released an interdepartmental report, Safeguarding
America’s Lands and Waters from Invasive Species: A National Framework for
Early Detection and Rapid Response.<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTYwMjE4LjU1MzY3OTQxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE2MDIxOC41NTM2Nzk0MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MDEwNDE5JmVtYWlsaWQ9a2V2aW5fdGhvbXBzb25AaW9zLmRvaS5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPWtldmluX3Rob21wc29uQGlvcy5kb2kuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&100&&&https://edit.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/National%20EDRR%20Framework_Final_02_05_2016%20%281%29.pdf>
The report proposes to stop their spread through early detection and rapid
response (EDRR) actions—a coordinated set of actions to find and eradicate
potential invasive species before they spread and cause harm.
“Invasive species pose one of the most significant
ecological threats to America’s lands and waters,” said U.S. Department of the
Interior Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Kristen J. Sarri. “Early
detection and rapid response actions can reduce the long-term costs, economic
burden, and ecological harm that they have on communities. Strong partnerships
and a shared commitment to preventing the spread of invasive species can lay
the foundation for more effective and cost-efficient strategies to stop their
spread.”
The report, called for by the White House Council on
Climate Preparedness and Resilience in its Priority Agenda: Enhancing the
Climate Resilience of America’s Natural Resources<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTYwMjE4LjU1MzY3OTQxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE2MDIxOC41NTM2Nzk0MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MDEwNDE5JmVtYWlsaWQ9a2V2aW5fdGhvbXBzb25AaW9zLmRvaS5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPWtldmluX3Rob21wc29uQGlvcy5kb2kuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&101&&&https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/enhancing_climate_resilience_of_americas_natural_resources.pdf>
urges the National Invasive Species Council (NISC)—an interagency body created
by Executive Order 13112—to provide leadership in early detection and rapid
response for invasive species. Formed in 1999, NISC is comprised of the
Secretaries and Administrators of 13 Federal Departments and Agencies and
focuses on interdepartmental coordination and high-level policy and planning.
The Department of the Interior co-chairs the NISC, along with the Departments
of Agriculture and Commerce, and houses the NISC Secretariat.
An invasive species is defined as one that is not native
to a specific location and whose spread causes, or is likely to cause, economic
or environmental harm or harm to human health. Invasive species are moved
around the world through trade, travel, and transport. Climate change can
accelerate the spread and amplify the impacts and costs associated with
invasive species. The reverse is also true—invasive species can dramatically
reduce the resilience of lands and waters to climate change.
Hundreds of invasive species already exist in the United
States, including zebra and quagga mussels, Asian carps, lionfish, and many
others<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTYwMjE4LjU1MzY3OTQxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE2MDIxOC41NTM2Nzk0MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MDEwNDE5JmVtYWlsaWQ9a2V2aW5fdGhvbXBzb25AaW9zLmRvaS5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPWtldmluX3Rob21wc29uQGlvcy5kb2kuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&102&&&https://edit.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/EDRR%20Resource%20Guide_02_17_2016_Final_0.pdf>.
If left to spread, invasive species can cost billions of dollars to manage and
can cause irreversible harm. For example, highly flammable cheatgrass, a plant
native to Europe, fuels more intense wildfires, imperiling livestock, wildlife,
fragile habitats and rangelands while also endangering property and posing risk
to human life. Recognizing the urgency of this threat, Secretary Jewell issued
Secretarial Order 3336 on Rangeland Fire, Rangeland Fire Prevention,
Management, and Restoration<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTYwMjE4LjU1MzY3OTQxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE2MDIxOC41NTM2Nzk0MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MDEwNDE5JmVtYWlsaWQ9a2V2aW5fdGhvbXBzb25AaW9zLmRvaS5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPWtldmluX3Rob21wc29uQGlvcy5kb2kuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&103&&&https://www.forestsandrangelands.gov/rangeland/documents/SecretarialOrder3336.pdf>
to develop more targeted actions to reduce the likelihood and severity of fire,
stem the spread of invasive species, and restore the health of the
sagebrush-steppe ecosystem. The challenges associated with cheatgrass
underscore the need for early detection and rapid response.
Despite prevention efforts, potentially invasive species,
such as the spotted lanternfly and the Asian tiger mosquito, which spreads the
Zika virus, continue to be a threat. This reality necessitates a national
framework for the early detection of and rapid response to invasive species.
This report is a first step towards building U.S. capacity to forecast which
non-native species pose the greatest risk to the country, bolster current
monitoring and response actions underway, and position public and private
partners to be prepared to take immediate action when the next invasive species
arrives.
"Invasive species that infest marine and freshwater
environments are notoriously difficult and costly to control,” said Eileen
Sobeck, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries at the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). “It is imperative that we develop a national
program that can help stop the spread of invasive species in U.S. waters, as
well as keep the next potential invasive species at bay."
Interior has been actively engaged in prevention, early
detection, rapid response, control and management and research related to
invasive species for nearly 60 years. The Department’s FY2017 budget request
includes $105.8 million to address invasive species, approximately $5.4 million
above the 2016 enacted level.
The report contains a series of concrete recommendations
for Federal action that builds on existing initiatives and calls for the
implementation of five recommendations, including:
* Establishing a multi-stakeholder EDRR Task
Force;
* Convening high-level decision makers to
assess funding mechanisms for a nation-wide preparedness and emergency response
initiative;
* Advancing pilot projects targeted for high
priority areas;
* Scaling partnerships across government and
with private, non-profit and scientific communities; and,
* Fostering the development and application of
innovative scientific and technical approaches to EDRR.
Numerous NISC member departments assisted the Department
of the Interior in the report’s development, including the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Department of Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency, State
Department, and Department of Defense. The process also engaged multiple and
diverse stakeholders from state and tribal governments, academic institutions,
conservation organizations, and industry, among others.