[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 5 (Monday, January 13, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S231-S232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CRAIG (for himself, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Crapo, Mr. 
        Baucus, Mr. Burns, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Smith, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. 
        Ensign):
  S. 144. A bill to require the Secretary of the Interior to establish 
a program to provide assistance through States to eligible weed 
management entities to control or eradicate harmful, nonnative weeds on 
public and private land; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I would like to address an issue of 
enormous economic magnitude, but one that many are only vaguely 
familiar with. This issue is extremely important to those of us in the 
West and around the country because it affects countless farmers, 
ranchers, public land managers and private landowners, and it literally 
knows no boundaries.
  Noxious weeds threaten fully two-thirds of all endangered species and 
are now considered by some experts to be the second most important 
threat to bio-diversity. In some areas in the West, spotted knapweed 
and thistle grows so dense that big game wildlife are forced to move 
out of the area to find edible plants. Noxious weeds also increase soil 
erosion, and prevent recreationists from accessing land that is 
infested with poisonous plants.
  I believe stopping the spread of noxious weeds requires a two pronged 
effort. First, we must prevent new non-native weed species from 
becoming established in the United States, and second, we must stop or 
slow the spread of the noxious weeds currently present in our country.
  I have stood before Congress for a number of years pushing 
legislation and speaking on the issue of noxious weeds. I know some in 
the Senate tire of hearing me bring up this issue, but growing up on a 
farm and ranch in western Idaho, I have experienced the destruction 
caused when noxious weeds are not treated and are left to overtake 
native species. Two-thirds of our land in Idaho is owned by the Federal 
Government. Our Montana, Washington, and Oregon neighbors all have 
comparable Federal ownership. State and private land borders much of 
these Federal lands. I have seen the devastation noxious weeds can have 
when unchecked and not effectively treated or managed largely due to 
lack of resources.
  Because of these problems, during the 106th Congress I introduced and 
worked to pass the Plant Protection Act. That bill primarily dealt with 
the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service's, APHIS, authority to block 
or regulate the importation or movement of a noxious weed and plant 
pest, and it also provides authority for inspection and enforcement of 
the regulations. Basically the bill focused on stopping the weeds at 
our borders.
  Last Congress, along with 16 of my colleagues, I introduced S. 198, 
the ``Noxious Weed Control Act.'' We held two Committee hearings on the 
bill, and it passed the Senate in November. Unfortunately there was not 
time to reconcile the bill with the other body, so we are introducing 
the legislation again.
  To develop the Noxious Weed Control Act, I worked tirelessly with the 
National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Public Lands Council, and The 
Nature Conservancy. This legislation will provide a mechanism to get 
funding to the local level where weeds can be fought in a 
collaborative way. Working together is what this entire initiative is 
all about.

  Specifically, this bill establishes, in the Office of the Secretary 
of the Interior, a program to provide assistance through States to 
eligible weed management entities. The Secretary of the Interior would 
appoint an Advisory Committee of ten individuals to make 
recommendations to the Secretary regarding the annual allocation of 
funds. The Secretary, in consultation with the Advisory Committee, 
would allocate funds to States to provide funding to eligible weed 
management entities to carry out projects approved by States to control 
or eradicate harmful, non-native weeds on public and private lands. 
Funds would be allocated based on several factors, including but not 
limited to: the seriousness of the problem in the State; the extent to 
which the Federal funds will be used to leverage non-Federal funds to 
address the problem; and the extent to which the State has already made 
progress in addressing the problems.
  The bill directs that the States may use 8 percent of their 
allocation to fund applied research to solve locally significant weed 
management problems and solutions. States may also allocate 25 percent 
of available funding to encourage the formation of weed management 
areas and to carry out projects relating to the control and eradication 
of noxious weeds, and 75 percent for financial awards to eligible weed 
management entities. To be eligible for funding, a weed management 
entity must be established by local stakeholders for weed management or 
public education purposes, provide the State a description of its 
purpose and proposed projects, and fulfill any other requirements set 
by the State. Projects would be evaluated, giving equal consideration 
to economic and natural values, and selected for funding based on 
factors such as the seriousness of the problem, the likelihood that the 
project will address the problem, and the comprehensiveness of the 
project's approach to the noxious weed problem within the State. A 50 
percent of non-Federal match is required to receive the funds.
  The Department of Agriculture in Idaho, ISDA, has developed a 
``Strategic Plan for Managing Noxious Weeds'' through a collaborative 
effort involving private landowners, State and Federal land managers, 
State and local governmental entities, and other interested parties. 
Cooperative Weed Management Areas, CWMAs, are the centerpiece of the 
strategic plan. CWMAs cross jurisdictional boundaries to bring together 
all landowners, land managers, and interested parties to identify and 
prioritize noxious weed strategies within the CWMA in a collaborative 
manner. The primary responsibilities of the ISDA are to provide 
coordination, administrative support, facilitation, and project cost-
share funding for this collaborative effort. Idaho already has a record 
of working in a collaborative way on this issue, my legislation will 
build on the progress we have had, and establish the same formula for 
success in other States.
  As I have said before, noxious weeds are a serious problem on both 
public and private lands across the Nation. Like a ``slow burning 
wildfire,'' noxious weeds take land out of production, force native 
species off the land, and interrupt the commerce and activities of all 
those who rely on the land for their livelihoods, including farmers, 
ranchers, recreationists, and others.
  I believe we must focus our efforts to rid our lands of this 
devastating invader. Noxious weeds are not only a problem for farmers 
and ranchers, but a hazard to our environment, economy, and communities 
in Idaho, the West, and for the country as a whole. We must reclaim the 
rangeland for natural species. Noxious weeds do not recognize property 
boundaries, so if we want to win this war on weeds, we must integrate 
all stakeholders at the Federal, State, local, and individual levels. 
The Noxious Weed Control Act is an important step to ensure we are 
diligent in stopping the spread of these weeds. I am confident that if 
we work together at all levels of government and throughout our 
communities, we can protect our land, livelihood, and environment.
  I urge my colleagues to support this effort.

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