[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4804 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4804

To authorize appropriations for construction of a research facility in 
   Broward County, Florida, to be used in connection with efforts to 
 control Melaleuca and other exotic plant species that threaten native 
                  ecosystems in the State of Florida.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 20, 1994

Mr. Shaw (for himself, Mr. Deutsch, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mrs. Fowler, 
Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Young of Florida, Mr. Canady, Mr. Goss, Mr. Bacchus 
 of Florida, Mrs. Meek, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Johnston of Florida, Mr. 
  Diaz-Balart, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Lewis of Florida, Mr. McCollum, Mr. 
 Hutto, Mr. Peterson of Florida, Mr. Stearns, Mr. Mica, Mr. Miller of 
  Florida, and Mrs. Thurman) introduced the following bill; which was 
      referred to the Committee on Public Works and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize appropriations for construction of a research facility in 
   Broward County, Florida, to be used in connection with efforts to 
 control Melaleuca and other exotic plant species that threaten native 
                  ecosystems in the State of Florida.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Melaleuca (Melaleuca quinquenervia) is a noxious weed 
        which is changing the fragile ecosystem in and around the 
        Everglades National Park to the detriment of South Florida's 
        water supply.
            (2) Although Melaleuca was originally introduced into the 
        State of Florida from Australia in the early 1900s to help dry 
        up the Everglades, it now threatens to permanently replace and 
        eliminate Florida's natural plant communities and the animals 
        that live in them.
            (3) The State of Florida loses an incredible 52 acres a day 
        to Melaleuca.
            (4) According to experts most acquainted with the Melaleuca 
        problem, the best long-range hope for control and suppression 
        of serious, widespread pest plants like Melaleuca is an 
        approach called ``classical biocontrol''.
            (5) The major factor that is impeding progress to find a 
        suitable insect to control Melaleuca is the lack of quarantine 
        space. The Aquatic Plant Management Laboratory presently shares 
        a quarantine facility at Gainesville, Florida, with the Florida 
        Department of Agriculture and the University of Florida at 
        Gainesville. However, the Gainesville facility is far from the 
        main infestations of Melaleuca, and facility space specifically 
        to quarantine insects to control Melaleuca is limited.
            (6) The University of Florida has donated land on its 
        campus in Davie, Florida, where the quarantine facility will be 
        located.
            (7) Although this facility will be primarily used to battle 
        Melaleuca, it will also be used to quarantine insects for other 
        exotic plants.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 108(c) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 (106 
Stat. 4816) is amended by striking ``$1,000,000'' and inserting 
``$4,000,000''.
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