[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 102 (Thursday, June 19, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1288-E1289]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     INTRODUCTION OF THE NONNATIVE WILDLIFE INVASION PREVENTION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 19, 2008

  Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, today I have introduced a bill to 
protect the United

[[Page E1289]]

States from harm caused by invasive species. The bill, entitled the 
``Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act,'' constitutes a proactive 
approach to combating invasive wildlife species by preventing their 
entry at the border.
  Currently there is no federal law prohibiting the importation of 
invasive species into the United States. Yet, nonnative plants and 
animals are known by scientists to have been introduced into ecosystems 
in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the territories. 
Invasive, nonnative species can harm the economy, human health, and the 
health of other animal species. Such harm ranges, for example, from 
depreciating farmland property values to the spreading of disease and 
loss of irrigation water. Additionally, collapse of buildings; 
competition with native animals; sport, game, and endangered species 
losses; habitat alteration; and other ecosystem disturbances; have 
resulted from the introduction of invasive species.
  Scientists and economists estimate the cost of damages caused by 
invasive species in the United States to amount to over $123 billion 
annually. The risks associated with the introduction and establishment 
of invasive species, and the costs of mitigation, will continue to rise 
concomitantly with the expansion of trade and increased speed and 
frequency of travel. The sheer volume of cargo shipped and exchanged 
worldwide continues to increase, and many communities across the United 
States are experiencing growth in tourism and in their visitor 
industries. These factors are reason alone to develop protocols and a 
system for assessing the risk of all nonnative wildlife species that 
could be imported or introduced into the United States.
  Preventing the introduction of invasive species is a significant 
challenge and priority for many communities across the country, 
including my district, Guam. Invasive species, for example, threaten 
the biodiversity and the ecology of the Florida Everglades, the 
Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and the Great Lakes, among other national 
environmental treasures in our country. On Guam, the brown tree snake 
has caused the extirpation of many native, endemic forest birds and 
lizards. The coqui tree frog and the coconut rhinoceros beetle are the 
latest species to have entered Guam. Although the brown tree snake was 
accidentally introduced through cargo shipments several decades ago. 
intentional introduction of invasive species today is something that 
can and should he controlled. The bill introduced today would protect 
citizens, the economy, and the environment from imported wildlife 
species that have the known potential to and that would likely harm our 
interests in the United States.
  Absent a comprehensive federal law addressing the importation of 
nonnative species, the only is protection provided by the Lacey Act 
Amendments of 1981. This law authorizes the Secretary of the Interior 
to designate wildlife species considered ``injurious'' to humans and 
prohibit importation of such species into the country. The process, 
however, to designate a species as injurious can take four years on 
average, at which point in most cases harm has already been caused and 
realized.
  The Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act authorizes the 
establishment by regulation of a risk assessment process to control the 
importation of wildlife species. The bill adopts a preventative 
approach by requiring the Secretary of the Interior to develop with 
public notice and public input a ``green list'' of species allowed to 
be imported and a ``black list'' preventing invasive species from 
entering the country. Prior to approving a species to be imported, the 
Secretary must evaluate its potential risk to humans, other animal 
species, and environmental health. Any imports of ``black list'' 
species will be subject to penalties under the Lacey Act Amendments of 
1981. The Secretary, however, may permit importation of an animal of 
such other prohibited species for educational, scientific research, or 
accredited zoological or aquarium display purposes. Finally, import 
fees will be collected to cover the costs of the risk assessment 
process.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle to advance this legislation and to strengthen the abilities of 
the federal government to more effectively manage and prevent the 
introduction and establishment of nonnative wildlife species.

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